LVHS Chess Team Wins Third Place
by Noel Bernal
The La Villa High School chess team competed in the 3rd annual South Texas Challenge Showdown in Brownsville, TX on January 24, 2009.
The students demonstrated their competitive edge by winning 3rd place, as a team, against schools such as Brownsville Lopez, Med-High, Brownsville Hanna, and Los Fresnos. The students competed in the K-12 under 1000 division.
There were also some students who received individual recognition for finishing in the top twenty overall. The following are the players who placed: Roger Perez 7th place, David Ortega Jr. 10th place, Marcos Ortiz 11th place, and Roel Mireles 17th place.
Chess has created a stir around the school and has begun to interest both boys and girls alike. Mr. Garay stated that, “We have created a monster” because students are distracted by chess during class time. Coach Garza agrees with him and attributes the football player’s improvement in concentration to chess as well. Playing chess improves the student’s ability to focus and concentrate in all areas, including sports and academics.
In addition, the competitiveness of the game brings out the best in them and is now making chess a game of bragging rights around the school.
The chess team is in its first year and is
an extension of the 21st century program. They are currently
fundraising for the state tournament which will be held in McAllen,
TX on March 20-22, 2009.
The chess team is coached by Mr. Gomez and assisted by Mr. Perales. The team is doing an exceptional job and hopes to attract more players in the near future
