Thanks in part to senior Miranda Vallejo, the San Benito Lady Greyhounds had a historic hoops season with plenty of highlight moments.
Vallejo most notably helped the Lady Greyhounds defeat Weslaco High twice this season to help win a share of the District 32-6A title along with the Lady Panthers.
Vallejo finished the district season with 15.6 points per game, 3.38 rebounds and 2.03 steals.
For her tremendous efforts, Vallejo was named the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Most Valuable Player.
“I think MVP for Miranda is well deserved,” said Lady Hounds head coach Abel Moreno. “She committed herself last offseason to not only improving as a player, but making her team better.”
And while Vallejo had always performed at a high level, this season she leveled up and the result was her helping the lady Hounds pick up a share of the district title, a second bi-district title and a very competitive area-round game against Laredo Alexander – a team that would end up in the state final four.
“Miranda has left a legacy for the other Lady Hounds and definitely put herself in the conversation as one of the better girls basketball players San Benito has ever produced, and it has produced quite a few good ones.”
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Q: What does it mean to you to be named MVP?
MIRANDA: It is an honor to have been named MVP because I have worked really hard to get to where I am right now.
Q: The team had one of its best seasons in recent memory. What was the team’s motivation this season?
MIRANDA: The girls and I have played together for a while so we wanted to achieve something together.
Q: What moment sticks out most from this past season?
MIRANDA: The moment that sticks out most is when we beat Harlingen because it hadn’t been done in a long time, and it also secured our No. 1 seed in district and a co-district title.
Q: What’s the best advice you would give to the future athletes ready to get started?
MIRANDA: Always work hard and never give up.
Q: If you had a time machine would you go to the past or to the future?
MIRANDA: To the future so I can see where I end up and if everything I’ve been doing has paid off.
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Flores’ senior season leads to Offensive Player of the Year honors
For Harlingen High’s Nadia Flores, receiving accolades is something she’s become enthusiastically accustomed to during her high school career.
As a freshman, she earned the District 32-6A Newcomer of The Year award for her breakout performance. As a sophomore, she was named to the 32-6A All-District second team and as a junior she was on the district’s first team and was named the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Most Valuable Player award.
As a senior this year, Flores scored 14.3 points per game, grabbed 3.9 rebounds and shot 36 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Thanks to another stellar season, Flores was named to the to the 32-6A first team and is this year’s Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Offensive Player of the Year.
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Q: What are you going to remember most from your high school career?
NADIA: Probably playing against the best of the best in the Valley and being able to compete every Tuesday and Friday night lacing up my shoes and knowing it’s close to game time.
Q: From all of your time playing basketball, what is your biggest achievement as an athlete?
NADIA: The biggest achievement was having kids in the stands looking up to me and after the game telling me, ‘Hey 32, I want to be just like you.’
Q: What does it mean to you to be named Offensive Player of the Year?
NADIA: It’s a great feeling knowing that all my hard work paid off this season. I’m blessed to have been given this title.
Q: How much fun was this season for you?
NADIA: It was a lot of fun but sad at the same time knowing that it was my last ride. But I enjoyed every bit of it.
Q: What’s next for Nadia?
NADIA: For sure going to the military and starting a career in the Marine Corps, and just becoming successful out of that.
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South’s Del Angel named All-STAR Defensive Player of the Year
Harlingen’s South Cameron Del Angel might not have been a full-time basketball player, but that didn’t stop the senior from making a name for herself in a tough District 32-6A.
After the Lady Hawks lost one its star players to a season-ending injury, Del Angel rose to the occasion and helped the team compete against the league’s toughest opponents.
This season Del Angel was second in scoring with 262 points, 117 rebounds, 36 steals and 15 blocks.
For her efforts, Del Angel was named the district’s top defender and the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Defensive Player of the Year.
“Cameron was on of our returning starters who anchored our defense,” said Harlingen South head coach Kelly Garrett. “She had to step up on both ends of the court this season. As a defensive player it was her presence on the boards that was so instrumental for us.
“She averaged taking one charge a game and took five against Weslaco East. She will be missed for all she contributed to us over the past two years.”
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Q: What does it mean to you to be named Defensive Player of the Year?
CAMERON: I’ve always prided myself on my defense and being a Lady Hawk, good defense has always been a key factor in our game play. Winning this award means a lot to me because people seeing the work I put in to be a good defender is a big blessing.
Q: What was the toughest part of the season and how did you overcome it?
CAMERON: The toughest part of the season would have to be when our starting point guard got injured. I told my teammates that we’d need to bust our butts 10 times harder for her and I knew I had to step up my game, not only as a player but also a leader.
Q: This was your senior year. What are you going to miss most about your time at South?
CAMERON: I’m definitely going to miss the family aspect of being a Lady Hawk; those 15 or 16 girls become your sisters over the seasons/years. Those types of relationships are the ones I’ll miss the most.
Q: What has been the most exciting moment of your athletic career? Why that specific one?
CAMERON: It would definitely be moving on to the second round of playoffs my junior year. That hadn’t been done in several years for the Lady Hawk program and a lot of people doubted our team to be the ones to move further. That feeling of accomplishment and pride is something I’ll always remember.
Q: What’s the best advice you would give to the future athletes?
CAMERON: Enjoy every moment, go the extra mile and do that extra rep even though you don’t want to because pretty soon it will all be over and you’ll be left with just memories.
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Salas named Valley Morning Star All-STAR Newcomer of the Year
Harlingen High’s Alyssa Salas did more than enough to stand out in her freshman season.
She played valuable minutes in 35 games, scoring 75 points, pulling down 48 rebounds, dishing out 22 assists and accounting for 33 steals.
Despite only being a freshman, Salas became one of Harlingen head coach Ashley Moncivaiz’s most dependable assets off the bench.
For her efforts, Salas was awarded the District 32-6A Newcomer of the Year award and this year’s Valley Morning Star All-STAR Newcomer of the Year.
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Q: What does it mean to you to be named Newcomer of the Year?
ALYSSA: First of all, I want to give God all the glory. Secondly, it’s a great honor to have been named Newcomer of the Year. I accept this award on behalf of my team, which supported me throughout my first year. I could not have done this without them. Most of all, I thank coach Ashley Moncivaiz and coach Lance White for always encouraging me to work hard and to play to my full potential. To my mom and dad, I thank them for all the time they spent in the gym training me to become a better player.
Q: As a freshman, you currently go to Cano Freshman Academy. What was it like to play for a high school you don’t really attend yet?
ALYSSA: My goal has always been to be a Lady Cardinal. I was blessed to have been given an opportunity to play at Harlingen High School sooner rather than later.
Q: What was the biggest challenge you overcame this season?
ALYSSA: I would have to say that learning to change my level of play from middle to high school basketball was the biggest challenge. My teammates and coaches were very patient in teaching me the varsity style of play.
Q: What are some things you plan on working on in the offseason?
ALYSSA: I want to work on becoming more of an offensive threat as well as elevating my defensive play. I will also continue to work on my shot, fundamentals and footwork.
Q: What was the biggest lesson you learned from the varsity level?
ALYSSA: I learned that you have to be willing to put in the countless hours in the gym. For example, you have to get there an hour before 6:30 a.m. practice to get in extra reps and work on the little details to try to improve your game. In addition, I’m always keeping in mind that there is someone working just as hard as or harder than you.
