Earned, Not Given: The Best in Borderland Girls Basketball — 2024–25 Edition
The 2024–25 Borderland Girls Basketball Awards are unlike official accolades: this isn’t about representation—it’s about rewarding the best, and only the best. No politics. No easy choices.
The 2024–25 girls’ high school basketball season in the Borderland wrapped up in February. It’s now May, which makes these awards later than usual—but with the season firmly in the rearview and time to reflect, there’s no better moment to honor the players who defined it.
If you follow my work, you know I also release the Borderland 50—a prospect ranking focused on long-term development and college potential. That list is coming soon. But these awards are different. They’re rooted entirely in 2024–25 performance: what players produced on the court, night in and night out, and how they impacted their teams.
Yes, these are individual accolades. But team context matters. Some players carried young squads, while others thrived within deep, disciplined lineups. These awards aim to recognize both.
For clarity, I’ll be using three broad positional classifications throughout this piece: Guards (1s and 2s), Wings (2s and 3s), and Bigs (4s and 5s). These reflect how players functioned in their team systems rather than outdated, rigid roles. Guards typically initiated offense or patrolled the perimeter. Wings toggled between backcourt and frontcourt duties. Bigs anchored the paint or protected the rim. These terms will keep role discussions simple without sacrificing accuracy.
Quick note: this article covers girls’ basketball only. A separate post for the boys’ awards is available [here]. As always, I define the “Borderland” as including all public, private, and charter high schools in El Paso and Doña Ana County, along with Alamogordo High School, which competes in the same district as the Las Cruces programs.
With that, let’s get to it.
ALL-BORDERLAND TEAMS
The All-Borderland teams feature the top five players per team—positionless. This format ensures the most deserving players are recognized, regardless of traditional position labels. In girls’ Borderland basketball, five clearly defined position groups are rarely seen on the floor. More often, players fill hybrid roles. This structure reflects that reality by focusing on overall impact, production, and value to their team—no matter where they line up.
A simple core principle guides selections: reward the best players from the best teams. That includes statistical production and skill, but also the intangibles—players whose roles were essential to their team’s success, whether through scoring, defense, facilitation, or the kind of effort that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMS
The All-Defensive Team recognizes the Borderland’s top defenders—players who either anchored the area’s best defensive units or consistently disrupted games with individual stops and hustle.
There are two teams, and both are positionless. This approach allows for the five most impactful defenders to be recognized, regardless of whether they’re guards, wings, or bigs. Great defense isn’t confined to a position—it’s about impact, instincts, and effort across all areas of the floor.
When evaluating defense, I look through two key lenses:
Fundamentals: Effort, communication, rebounding, stance discipline, footwork, and off-ball help.
Playmaking: Blocks, steals, deflections, winning 50/50 balls, closeout speed, and recovery in transition.
These players stood out for excelling in one—or often both—of those areas, night after night.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
A good offensive player is more than just a high scorer or stat accumulator. A great offensive player elevates their team—through decision-making, scoring efficiency, shot creation, and consistency. They don’t just get buckets; they generate advantages.
To be considered for Offensive Player of the Year, a player needed to meet the following criteria:
Average double-digit points per game
Shoot at least 40% adjusted field goal percentage
Rank among their team or district leaders in points or assists
These thresholds ensure that finalists made a sustained, efficient impact—not just in volume, but in value.
THE FINALISTS
Jocelyn Castro-Riverside-Sr.
When Riverside’s offense stalled, Castro was the one who bailed them out. I watched her convert so many tough looks, I had to reconsider what qualifies as a bad shot—for her, there may not be one. One of the few players in the Borderland who can truly operate in isolation, Castro was Riverside’s most reliable three-level scorer, especially deadly inside the arc. She led the team with 15.4 PPG and posted a 54.4 TS%—a mark well above average for a player with her shot profile.
Abigail Ortega-Eastwood-Jr.
