Sharyland Times

10/24/2026

The Sharyland High Rattlers scored 17 unanswered points to mount a second-half comeback in the Snakeskin Classic tonight, defeating the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 17-13 in a tightly contested defensive game at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

The stadium’s namesake, longtime Sharyland ISD coach and RGV Sports Hall of Famer Richard Thompson himself, was in attendance tonight and told the Progress Times the Snakeskin Classic “it just means a lot to me.”

“It means a great deal when you know that there's two 5As that you've been a part of,” Thompson said. “It's just a great day every year. I always try to make this game, and it's just good for our community overall.”

Sharyland (6-2, 4-0 DIST), who now leads the all-time series in this rivalry 8-5 after three straight Snakeskin Classic wins, held on to their coveted 5A-2 Region IV District 16 lead and improve to 4-0 in district play. Pioneer, on the other hand, drops to 2-2 and is in fourth next to the 2-2 Roma Gladiators.

Rattlers head coach Craig Krell told the Progress Times in a postgame interview that “it wasn’t easy” to come from behind against a Pioneer defense that has been stingy against its opponents all season.

“We did enough offensively,” Krell said. “We put ourselves behind the chains [in] a bunch of situations, but we did enough offensively to take the lead and hold [Pioneer] off. So I’m proud of them.”

The Progress Times spoke with Pioneer Diamondbacks head coach Eddie Galindo, who said in a postgame interview tonight’s game was a “tough loss”. Both teams turned the ball over five times tonight.

“[Sharyland] were a better team tonight,” Galindo said. “You can’t give a team like that more opportunities … our defense was lights out [but] we just didn't do what we had to do offensively.”

Sophomore QB Will Taylor, who led the come from behind effort in the second half, said “the ultimate goal” after the win is the district title. Sharyland took a 14-13 lead with 11:48 to go after a 23-yard pass TD from Taylor to senior WR Paco Gomez and an extra point.

“We got to put a foot on the pedal,” Taylor said about the Rattlers at halftime. “Defense did the job [and] the offense, we just needed to execute better …[it] was amazing.”

The Rattlers' defense continued to answer the bell throughout the second half, culminating in a turnover on downs as the Diamondbacks marched down the field in the waning seconds. Senior DB Roman Adame, who broke up several end zone passes in that final drive, said he’s “glad” his final season came with a rivalry win.

“I’m glad I get to go out this way for Sharyland,” Adame said. “We knew they wanted to throw it up and they had very little time … we covered deep, played our zones [and] played our man and knowing they don’t catch that ball, it feels really great.”

Both teams continue their district home stretches at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30, as the winning Rattlers host the Laredo Cigarroa Toros (5-3, 3-1 DIST) at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission and the Diamondbacks travel to Roma to face the Roma Gladiators (4-4, 2-2 DIST).

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Oct-23-2026-Football-Sharyland-vs-Pioneer-LG

Progress Times photos by Luciano Guerra

10/17/2026

Sharyland High remains undefeated (4-0) at home after a 24-2 win over the La Joya-Juarez Lincoln Huskies (5-3, 1-3 DIST) in a defensive district duel at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.

The Rattlers led throughout the ballgame, holding the Huskies scoreless in the first half and only relinquishing a fourth quarter safety. Sharyland head coach Craig Krell told the Progress Times he was “proud” of how his team “battled” tonight.

“I thought we came out and played a really good first half,” Krell said. “[We were] a little bit slow the second half but moved the ball well [but] we got a little sloppy toward the end.”

With this win, the Rattlers (5-2) remain undefeated in district play (3-0), sitting above the three-win Mission Veterans Patriots (3-1) for the district lead. The Huskies (5-3) drop to 1-3 in district play after tonight’s loss one week after their first district win since 2019.

Juarez Lincoln head football coach Daniel Cortez told the Progress Times in a postgame interview that “we got a ways to go to build our program,” but that games like this serve as a crucial stepping stone for the future.

“[Sharyland] was the better team tonight,” Cortez said. “We’ll bounce back [and] we have a lot of learning. A lot of [our] kids will be back for the 2027 year [but] we need to self-evaluate ourselves before [we] start pointing fingers.”

