By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
An era recently concluded for the Moapa Valley High School girls basketball program. Head coach Stuart Humes hosted his final annual banquet for the Pirate team on Wednesday, April 4. In doing so, he celebrated the hard-won achievements of the Moapa girls basketball program.
Humes will not be returning for next season of Pirate girls basketball. Instead, he will be taking on the responsibilities as the school’s head Boys’ Basketball coach, after the recent announcment of retirement from long-time boys’ coach Dallas Larson.
Humes called the farewell tot he girls’ program “bittersweet.”
“When you’re having a banquet for your girls basketball program that you’ve been with for the last six years, it’s hard to not look back on all of the memories and girls you’ve worked with,” he said. “It felt like the end of something great so it was great to celebrate the accomplishments of the players who are coming back next year.”
Humes was able to celebrate many individual awards and achievements. The Pirates graduate three seniors from their varsity team after this season: Shelbi Walker, Macy Morgan, and Natalie Mills. Walker received Second Team All-Southern Region honors for the 2018 season alongside a spot on the First Team All-Sunrise Division, a year after a simple honorable mention. While her role increased, her respect earned throughout the team and program has always been there, said her coach.
“Shelbi was huge for us this year,” Humes said. “She was a unanimous vote for captain. The girls loved and respected her. She showed up every day ready to work. She was a great leader and someone the girls could really look up to.”
But Humes said he couldn’t possibly overstate the impact that her senior counterparts made on the team as well, thanks to their ability to be anything he needed them to be. Humes praised Mills and Morgan. “Macy and Natalie were just phenomenal seniors for us,” he said. “Everything they did in practice and in games was exactly what we needed. They were those role players and spark players there to give us good energy and positive momentum.”
This year’s Pirate team was headlined by talented underclassmen as well including sophomore Kaitlyn Anderson and junior Lainey Cornwall. Cornwall and Anderson claimed the two top spots in points per game for the 3A this season, respectively. Anderson earned a spot on the First Team All-Southern Region and First Team All-Sunrise Division. Junior Peyton Schraft also made it on as an honorable mention for her contributions to the team.
Cornwall’s impressive season earned her a nod as the Southern Region Most Valuable Player. Humes said that years ago he would’t have dared to consider an MVP from Moapa Valley. But now he sees why that could come to fruition, he said.
“Lainey is just a coach’s dream,” Humes said. “She is one of those tough competitors who never backs down from a challenge and takes on the responsibility of taking the tough shots. She leads by example with her effort.”
The girls have come a long way in improving the basketball program in Moapa Valley, and now they have the trophy case to show for it. As the head coach moves on, Humes leaves a decorated six years of basketball, and an extremely talented team.
