Acosta helps Legacy go 28-6, win district title
The Legacy women basketball group entered the 2021-22 season with unfinished small business.
The Woman Rebels missed out on a probability on profitable the District 2-6A title the prior calendar year by a measly 3 details right after dropping a pair of nail-biters to San Angelo Central.
Legacy, led by a strong senior team and head mentor Alfred Acosta, was decided to not permit it materialize all over again.
The Woman Rebels won their previous 10 league video games by an ordinary margin of victory of 21.3 details to safe a share of the District 2-6A title, their first due to the fact 2016.
Legacy finished with a 28-6 file, its initial playoff acquire because the 2018 year and carried a 15-sport winning streak at just one issue.
For what was an extraordinary year by the Girl Rebels, Acosta has been voted the Reporter-Telegram’s Higher Faculty Girls Basketball Mentor of the Yr, the third time he’s gained the honor immediately after accomplishing the feat in each 2019 and 2021. Acosta says he is blessed with a robust coaching staff that features Sergio Franco, Cassandra Cisneros and Tip Stephenson.
“I say it all the time,” Acosta explained. “I never shoot a basketball. I really do not make a move a person time but I’m quite fortunate to have excellent players and a really superior coaching staff members to enable get that performed.”
Chemistry was absolutely a strength of the 2021-22 Girl Rebels, as this was the initially senior team that experienced been in Acosta’s basketball plan for the entirety of their careers, which commenced at Alamo Junior High and Abell Junior Large when the coach was employed in 2016.
That team of seniors included two 4-12 months lettermen with write-up Loredana Fouonji and point guard Myleah Younger, two three-12 months lettermen with guard Sa’Nya Inexperienced and tiny forward Maggie Erdwurm, guard Almira Schuman and forward Mia Ramos.
Fouonji averaged a double-double with 10.1 factors and 10.3 rebounds to receive District 2-6A MVP honors, Young dazzled with her ball handling, Inexperienced was a large on ball defender and extensive-assortment shooter and Erdwurm did a little bit of everything.
“Those kids are special,” Acosta stated. “Obviously all people understands about the 4 that played a great deal of minutes but all of them contributed to it. All of them paid a good deal of dues and did what they were requested and aided us be a effective software and be wonderful role products to individuals coming up by it.”
The turning position in the time came on Dec. 21, 2021, when Legacy fell to Wolfforth Frenship 39-30 in a highway match, which was LHS’ next district contest.
The Lady Rebels knew that Frenship was a critical match towards their target of profitable district, as the Girl Tigers had won at minimum a share of every single district title relationship back again to 2017.
Adhering to Xmas crack, LHS arrived back again with a vengeance, heading 4- at the Byron Johnston Getaway Traditional. The Woman Rebels carried the momentum into district play by winning 9 of their final 10 district video games by at minimum a 15-issue margin.
On Jan. 25, LHS received its 2nd shot at Frenship and stepped up to the challenge with a 48-32 victory. When the dust settled at the close of the typical season, the Lady Rebels and Girl Tigers shared the district crown.
“Those women, they did not like the way that loss to Frenship tasted and they didn’t want to sense that once again,” Acosta explained.
LHS’ carried its momentum into the postseason, as it finished on a 16- run in the course of a 49-29 victory above El Paso Americas in the bi-district spherical. The Woman Rebels’ successful streak last but not least came to an conclusion when it fell 36-34 to Hurst L.D. Bell in the region spherical.
L.D. Bell was one particular of 3 eventual UIL regional match teams that the Girl Rebels misplaced to, including Course 4A No. 17-ranked Seminole and Course 5A No. 19 Lubbock Monterey. Legacy’s other 3 losses were being to No. 25 Frenship, TAPPS 6A condition runner-up Antonian Prep and TAPPS 6A elite eight team Argyle Liberty Christian.
Liberty Christian (Colorado Condition signee Jadyn Fife), Antonian Prep (Virginia Tech commit Carleigh Wenzel) and Lubbock Monterey (nationally ranked freshman Aaliyah Chavez) all experienced future Division I players.
“I attempt to give us some good levels of competition to get us geared up for district,” Acosta reported. “This calendar year the girls acknowledged the challenge. I assumed they exceeded all anticipations and unfortunately we would have appreciated to play a pair much more game titles but that is just how basketball is in some cases as is daily life.”
Observe Christopher on Twitter: @chris_MRTsports
Other coaches regarded for the award: Coahoma’s Joe Mireles, Huge Spring’s Eric Tuttle, Stanton’s Junior Ashmore