The Huskies had little-to-no answer for the Rattlers’ defense tonight. Only scoring on a late safety, the Juarez Lincoln offense tallied five turnovers, including two late interceptions by senior QB Leo Elizondo. Sharyland also turned the ball over three times.

Rattlers’ junior DB Storm Walker, who caught the final interception ahead of victory formation, told the Progress Times the pick was a “big moment” for him personally.

“My dad has worked here for a long time [and] had a lot of health issues,” Walker said. “He came back this year [and] it was a big moment for me.”

Sharyland sophomore QB William Taylor, despite throwing two TD passes (including one that went 50 yards to WR Paco Gomez), told the Progress Times that he and the team “need to be better” offensively.

“I’m proud of the defense,” Taylor said. “I’m proud of [my offensive teammates]. But I need to do better. That score should be more, but it’s on me.”

Freshman wideout Alex Rojas took several reps out of the backfield as a running back tonight, netting a goal-line touchdown. He was also catching passes both in the flat and as the check-down. He took over the spot from senior RB Kevin Alaniz as he deals with an undisclosed injury.

“I’m just glad to [help] take over [Alaniz’s] spot and filling in with his injury,” Rojas said. “I don’t have any words [about the TD]. Good blocks, easy jog in, really exciting.”

Sharyland’s next district bout on Oct. 23 will be the Snakeskin Classic against the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks (4-3, 2-1 DIST) at Richard Thompson Stadium. Meanwhile, Juarez-Lincoln will host Roma (5-2, 1-2 DIST) at La Joya ISD Pack Stadium on the same night.

“We can’t overlook our opponent,” said Taylor about the upcoming rivalry game. “We need to just go in and play how we played against Mission Vets.”

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/October-16-2026-Football-Sharyland-vs-LJJLJV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela.

10/10/2026

Sharyland High (4-2, 2-0 DIST) moved within half a game of the 5A-2 Region IV District 16 leaders by storming out to a 37-29 win over the Mission Veterans Patriots (5-2, 2-1 DIST) at Tom Landry Stadium tonight.

“We feel awesome,” Rattlers head coach Craig Krell told the Progress Times after the game. “We talked about Matthew 24:13 ‘stand firm till the end and God will save you’ [and] playing four quarters, and that’s exactly what they did.”

Stand firm the defense absolutely did tonight, limiting a Veterans offense averaging 40 points in its last three games, to a measly 22. Veterans junior QB Roman Reyna (2 TD, 1 INT), who Krell describes as “an absolute stud,” was stifled in his attempts to lead a comeback.

“For us to put that kind of hold on him and put some pressure on him …that was big.”

“It was beautiful,” said senior linebacker Leonardo Trujillo. He had an interception against Reyna which gave the defense its momentum tonight. “[That] set the tone right at the beginning and very good things happened from there.”

Sophomore QB William Taylor had a night to remember, accruing five touchdowns; two rushing touchdowns in the first half, and three in the air in the second half. This includes a pass to WR Paco Gomez (2 TD REC tonight) which he brought to the end zone to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

Taylor told the Progress Times he was “proud” of his team for their performance tonight, stating that it’s a “blessing” to beat a top team like Veterans, adding that he knew Gomez was gonna “do something” once he had space to run.

“We got a lot of playmakers on this team,” Taylor said. “It’s just a blessing to be able to come out and win [against Mission Veterans].”

Veterans head coach David Gilpin told the Progress Times after the game that both him and the team need to improve, adding “we put our backs up against the wall.”

“They beat us,” Gilpin said. “They lined up on the field and beat us … [Sharyland] took it, simple as that. We’re gonna get out our work done, we’re gonna get in on film [next week].”

With this win, Sharyland High moves to within half a game of the Patriots for the division lead. Cigarroa ties Veterans for first place following their 13-10 win over Sharyland Pioneer and the Patriots’ loss tonight.

Here are the updated 5A-2 Region IV District 16 standings after tonight’s games:

1. Mission Veterans (2-1, 0.0 GB)
2. Laredo Cigarroa (2-1, 0.0 GB)
3. Sharyland High (2-0, 0.5 GB)
4. Sharyland Pioneer (1-1, 1.0 GB)
5. Roma (1-1, 1.0 GB)
6. La Joya-Juarez-Lincoln (1-3, 1.5 GB)
7. PSJA Southwest (0-3, 2.5 GB)

District schedules for both squads continue next week. Sharyland returns home to host a La Joya-Juarez Lincoln (5-2, 1-2 DIST) that’s fresh off their first district win since 2019. The Patriots, meanwhile, go on the road to face Roma who’s off a bye (5-1, 1-1 DIST).

