Basketball: Red Devils glad they get another chance

Rankin picked a wrong time to play one of its worst games of the season last year.

The Red Devils were one win from going to the Class 1A Division II state basketball tournament.

But rather than celebrate a rare trip to Austin, the Red Devils instead watched archrival Garden City advance.

The Bearkats defeated the Red Devils 32-20 to go to Austin, where they lost to Goodrich in the semifinals.

“I think a lot of the guys remember that feeling when we lost,” Rankin’s Garret Avalos said. “Everyone wants to redeem ourselves and get back to Austin.”

The Red Devils (14-3 overall) begin that journey at 7 p.m. tonight against Bronte (23-8) at Howard College’s Dorothy Garrett Coliseum in Big Spring.

“We know we’re capable of getting to Austin,” junior Jacob Schmitz said, “and we don’t want to have that feeling again.”

That feeling is best described as watching a team you feel is worse than you defeat you.

The Red Devils lost two starters from last year’s team, including post Jason Martinez.

Rankin also has only played 17 games after the football team advanced to the Six-Man Division I semifinals.

“It definitely took us a little while to get going, but we’re starting to get back to that level of last year and better,” Avalos said.

Despite the limited time on the court this season, the Red Devils won the district title and Avalos was named the co-District 10 MVP.

“A lot of times coach (Ted) Epley tells us not to be satisfied with football,” Avalos said. “He challenges us to continue to work hard in basketball. We want to get to Austin basketball as well.”

The success in football has also helped, as nearly the entire basketball team had significant roles on the football team, including Avalos, Schmitz, Chase Epley and Juan Hernandez.

“The tradition of winning is there,” Schmitz said. “We know what it takes to get far and now we just have to go play with intensity.”