Ortega is on the cusp of becoming one of the premier perimeter shooters in the entire region. Her mechanics are textbook, and her corner-three conversion rate is elite. Though her overall three-point percentage doesn’t fully capture her shooting value, she balanced it out with strong two-point and free-throw numbers. She averaged 14.6 PPG on 54.2 TS%, giving Eastwood’s defense-heavy identity the needed offensive balance. Without her scoring, Eastwood isn’t in the 6A title conversation.
Danae Gonzalez-Burges-Sr.
Gonzalez averaged 17.6 PPG on high volume with average efficiency—but the context elevates it. Early in the season, she carried the offensive load while key players were either recovering or finishing volleyball. She opened the year with a 32-point, six-three performance and kept that pace all season. Her offensive profile? High-volume three-point gunning. She took 10+ threes in 11 games and averaged 8.1 per contest—most of them contested, deep, or off-balance. And still, she produced.
Allison De La O-Franklin-Fr.
De La O is a freshman in name only—her scoring maturity is beyond her years. If we’re talking pure scoring value, she’s the most impressive player I’ve evaluated in the last two seasons, boys or girls. Her ability to get to the rim and draw contact regularly altered how referees had to officiate. She averaged 16.6 PPG—accounting for 30.2% of Franklin’s total offense—with a ridiculous 59.8 TS% and 6 free throw attempts per game. She did all of that with just 325 field goal attempts—110 fewer than Franklin’s shot leader. That’s not just volume. That’s control. If I allowed co-winners, she’d have the strongest case.
OPOY: JORDAN SAPIEN (PEBBLE HILLS)
This award isn’t just about how many points you can score—or how efficiently you do it at scale. It’s about impact within that scoring framework and the ability to create for others. No one in the Borderland blends both better than Jordan Sapien.
She can get to any spot in the halfcourt with the ball in her hands—whether to score or create—and no other prospect can say the same. Her ability to draw contact is rooted in an unmatched IQ, and as a playmaker, she has no peer—boys or girls.
Sapien averaged 13.9 PPG on 52.7 TS%. Those are elite Borderland numbers, especially considering this was a “down” season by her standards. She started the year on a minutes restriction, which led to some dip in volume and efficiency—but even with those constraints, she remained in the top tier of offensive impact.
And then there’s the stat that seals it: her assist-to-turnover ratio was 5.1. That’s not just excellent—it’s rare. For context, 3.0 is considered great. Sapien beat that by 70%. Most players in the region hover near break-even or worse. Her ratio isn’t just a number—it’s a reflection of total offensive control.
That’s why this award could only go to Sapien. She doesn’t just put up stats. She orchestrates offense with the precision of a Division I-caliber guard.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
A good defensive player is more than just highlight-reel blocks or flashy steals. Great defenders do the quiet things—talk, rotate, recover, and most importantly, play with consistent effort. As outlined in the All-Defensive Team section, I’m evaluating this award through two lenses: fundamentals and playmaking.
To be considered for Defensive Player of the Year, a player needed to demonstrate:
Elite defensive playmaking (blocks, steals, deflections, recoveries)
Fundamental on-ball and off-ball defense (not letting ball handlers get behind the defense and not losing their player off the ball)
Impactful rebounding, especially from non-traditional positions
Consistent turnover creation that shifted possession and tempo
THE FINALISTS
Kyla Winfield-Franklin-Jr.
Winfield’s inclusion here might raise eyebrows—she didn’t make either All-Defensive team. So why is she a DPOY finalist? It’s about scope. All-Defensive selections account for how a player fits within the team defense. DPOY isolates individual defensive talent. And individually, Winfield is the Borderland’s most gifted shot-contester. Her mix of length, height, verticality, and closeout speed makes her a defensive weapon few can match. She didn’t earn All-Defensive honors because Franklin’s team defense lacked cohesion—her elite tools couldn’t cover every gap. But in one-on-one settings or space-recovery scenarios, Winfield was special.
Natalyn Lechuga-Montwood-Jr.
Effort defines Montwood’s defensive identity, and Lechuga was the face of it. She led the team in steals and brought physicality on every possession. But it wasn’t just hustle—she played with discipline, committing the fourth-fewest fouls per game among Montwood’s main rotation. She constantly won 50/50 balls, sacrificed her body, and played with contagious intensity. Choosing a top defender from Montwood wasn’t easy, but Lechuga earned the nod through her consistent impact and effort without recklessness.