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/VeteransMemorial/Oct-09-2026-Football-SHS-vs-VMHS-LG

Progress Times photos by Luciano Guerra.

10/10/2026

Tonight at Richard Thompson Stadium, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks suffered a heartbreaking three-point defeat to the visiting Laredo Cigarroa Toros (4-3, 2-1), losing by a final score of 13-10.

Penalties and turnovers dominated the bittersweet Homecoming night, as costly mistakes erased multiple Diamondback scores and stymied several more drives. The Toros ate the clock and leaned on senior Carlos Aburto to close the game. Aburto's early fourth-quarter rushing touchdown created just enough distance to keep the Diamondbacks away.

"We had some things that just didn't go our way. We had some penalties, a couple of touchdowns that got called back, but that's football. They got after it, they executed their game plan better than ours, and it is what it is. They were the better team tonight," Diamondbacks Head Coach Eddie Galindo said after the game.

A 40-yard first-half field goal from senior Ezra Perez and an electric 80-yard touchdown sprint from speedster Cole Scurlock accounted for the Diamondbacks 10 points, their lowest-scoring night this season. A frenzied final minute nearly saw the Diamondbacks pull off the improbable, but wide receiver Andrew Leal's last-gasp scamper was stopped just beyond the red zone as time expired.

Despite tonight's setback, the Diamondbacks are ready to get back to work and make one final playoff push as they enter the home stretch of the regular season.

"We're in for a gauntlet of some teams that are trying to get to the playoffs. We've got to get after it, get better next week, and look forward to [PSJA] Southwest because they're a great ballclub too," Galindo said when describing what kind of response he expects from his Diamondbacks.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/Oct-9-2026-Football-LCHS-vs-SPHS-LG

Progress Times photos by Luciano Guerra.

09/25/2026

After a tough Week 4 loss, the Pioneer Diamondbacks re-entered the win column tonight to improve to 3-2, earning a 1-0 district start in the process after dismantling the previously undefeated Juarez-Lincoln Huskies 40-6 at La Joya ISD Pack Stadium.

"It's a good team win. Defense played lights out, offense played lights out, and that's what we do. We've just got to be resilient through the tough times. Keep fighting and grinding," Head Coach Eddie Galindo said after the Diamondbacks key victory.

The Diamondbacks dominated time of possession, won the turnover battle, and utilized their depth to overwhelm and wear down the Huskies through four quarters. Wide receivers Nathaniel Alaniz (2 TD receptions), Alec Chapa (1 TD reception), and Andrew Leal terrorized the Huskies' secondary all night as senior quarterback Malakai Galindo matched his season high with three passing touchdowns.

"I'm glad my teammates can believe in me and in what I can do," Galindo said after his impressive performance through the air.

Junior running back Cole Scurlock was the unquestioned star of the night thanks to his 100 + yard and three-touchdown performance on the ground, including a pair of 50+ yard touchdown runs. Scurlock now has 10 rushing touchdowns through five games.

"I'm glad I can produce for my team. I'm glad I can put it out on the field for my team. I have all the support I need. I'm so happy," Scurlock said following his ground dominance.

The Diamondbacks will return home to Richard S. Thompson Stadium in two weeks to face the Laredo Cigarroa Toros before a matchup with the undefeated PSJA Southwest Javelinas the following week.

"We're gonna fight, and we're gonna represent our school well. We've got a great school and administrative staff that supports us, so we're gonna give them a product they'll be proud of," HC Eddie Galindo said when describing what fans should expect going forward.

The now 4-1 Huskies remain optimistic despite suffering their first letdown of the season. They will face the Laredo Cigarroa Toros next week, then the PSJA Southwest Javelinas the following Thursday.

"We need to take the losses the same [as the wins] and bounce back. But I've always told them, "We need to reflect on ourselves first and what the mistakes were... we had some positives. It's never as bad as you think, and it's never as good as you think, but we need to see the glass half full," Juarez-Lincoln head coach Daniel Cortez said following the Huskies first loss of the season.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Juarez-Lincoln/Sept--25--2026-Juarez--Lincoln-v

Progress Times photos by Troy Chapa.

