“I definitely feel great about my decision of coming back.”
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Hoover’s Nate Moua has loved basketball for as long as he remembers. Going into his senior season, however, the Patriots’ sharp shooter wasn’t sure if he wants to keep playing the game he loves.
“Coming into my senior year I definitely had doubts,” Moua said. “I was doubting myself a lot and figuring out if I was capable of having a great senior year or not.”
In the end, however, Moua couldn’t imagine his life without basketball. So he joined the Patriots for one final ride.
The big decision apparently paid for Moua, who put together some unforgettable performances throughout the season while leading the Patriots with his sharpshooting prowess, as well as leadership skills.
One of Moua’s dazzling performances happened in a game against Roosevelt when he made five 3-pointers. He also scored 17 points on two different occasions in a pair of dominating wins.
Thanks in large part to Moua’s contribution, Hoover finished with an 11-3 record in league.
Although the Patriots’ season came to an end with a 68-65 loss against Sierra in the D3 playoffs, Moua and his fellow seniors walk away with their heads held high.
“I definitely feel great about my decision of coming back and playing,” Moua said. “It’s been a pleasure by not just my teammates, but the whole coaching staff of believing in me and supporting me through my journey of coming back.”
When he looks back at the decision he had to make before the season, Moua remembers a very important meeting he had with Hoover head coach Tezale Archie.
“There was a day where Coach Archie and I had a talk about my senior year and the main point that he was telling me was that it was my last year of high school and last chance ever to play high school basketball,” Moua said. “He told me that regardless of the decision I made he was always going to support me. He definitely had an big impact on my decision of playing my senior year.”
Moua didn’t have any problems trusting Archie, who has proven to many of his student-athletes past and present that he is more than a basketball coach.
“Since I’ve came into this program, Archie has really helped me with multiple things,” Moua said. “Archie has always told me even if I’m doing good on the court, am I doing the right things in class also? He’s always making sure that, not just me, but my teammates, that we are being coachable on the court and off the court. He has developed my game more on the defensive side. But I would say the most impact he had on my development is teaching me the ways to life and preparing me for my future.”
As he ponders the next step in his journey, Moua is focused on making education his priority.
“As of right now, I’m not to heavy on thinking about where or what I want to do after high school, but I was taking in consideration of going to Fresno City to start off my college career,” he said. “But I definitely want to major in kinesiology as my career.”
Wherever he goes, the Hoover hooper plans to keep Archie’s words in his mind and in his heart.
“The main lessons I’ve learned in the past four years is that never doubt yourself and believe in yourself at all times,” he said. “Never let anyone tell you what you can’t or can do and just always believe in yourself.”
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