By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Every time he steps on the basketball court, whether for a game or practice, Elian Gonzalez gives it everything he has.
Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said Gonzalez “only has one gear, and that is to go hard,” which is something fans saw night in and night out as the senior led the Falcons to the best season in program history. Gonzalez averaged 12.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and recorded team-highs in assists (149), steals (140) and blocks (19) this season.
For his efforts, Gonzalez is The Brownsville Herald’s 2019-2020 All-Metro Most Valuable Player.
“It makes me feel great that I was part of such an accomplished team. But I don’t feel like I was the MVP of the team, I just had an MVP team. I never felt that I was better than anyone else on my team, but I felt that I was better than anyone playing against me,” Gonzalez said. “Every game and every accomplishment this year was more special because it wasn’t, like, ‘I did it,’ it was all, ‘We did it,’ because we were such a team.”
Gonzalez had a successful three-year varsity career at Los Fresnos. He was the District 32-6A MVP last season and shared that honor this year with freshman teammate Gerry Martinez.
Hinojosa called Gonzalez a student of the game and said the discipline and leadership he displayed this season were second to none. Gonzalez brought the spark to the team and made everyone on the court with him better.
“Passion is the secret ingredient that all teams have to achieve greatness, and Elian single-handedly was the player that brought that passion to the team,” Hinojosa said. “On a nightly basis you saw the intensity in him, you saw the endless motor in his play.
“Elian was a man amongst boys just about every night, and you saw in his play just how bad he wanted to win. The team fed off him … the guys listened to him, and they responded to his play on the floor.”
Gonzalez prides himself on that passion and said he strives to do everything 400 percent. The experience he gained playing as a sixth man his sophomore season helped him grow into the leader he is today.
He said he took pieces of knowledge from each senior on that 2017-18 squad to become the leading scorer his junior year. Gonzalez’s focus this season was on being more physical and playing unselfish basketball.
“I was the reigning MVP, but I treated my teammates like they were the star players. I didn’t let anything impact me or make anyone think I wanted to do it all,” Gonzalez said.
Now that Gonzalez has left his mark on the Los Fresnos program and helped take the Falcons to the next level, he’s aiming to reach the next level himself. He’s working with the McAllen Ballers and is talking with colleges as he waits for the right offer.
“I hope that I’m remembered as a hard-working person that never gave up and was always there for everyone on the team,” Gonzalez said. “If anything, I’ll walk on somewhere to play ball if I don’t receive a scholarship, but playing in college is my goal.”
Herald All-Metro Boys Basketball Team
Most Valuable Player
Elian Gonzalez, Sr., Los Fresnos
Offensive Player of the Year
Ricky Altamirano, Sr., Los Fresnos
Defensive Player of the Year
Damian Maldonado, Sr., Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Newcomer of the Year
Gerry Martinez, Fr., Los Fresnos
Coach of the Year
Marco Hinojosa, Los Fresnos
First Team
Cristian Guajardo, So., Brownsville Pace
Daniel Rinza, Sr., Port Isabel
Dennis Lozano, Sr., Port Isabel
Luis Gonzalez, Sr., Los Fresnos
Matthew Maddox, Jr., Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Second Team
Alexander Agado, So., Pace
Cole Pinkerton, Jr., Port Isabel
Elias Fortaneli, So., Pace
Joshua Martinez, Sr., St. Joseph Academy
Kelly Davis, Sr., Brownsville Veterans