09/19/2026

Fans were treated to bonus football at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission tonight as the Sharyland Rattlers (2-2) staved off a late comeback by the La Joya Coyotes (2-2) to win 42-41 in overtime.

Rattlers' head coach Craig Krell spoke to the Progress Times after tonight’s game, stating in an interview tonight’s game was “a tale of two halves.”

“I thought we were as good as [we] could be [in the first half],” Krell said. “After the half, we gave up a couple of big plays defensively [and] drop some balls offensively...We’ve just got to be more consistent on both sides of the ball.”

Sharyland’s passing attack shined tonight. Rattlers' sophomore QB William Taylor threw six touchdown passes to four different receivers. Senior Oscar Cantu and junior Austelio Mendoza caught two, while junior Asdrubal Flores and senior Francisco Gomez caught one each.

Taylor spoke with the media after the game, and told reporters that he and the team have high expectations and a lot of work to do after the win, “We came out in the first half shooting,” Taylor said. “Came out in the second half slow and that’s on me … “We’re gonna recover [in the bye] and go look for a gold ball.”

The Progress Times spoke with Coyotes head coach Reuben Farias, who said in an interview he is “super proud” of his team for coming back from down 35-7 force overtime.

“They could have checked it in,” Farias said. “They had the heart of a warrior [and] played all the way to the end of the night. I cannot be ashamed [of them]. And that’s all we ask.”

Just about everything went the Rattlers’ way in the first quarter tonight. After the opening kickoff was taken to the La Joya 42, the Rattlers marched down the field in nine plays, ending in an 18 yard TD pass from Taylor to Cantu for the opening score. 7-0 Rattlers after the PAT.

The Coyotes then fumbled the ball at the 50 yard line in its first offensive drive. After this, Taylor found Cantu deep again, who secured a bobbling catch which was good for a 50 yard touchdown bomb. Sharyland ended the first quarter up 14-0.

La Joya, possessing the ball to end the quarter, continued to run the football down the field. Sophomore RB Farbian Arjona registered six carries in this drive alone, including two chunk plays for crucial first downs.

Senior QB Owen Benoit then ran it in himself from 18 yards out to put the Coyotes on the board to open the second quarter. After the extra point, it was a one-score game with the Rattlers in front 14-7.

Sharyland then commenced an all out air attack in the second quarter. In their next drive, Taylor threw a deep ball to Flores for a 37-yard TD pass to go up 21-7 after the extra point.

The Rattler defense then forced three-and-outs on La Joya’s next two drives. After a good return brought Sharyland to the Coyotes’ 34, Taylor threw a 36 yard pass on fourth down to Mendoza for his fourth TD pass of the game. 28-7 Rattlers.

After forcing a La Joya fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Rattlers were knocking on the red zone door from the 23. Taylor then threw a 7 yard TD pass to senior WR Francisco Gomez right after the two minute warning. Sharyland ended the first half up 35-7.

The Coyotes began the second half eager to pull back into the game. After receiving the ball to open the half, they marched to the end zone in merely six plays beginning from their own 28. Benoit ran it in from the goal line to make it 35-14 Rattlers.

La Joya’s defense forced a punt which they returned to their own 35. A combination of Arjona runs and key passes at the sticks from Benoit brought the Coyotes down to Sharyland’s 10, where Arjona ran it in to make it a two-score game. The third quarter ended with the Rattlers up 35-21.

The Coyotes then came all the way back to tie it in the fourth quarter. The first drive for La Joya in the fourth took all of three plays for Benoit to run it into the end zone. After blocking a Rattlers field goal that would have iced the game, the Coyotes got it back at their own 20.

Later, La Joya forced a turnover on downs in Sharyland territory. Marching down the field, Benoit ran another keeper to tie the game at 35 all after the extra point. The Rattlers scored first in overtime after Taylor found Mendoza in the end zone.

Down 43-35, the Coyotes slowly chipped away at the yardage vis a vis Arjona. They ultimately scored on another QB keeper by Benoit. The two-point attempt for the win at the end of the game by La Joya was unsuccessful, sealing a 42-41 overtime win for Sharyland.

