Amanda Velasquez (basketball and flag football) and Tyler Harris (basketball and volleyball) have been selected as Downey High School’s Athletes of the Year. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

End of season honors for two Downey High School seniors culminated with the naming of the 2025 Boys and Girls Athletes of the Year.

Amanda Velazquez, who starred in basketball for four years and flag football in her senior year, and Tyler Harris, who highlighted his basketball career as a new member of the Downey 1000-point club were honored with the annual award at Baccalaureate in late May.

Amanda Velazquez

“The thing that I will remember most about Amanda is her growth as a person,” Downey Girls Basketball coach Nate Harris said. “Things have not always been easy for her. She has faced challenges in her life, both personally and with her health. Amanda has shown a great deal of determination and resilience to overcome these obstacles and become the amazing young woman and leader she is today.”

Velazquez, who wasn’t at Baccalaureate, was totally shocked upon hearing that she was chosen as Downey’s Athlete of the Year. She said, “Honestly, I wasn’t at Baccalaureate. I had a bunch of friends call me and tell me I was athlete of the year. I was in shock, and it was crazy to me,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“One of my best friends (Dynah Galindo) on the basketball team face timed me and said, ‘Amanda, they just called your name. You’re athlete of the year.’ Some of my other friends texted me and I just said, ‘thank you.’”

She continued: “Being an athlete at Downey was such an amazing experience. Every day you’re surrounded by a winning culture and people who are truly passionate about what they do. Downey basketball allowed me to walk through doors I would’ve never even imagined opening.

Being female athlete of the year is such an honor and a blessing. I’m so thankful for every coach that pushed me past my limits and saw my potential.”

Velazquez, after starting her basketball career on the frosh/soph team and became a main player as a freshman, improved greatly in her sophomore year.

“Amanda was not a very experienced basketball player when she showed up to tryouts at the beginning of her freshman year,” Harris said. “We immediately saw her athletic potential, but we could see that she needed to work on her basketball skills, so we kept her on the F/S team where she could be a primary player.

“Amanda worked very hard over the course of the next year and a half and improved tremendously.”

For her hard work as a freshman, Velazquez received the F/S MVP Award following the 2021-’22 season.

She continued improving as she became a leading scorer on the JV team as a sophomore, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

“We brought her up on varsity with that success and she even started several games when our starting center, Alexis Price was injured,” added Harris. “Amanda played an important complimentary role on that team in her sophomore year.”

With that important role on the 2022-’23 varsity team she earned the Rookie of the Year Award.

Velazquez became a full-time starter on varsity in her junior year on a senior heavy team.

She averaged 6.4 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds per game, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Highlighting her year, she had a game with 14 points and 20 rebounds against Villa Park.

After that season, she was chosen as Varsity Most Improved Player and was also chosen as All-Tournament in the Downey Classic.

“Throughout the season Amanda showed great leadership on our team,” Harris added. “She worked hard, communicated with teammates, cheered them on, and really showed the younger girls what it means to be a Viking.”

Amanda averaged a double-double that season with 10.3 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Highlighting her season, Velazquez scored 16 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Vista Murrieta in the Sunny Hills Tournament and another double-double (14 pts., 20 RB) in a must-win Gateway League game in double overtime over Gahr. It was a game the Vikings needed to win to make the CIF playoffs.

In the playoffs, Velazquez continued her hot hand with another double-double (17-17) in a 55-47 3AA first round win over Arcadia and the team continued its run to the quarterfinals.

With her senior year completed, Velazquez racked up the awards which included, Downey Athlete of the Week, varsity Most Inspirational, MVP and Gateway All-League First Team selection.

Also in her senior year, a new sport was born - Flag Football - and she became an integral part of the defense for coach Chuck Lozano.

“Amanda was an amazing player for us,” Lozano said. “She was the anchor on our defense and demonstrated excellent leadership skills.”

She led the team with seven interceptions and even played some time at the quarterback position, throwing for 164 yards (12 for 20) and four TDs. For her efforts she was chosen as the team defensive MVP and was 2nd team in the Gateway League. The team finished 17-8 overall and was second to Warren with a 7-1 record in league.

“Honestly, I kind of walked into it not really knowing what we were getting into,” she said. “It was a new sport and everyone was excited and as soon as I started summer camp, I realized these coaches knew what they were doing and we kind of had a bond already. It was a cool experience and such a good feeling, and it was exciting.

“Every time we stepped on the field we meant business. We didn’t care that it was our first year and other schools already had experience with the sport. We played with heart and grit, and I loved every part of that season.”

Amanda tried a third sport in her junior year, joining the track and field team participating in the high jump.

What they said:

Chuck Lozano, Downey Flag Football coach: “Amanda had a competitive spirit at all times that fueled our team on game day. She started the season slow but the day she stepped on the field, she became our leader on defense. Amanda was extremely talented and a great player, but an even better person.”

Nate Harris, Downey Basketball coach: “Amanda kept working and in her senior year she was the only returning varsity player on a very young and inexperienced team,” Harris said. “She did an amazing job leading our team to the quarterfinals of CIF.”

Tyler Harris

Harris, who has been playing basketball and volleyball in the Downey gymnasium since he was a young child, culminated that long journey with the prestigious award.

“Winning Athlete of the Year is very well deserved,” said second-year Downey Boys Basketball coach Tyler Ellis. “It is a reflection of the countless hours and dedication that Tyler has put in over his four-year career at Downey, in both basketball and volleyball.

“Tyler has joined some elite company of basketball players here at Downey, with all his accomplishments, and it is very well deserved.

Harris became the second member of the Harris family to be named Athlete of the Year, as his sister Hailey received the honor in 2021, following a successful career at Downey playing softball, basketball and volleyball.

