By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
COMBES — Avery Hinojosa leads by example and lets her play on the court speak for itself.
The Harlingen High sophomore is the Valley Morning Star’s 2019-20 All-STAR Girls Basketball Most Valuable Player.
“It took a lot of work to fight for it,” Hinojosa said. “We put in a lot of work in the weight room and stayed later for (extra) conditioning.”
Hinojosa led the Lady Cardinals with 10.6 points per game, shooting 41 percent from the field on the season. She was Harlingen High’s best three-point shooter by volume, making 34 percent of her attempts from behind the arc, or 47 of 139 shots.
Hinojosa also hauled in 112 rebounds and dished out 53 assists. She was one of six Lady Cardinals to record at least 40 assists, and her versatility had a ripple effect on the team’s offense, allowing Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz to utilize a larger rotation than she had in previous seasons.
“To have a young team, and to be able to play pretty much our whole team each game, that was, to me, something that was good,” Moncivaiz said. “In most seasons, you don’t think that you’re going to be able to play our whole team. A lot of times, you’re going to play a small group or seven to eight players. We were able to play 10 to 12 players consistently, and that’s something we want to do every year, is have a deep team.”
Harlingen High’s top playmaker also made a concerted effort to improve her shooting ability and her defensive play.
Hinojosa’s 102 steals were second only to teammate Rosa Zapata’s team-high 104 swipes.
Moncivaiz said the enhanced chemistry between Hinojosa and her teammates and a deeper understanding of each player’s role on the floor will allow for further growth next season and beyond.
“I think we’ll see a lot more from (Hinojosa and Zapata) next year,” Moncivaiz said. “Because they’ll be even older and more mature with experience. … You go from one not playing a lot of minutes to the other going from the middle school level to the high school level. They were both able to contribute in different ways.”
In a win over Laredo LBJ on Dec. 6, 2019, Hinojosa dropped 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists. She scored 15 points and added five rebounds and an assist to lead her team to victory against Edinburg Vela.
Also, Hinojosa was the leading scorer — with 14 points and four rebounds — in Harlingen High’s 45-36 win over rival Harlingen South on Jan. 21, one of several District 32-6A games in which she scored in double figures.
“Next year, the expectations are going to be that (Hinojosa is) not going to be hesitant at the beginning of the year,” Moncivaiz said. “She’s going to start strong and finish even better.”
All-STAR Girls Basketball Team 2020
Most Valuable Player
Avery Hinojosa, So., Harlingen High
Offensive Player of the Year
Karla Reyes, Sr. Harlingen South
Defensive Player of the Year
Julia Celis, Sr., Harlingen South
Newcomer of the Year
Rosa Zapata, Fr., Harlingen High
Coach of the Year
Ashley Moncivaiz, Harlingen High
First Team
Alexus Coto, Jr., Harlingen High
Callie Cervantes, Jr., Harlingen High
Laura Ramirez, Sr., Harlingen South
Samantha Delgado, Sr., Lyford
Sydney Portillo, Jr., Harlingen High
Second Team
Alexes Rocha, So.,Harlingen South
Damariz Bermudez, So. Lyford
Eliza Rodriguez, Fr., Rio Hondo
Marlina Perez, Fr., Lyford
Natalie Martinez, Sr., Rio Hondo