By MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
During his first two seasons, Brownsville Veterans Memorial post player Damian Maldonado spent his time growing and becoming one of the key cogs in the basketball program’s success.
This season, Maldonado took another big step, proving himself as a leader on the court and helping to lead the Chargers to a 32-7 record, a District 32-5A title and the program’s second regional quarterfinal appearance in three seasons.
The junior post not only impacted the stat sheet but consistently made plays in big moments and provided a calm and collected lead for his team to follow, which is why he has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2019 All-Metro Most Valuable Player.
“It means a lot (to be MVP), and I know I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this point,” the Chargers’ junior said. “I couldn’t do it without my teammates. They put us on a pedestal, and we all work together. Going to the playoffs and doing well in the district has really helped us.”
Maldonado averaged 12.6 points 4.2 rebounds this season and was named the District 32-5A Co-MVP with teammate Justin Anaya.
Though he’s happy with his own feat, he said Anaya played a key role in helping have the impact he had this season.
“The way he plays, the way he shares the ball and shoots the ball, it helped out the team, especially me,” Maldonado said. “When you have just as good of a player on your team, it helps a lot.”
Maldonado made his biggest impact in clutch moments in the second half, when his team often looked to him for big shots or to help spark the offense when down.
It’s a role Maldonado feels he can’t shy away from, no matter the situation
“I’ve always learned to stay patient and not to get into my head too much or get frustrated,” Maldonado said. “If I do get depended on to provide a spark, even if I’m not playing well, I just have to keep shooting the ball, get my teammates open … whatever I have to do just to spark that run.”
Coach Larry Gibson said Maldonado earned that trust a go-to player his freshman year, and it has only grown since then.
“He struggled at first, but once he started playing, that’s when we turned it on,” the Chargers’ coach said. “He gained more confidence in himself, and once that happens a coach can relax. He has a lot of confidence in himself and he believes in him; that’s a good thing.”
Driving that confidence has been mental toughness.
Gibson cited the area playoffs when a Corpus Christi Flour Bluff player continued to try and get under Maldonado’s skin through comments and getting in his face, forcing officials to break the two up on more than one occasion.
Maldonado never flinched and proceeded to put up 22 points, including 12 during the second half to will the Chargers to victory.
“When we played (Flour Bluff), they tried to get under his skin, they tried to pick a fight, but (Maldonado) always kept his cool,” Gibson said. “The other kids see that. They watch him, who I consider one of the top two players in the Rio Grande Valley. If he can keep his composure, my team can do a better job of keeping their composure.”
Maldonado felt that was an opportunity to lead by example.
“You set an example, and they see what you’re doing and they see you staying calm,” he said. “They see you still getting buckets, passing the ball to teammates for open looks. If they see one of the better players is doing that, they want to feed off that energy and do the same. When that happens, we’re successful.”
Being a level-headed model of a player is always a good thing in Maldonado’s eyes, though he hopes to take that to the next level his senior season.
“I feel I’ve gotten better handling the rock and shooting the ball, but one thing I want to get better at is vocally leading instead of just setting an example,” Maldonado said. “If I step up leading vocally, I feel our team will be a lot better.”