Teeya Gordon-Alamogordo-Sr.
The only player in the region to average a double-double with 1.4 blocks per game, Gordon was the Borderland’s most dominant interior anchor. Her 11.4 rebounds and rim protection were constants, even as Alamogordo struggled in the win column. Her defensive motor never lagged, despite carrying a massive load on offense. She rebounded through traffic, altered shots, and played physically on both ends—always central to the action, regardless of possession.
Danae Gonzalez-Burges-Sr.
Danae Gonzalez is chaos —and one of the most disruptive defenders in the region. She doesn’t always play by textbook rules, but her results speak louder. She gambles for steals and somehow recovers. She crashes offensive boards as a guard but still gets back on D. With 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game, she matched or outpaced bigger, more typical defensive disruptors. Her speed and relentlessness allowed her to defend nearly anywhere on the floor. She bent the rules—and got away with it.
DPOY: KYLIE MARQUEZ (AMERICAS)
Each finalist earned their mention—but by midseason, this award was already penciled in. That’s not to say I stopped watching. It just meant the bar was set. And if anyone were to surpass Kylie Marquez, they’d have to clear a nearly insurmountable threshold.
Her numbers are gaudy: 5.5 steals per game, with multiple double-digit steal performances, I confirmed both in person and on film. But let’s be clear—steals alone don’t tell the story. Steals can be misleading, especially at the high school level, where ball security is often lacking. Plenty of players in the Borderland average two or more per game. That stat alone doesn’t separate her.
What does? Range, versatility, and IQ. Marquez guards everywhere—on the ball, off the ball, on the wing, in the post. She’s a point guard who regularly defends bigs, and I’ve seen her do it live. At the Jamboree Showcase, she fronted players nearly twice her size. Other times, she dismantled opposing guards 94 feet from the hoop. From a Borderland perspective, she’s one of the only players who can credibly guard every archetype.
Her defensive IQ is elite. She doesn’t just prey on weak ball handlers—she anticipates, reads passing angles, and jumps lanes like she’s running the offense in reverse. I can only imagine the damage she’d do if she played full-time in the backcourt. And that’s the point: she does less of what earns most players this award—yet still does more than any of them.
There was no debate. Marquez is the most complete, most impactful defender in the Borderland. Period.
BENCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
There’s no such thing as a true sixth woman in high school basketball. Starting lineups are fluid, and few teams have a defined bench player who mirrors a starter’s role every night. That’s why this award is now called Bench Player of the Year. It honors the most impactful player who primarily came off the bench—even if they weren’t always part of a team’s finishing five. This is about recognizing value beyond the starting lineup.
To be considered for Bench Player of the Year, a player needed to meet the following criteria:
Primarily came off the bench (occasional starts didn’t disqualify)
Ranked top six on their team in overall statistical production
These requirements ensure the award goes to a high-impact contributor who made the most of a non-starting role.
THE FINALISTS
Danika Sifuentes-Eastwood-So.
Sifuentes wasn’t on the radar to start the season, but by the second half, she had become one of Eastwood’s most reliable perimeter threats. She led the Troopers in 3-point percentage among players with 75 or more attempts—no small feat for a team that struggled with outside shooting and endured frequent scoring droughts. Her emergence gave Eastwood a needed offensive lift, and she regularly closed games down the stretch.
Neveah Paul-Pebble Hills-Sr.
Paul’s numbers don’t leap off the page, but her value was maintaining Pebble Hills’ offensive identity when she checked in. Early in the season, she started in place of the team’s star point guard and kept the pace, spacing, and tempo that defined the Spartans’ system. She gave Pebble Hills lineup flexibility as a steady hand off the bench without sacrificing cohesion.
