Lebanon Federal Credit Union Presents Athlete of the Week, Ending Dec. 31

Think of it as a form of the chicken-or-the-egg parallel development.

As the Annville-Cleona girls’ basketball team has grown, so has Ava Hoover. And as Ava Hoover has grown, so has the Annville-Cleona girls’ basketball team.

This week, Hoover and the Little Dutchmen experienced yet another growth spurt. And the result was two more victories and a holiday tournament title.

On Wednesday, during the opening round of the Littlestown Christmas tournament, A. Hoover poured in a game-high 21 points to lead Annville-Cleona to a 43-37 triumph over Schuylkill Valley. Then, a night later, the sophomore forward pumped in 14 points to pace the Little Dutchmen to a 51-21 victory over Littlestown in the championship game of the event.

With the two wins, Annville-Cleona improved to 7-2 overall.

Over those first nine outings, A. Hoover leads the Little Dutchmen with a scoring average of nearly 13 points per contest. Hoover, a consistent rebounder, also provides Annville-Cleona with an ominous defensive presence.

At their current pace, Hoover and the Little Dutchmen should be considered contenders for a Lancaster-Lebanon Section Four crown, an L-L League playoff berth and a spot in the District Three Class AAA postseason.

– Jeff Falk