The list of things Hermleigh’s Makia Gonzales can do on a basketball court is a long one.

At 6-feet tall with a diverse set of offensive and defensive skills, the junior forward can literally play or defend any of the five positions.

Those abilities were evident last year when Gonzales, as a sophomore, helped lead Hermleigh to its first state tournament appearance of the University Interscholastic League era. And they’ve been necessary this year in helping the ninth-ranked Lady Cardinals (22-5 overall, 6-0 District 13-1A) maintain that same level of play despite the loss of a couple of key players and a bigger target on their back.