Those who went to a Harlingen High game this season would have seen point guard Avery Hinojosa glide by defenders to the rim, drain 3-pointers, lead the press for easy steals and be a leader on the court for the Lady Cardinals.
Hinojosa is the Valley Morning Star’s 2021-22 All-Star Girls Basketball Most Valuable Player. Hinojosa also was the co-MVP for District 32-6A.
“I feel good, and I feel like I earned it,” she said. “I put a lot of hard work in during the summer. I tried to make some history for my team this senior year, and I made it possible. This is one of my best years. I tried to help the team as much as I could because it was my last year.”
Hinojosa dropped 604 points this season to lead her team in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game. She also grabbed 119 rebounds, provided 89 assists and came up with 125 steals.
“She was huge for us,” Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz said. “With her four-year varsity experience, she was able to compete against any opponent, especially on offense. Teams would have to double-team her.”
During a game against Weslaco High with the district title on the line, Hinojosa scored 35 points on the road in a pivotal victory. In playoff wins, the quick point guard scored 20 points during the first round against La Joya High and then 22 points against Laredo Alexander in a six-point road victory.
Moncivaiz also said Hinojosa did other things that were not visible.
“She never let down the team,” Moncivaiz said. “She always went out there to compete. We put a lot on her and she just played.”
Hinojosa eclipsed the 1,000-point mark this season and doubled her points total this year compared to last year. She averaged five more points per game this year compared to last season.
“I learned a lot this year, especially being competitive, leadership and communication,” she said. “I want to thank my family, my coaches and my tio, who is up there watching over me.”
Moncivaiz said the team will miss Hinojosa, especially on the offensive side of the ball, because Hinojosa was pure heart and hustle.
Offensive Player of the Year
Eliza Rodriguez, Rio Hondo
The junior point guard scored 626 points during the season, averaging 23.2 points per game. She also provided 168 assists and led her team in every other major statistical category.
“The season went well,” she said. “Other than playoffs, we could have done a little bit better. Honestly, we want to get by the second-round next year.”
Rodriguez’s skills were on display every time she stepped on the court as she helped her team capture another undefeated District 32-4A championship and a playoff victory. In non-district play, the Lady Bobcats held their own against some of the best teams in the Rio Grande Valley.
Rodriguez said her shooting was one of the biggest improvements this year. She thanked all of her supporters and her travel team coach for her success.
“She has not had to be the orchestrater of the team until this year,” Rio Hondo coach Victor Sauceda said. “We had a good point guard the last couple of years, so she just had to focus on putting the ball into the basket. This year she took a new role, leading the team, bringing the ball up, setting up plays and getting the team involved.”
Sauceda is looking forward to Rodriguez’s senior year and the new district alignment.
Defensive Player of the Year
Damaris Bermudez, Lyford
The four-year starter was a menace for opposing backcourt players trying to bring the ball up the court this season against the Lyford Lady Bulldogs. In the zone, she quickly cut off passing lanes, resulting in easy buckets for her or teammates.
The senior averaged an impressive 3.6 steals per game, helping her team to a 20-0 District 31-3A record, the district’s co-MVP award and the Valley Morning Star’s All-Star Defensive Player of the Year award.
“It feels great,” Bermudez said. “I have been practicing a lot, ever since I was in the second grade, and I feel like it really paid off. The year went great, we got undefeated district champs. It was a great way to finish off my senior year.”
Bermudez wanted to thank all of her coaches, especially coach Teresa Gutierrez, teammates Alyssa Garcia and Marley Perez, and her mom and dad.
“Damaris was very important,” Gutierrez said. “She has been starting since she was a freshman and got thrown into that. When she came in as a freshman, I had no one returning with varsity experience. She has been learning the point since her freshman year.”
Gutierrez said the player filling Bermudez’s role has big shoes to fill, especially defensively.
“Defensively, she was huge for us,” Gutierrez said. “We stuck her on the front of our press because she reads the game really well. She knows when to stick the gaps, and when we needed her she put a lot of pressure on the ball and we got some easy steals.”