BPOTY: CARLI NUNEZ (CENTENNIAL)
Nunez was a player I made a mental note to revisit after watching her in the preseason Jamboree Showcase. Her length, coordination, and frame stood out immediately—especially for a freshman. When I circled back during Centennial’s district play, I was surprised to find she was coming off the bench. But that choice, according to head coach Matt Abney, was intentional—and it paid off. As a freshman, Nunez finished in the top three for Centennial in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Her production spoke for itself, and her long-term upside is clear. She’s one of the top 2028 prospects in the Borderland, and her impact this season proved it.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
The transition to varsity basketball isn’t easy—especially in the Borderland, where physicality, pace, and defensive intensity often catch underclassmen off guard. The Newcomer of the Year award recognizes the first-year varsity player who made the biggest immediate impact, regardless of class year. Whether they were a freshman or an upperclassman finally getting their shot, this award honors a player who didn’t just adapt—they stood out.
To be considered for Newcomer of the Year, a player needed to meet the following criteria:
Be in their first year of varsity play, or have played 10 games or fewer in a prior season (to account for injuries or late debuts)
Serve as an impactful starter or bench player based on production and role within their team’s rotation
THE FINALISTS
Jocelynn Custard-Montwood-Jr.
Thanks to her two-way upside, Custard was one of the more intriguing surprises at the preseason Jamboree Showcase. She entered Montwood’s starting lineup as an additive piece but quickly became essential. While the Rams had moments of offensive inconsistency, Custard gave them a steady scoring option, closing the year as a double-digit scorer with elite rebounding from the wing and a relentless defensive presence. She was a key reason Montwood secured a top-four 6A playoff berth.
Jazlyn Hernandez-San Elizario-Fr.
Out on the outskirts of El Paso County, San Elizario has a gem in freshman Jazlyn Hernandez. From the jump, she took control of the varsity squad—leading the team in scoring at 15.5 PPG, nearly nine points clear of the next closest teammate. The Eagles may not get consistent visibility due to their location or size, but Hernandez is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. She didn’t just belong—she set the tone.
NOTY: ALLISON DE LA O (FRANKLIN)
There should be no surprise here. Allison De La O didn’t just emerge as the top newcomer—she immediately joined the ranks of the Borderland’s elite prospects. She’s a legitimate Division I talent, but what sets her apart isn’t just skill. It’s work ethic.
I followed her as closely as any prospect this season, and she never failed to impress. That doesn’t mean her game is flawless—but her commitment to growth, her competitive motor, and her willingness to do the work are rare.
To be blunt, most prospects don’t approach the game like she does. De La O is the kind of player who represents what this award is about: early impact, high ceiling, and effort that never lets up.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
The Most Improved Player award recognizes a prospect who made a clear and measurable leap from the previous season—whether in skill development, statistical production, role expansion, or overall impact. This isn’t just about bigger numbers. It’s about visible growth, tangible refinement, and the kind of year-to-year jump that reshapes how a player is viewed.
To be considered for Most Improved Player, a candidate needed to show:
Increased statistical production from the prior season
Improved efficiency, especially in scoring or playmaking
Noticeable skill development across one or more areas of their game
THE FINALISTS
Cameryn Morales-Burges-Sr.
While I didn’t do a full film study on Morales’ junior year, the numbers from this season speak volumes. She averaged 12.7 PPG—nearly a 7-point jump and a 115% increase from the year before. Her steals per game rose from 1.8 to 3.0 (a 66.7% increase), all while maintaining strong free-throw and two-point efficiency from the previous season. At times, she looked like Burges’ most reliable offensive option—a notable feat given the team’s strong guard trio. And when you consider she’s a dual-sport athlete who joined the team late after volleyball, her expanded role and production make her leap impossible to ignore.
Jaedyn Herrera-Americas-Jr.
Herrera has been a fixture for Americas since her freshman year, but this season marked a clear step forward. She became a double-digit scorer, averaging 11.5 PPG—a 4.4 point and 62% increase. More importantly, her shooting efficiency jumped significantly: up 13 points from the field and 16 points from three, all on higher volume. That kind of leap in both production and efficiency is rare. Combine that with her status as a First Team All-Defensive selection and a premier point-of-attack defender, and Herrera’s junior year firmly establishes her as a breakout two-way force.
