The Rivera Raiders boys' basketball team is heading into the Division I UIL State Playoffs after finishing the regular season as the fourth seed in 32-5A with an overall record of 18-15 and a 12-6 mark in district play. They will face 31-5A district champions Edinburg Vela in a bi-district matchup on Tuesday, February 18, at the Rivera Early College High School Gym, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Securing a spot in the postseason came as no surprise to head coach Jesus Alvarez, who believes this year’s team has the makeup of being the team of destiny.
“Coming into the 2024-25 season we felt pretty confident, we have good senior leadership that we have not had in the past.” Alvarez said. “We had a lot of talent coming back from the year before, a few juniors and a solid freshman coming in, a spark plug for us, we anticipated the playoffs for a couple of years in the past, but this is the team that was destined to go.”
The Raiders transitioned to 32-5A this season after several UIL realignments saw them in 32-6A.
Alvarez knows that Vela is a tough task and knows his Raiders will have to play hard come Tuesday night.
“We have our backs against the wall, Edinburg Vela is a perennial power here in the (Rio Grande) Valley for the last several years. It’s a great program with great coaches heading that program.” Alvarez said. “We don’t have anything to lose. Everything to play for--nothing to lose, our boys are getting after it and may the best team win that night.”
The Raiders are led by a strong trio, including two seniors with three years of experience and a freshman.
Senior point guard Isaiah Cuellar ranks among the top in four statistical categories across the RGV. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3 steals per game, serving as the driving force behind the team’s success.
“He is the best in the valley. He has heart, muscle, and he is a go-getter. He will make us go.” Alvarez said. “He is the heart and soul of our ball club, coaches dream, he does everything we ask of that young man. He is a great leader.”
Senior post Juan "JJ" Juarez is a key defender, known for guarding the basket and limiting high-percentage shots. He leads the Raiders in rebounding with 8.5 boards per game, while also adding 10 points.
“He is a solid big man, very versatile. He can play both outside and inside—he can stretch the floor for us, dominate the glass and everything we ask from the kid he is going to do for us.” Alvarez said.
Freshman guard Reggie Clark made an immediate splash in 2024, joining the starting rotation from the start of the season. Clark made a quick impact, averaging 15.4 points per game and hitting 102 three-pointers. According to MaxPreps, the largest national database of high school sports, he leads all freshmen in Texas in three-pointers made and is ranked 14th across all classifications.
“Sparkplug, energy, instant offense.” Alvarez said. “If we look for that kid, he is going to put up points. He alleviates a lot of pressure off everyone else, spreads the floor, and makes teams stay honest.”
The Raiders supporting group is equally important and Alvarez recognizes it.
“We lost a very talented junior to grades and we asked of the other juniors. Some played JV basketball last year and some were on the varsity with us and had some experience. These kids have come up and stepped up and we are playing our best basketball.”
“We have Angel Montoya, Cristian Vergara who start for us and Erby Alcantar, Rosendo Martinez, Bryan Sarmiento, Andres Rocha, Santiago Leija and Ronnie Nacianceno who have been contributors off the bench, any kid we need out there we know we can count on them.”
With the game just three days away, Alvarez is grateful for the support from the Brownsville and Rivera community and promises an exciting experience for those in attendance.
“Pack the house, come out and support us. We will give you a show, kids will play (hard) I promise you that and like I said we are trying to prove everyone wrong. Hopefully we can shock the world.”