The Rattlers have a bye next week, while the Coyotes will close their non-district schedule on the road against Brownsville Veterans Memorial. That game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Veterans Stadium in Brownsville.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/September-18-2026-Football-La-Joya-at-Sharyland-MM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon.

09/12/2026

Tonight at Joe R. Sanchez Stadium in Rio Grande City, the Pioneer Diamondbacks improved to 2-1 on the season by defeating the Grulla Gators by a score of 42-6.

The Diamondbacks wasted no time in taking a lead when they scored on their first possession of the game when junior running back Cole Scurlock ran the ball into the end zone for his first of three touchdowns on the night. A failed two-point conversion attempt made the score 6-0 Diamondbacks.

Later in the first quarter, senior wide receiver Andrew Leal turned a short pass reception into a 59 yard touchdown after breaking into the open field and leaving the Grulla defenders in his wake and making the score 13-0 Pioneer with 1:08 remaining in the opening quarter.

With 8:20 remaining in the second quarter, Scurlock scored TD #2 on the night when he broke a 74 yard run all the way into the end zone. That made the score 20-0 Diamondbacks. Scurlock followed that up with his third and final TD of the game on a 35 yard run with 5:41 remaining in the first half. A successful two point conversion made the score 28-0 Diamondbacks.

The score remained unchanged until 9:15 remained in the fourth quarter when Grulla drove the ball 85 yards to score their only touchdown of the game. With a missed point after attempt, the score stood at 28-6 until the Diamondbacks’ next possession when senior wide receiver Alejandro Moya scored on a 38 yard reception to make the score 35-6.

Pioneer senior running back Liam Pena closed out the scoring with only 1:39 remaining in the game on a 21 yard touchdown run. That made the final score 42-6 Diamondbacks.

Immediately after the game, Progress Times asked Pioneer head coach Eddie Galindo if the game went the way he expected it to. He replied, “You know, it’s hard to tell. We came in here and we knew the kids would play hard on that other side. They’re a little limited on how many kids they had so they had kids going both ways. We came in here to do our thing. It was a tough night. Conditions were windy and we had different kids we tried to get in and get looks at. So we were kind of sloppy early but I think we got the job done.”

The Diamondbacks, who will play their final non-district game of the season at home against Weslaco East Thursday, will be opening their District 16-5A 2 schedule in two weeks at the surprisingly 3-0 Juarez-Lincoln Huskies.

Here are some photos from tonight’s game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland-Pioneer-HS/September-11-2026-Football-Pioneer-vs-La-GrullaMM

Progress Times photos by Mario Magallon.

08/29/2026

The Sharyland Rattlers scored 43 points as an offense but it wasn’t enough to outlast the McAllen Memorial Mustangs as they fell 55-43 tonight in a shootout at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

For the Mustangs, their rushing attack was nigh unstoppable, rushing for 527 yards in the first half alone. Senior RB’s Braxton Speights (4 TDs) and Oscar Jasso (3 TDs) both found the end zone multiple times tonight.

Wide receiver Austelio Mendoza made his varsity debut tonight as a sophomore, and had a 36-yard touchdown catch to make it a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a different feeling starting JV and [starting] now,” Mendoza told the Progress Times after the game. “We just gotta keep pushing and working [next week].”

Rattlers’ head coach Craig Krell spoke with the Progress Times after the game, stating that the Mustangs “caused us some problems” tonight.

“Offensively, I thought we moved the ball well,” Krell said. “I thought we shot ourselves in the foot a few times… We gotta look at where to improve and make sure that we’re working on it hard.”

After winning the opening toss and receiving, the Rattlers established the run early, with Alaniz recording three runs, a catch and converting two first downs. The opening drive ended on a long Francisco Gomez touchdown catch.

Memorial responded with a touchdown of its own on its opening drive. Aided by a powerful running game, it was ultimately Speights who ran into the end zone. Game tied 7-7 after the extra point.

The Mustangs forced a mid-field stop the following drive. A special teams error by Sharyland placed the ball inside the five-yard line, with Speights running in for an easy six to give McAllen-Memorial a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.

The second quarter began much the same way the first ended. The Rattlers did not get past midfield. Once the Mustangs got the ball, Speights broke out for an 80-yard touchdown run to put Memorial up 20-7. Extra point, was no good.