MIP: INEYSIAH JOHNSON (EASTWOOD)
This prospect made a major leap in a short amount of time. After spending her junior season as a deep bench piece on Eastwood’s district championship team—eighth in shot usage—Johnson emerged as a senior starter on a roster that lacked size and depth. And she made the most of it.
Her production scaled up, but her efficiency stood out the most. She improved from 33% on two-point attempts (on 75 FGA) to 50% (on 164 FGA). Her paint touches became high-value possessions, and in key moments—like her standout games vs. Bel Air (Dec. 3) and Eastlake (Dec. 13)—she was Eastwood’s best player on the floor.
In a region that often lacks interior size, Johnson maximized hers—and proved she belonged among the most improved.
THE EFFORT AWARD
The Effort Award honors the player whose motor, toughness, and commitment never wavered—regardless of the score, matchup, or moment. It’s not about stats. It’s about presence. These players dive on the floor, fight for rebounds they have no business getting, and play with a level of intensity that lifts everyone around them.
Additionally, this is a non-finalist award—reserved for a singular player whose effort stood out for unique, undeniable reasons. It’s special recognition for the kind of impact that can’t always be quantified but is always felt.
To be considered for the Effort Award, a player needed to:
Pass the effort eye test consistently across multiple viewings
Show end-to-end involvement on both sides of the floor
Be a consistent 50-50 ball winner
Play as a top rotation player (serious minutes, not a spot contributor)
EA: DANAE GONZALEZ (BURGES)
Watching Danae Gonzalez play left me exhausted—and I was just observing from the stands. She defines end-to-end energy: constant effort, constant motion, constant sacrifice.
Watching the Burges senior is like watching someone try to wear out a belt on a treadmill—nonstop up and down the floor. Two things stand out every time: her offensive rebounding and her toughness. It defies logic how a 5’3” guard can be the best rebounder on the floor, but I saw it many times. That’s not luck—it’s skill, positioning, and an absurd level of physical commitment.
More than anything, it’s the toughness that lingers. Gonzalez took hard hits and falls all season and just kept going. She’d wince, maybe even grimace, but never let up. I can confidently say she’s the toughest, most durable player I’ve scouted in the last two seasons—boys or girls.
COACH OF THE YEAR
The Coach of the Year award recognizes the head coach who had the greatest impact on their team’s success—whether through overachievement, program culture, player development, or postseason results. But let’s be clear: this is a hard award to give—because coaching is hard to assess.
I’m not in practices. I don’t hear timeouts. I don’t have full insight into subbing patterns or the behind-the-scenes decisions that shape game outcomes. Nor am I privy to the non-basketball issues that inform coaching choices. What we see on the court is never the full story. Coaching is easy to criticize, but hard to truly understand from the outside.
So, I’m sticking to what can be evaluated.
To be considered for Coach of the Year, a candidate needed to:
Coach a team with a winning record
Show improvement or sustained success compared to the previous season
Deliver strong overall team performance across district and postseason play
This award goes to the coach who made the most of what they had—and then some.
THE FINALISTS
Eric Weaver-Chapin (1-5A)
Weaver lost his most important chess piece right before the season and still led Chapin to a strong bounce-back year in 1-5A. The Huskies were in title contention until the final district game. Since taking over in 2020, Weaver has quietly built one of the most competitive programs in the area—and this might have been his best coaching job yet, even with fewer wins. His team plays hard, responds to tough coaching, and showed up in key games. Chapin’s home win over Burges on Jan. 17 was one of the best games of the season—and a showcase for one of the best coaches in the Borderland. The team Chapin was at the start of the season didn’t resemble who they became by the end. That’s coaching.
