Crystal City is 7-2 against Lytle since December of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Crystal City Javelinas will head out on the road to challenge the Lytle Pirates at 8:00 p.m. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Crystal City scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Cotulla 100-57 at home. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Crystal City has posted yet this season.
Crystal City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Eli Mata, who scored 20 points along with eight steals and seven rebounds. Mata has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Mena, who scored 23 points along with six assists and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Lytle earned a 55-47 win over Hondo on Tuesday. Given Lytle's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 591st, while Hondo is ranked 1373rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lytle found their leader in underclassman Chase Guevara, who scored 19 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. Guevara is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Zacharee Perez, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds and six steals.
Crystal City has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-11 record this season. As for Lytle, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 19-5.
Crystal City took a serious blow against Lytle in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 93-57. Thankfully for Crystal City, Jordan Balderaz (who scored 32 points along with seven rebounds and five assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
