Borderland Weekly Standout Performers

Borderland basketball is in full force with El Paso programs in the midst of important district games, while the Southern New Mexico programs are closing out their non-district schedule. Here are some of the top Borderland standout performers from this past week.    Another week, another dominant display by the stellar [player_tooltip player_id='2028637' first='Jayden' last='Leverett']. To no surprise, the Huskies went 2-0 in district play, and the Chapin big man totaled 43 points, 30 rebounds, and 18 blocks across two games. Keep in mind, this kid isn't playing a full 32 minutes, nor is Chapin feeding him the rock every time down the floor. He plays on one of the best teams in the state, and shot attempts get spread around fairly evenly. Leverett is putting up some insane numbers with no stat padding needed. In the early week game against Chapin's Northeast rival Andress, he stepped up when it mattered most in the second half. Chapin led by six at the half, and by the end of the third quarter, the lead ballooned to 27. He scored 12 points in the third quarter and was all over the floor offensively and defensively. There is no stopping this kid; Vanderbilt is getting a gem.     In the biggest game of the 2024-25 season in El Paso 6A boys basketball, Eastwood hosted Eastlake, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in 1-6A. Both teams were undefeated and playing some great basketball coming into the game. Well, the game was a dud in large part because one of the most underrated players in the state of Texas absolutely went off. I'm talking about Eastwood's [player_tooltip player_id='2023032' first='Devin' last='Falk-Ramirez'], who scored 29 points--one less than Eastlake's 30. The perimeter shooting was on full display in this game. He was aggressive but also within the flow of Eastwood's motion offense. It's the best game I've seen this kid play over the past two seasons, and I've seen Falk-Ramirez do some incredible things. He's a legitimate DI talent who is being under-recruited. College coaches need to start watching more tape on this kid; luckily, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMHo8My86g">Eastwood broadcasts their home games.</a>     While his older brother delivered on the offensive end, [player_tooltip player_id='2198602' first='Julien' last='Falk-Ramirez'] delivered on the defensive end. The sophomore combo guard put on a defensive masterclass against an Eastlake team with talented guard play. He recorded six on-ball steals and just took over the game in the second half. Falk-Ramirez finished the game with a plus-minus score of plus-37 in 26 minutes. He's only a sophomore and is already one of the premier perimeter defenders in the Borderland. His lateral quickness, hands, and timing are exceptional. Eastwood is losing some talented seniors this season- his brother included- but the Troopers are in good hands with [player_tooltip player_id='2198602' first='Julien' last='Falk-Ramirez'], who will be in the fold for two more years.     What's better than leading your team in scoring and to a win in a pivotal 6A game with playoff implications? Hitting the game-winner. [player_tooltip player_id='2263143' first='CJ' last='Quirino'] led Pebble Hills with a team-high 13 points against Coronado this past Friday in a must-win situation for the Spartans. His game-winner came via a downhill drive going left at the buzzer. Quirino getting to the cup and scoring is the most reliable aspect of the Pebble Hills offense, and it won them another game. After missing so much time over the past two years with injury, Quirino is having a stellar senior season, with another special moment added this past Friday.     Friday night, I was in Central El Paso watching Canutillo play a road game against El Paso High. Both teams are playoff programs battling for the second seed in 1-5A. EP High boasts some talented prospects for guard/wing positions, but the best player on the floor was [player_tooltip player_id='2412113' first='Austin' last='Bonilla']. The senior guard was exceptional on the offensive end with his scoring and facilitating. He had a jaw-dropping moment in the second half where he broke a defender's ankles. Bonilla had the ball near the right corner by the halfcourt line; El Paso sent a big over to trap, and he blew past the big and dropped the primary defender, crossing over back to his left. You can't overplay this kid to his right-hand side or either side, for that matter; he's too quick and usually has a plan for how he sets up defenders behind his primary defenders. Just as soon as you force him to pick up his dribble, Canutillo has a cutter waiting for a Bonilla pass at the rim. It's a program with great off-ball movement and a great passing point guard who identifies that movement.

Borderland basketball is in full force with El Paso programs in the midst of important district games, while the Southern New Mexico programs are closing out their non-district schedule. Here are some of the top Borderland standout performers from this past week.