Teisha King-Americas (2-5A)
Something special is brewing under Teisha King at Americas. The move to 2-5A realigned the landscape of girls basketball in El Paso, and while many expected the Trail Blazers to dominate—which they did—they still deserve full credit for topping established programs like Hanks and Bel Air. King crafted her scheme around a short, thin rotation and installed a defense built on pressure, disciplined zone, and relentless energy. Despite lacking size, her squad’s defensive execution and backcourt toughness separated them from the rest. Since taking over her alma mater in 2020, King has done nothing but win—and that trajectory doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
Irene Falk-Eastwood (1-6A)
Context matters—and what Irene Falk pulled off this season deserves major recognition. After losing a key senior unexpectedly during the season, Eastwood’s depth took a serious hit. But the Troopers still won 24 games and finished second in the toughest district in the Borderland, regardless of gender. Falk’s teams play with poise and purpose. Offensively, they generate quality looks through disciplined ball movement; defensively, they fly around with effort and unity. Results aside, Falk’s culture is established and undeniable. You can see it in how her team competes.
Steven Lee-Pebble Hills (1-6A)
It’s hard not to hand this award to Steven Lee. Pebble Hills was elite this season—taking on a tough schedule, embracing a dynamic style, and consistently delivering. Lee coached one of the deepest rotations in the area, leaned fully into pace and space, and gave his players real freedom—especially his star, Jordan Sapien. And that’s the point: not every coach empowers their best player to lead in full. Lee did—and the results followed. Pebble Hills played with identity: fast, smart, and modern in every phase. Any critiques of Lee not winning this award are valid. That’s how good a job he did.
COTY: MARLEE WEBB (EASTLAKE)
This choice might be hard to justify on paper, but I have no problem making the case. Let me start plainly: Marlee Webb is the best coach I’ve watched across two full seasons of scouting 44 boys and girls programs. Why? Because she makes real-time adjustments. She puts her players in winning positions. She runs multiple schemes based on time and score. She knows when to call timeouts to kill momentum and uses her bench with clarity and purpose.
As I stated earlier, coaching is hard to assess from the outside—but Webb’s impact is obvious. In just her second season at Eastlake, she led the team to an eight-win improvement. Yes, they struggled in district play, but the foundation is real. In 2022–23, Eastlake won just five games, and all 19 of their losses were by 9+ points. This season was different.
Webb isn’t working with a roster stacked with polished talent. She has three strong guards—led by Evani Valdez, one of the Borderland’s top 2027 prospects—but overall, this is a group still developing the fundamentals. Coaching around that is difficult. Coaching them into competitive games and putting them in winning positions? That’s coaching at the highest level.
TEAM OF THE YEAR
It’s pretty simple: Team of the Year recognizes the best overall squad from the 2024–25 season. The evaluation isn’t just about wins—it’s about the full picture. I considered depth of talent, coaching quality, and how a team performed when it mattered most.
To be considered for Team of the Year, a program needed to meet the following criteria:
Finish with a winning record and make the playoffs
Show elite performance in district play
Have notable playoff success
Feature top-tier coaching and/or player talent
This award goes to the team that didn’t just win—but did so with identity, execution, and sustained excellence.
THE FINALISTS
Riverside Rangers: 23-9, 2-4A District Champions
Riverside is the class of 2-4A girls basketball. They wrapped up their 2024–25 campaign with a third straight district title under head coach Stephen Solis and a battle-tested senior core. And it wasn’t close—their smallest district margin of victory was 21 points. Yes, 2-4A isn’t the most competitive district in the Borderland, but Riverside didn’t coast. They loaded their non-district schedule with top-tier Borderland opponents and walked away with wins over Burges, Bel Air, Chapin, and Las Cruces. They punched up weight class when opportunity arose and steamrolled when expected.
Burges Mustangs: 22-11, 1-5A District Champions
Burges entered the season in transition—retaining elite talent but shifting identity after key departures. In 2023–24, they thrived through interior play. This year, they retooled as a perimeter-heavy team. And while that adjustment came with growing pains, the Mustangs still won their second straight district title. From preseason to season close, I watched this team evolve—facing early uncertainty and finishing with purpose. With a Hall of Fame coach in Cynthia Hernandez and the Borderland’s top guard trio, their late-season transformation wasn’t just growth. It was impressive resilience.