A huge accomplishment by the 6-ft. 5-in. senior wing was joining the 1,000-point club at the school this past season. He scored 489 points in his junior year and 596 this year for a total of 1,089 points. He also grabbed over 500 rebounds in his three years on varsity. (Point totals and rebounds were not available for his sophomore season).

“It (the award) was actually a surreal feeling,” Harris said. “It caught me by surprise there was so many great people that could have been selected. It was definitely crazy, especially my sister (Hailey) also won Athlete of the Year, so the fact that I could win it as well was kind of a family thing.

“Not many parents can say that and with all the great Downey athletes before me, I felt completely honored and extremely thankful. It was a time of my life that I will never forget here at Downey.

“Getting into the 1,000-point club was really crazy because it doesn’t happen often. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity that I could even make it to that point.”

Asked how he felt about winning, he added, “I definitely had some pressure (from sister Hailey winning the award) to get to that standard, but I wanted to make my own legacy at Downey. She had her turn but now it’s mine.”

He also played volleyball and was on the varsity his junior and senior seasons playing under Downey Boys Volleyball coach Matt Lostetter.

“Playing two sports at Downey was challenging at times because of all the early mornings and late nights,” Harris said. “But I knew it was building good habits for me and my future. It was an experience like no other and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

Lostetter said of Harris receiving the award: “I think (the award) is well deserved,” Lostetter said. “He’s been a Downey athlete for four years. It’s probably been longer than four years. I’ve seen him in and out of the gym since he was a kid. He’s been playing volleyball and basketball forever.

“Every time he would transition from basketball to volleyball, he always came at it with such a passion. His last two years (junior and senior years) he said ‘what I can I do more to prepare me more for basketball and indoor volleyball’, so he jumped on the sand (Beach Volleyball) with us. He would go from the sand, straight to the court for basketball and right back to indoor volleyball. He’s constantly hungry and to improve himself to be competitive.”

Lostetter explained how the athletes are chosen for the award saying, …. “Every year all of the coaches will sit down and will go over all the accolades of each person that we think is nominated then we all take a vote. He is well deserved to receive this award, not just because he has played multiple sports, but he has made an impact not just because of his accolades but through all of the coaches on campus. I think it was one of the easier conversations I’ve had over the years on who deserved athlete of the year.”

Harris, who wasn’t a starter yet, joined the varsity in his sophomore year and was part of a team that finished 26-4 and was tied with La Mirada for first at 6-2 in the Gateway League. It was the final season for longtime coach Larry Shelton, who was coach for 41 years.

Tyler became a starter in his junior year, and he took charge from the beginning and ended up with some pretty good numbers – 18.1 points per game average, 9.6 rebounds and finished with 489 points.

His senior year was his best and he improved on his average with almost a 20 points per game average (19.9), with 8.9 rebounds per game and the team finished second with a 19-11 overall record. The Vikings (7-1) placed second behind Warren (8-0) and the team finished with a 19-11 overall record and finished tied for second with Warren at 7-3. Bellflower won league with a 9-1 record.

Harris also finished with 596 points.

Some of his accolades were being selected to four All Tournament teams, team MVP his junior and senior years, First Team Gateway League as a junior and First Team Mid Cities League this past year.

In volleyball, he amassed 56 kills, 32 blocks and had eight aces in his two years on varsity. He was a starter both years and the team qualified for the playoffs both years.

Ellis, who is a 2010 Downey graduate and also played two years on varsity and averaged 12.6 points and made 26 3-pointers in his two years, remembers Tyler as a young boy on the court.

“My first memories of Tyler are from when he was a little kid, and he would run on the court at halftime to shoot,” he said. “That’s all he ever wanted to do, was shoot. Now that he is leaving our basketball program, it is very evident that all that shooting has paid off, and he definitely left his mark on Downey basketball.

“Tyler is also outstanding in the classroom and set the tone for our program in that regard as well, as he demonstrated what a student-athlete truly means. He boasts a 3.75 cumulative GPA and has already received scholarship awards for his academic performance.”

After receiving interest from junior colleges, NCAA Division 3’s, and NAIA’s to continue playing at the next level, Harris chose Irvine Valley College.

“He is getting ready for that next step, and we wish him all the best and know he will be successful in any path that he chooses,” Ellis added.

What they said:

Matt Lostetter, Downey Boys Volleyball coach: “He’s a really good team player and a leader on and off the court. He represents the team’s best interest on how to be a cohesive unit. He has 100% learned how to compete at a really high level.”

Tyler Ellis, Downey Boys Basketball coach: “It has been a pleasure coaching Tyler for the past two seasons and knowing him for much longer than that. His work ethic and high character set the tone for our program. I personally am appreciative of Tyler for allowing me to coach him hard, as it was my first two seasons as head coach. His buy-in and coachability allowed the transition of coaching staffs to be much easier and seamless.”

Downey High School Athletic Commitments

Chloe Gonzalez, Water Polo, Chapman University
Aleaha Gonzalez, Water Polo, Cal Lutheran
Berlynn Mani, Water Polo, Biola University
Oscar Velasquez, Cheer, University of West Georgia
Joseph Hernandez Moreno, Cheer, University of West Georgia
Jamar Andrews, Track & Field, Sacramento State
Natalie Gonzalez, Track & Field, Cal Poly Pomona
Jalen Kennedy, Track & Field, Cal State L.A.
Sammy Leyva, Track & Field, UC Merced
Sol Gomez, Track & Field, Pomona Pitzer
Jesi Jade Cobian, Soccer, Cal State L.A.

Tyler Harris, Amanda Velazquez selected Downey Athletes of the Year