With a roaring 11-2 start, the Central Catholic Buttons travel to Austin this weekend with hopes to win the Austin Anderson Classic tournament. Led by a collective effort of players and coaching, the Buttons have managed to secure big wins over the likes of Judson, Flour Buff, San Marcos, and more.

Starting guard Solomon Benavides believes that the trip will be a ‘fun experience’ for the team as a whole. “I think it’ll give us a chance to see what we are really made of against the best competition,” says the Central guard.

Fresh off of a big win over a San Marcos team with two division one players, the Buttons have been riding extremely high. Currently ranking #3 in the city and #13 in the state of Texas, it is safe to say that this year’s Central Catholic basketball team is indeed for real. The real test comes within the form of the Austin Anderson Classic. Can the Buttons prove they are a powerhouse by taking the trophy in the gold division?   

As the Central Buttons come home to San Antonio, they finish the Austin Anderson Classic tournament 2-2 with losses to the Austin Anderson Trojans and Cypress Falls’ Golden Eagles. With an initial loss to the Trojans, the Buttons were placed in the silver division bracket where they accomplished back-to-back wins over Austin Travis and Dulles High School. Undersized, they used their shooting skills and smart play to defeat their opponents and continue to move up in the tournament. Led by all-tournament selections Joshua Devora and Solomon Benavides, the Buttons were able to rally back from deficits to defeat both teams back to back. 

    Advancing to the championship game Central would go up against the mighty Cypress Falls. Coming right off of a state championship in 2021, the Golden Eagles looked to cap off the tournament with a first-place championship before merely losing to the 2021 state runner-up Austin Westlake. Placed in the same silver bracket the Buttons would have to go through a great Cypress Falls team to win the tournament. After a long hard-fought 32 minutes, the Buttons would eventually come out short of the win. Though they did not win the championship, the trip proved to be a valuable learning as well as bonding experience. Players such as Joseph Garcia and Jaden Rangel noted that the trip indeed ‘brought everyone closer together and united us more as a family’. Even though the Buttons return to San Antonio without a trophy, they bring home a strong brotherhood-like bond that will aid in the future of district play.