Nevada Preps Athlete of the Week: Palo Verde’s Mason Abittan

This year’s Palo Verde boys basketball team is a lot different from last year’s. The Panthers have 11 new players after graduating 11 seniors.

One of those is sophomore Mason Abittan. The 6-foot, 5-inch guard has been making an immediate impact in his first season on the varsity team.

Abittan scored 30 points in a 60-53 win over Silverado Thursday and scored 24 in a 76-64 victory last Tuesday against Sierra Vista. For his efforts last week, he was named Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Week.

“It’s a learning experience, and I feel like these last couple of wins really brought us together as a team,” Abittan said. “We’re a totally new team, with a new coach, so it’s a whole new program. It’s been pretty good.”

Abittan said the wins last week were important, especially coming off a tough tournament trip in Utah, where Palo Verde lost three games. But Abittan pointed to the trip as a crucial moment for this young team.

“Our chemistry has been way better,” Abittan said. “We’re looking out for each other. We’re all on the same page. We all got each other’s back in the game.”

In his first few games at the varsity level, Abittan admitted there was a significant difference in the pace of play. But with a few games under his belt, he’s becoming more confident.

“I’m starting to get the hang of it,” Abittan said. “I can’t wait to see how the rest of the season is going to be like.”

The Panthers were 9-15 last season. Abittan’s goal for this season is to help lead the program back to winning ways.

“It’s our goal to put Palo Verde back on the map,” Abittan said. “We want to show that we aren’t the same team as we were last year and be the best team we can be.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.