Basketball Game Preview: Rio Grande City Rattlers vs. La Joya Coyotes

The Rio Grande City Rattlers will take on the La Joya Coyotes in a tournament on Thursday. Rio Grande City will be strutting in after a victory while La Joya will be coming in after a loss.

Rio Grande City had to kick off their season on the road on Tuesday, but they showed no ill effects. They came out on top against Pharr-San Juan-Alamo by a score of 50-41.

Rio Grande City's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Giovanni Valenciana, who posted 16 points. Louie Falcon was another key player, putting up 11 points.

Meanwhile, La Joya played a tough game on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Vela and fell 80-52. The Coyotes have struggled against the Sabercats recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Despite the defeat, La Joya saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Anthony Romero shot 42% from the field on his way to 31 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of David Garcia, who had four points and nine boards.

Rio Grande City came up short against La Joya in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, falling 56-49. Thankfully for the Rattlers, Leo Villarreal (who dropped a double-double with 23 points and ten rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.