Coy Erickson

Leaping into the starting lineup her sophomore season paid off for guard Emery Hernandez as she earned her first All-State honor while teammate and junior guard Coy Erickson was named an All-Conference selection for a second straight year.

ALL-STATE HONOR

After earning minutes in her freshman season as a spark plug off the bench, Hernandez made the jump to the starting lineup this season as one of the primary guards for the Panthers, bringing initial nerves before she settled in.

“Our first game, I just wanted to get out there and just see where I was compared to everybody. Just to see where I stood,” Hernandez said. “I had fun starting this year. The little bit of experience I had my freshman year I feel like helped quite a bit.”

Slotting into the starting lineup this season meant a significant jump in statistics from her freshman year. Hernandez chipped in 66 points (three per game) a year ago, making a significant jump to 13.3 points per game, totaling 374 for the entire season to lead the Panthers in both categories.

“Our leading scorer last year graduated, so I knew that we needed another scorer,” Hernandez said. “So I really tried to step that up this year because last year I was more of a defensive presence and not there for scoring or anything.”

In addition to the scoring jump, Hernandez led the team in assists with 90 (3.2 per game) and steals with 72 (2.6 per game) while finishing third in rebounds with 126 (4.5 per game).

She said she felt those jumps didn’t just happen overnight.

“I think it was in the offseason, because the whole summer I worked at it, and then after golf and even during golf, I went to the gym at night and just worked at it for a few hours,” Hernandez said. “In the offseason I felt like that’s where I made the biggest jump.”

That improvement showed in multiple ways for Hernandez, who boasts a strong floater while also moving outside the 3-point arc, which forced teams to guard her outside more and give her more options to score against the opposition.

“It kind of depends on the day (what works best). Sometimes the floater isn’t hitting. I felt like I stepped up my 3-point game so I felt like teams had to step out and guard me,” Hernandez said. “So I felt like then I could really do what I like, which is driving and attacking. I feel like my attacking is the best part of my game.”

Hernandez first found out she had made the All-State team from her coach Chelsea Kistler shortly following the state tournament.

“I was just about to pull into my driveway and I got a call from my coach and she told me congratulations. She just said she wanted me to hear it from her before it came out and everything,” Hernandez said. “I was really excited. I was in the car with my dad. That was exciting, because my dad is the main reason that I got into basketball and the main reason I’m as good as I am … My whole family was in the car so it was fun.”

She said the honor has motivated her even more moving forward, noting words from her grandpa after she told him the news.

“My grandpa told me after I called him and told him that I got All-State that ‘three is better than one,’” Hernandez said. “I’m just looking to get better, still not ever going to be satisfied with where I’m at.”

ALL-CONFERENCE

Alongside Hernandez was Erickson, who earned her second straight nod to the 3A West All-Conference team.

Moving into a more prominent role this season Erickson upped her scoring average from 7.2 points per game to 10 this season, while pouring it in from long range with 53 3-pointers on 192 attempts (28%).

“We called each other and we were both excited for each other,” Hernandez said. “I was disappointed because I thought she deserved All-State, but I think she’s now hungry for that too, so she’ll be working in the offseason just as much.”

Erickson also increased her production in rebounding and assists from a year ago while leading the Panthers in blocks with 19 for the season.

Heading into the offseason Hernandez is hopeful the Panthers can build chemistry as a unit over the summer after the departure of three seniors from the starting lineup.

“We have quite a few players on the bench that can step up,” Hernandez said. “We need to get together and build that chemistry up.”