Sharyland brought themselves right back into the game. Aided by great running from Alaniz, the Rattlers marched up and later scored on a QB scramble by Taylor. After a blocked field goal, it remained a one possession game, 20-13 Mustangs.

The Rattlers later suffered another gut punch on the ground the next drive. This time it was Jasso who ran it long into the end zone, his first of the season. The field goal was good, putting the Mustangs up 27-13.

Sharyland brought it to a six point game after Alaniz scored his first touchdown of the night from the outer edge of the red zone. Taylor later ran it in off the sneak for a two-point conversion. The first half ended with Memorial up 27-21.

Unable to do anything with their opening possession, the Rattlers failed to convert on fourth down in Memorial territory. After getting the ball back, the Mustangs ground game picked up where they left off. Jasso ran 49 yards to the end zone. Speights picked up the 2-point conversion to extend Memorial’s lead 35-21.

Alaniz then brought it right back to within a touchdown by way of a 58-yard touchdown rush, his second of the game. The extra point was good, making it 35-28 Mustangs.

The third quarter ended with some defensive chaos. The Mustangs fumbled the ball, putting the Rattlers into the end zone. Later, Taylor threw an interception which senior DB Jason Martinez returned to Memorial’s 29.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Speights ran into the end zone for what appeared to be his fourth touchdown of the game. It was overturned after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The Mustangs eventually scored on a trick play, as junior WR Vicente Valdez would run it in and extend Memorial’s lead 42-28 after the extra point. The Rattlers hit back and made it 42-35 after Taylor threw a 53 yard TD pass to Oscar Cantu.

Speights would eventually get his fourth touchdown of the game, rushing five yards to extend the Mustangs’ lead 49-35. Mendoza’s debut touchdown brought it to a one score game again.

Eventually, the Mustang’s galloped back into the end zone, this time with Jasso’s third rushing TD of the game. The game ended in a 55-43 victory for McAllen Memorial.

The Rattler’s will face off against McAllen High at home on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Here are some photos from tonight's game. To view more, click here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/August-28-2026-Football-SHS-McMemorial-JV

Progress Times photos by Joe Vela.

06/09/2026

Photos from the Sharyland Rattlers' 5A DII Baseball State Championship game versus Lucas Lovejoy are now available for viewing in our SmugMug Gallery. There are plenty of action photos from the game as well as photos of the Rattlers' coaches and of fans in the stands. Be sure to check them out by clicking here:

https://progresstimes.smugmug.com/Sports/Sharyland/April-6-2026-Baseball-Sharyland-vs-LucasLovejoy-AG

Progress Times photos by Alex Garza.

Your hometown newspaper serving Mission and Western Hidalgo County since 1972   The Progress Times is the hometown newspaper for the local communities of Mission, Sharyland, Alton, Palmview, La Joya and surrounding areas in Western Hidalgo County. We have a staff of veteran reporters who work dilig...

06/06/2026

The Sharyland Rattlers came up short this morning from becoming the first baseball team from the Rio Grande Valley to claim a state title, losing the UIL Class 5A D2 title game 7 - 2 to Lucas Lovejoy at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

Lovejoy scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, added two more in the 4th and one each in the 5th and 6th to earn their first state title. Lovejoy finished with nine hits on the day. Tyler Scarborough pitched a complete game for the winners.

Sharyland got on the board with single runs in the 2nd and the 6th thanks to run scoring hits from Diego Chapa and IJ Garza. Chapa had another hit in the 5th. Luis Balderas, Edgar Quintanilla and Omar Cantu also recorded hits.

Sergio Ibarra pitched 4 plus innings for the Rattlers before Milo Villarreal came on in the bottom of the 5th.

Despite the loss both Ibarra and Coach Austin Bickerton spoke on the experience of being the first Valley baseball team since 2007 to reach the title game.

“I’m thankful for the experience” , said Ibarra. “It was an amazing experience to be here.”

Bickerton had similar feelings and added how the support shown by both the Sharyland faithful and others from the Valley who came to watch affected him. “It was awesome . . . just the support from the Rio Grande Valley I couldn’t be more proud of where I’m from.”

The Rattlers finished the season with a record of 38 -6, taking the storied program to the state title game for the first time in school history.

Here are some photos from today's game.

Progress Times photos by Alex Garza.