McALLEN — McAllen Rowe point guard Darren Manriquez didn’t just take a step forward during his sophomore season. He made a giant leap to become one of the Rio Grande Valley’s top playmakers on the hardwood.
After averaging less than four points per game last year as a freshman, Manriquez spent the offseason mastering his craft, allowing him to flip the switch once it was time to hit the court.
“It was something I had confidence in. In the offseason, I was just training and hungry for it,” he said. “I wanted to prove everybody wrong.”
This season, Manriquez averaged 26.8 points, 5.1 steals, 4.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. He also led the Warriors to winning their fifth consecutive district championship and a berth to Round 3 of the Class 5A playoffs.
After taking his game to another level this season, Manriquez is The Monitor’s 2020-21 All-Area Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year.
“I’m just blessed and I give all the glory to God,” he said.
Manriquez was thrust into the spotlight as a sophomore this season. Rowe lost one of its key pieces to graduation in Darrin Everage Jr., and its other star player, senior Louie Yebra, was lost early in the season due to injury.
In order for the train that is the Rowe Warriors’ boys basketball program to keep chugging along, head coach Jose Luis Yebra handed the keys of the offense over to Manriquez, his sophomore point guard.
“I was focused on stepping up my role. Last year, we had (Darrin and Louie) — one of them graduated, one of them got hurt, so I had to step up and help my team out,” he said. “My team was dependent on me, so I took the challenge.”
| McAllen Rowe’s Darren Manriquez (13) drives through Corpus Christi Veterans defense to the basket in a 5A area round playoff game at Weslaco High School on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) |
Manriquez met the challenge head-on consistently during just his second year in high school. At one point this season, he strung together a streak of six straight games with 30-points or more.
After playing a role as a facilitator and sometimes shooter as a freshman last year on a stacked Rowe team, there was no question about his role this season — be a scorer.
Manriquez displayed the ability to penetrate defenses and finish through contact in the paint amongst taller defenders. He was also a knockdown shooter from 3-point range and inside the arc, stopping on a dime to rise up and drain big shots when Rowe needed it most.
“Finishing is one of the main parts of my game that I really like to work on, but one thing I really worked on was my jump shot. I feel like it got a lot better and I’m going to continue to work on it,” he said.
Manriquez helped Rowe uphold its dominance in the RGV high school basketball scene as the Warriors won their fifth consecutive district title and reached Round 3 of the playoffs for the second straight year.
With his junior and senior seasons ahead of him, Manriquez and the Warriors are ready for more.
“I just feel like there’s more to come. I’m going to keep working and keep grinding,” Manriquez said.