All-Desert Empire League girls' basketball: Victoria Hyatt and Amoree Ferrel share MVP
For four years, Desert Empire League girls' basketball coaches have had nightmares about how to guard Shadow Hills' Victoria Hyatt and Xavier Prep's Amoree Ferrel.
Well, they can rest easy now, knowing that the uber-talented seniors are done with their high school careers. And just like they did last year as juniors, they are sharing the Desert Empire League MVP again this year.
Hyatt led the Knights to an undefeated season and an outright DEL title, lifting the Knights all the way to the Division 2A quarterfinals. She averaged a stat-stuffing 20.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.8 steals per game.
Ferrel led the Saints to a second-place finish, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Aside from the back-to-back co-MVP decision, voted on by the league's coaches, the other remarkable thing about the All-DEL First Team is how young the squad is. There are more freshmen and sophomores on the eight-player team than there are juniors and seniors.
The rest of the team includes a pair of Shadow Hills freshmen Analiah Cardona and Skylah Archer and a pair of Xavier Prep sophomores Grace Thomsen and Kaden Williams. La Quinta senior star Audrey Tijerina and Palm Desert freshman Katelyn Gallagher.
Palm Desert freshman pulling double duty as basketball and soccer star this winter
Shadow Hills coach Timothy Britton was named the league's coach of the year.
Here is the full All-Desert Empire League girls' basketball team for 2023-24 including first team, second team and honorable mention.
All-DEL girls' basketball
Co-MVP: Victoria Hyatt, Shadow Hills (12) and Amoree Ferrel, Xavier Prep (12)
Coach of the year: Timothy Britton, Shadow Hills
FIRST TEAM
Victoria Hyatt, Shadow Hills (12)
Amoree Ferrel, Xavier Prep (12)
Grace Thomsen, Xavier Prep (10)
Analiah Cardona, Shadow Hills (9)
Skylah Archer, Shadow Hills (9)
Audrey Tijerina, La Quinta (12)
Katelyn Gallagher, Palm Desert (9)
Kaden Williams, Xavier Prep (10)
SECOND TEAM
Alexa Chicas, Shadow Hills (10)
Ava Hyatt, Shadow Hills (9)
Mia Gonzalez, Shadow Hills (!2)
Tiffany Chang, Xavier Prep (10)
Rose Gutierrez, Xavier Prep (11)
Ava Tethal, Palm Desert (11)
Shayla Bates, Palm Springs (9)
Bella Tijerina, La Quinta (12)
HONORABLE MENTION
Holly Martinez, Shadow Hills (11)
Genesis Huerta, Shadow Hills (11)
Desiree Hernandez, Rancho Mirage (12)
Areli Acosta, Rancho Mirage (12)
Naomi Plunkett, Palm Desert (9)
Alisha Blomgren, Palm Desert (10)
Sophie Barrow, La Quinta (10)
Izabella Ortiz, La Quinta (12)
Aja Walker, Palm Springs (9)
Miley Flores, Palm Springs (9)
Emma Thomsen, Xavier Prep (9)
Angie Coyne-Baeza, Xavier Prep (11)
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: All-Desert Empire League girls' basketball team: Who took home MVP?
