PHOTOS BY CHERI JAY-WIENECKE Hornet Felipe Nava (50) looks to pass in Lometa's recent win over the Star Tigers. Most would not have placed Lometa in the state’s top 10 prior to the season-opener.

But with more than three-fourths of their schedule in the books and only one loss on the season, the Hornets are commanding respect, and soon their record will be demanding lofty attention.

Lometa improved to 20-1 overall and 10-0 in district with recent wins over Star and Cranfills Gap. Thanks to the pair of victories by a combined 54 points, the No. 11 Hornets are knocking on the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ top-10 door as they draw closer to the postseason.

Last Friday, the Hornets used a 33-9 first-quarter outburst to send them on their way to an easy 73-41 home victory.

Dalton Parsons was responsible for 14 points -- including four 3- pointers --in the opening period, en route to a 24-point total performance.

Lometa's Colt Maldonado and Dylan Straley look for the rebound. By halftime, Lometa was cruising to victory, up 53-21. After the break, with the win practically in their back pocket, the Hornets eased up, and the teams played to a 20-20 tie.

Joining Parsons in double-digit scoring was Charlie Wagner, who went six of 10 from the free-throw line to score 16 points. Freshman Felipe Nava chipped in nine points, while Brandon Lilly added seven.

Martin Jasso drained a pair of 3- pointers in the fourth quarter to account for all six of his points.

On Tuesday, the Hornets took to the road, and it was more of the same against Cranfills Gap.

Once again, Lometa limited the opponents to just nine points in the opening period, as the Hornets led by 10 points after the first eight minutes.

Then the route was on.

Hornet Darian Maldonado (4) does his best to dislodge the ball from a Star player. The Hornets’ defense held Cranfills Gap to just four points in the second quarter, while the offense poured in 18 more to go into halftime up by 24 points, 37-13.

It did not take much second-half production to maintain their advantage.

Lometa posted only six points in the fourth quarter but still returned home with a 56-34 victory behind a game-high 14 points from Parsons. Lilly, Hector Rivera and Nava followed with nine, eight and seven points, respectively.

If the Hornets hope to run the table during the remainder of the season, they must find a way to do so on the road.

Lometa has just four games remaining on its regular-season schedule, with three on the road. Tonight, the Hornets continue the four-game road trip that started at Cranfills Gap by traveling to Jonesboro.

A Tiger player is double-teamed by a pair of Hornets. Next week Lometa heads to Priddy and Mullin before wrapping up the regular season at home against Iredell.

But the Hornets are not the only team on a roll in Lometa.

The Lady Hornets went undefeated against Star and Cranfills Gap as well.

Last Friday, Maribel Reyes scored a game-high 14 points while leading her team to a 40-37 road victory.

Reyes was responsible for half the Lady Hornets’ 12 first-quarter points, as she matched Star’s team total for the period singlehandedly.

Lometa went into halftime up 20- 12 before taking a seven-point advantage, 30-23, into the fourth quarter.

That is when Star started shooting.

The Lady Tigers made things interesting by outscoring Lometa 15- 10 in the final period, but it was not enough.

On Tuesday evening, the Lady Hornets found themselves in another battle as they hosted Cranfills Gap.

Dylan Straley (12) makes his way toward the basket. After going into halftime up 22- 14, Lometa struggled to score in the third quarter, posting just four points in the period.

Luckily, post Kylie Bradley scored four of her eight points in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Hornets held on for a 34-30 victory.

Maribel Reyes tied Bradley for team-high scoring honors with eight points. Adriana Reyes scored five points and hit three of four free throws, while six other players scored at least two points.

The Lady Hornets wrap up their season with the same schedule as the boys’ team, traveling to Jonesboro, Priddy and Mullin before hosting Iredell in the season finale on Feb. 9.