APTOS — Playing in the AAU circuit throughout the offseason, Aptos junior guard Hannah Hocom heard the same thing over and over again.
“She needed to get a little stronger, a bit faster,” said Stefan Hocom, her father and coach at Aptos.
A little bit bigger, stronger and faster, Hocom was every bit as good as her breakout sophomore season and then some.
Her improvements did not go unnoticed, as the coaches from the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League recently named her the league’s Most Valuable Player.
A year after leading youthful Aptos to a runner-up finish in the SCCAL, Hocom helped the Mariners capture their first outright league championship since 1982 with her brilliance on offense and defense.
The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter averaged 14.1 points and 2.1 assists per game and showcased her unlimited range by nailing 84 3-pointers, which was the 14th most in the state and second-most in the Central Coast Section, according to the stats kept on MaxPreps.com.
Her improved speed allowed her to get to the bucket more often, and the added muscle led to more trips to the free-throw line, where she shot 81 percent.
“Creating space like she does, that’s a skill but you need to have the strength to do it,” coach Hocom said. “You can know how to do it but it’s not going to do it unless you’re strong enough. Hannah was this year.”
Hocom spent the summer working to improve her foot speed, explosiveness and overall strength with Jim Tucker and Co. at Seascape Village Fitness in Aptos. It was the first time she had done any significant strength and conditioning program during the offseason.
“It just made her a lot stronger and a lot quicker,” Hocom said. “She’s really been a player that’s had to rely on her skill set alone in the past. Now she’s been able to impose her will at will with her speed and strength. She’s still not a flashy player — that’s not her game — but she can do a little more now.”
And her improved fitness also made her a menace on defense. She not only averaged 2.1 steals per game, but also often shadowed the other team’s top offensive weapon on any given night.
Even with the added responsibilities on defense, it was often Hocom leading the offensive charge down the stretch.
“And that’s not how we planned it,” coach Hocom said. “She just played well in big games.”
Aptos finished the season with a 26-5 overall record for the second consecutive year, and was the runner-up in the CCS Division III playoffs.
The Mariners also advanced to the CIF NorCal Division III quarterfinals, and finished ranked 89th in the state by MaxPreps.
Star sophomores Natalia Ackerman and Gabby Giuffre also earned recognition from the coaches of the SCCAL.
Ackerman was named to the first team and Giuffre made the second team.
A wiry 6-foot-1 forward, Ackerman led the team in points (15.8), steals (2.9) and blocks (2.9) per game this season. She was also second on the team in rebounds (8.8).
An athletic 5-foot-10 point guard, Giuffre averaged 13.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
St. Francis junior guard Janessa Yniguez earned a spot on the league’s second team.
Yniguez averaged 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Sharks, who finished with a 13-14 overall record and advanced to the CCS Division V semifinals.
Soquel coach Kanani Thomas was named the SCCAL Coach of the Year after leading the Knights to second place in the league.
Four locals earned honorable mention: Abbi Saxton (Aptos, Sr.), Abby Pardue (Aptos, Jr.), Janiya Sevilla (St. Francis, Sr.), Chloe Deleisseguess (St. Francis, Sr.).
