Luis “Red” Ortegon battled through multiple injuries last season to lead Martin on its deepest playoff run in more than half a century. The Tigers advanced to the regional tournament following a 16-0 mark in District 31-5A, and Ortegon earned the Laredo Morning Times Male Athlete of the Year Award for his efforts.
“It was a great run,” Ortegon said. “We were together and playing a lot of good basketball out there. We were communicating. It feels great because we did a great job. I give a lot of credit to my coaches. They did a great job, too.”
“He’s a special kid and a joy to coach and a joy to be around,” Martin head coach Hector Noyola said. “We’re going to miss him this year when he leaves.”
Ortegon started his athletic career in soccer. However, after moving to Laredo from Mexico as a toddler he started picking up basketball.
“I fell in love with the game and started playing a lot, so I switched my sport to basketball,” he said.
His decision long ago paid off big time for the Tigers last year as Ortegon was crucial to their district and playoff success. He finished his junior season averaging team highs with 17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals, and he also had 2.3 assists per game.
Martin rolled by an average of 19.9 points in 14 of its district games, and the other two were a 64-62 win at home over rival Nixon and a 51-48 victory at Valley View. Ortegon had a double-double in the rivalry matchup with 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds in a game that was key to the Tigers winning their first district title since 2012.
“It’s an amazing feeling that words can’t explain,” Ortegon said. “We went a long time without getting a district championship and then we got it.”
Ortegon’s availability was up in the air in the offseason after having knee surgery in the summer. He committed fully to the rehab and was a steady force from the start of the season.
“We weren’t sure how he was going to come back,” Noyola said. “He did his rehab and exercises. He did everything possible to come back 100 percent. He stays positive with himself wanting to be the best and wanting to stay positive for his teammates. We fed off his energy day in and day out in practice and in games. Even when he wasn’t playing, he was our number one fan on the bench cheering and motivating the guys in the locker room before games.”
In the second round of the district season, Ortegon had to return to his role as a motivator on the bench. He suffered a dislocated knee in the opening game against Sharyland, but the positivity remained during the next four games as he battled back from the injury.
“He stayed positive with himself and understood it was going to be a process. We continued to believe and have faith he’d come back and help us out,” Noyola said. “You really don’t know how a kid is going to react after a couple injuries like that. He didn’t put his head down. He knew that his teammates needed him. He stuck with it and did everything to get back. That’s what helped us get to the regional tournament.”
In his return to the court, Ortegon came off the bench and shot 6 of 8 from beyond the arc on the way to 20 points in a 68-47 victory at Nixon. The win clinched a share of the title for the Tigers.
“He had never really come off the bench before, and he came in and hit six quick threes,” Noyola said. “We took a big lead at halftime and never looked back after that. He continued to play a big role off the bench for us and led us all the way to the regional tournament.”
Ortegon had 26 points and eight rebounds in the playoff opener as Martin rolled 67-50 against Pace. The Tigers won 60-44 over Miller and 47-37 over Veterans Memorial to advance to the regional tournament. They fell just short in the semifinals losing 33-29 in a defensive struggle with Dripping Springs. It was the team’s deepest playoff run sine 1959.
The injury bug bit Ortegon again this season when he hurt his knee in Martin’s second scrimmage. After missing the first six games of the season, he combined for 85 points in three games when he returned to the court including 40 in a 70-66 win over Alexander in the quarterfinals of the Border Olympics. Ortegon has missed 12 of Martin’s 25 games this season, but he has been effective when on the court averaging 18 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals.
“He hasn’t really been 100 percent since then,” Noyola said. “He’s been playing with pain and we rest him a lot, but he knows it’s his senior year and he wants to do everything in his power to have another season like last year.”
“It feels good being back,” Ortegon said. “I’m just rehabbing and doing a lot of stretches to keep myself healthy.”
The Tigers face an uphill battle in their title defense after falling 64-63 at Cigarroa and 76-64 at Nixon in the first round. However, a 77-73 overtime victory against Rio Grande City to close out the first round kept them within striking distance. Martin is 12-13 overall and 6-2 in District 31-5A sitting in a tie with the Toros for second place and two games back of Nixon to start the second round.
“We’ve had a couple losses, but there is a lot of season to go and a lot of games to play,” Noyola said. “We know we have a team to make a deep run in the playoffs and that is our main focus right now. We want to finish the season strong, play our best basketball in the second round and have it carry over into the playoffs.”
Martin opens the second round with a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Sharyland. Ortegon and his teammates have developed a strong rapport, and the Tigers plan to combine that chemistry and last year’s playoff experience to end the regular season on a high note and make another run.
“We’re all good friends,” Ortegon said. “We talk and do great things on the court and off the court. My teammates are going to be my teammates all the time.”
jmack@lmtonline.com
Twitter: @jmacklmt