Mayfield Trojans: 25-4, 3-5A District Champions
Mayfield left zero doubt about who runs Las Cruces basketball. Back-to-back district titles, an undefeated 3-5A campaign, and a non-district schedule stacked with top New Mexico programs—handled with control. Their three wins over a more talented Las Cruces High squad say it all. Under George Maya, Mayfield played methodically, executed with poise, and leaned on stars Jazlene Ruiz and Lorrena Viarreal to close games the right way. This was a team that didn’t just win—they imposed their style of play on every matchup.
Pebble Hills Spartans: 25-8, 1-6A District Champions
I didn’t give Steven Lee Coach of the Year, and now Pebble Hills lands as runner-up again. But there’s a case—maybe even the case—for the Spartans as Team of the Year. Their near-undefeated district run was bookended by adversity: their best player was limited to start the season, and their second-best player was out by the end. Pebble Hills also did what few elite programs did—they played a true rotation. Most leaned heavily on their starting fives. Pebble Hills didn’t. And of course, they have Jordan Sapien—whose presence alone shaped games. I won’t argue with anyone who picks them for Team of the Year. They’d be right, too.
TOTY: AMERICAS TRAIL BLAZERS
Yes, Americas benefited from dropping into 2-5A—a district with less overall talent than 6A. That’s a fact, not an opinion. But context matters, and the Trail Blazers didn’t just feast on a softer schedule—they went 5–0 against 6A playoff teams, including a road win over Eastwood and two wins apiece against Franklin and Montwood.
They finished undefeated against El Paso competition. Their last in-area loss came in January 2024. Since then? Twenty-six straight wins over El Paso teams—and with their starting five returning next year, that streak isn’t likely to end.
Their four total losses? All to state powers:
Amarillo Sandies (30–6) — 5A D1 Regional Semifinalist
Brewer Bears (26–10) — 5A D2 Regional Semifinalist
Ryan Raiders (32–7) — 5A D1 State Champions
Monterey Plainsmen (37–5) — 5A D2 State Champions
It’s not just that they beat who they were supposed to—it’s who they lost to. And how they did it. Americas played small—four guards and one forward—with their tallest starter listed at 5'7". They ran zone looks, played fast, and defended with intelligence and tenacity. Undersized front to back, they embodied what Borderland basketball is at its best: scrappy, undersized, and resilient.
Need I say more?
Americas in 2024-25:
Record: 28-4 (12-0)
MOV: 23.4
Double-Digit Wins: 24
15 wins by 20 or more points
11 wins by 30 or more points
Five Borderland Top 50 Prospects
Head Coach Teisha King (5 Seasons: 102-47, 68.4%)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Let me make this abundantly clear: MVP is not a copy-and-paste of the Borderland’s best prospect. That’s what the Top 50 rankings are for—rankings I spent the last seven months building to separate long-term projection from present-day value.
This award is about context. Who a player plays for—and who they play with—matters. Stats don’t exist in a vacuum. Role, usage, and team structure affect everything.
Players on stacked rosters aren’t automatically more valuable. More talent around you often means cleaner looks and better efficiency. Good players on good teams rise to great performances. But great players on average teams have to do everything. They’re floor raisers, not ceiling polishers—and that kind of workload carries real value, even if the box score isn’t spotless.
To be considered for MVP, a player needed to:
Play for a winning playoff program
Be a top-two prospect on their roster
Post elite stat production across several categories
MVP isn’t about perfection. It’s about irreplaceability. It goes to the player whose presence shaped their team’s identity, outcomes, and ceiling more than anyone else.
THE FINALISTS
Bethzy Quinones-Las Cruces-Sr.
Las Cruces has depth, athletes, and role players—but Bethzy Quinones is the piece that holds it together. As their primary ball handler, she brought composure against pressure and broke presses that most high school guards can’t. That alone gives her massive value in this region, where reliable on-ball guards are scarce—even on good teams. She was Cruces’ most consistent scorer, despite rarely shooting beyond 14 feet. Her perimeter defense was sound—no flash, just fundamentals. She kept ball handlers in front, avoided breakdowns in full-court pressure, and rarely gave up drives. This program has talent, no doubt—but Quinones kept the floor high. She made Cruces stable.
