When Hector Hernandez took over as Kelly coach, the Trojans were playing in the lowest division of Public League girls basketball.
Slowly but surely, he has guided them up the ladder. Kelly won a Green conference title to move up to the Blue, a Blue conference title to move up to the White, and a White conference title in 2021-22 to move up to the Red.
Playing some of the top programs in the city hasn’t always been easy. The Trojans won one conference game in their first season in the Red and none last year.
But with the realignment from geographic-based conferences to city-wide leagues based on competitiveness, Kelly was slotted into the second-tier Red Star this season. On Dec. 11, they cruised past visiting Hyde Park 35-15 for their first conference win in two years.
It was a gratifying day for Hernandez and for senior captain Sasha Arriaga Morales, a four-year varsity veteran.
“It’s a very, very, very big game for us,” said Hernandez, who is 83-42 in his seventh season as coach.
Beating the Thunderbirds — who were one of the city’s elite teams last season before losing their coach and going into a rebuild — was more proof the Trojans are heading in the right direction.
“It’s a very big adjustment,” Hernandez said of playing in the Red. “Our nonconference games, we usually take care of our opponent. When you come up to the Red with the big boys, it’s a whole different ball game.”
Getting this win “feels great, honestly,” Arriaga Morales said. “But it’s not just on me, it’s my whole team, I couldn’t do it without them.
“We’re a really good group of girls and I’m really proud of everybody.”
Especially considering the journey the Trojans have had while navigating a much tougher schedule.
“At first, it was hard, I’m not gonna lie,” Arriaga Morales said. “But obviously you can’t get better without competition. I like competition.”
The Trojans have been successful even while missing one of their key players, senior center Delilah Lopez, who has been out injured almost the entire season.
But junior center Amairany Rincon led Kelly (5-2, 1-2 Public League Red Star) has stepped up. Against Hyde Park, she led the way with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Arriaga Morales added eight points and four rebounds, while junior Amy Lora contributed six points and six rebounds.
“I set my teammates up,” Arriaga Morales said. “If I see them open, the ball’s going to them.”
“She brings everything,” Hernandez said of Arriaga Morales. “She’s been on the varsity since her freshman year. So she was a part of the last conference championship team we had in the White. She knows what it takes to win.
“She’s my best ball handler, but she’s also my best shooter. She loves to get the team involved. She’s very unselfish.”
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