SAN ANTONIO — Lytle head basketball coach Jacob Hernandez knew this season was going to be special. 

“Last year we got as high as ranked as 9 or 10 by TABC (The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches),” Hernandez said. 

Then, a bad shooting night ended that season early.

“We got upset, and it just lit a fire under the kids, like, 'OK, this will never happen to us again,’” Hernandez said. 

The Lytle Pirates made sure of that when they punched a ticket to the UIL state basketball tournament for the first time in 99 years. This historic season has been led by Jordan Balderaz. 

“It’s beautiful. It’s the only thing a leader can dream of. The guys you are leading want it just as bad as you, so that’s always a blessing,” Balderaz said. 

All this Pirates squad was missing was younger blood at the coaching level, which is why Arty Vela joined the coaching staff. 

“Coach Vela calls and we have an opening and I know he’s ready, and he bridges that gap,” Hernandez said. 

Vela was a standout at Edison High School in the early 2010s and has helped travel basketball program HD Toros. He’s used to developing younger talent. 

“Arty has helped us out with our skill work and just being that young set of eyes that we needed,” Balderaz said. 

The Pirates are a scrappy team that prides itself on defense, which creates transition buckets, a culture that started in San Antonio at Edison High school. 

“Coach Vela’s dad here was my mentor and the head coach (of Edison) and I was the JV guy and coach Vela was our point guard. We had the same blueprint,” Hernandez said. 

A blueprint that had Edison a game away from the state tournament in 2012, but Hernandez and Vela are taking a different black and gold team to the promise land. 

“The number one thing with him and my dad was they preach family. I think is with all these kids they know what they have in front of them, meaning like they can call us at anytime, ask us whatever they need,” Vela said. 

A foundation that was laid on Blanco road in San Antonio and ultimately created lifelong relationships. A glance at the stands shows a sea of Edison alumni sporting Pirates basketball shirts. 

“It means you made a difference in somebody, for them to come back 10 years to support you,” Balderaz said. 

They are currently making a difference with this Lytle team, so much that Jacob is telling Vela he’s carrying them to the Alamodome to redeem what happened over 11 years ago. The same way Vela used to tell Hernandez that he helped get Edison into the newspapers. Now they are doing it as colleagues. 

“To bring those two (Vela and Hernandez) and we a have chance to be in the (Alamo)dome? It’s a blessing,” Balderaz said