SAN ANGELO, Texas — The TLCA San Angelo Eagles are 16-5 on the season and rank as the second best high school basketball team in the Concho Valley, according to outlets such as Max Preps, yet what makes this team special in their eyes is not the wins, but the purpose of their success this season.
"It is my last year and other dudes (on the team) last year (playing for TLCA), so we are really just trying to make a statement this year and prove something. We want to play for each other, and win for each other," point guard Preston Romero said.
This year's squad is littered with fourth-year players who are taking part in their last dance as a high school basketball player. Yet, one junior, shooting guard A.J. Romero, feels it is important to sendoff his older teammates with more than a back-to-back district title.
"We are senior heavy, and that means we are all playing like it is our last (time playing together). The goal is obviously more than a district championship," A.J. Romero said.
The Eagles are currently on their best defensive pace this season since 2020, allowing fewer than 46 points per game in 2024. The key to their recent upgrade on that end of the floor starts with their coach, Kent Sherill.
"He (Sherill) is always trying to give us the best advice on the floor. With our defense, it has been different because of our effort, what coach said, and that makes us more defensive-minded," A.J. Romero said.
With six games remaining, TLCA is in second place in their district. With the heart of district play ahead of them, should they go on a winning streak, the Eagles can both lock up first place and finish with the best regular season record since 2020.