In a sense, the Moody and Ray high school baseball teams teamed up last week.

Sure, they did their best to defeat each other in their two-game regional final, which Moody won. But it was a collaborative effort. Both teams did their best to bring out the best in themselves, and challenged each other to show their best. Both succeeded.

They succeeded in showing Corpus Christi the best of itself by showing the best of themselves, their coaches, and their upbringing.

They showed what's bright about the future. There was just no way for spectators to come away from what transpired, shaking their heads and complaining about the youth of today.

Think about this, Corpus Christi:

Two Corpus Christi teams had to play each other for the right to go to the state tournament. That stuff's supposed to happen only in Houston or the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Corpus Christi isn't big enough for that — unless two teams from a city our size are THAT good. Population math works against it.

Those who witnessed the series remarked upon the astonishing level of play, the teamwork and the sportsmanship. None of that should be astonishing. Many of these students have been playing with and against each other and receiving diligent, superior coaching since Little League. It explains both the skill level and the sportsmanship — the participation from an early age, the coaching and the way these boys' parents brought them up.

Baseball is a value-added sport. Players who excel need a lot more than the athleticism their ancestry bestowed upon them. There's a saying: You can't coach speed. But every skill in baseball is taught and practiced for hours that accumulate over the years — including, for the ones who were born to run fast, how best to harness that gift. 

Sportsmanship also is taught, but it starts with a good heart. In an interview after the game, Marcus Cantu, who hit Moody's series-winning single, said he was "blessed" to have hit it and that "we played a great team."

The venue, which accommodated crowds of nearly 7,000 for each of the playoff games, also deserves accolades. Whataburger Field, with the Corpus Christi Ship Channel as its backdrop, was an excellent showcase, especially during a rainy time when the city's high school fields, which don't have the benefit of the Corpus Christi Hooks' Class Double-A professional grounds-keeping budget and staff, were soaked. Making the field playoff-ready was a gift to the community by the Hooks organization. 

This season is a success for Corpus Christi no matter how Moody does Thursday in the state semifinal. If, as we hope, Moody goes on to win its third state championship, it may prove Ray to have been the best team Moody faced on its way to a championship.

So, here's to hoping that Moody defeats two teams Ray could have beaten. If so, the Trojans will have the Texans to thank for preparing them. It would prove to have been the ultimate collaborative effort.