By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
A lot was expected out of Los Fresnos’ Ricky Altamirano this season, and the senior delivered.
He was the top scorer for the Falcons, dropping 577 points to help his team reach its first Class 6A regional tournament. The two-year varsity letterman shot 47 percent from the field and hit 37 3-pointers to go along with 105 assists.
For his contributions, Altamirano has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2019-2020 All-Metro Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year.
“It’s awesome that all the hard work I put in with my dad and my trainer and all the other stuff paid off,” Altamirano said. “I knew what was expected of me from the beginning of the season, I just had to step up being a senior. It’s nice to get recognized but it’s also a small goal from what I want in life, so I’m just humbled by this and will keep working.”
Altamirano’s impact went beyond the points he put on the scoreboard. He led the team with 291 rebounds, including 81 offensive boards, and was tough defensively as he recorded 86 steals and 18 blocks. Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said he watched Altamirano grow from a kid to a grown man on the floor and praised his can-do attitude.
“Ricky was a versatile player for us. He went into each game just doing whatever was asked from him,” Hinojosa said. “His ability to rebound on the offensive side (was big.) He led the team in offensive rebounds, which created more opportunities for himself and the team. He was second in assists … so not only did he score about 16 points a game, he was helping with another six points on assists.”
Along with his work ethic, Hinojosa praised Altamirano’s leadership and commitment to the Falcons program. Altamirano said his job was keeping everybody focused and keeping things in control.
The Los Fresnos coaching staff preached that players should talk on the court and support each other. Altamirano took that to heart and took the time to figure out how each of his teammates learned best in order to communicate with them effectively on the court to minimize mistakes.
“We saw Ricky go from quiet and shy his freshman year to a player that demanded respect and led by example,” Hinojosa said. “He came into every game and practice focused, with the right attitude and with the team-first mentality. Ricky demonstrates on a daily basis what it is to be a good citizen, a good student and, most importantly, a great young man.”
With his Falcons career behind him, Altamirano is now working toward achieving his next goal of playing college basketball. He’s keeping a positive attitude despite the difficulties COVID-19 is presenting as he continues workouts and emailing college coaches.
He knows the Los Fresnos program that he helped elevate is in good hands and said he enjoyed knocking down roadblocks with his teammates on the journey to Falcons history.
“Playing along my brothers, the whole entire ride was great. We all loved each other, and getting to the Sweet 16 was a great thing to do,” Altamirano said. “Now, I just really want to play in college. The sky’s the limit for all of us (chasing our goals), and we just need to keep on working.”