By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
COMBES — Harlingen High’s Rosa Zapata knew stepping into the point guard spot vacated by Ariel Leal — last season’s Valley Morning Star All-STAR Most Valuable Player — would be a significant responsibility.
The freshman was the engine that propelled the Lady Cardinals’ offense and emerged as one of the top two-way players in the Rio Grande Valley.
She is the Valley Morning Star’s 2019-20 All-STAR Newcomer of the Year.
“I was surprised when I got the award, because I had a lot of competition for it,” Zapata said. “But I worked hard to get it.”
Zapata led Harlingen High with 104 steals, at a clip of 2.7 per game, and averaged 4.3 points per game.
“Knowing that we could depend on (Zapata and sophomore Avery Hinojosa) made our team a little more balanced,” Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz said.
The Lady Cardinals’ floor general was the only player on her team to post at least 90 rebounds and 90 assists, grabbing 99 boards and dishing out 92 assists, respectively.
Moncivaiz described her point guard’s play as “attentive and aggressive.”
Zapata’s ability to thrive in Harlingen High’s system can, in part, be explained by her coach’s philosophy of teaching fundamentals to every player, regardless of what position in which they would traditionally be typecast because of their size.
“We have the kids that we have, and we work with them,” Moncivaiz said. “If I can mold my kid to be the best they can and make them believe they can play any position they can … our guards can be better post players sometimes. Sometimes our post players can be really good ball handlers.”
Zapata has a knack for delivering clutch performances in big games.
She posted a career-high 15 points, notching five rebounds and three assists in a 59-50 win Nov. 15, 2019, at Brownsville Veterans Memorial.
On Feb. 7 at archrival Harlingen South, Zapata poured in 13 points, six rebounds and two assists in a 56-47 victory over the Lady Hawks.
“I was playing with four fouls (late in the game against South),” Zapata said. “So I knew that I had to keep going, and we didn’t want to lose (the winning streak against South).”
In a bi-district playoff win over Donna North, she added nine points, six steals, four assists and three rebounds to help overcome the absence of Alexus Coto due to injury.
Zapata and Hinojosa will be at the forefront of the Lady Cardinals’ future, which looks bright with Moncivaiz at the helm and five other freshmen returning — three of whom had significant playing time in a 41-38 area-round loss to Laredo United South.
“(Having an influx of young talent) was a major help, especially when you lose a senior-led group,” Moncivaiz said. “And you have this young group come in and fill those roles that we needed.”