Allison De La O-Franklin-Fr.
Allison De La O’s value went beyond elite scoring efficiency. She gave Franklin structure and shot quality in an offense that often looked tactless. Franklin played at a speed few could process and leaned on tough shots their roster wasn’t skilled enough to attempt. De La O—and Emma Balsiger—did most of the stabilizing, often providing the structure missing from the bench and overall scheme. Without her, Franklin still makes the playoffs. But they don’t hang with elite programs. And no one took away her A-game. She dropped 21 on 16 shots in her varsity debut against Americas, 17 on 11 attempts against DI-loaded Salpointe, and 25 on 19 shots in a duel with Jordan Sapien. When the efficiency dipped, she stayed afloat with volume attempts from the line. This wasn’t just a strong freshman year—it was the foundation Franklin leaned on all season.
Danae Gonzalez-Burges-Sr.
I’ve already said plenty about Gonzalez—but her MVP case holds. She gave Burges effort, production, and control in a system with thin bench depth and a high-variance supporting cast. Among finalists, she arguably did the most with the least. And sometimes, she just left me speechless. She crashed the offensive glass when she shouldn’t have—securing the rebound. She gambled in passing lanes when she shouldn’t have—and recovered. She took bad shots—and made them. Her footprint was all over every box score stat for the Mustangs—usually as the categorical leader. Gonzalez isn’t polished. She’s not risk-averse. But the results never betrayed her. She was a plus-minus asset and the unshakable engine of a flawed but successful Burges squad.
Kylie Marquez-Americas-Jr.
No one in the Borderland matched Marquez’s positional versatility. She’s a point guard by nature—but rarely played on-ball, and rarely defended on-ball. Instead, she operated from the back line of a zone, off-ball on offense—and still impacted games like a lead ball handler and point of attack defender. Even on nights when her shot wasn’t falling, her impact didn’t dip. She disrupted games defensively, filled gaps on offense, and played with constant activity. Americas doesn’t go undefeated against El Paso teams without her—regardless of who gets the stats. She wasn’t maximized by role, but she never needed optimization to matter. That’s what makes her an MVP finalist.
MVP: JORDAN SAPIEN (PEBBLE HILLS)
If you’ve made it this far, it should come as no surprise: Jordan Sapien is the 2024–25 Borderland MVP. I won’t rehash her offensive resume here or spoil what’s coming in the Borderland 50. Instead, I want to explain why this was the easiest call I made.
Let’s be honest about the basketball landscape in this area: the sheer number of high school programs has diluted what it means to be a “varsity” player. Starting on a varsity roster in the Borderland doesn’t automatically indicate talent. The gap between the haves and have-nots—especially in fundamentals—is wide, and there are more have-nots. Ball-handling, jump shot mechanics, hand-eye coordination—skills that should be baseline requirements—are often missing. It’s not an insult. It’s the developmental reality. And it’s a big reason this area is underrecruited.
Sapien breaks that mold. She doesn’t stand out because she simply has the basics down—she stands out because she’s mastered them and then built beyond them. She’s not the MVP because others are unskilled. That would be an insult to her game. She’s the MVP because her control over the game is unmatched—boys or girls.
Her DI-level talent isn’t theoretical—I’ve watched four years of film. Her IQ is rare. She understands time and score. She draws contact strategically. She reads gaps in the defense and anticipates movement. Her passing is timed, her awareness comprehensive. She makes her teammates better—not just through leadership, but by creating easy looks that wouldn’t exist without her. And she’s been doing this, at a high level, for four straight years. I covered Division I women’s basketball for five years—I know what DI talent looks like, even when the measurables don’t add up. And while some knock her size, it never shows up as a liability on defense—she holds her ground and never got exploited by her Borderland peers.
Pebble Hills with Sapien is a top-tier team. Without her, they’re not the same. I’ve seen both versions.
There are a lot of talented players in the Borderland—but only one controls the game. Jordan Sapien doesn’t just deserve the MVP. She defines it.