Six dominant scoring threats comprise the group of nominees for Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The winning individuals will be announced at the 2018 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 19 at Mario’s Banquet & Conference Center in Mission.
Sean Elliott, a former NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs who now works with the team as a broadcaster, will be the keynote speaker at the event.
The nominees for Boys Basketball Player of the Year:
>> Andrew Carrizales, Los Fresnos: Carrizales had a breakout season for the Falcons, leading them in scoring with an average of 14.2 points per game along with 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He was named the District 32-6A MVP and earned an All-Star nod.
>>Daunte Galvan, PSJA North: The versatile junior guard scored more points per game than anyone from the Valley has since 1997. He averaged 28.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3 steals. Galvan made 277 free throws this year, which ranked fourth in the nation, according to Maxpreps.
>> AB Lozoya, Santa Rosa: The senior point guard helped guide the Warriors to a second straight state tournament appearance. He scored a career-high 40 points in a playoff win over Corpus Christi London and dropped 34 points in a regional final win against San Antonio Cole.
The nominees for Girls Basketball Player of the Year:
>>Jocy Amaya, Rio Grande City: Amaya was a tour de force who carried the Rattlers into the second round of the playoffs this year. She led the Valley in scoring with 24.1 points per game but did a lot more than put the ball in the basket. Because of her 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 3.0 steals per game, Amaya was tabbed as The Monitor’s All-Area Defensive Player of the Year.
>> Mia Paz, Brownsville Hanna: The junior guard continued to be a dynamic scorer and accomplished a couple milestones this season. She had a 50-point game and reached 2,000 career points within a span of a few weeks during the middle of the season. Paz was one of the top scorers in the Rio Grande Valley and finished with 23.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 3.0 assists per game for the year. She earned first-team honors in District 32-6A and earned The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.
>>Jayla Santa Maria, Edinburg High: The senior scored a career-high 747 points for the Bobcats, who spent much of the season ranked as the No. 1 team in the RGVSports.com girls basketball Top 10 poll. Santa Maria also earned The Monitor’s All-Area Player of the Year honors in April.
The banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student-athlete for outstanding achievements on and off the field.
The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, The Brownsville Herald, Mid-Valley Town Crier and RGV Sports Hall of Fame will vote to determine the winners in the sports categories. While The Monitor, the Star and the Herald have previously named their All-Area teams in certain sports, the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet will recognize the very best across all three coverage areas.
The banquet, which will run approximately 6 to 8 p.m., returns to Mario’s for a second consecutive year. The venue has a seating capacity of more than 500 people. Tickets will be on sale soon at a cost of $40 per person. For sponsorship opportunities, call Marcia Kitten at 956-683-4463 or email [email protected].
