The 2024-25 Lingleville Cardinals basketball season ended on the DeLeon court Feb. 18 as they faced May in the first round of playoffs.
“It was really tough fought matchup and I never thought we were ever out of the game,” said head Lingleville boys basketball coach Garrett Stewart, who added the score was always with one or two possessions.
This carried all the way into the final minute when Cardinal Jaxson Rives went 3/3 in free throws to bring the score to 42-40 in May’s favor. May scored another 3 points in the final 20 seconds to clinch the victory.
“In the end it just came down to not having some shots fall,” said Stewart. “With the new split divisions having two ranked teams meet up in the first round isn’t ideal for either one of us. No matter the outcome, a good team goes home in the first round.”
Cardinals ended the season with a 10-2 district record while May was 12-0 in district.
Issac Martinez led Cardinal scoring with 19. Rives scored 11, Garrett Hurt had 6 and Cruz Alarcon had 4.
“As for the season, I could not be more proud of this group of young men,” continued Stewart. “We finished 23-10 on the season with multiple district accolades that can’t be released yet. Basketball season is a long, physically and mentally demanding time of the year. Our kids rose to every occasion and there wasn’t a game they didn’t think they could win.”
Stewart thanks seniors Issac Martinez, Jorge Toledo, and Cruz Alarcon for their leadership, mentoring, and drive to always be better, helping the younger classmen and the legacy they leave behind.