Co-Newcomer of the Year
Rianna Gonzalez, La Feria, and Emily Molina, Rio Hondo
The two freshman split the award for District 32-4A and will do the same for the Valley Morning Star. Both freshmen made impacts on teams loaded with upperclassmen.
Molina was a lights-out three-point shooter for Rio Hondo this season. The freshman averaged 10 points per game, mostly from deep. Against La Feria with the district title on the line, she hit multiple 3s to put the game out of reach at halftime.
Molina did not expect to have much impact because she was a rookie.
“I feel like I did good this year with my 3s,” she said.
Molina plays all year with her travel coach.
The freshman is happy about the experience she gained this year, and she knows what to expect.
“I want to thank my coach and my mom for being there and supporting me,” she said. “They really motivated me to do better, and Coach Sauceda for pushing me.”
Said Sauceda, “I have known about Emily for a while. I was a middle school physical education teacher, so I knew she had the ability to play. I saw her coming and I saw her continued growth. She came in ready to play.”
To be a starting point guard as a freshman, a player has to be extremely composed, and Gonzalez was just that.
“It is very exciting to win because I really worked hard this year,” she said. “I really tried my best this season. Coming into this year I knew I had to step up, starting as a freshman I knew I had to gain some people’s respect.”
Gonzalez scored 17 points in a district game and averaged 10 points per game, La Feria coach Delia Lopez said. La Feria also won a playoff game this season against Corpus Christi Calallen.
“I would like to thank my parents for always pushing me, and my travel coach. They really helped get my confidence, and my coach really pushed me to my limits. My trainer also pushes me on and off the court,” she said.
Lopez said Gonzalez knew her role as a freshman as soon she came in and that she heard Gonzalez had skills before jumping into the high school level.
“I was a little surprised,” Lopez said about Gonzalez’s skill level as a freshman. “I was a little nervous too, how she would fit in, but the girls already knew her so they meshed pretty well.”
Gonzalez is looking forward to continuing her development as a player for La Feria and trying to win a district title.
Co-Coach of the Year
Teresa Gutierrez, Lyford, and Victor Sauceda, Rio Hondo
The Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats have dominated District 32-4A the past two seasons, capturing back-to-back undefeated district titles.
“The last two years, we have lost two games in district,” Sauceda said. “We have done well in our district. I think we should do well next year in our new district, but we are trying to look beyond that and trying to get beyond that second round.”
Sauceda will miss his senior-heavy ballclub. The new girls coming up have some big shoes to fill, and he hopes this upcoming team will continue doing that.
“I am not big on awards,” he said. “I always try and push it on the kids that play, but it is an honor. I do it because I love it, and it is great when you great recognized.”
Lyford won 33 games this season, the highest in Gutierrez’s 12-year career at the school.
“It feels pretty awesome,” she said. “We had our best overall record and played a lot of games this year. We found a win, and we played tough teams in non-district.”
Gutierrez loves coaching, especially because she builds relationships with the different children that come through.
“It does not matter what level they are at, junior varsity or varsity, the coaching staff and myself, we try and do a good job of building these core relationships with these kids,” she said. “We are very fortunate here because we get to see them as middle-schoolers.”
Lyford and Rio Hondo will face off next year in district.
Valley Morning Star 2021-22 All-Star Girls Basketball team
Superlatives
Most Valuable Player
Avery Hinojosa, Harlingen High
Offensive Player of the Year
Eliza Rodriguez, Rio Hondo
Defensive Players of the Year
Damaris Bermudez, Lyford
Co-Newcomer of the Year
Rianna Gonzalez, La Feria, and Emily Molina, Rio Hondo
Co-Coach of the Year
Teresa Gutierrez, Lyford, and Victor Sauceda, Rio Hondo
First team
Alani Garza, La Feria
Juli Bryant, Harlingen High
Alexes Rocha, Harlingen South
Aliyah Garcia, San Perlita
Angelina Reyes, San Benito
