Lady Horns battle in basketball losses, spark to two latest wins 

The Marfa Shorthorns basketball program is in full stride as both varsity squads continue to build momentum through tournament play and early-season matchups. Over the past week, the Lady Shorthorns competed in the Buena Vista Longhorn Tournament and a home game Tuesday evening that helped with the team’s early pre-district chemistry.

After pool play placed Marfa in the fourth bracket, the girls regrouped and delivered a strong performance to close out the weekend. The Lady Shorthorns battled through competitive matchups, including: Trinity––L 25-27, Van Horn––L 23-33, Wink JV–– L 35-41, and Buena Vista––L 14-52. 

The Lady Horns capped the tournament with a dominant 37-22 victory over Sierra Blanca in bracket play, a win that provided a much-needed spark heading into the new week and led to Tuesday’s back to back win. Riding the confidence from their tournament finale, the Lady Horns took their energy into Tuesday night’s home game, defeating Fort Hancock 41-26 in an impressive team performance.  

Shorthorn basketball squad: A mix of wins and losses heading to district play

The boys squad defeated New Way Academy––W 56-53, and Grandfalls––W 43-29, but fell to Buena Vista, Van Horn, and Trinity High, but gained valuable momentum as the team worked to their offensive rhythm and defensive rotations which Coach Arron Luna stated would be critical as the team begins district action next Friday on the road.

Coming back from the tournament Tuesday night, the Horns fought a tight, competitive game at home against Fort Hancock, keeping the score close throughout all four quarters. Despite their late push, Marfa was unable to close the final gap, falling by a score of 26-46. Alejandro Rodriguez led the scoring for Marfa with 16 points, while JoSaul Baeza led the team in forced turnovers, steals, and defensive rebounds. Coach Arron Luna stated that Baeza’s defense was key for the Horns Tuesday night.

Upcoming contests

Both Marfa teams now turn their focus to the Van Horn Classic, set for Thursday through Saturday. Marfa girls open tournament play on Thursday at 2 p.m. against Fort Stockton JV as they look to extend their win streak, while Marfa’s boys have the opening game of the tournament with an 8 a.m. game against Fort Stockton JV.

Stat leaders (Longhorn Tournament and Fort Hancock game): Zoey Salgado—42 points, including a career-high 18 points against Fort Hancock. Ava Flores—29 points, 14 assists, 10 steals, showing leadership at point guard on both ends of the court. Raven Martinez—51 tournament points, powering the offense throughout the weekend

Alejandro Rodriguez—57 total tournament points, leading the Horns with consistent scoring across all games. Ayden Alvarez—25 points and 11 rebounds, providing a strong inside presence on both ends of the floor. Abelardo Marquez—18 tournament points and 3 steals, contributing defensive energy and timely scoring.

Junior Shorthorns hoop their way to runner-up finish 

Coach Marcus Ortega and his squad were able to take down Alpine and Fort Hancock, but fell to Presidio in the championship match-up to finish runner-up at the Alpine JH Boys Tournament. Leading scorers for the Horns were Logan Pippen and Diego Labrado.