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2007 Prep Basketball
San Diego Section

Prep Previews/Reports

Boys basketball
Troy Leaf named Division V Player of the Year

Posted April 15, 2008
The Foothill Christian Knights captured their second consecutive San Diego Section Division V boys basketball championship title on Feb. 29 and their reward was especially bountiful in post-season awards.

Sophomore guard Troy Leaf was named the Division V Player of the Year. He was joined by sophomore teammate Kalob Hatcher on the All-Division V First Team while junior teammate Zach Kaul was selected to the All-Division V Second Team.

The Knights (23-10) competed as an independent team during the 2007-08 season, so Foothills Christian athletes were not bestowed with any all-league honors.

Leaf, 6-2 and 165 pounds, led the section with a 25.1 point-per-game scoring average. He totaled 242 rebounds, including 185 defensive rebounds, to lead the Knights with 7.3 rebounds per game. He dished out 150 assists (4.5 per game) and also made 84 steals (2.5 per game).

Hatcher ranked second on the team with an 18.5 point-per-game scoring average and paced Foothills Christian in assists (263/8.0 per game) and steals (158/4.8 per game). Hatcher had 137 rebounds, averaging 4.2 per contest.

Kaul ranked second on the Knights in rebounds (148/5.3 per game) and third in scoring average (12.9 points per game). He also averaged 3.0 steals per game (second best on the team).

Foothills Christian earned the top seed in the Division V playoffs and defeated sixth-seeded Maranatha Christian, 66-55 in the title game at SDSU’s Cox Arena. In that game, Hatcher led the victors with 19 points, 10 assists and 10 steals while Leaf, recovering from early foul trouble, finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. Kaul had 14 points and seven rebounds.

Leaf, who has accepted a scholarship offer from SDSU, pumped in 35points in an 85-45 quarterfinal-round playoff victory against San Pasqual Academy.

Other members of the All-Division V First Team included Vincent Memorial senior Tommy Alexander, Maranatha Christian freshman Chen Cai and Borrego Springs senior Alex Garcia.

Alexander earned honors as the Citrus East League Player of the Year in leading the Scots to the league title while the 6-foot-7 Cai – the 2007-08 Frontier League Player of the Year -- averaged 22.8points per game in helping lead Maranatha Christian to the Division V championship game.

Other members of the All-Division V Second Team included Lutheran junior Willie Heien, Escondido Adventist senior Mark Knutson, The Rock Academy senior Lucious Morris and Maranatha Christian sophomore Santiago Simental.

Heien earned honors as the 2007-08 Citrus South League Player of the Year.

All-CIF
Helix senior Kareem Abukar was named to the All-Division I First Team after helping lead the Highlanders to an undefeated 10-0 Grossmohnt South League championship record, 20-8 overall mark and a berth in the Division I quarterfinal playoffs. Abukar averaged 12.2 points and 6.3 assists per game for the Scotties, who defeated visiting Rancho Buena Vista, 64-57, in the opening round of the playoffs.

Grossmont senior Richard Ogunsalu earned selection to the All-Division II Second Team after keying the Foothillers to a 7-1 Grossmont North League championship record, 20-7 overall mark and a berth in the Division II semifinal playoffs. Ogunsalu averaged 18.0 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.

Christian junior Vander Joaquim was named to the All-Division IV Second Team after helping pace the Patriots to a 7-3 finish in the City Conference's Central League standings and a berth in the Division IV quarterfinal playoffs. Joaquim averaged 21.1 points and 16.8 rebounds per game for sixth-seeded Christian, which bounded past the Preuss School, 62-42, in the opening round of the playoffs en route to a 19-9 final season record.

All-League
Joining Helix’s Abukar on the All-Grossmont South League First Team are Steele Canyon junior Jebari Robinson, Granite Hills junior Dean Miller, Mt. Miguel senior Travon Caples and Helix senior Demond Narcisse.

Named to the All-Grossmont South League Second Team were Steele Canyon senior Elijah Carter, Mt. Miguel junior Brad Barrett, Helix senior Donald McGowan, Monte Vista junior Geoff Hartman and Valhalla junior Austen Suhay.

Robinson averaged 12.5 points per game for the Cougars, who finished 8-2 in league play, 16-13 overall, with a trip to the Division II quarterfinals following a 58-43 first-round playoff win against Southwest El Centro.

Caples averaged 16.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game for the Matadors, who finished 6-4 in league play, 18-10 overall, with a trip to the Division III quarterfinals following a 57-53 first-round win over host Central Union.

Miller averaged 21.2 points per game for the Eagles, who finished 2-8 in league play, 13-14 overall.

McGowan averaged 13.5 points while Narcisse averaged 9.1 points for the Grossmont South League champions.

Harttman averaged 17.2 points per game for the Monarchs, who posted a 51-34 upset win over host Mt. Carmel in the opening round of the Division II playoffs.

Joining Ogunsalu on the All-Grossmont North League First Team are Grossmont senior Ian Cochran, El Capitan senior Barrett Braun, El Cajon Valley senior Laroy McGee and Santana senior Tyler Blackledge.

Named to the All-Grossmont North League Second Team were West Hills senior Tim Nowlin, Grossmont senior Khalid Waters, El Cajon Valley senior Lucas Stafford, Grossmont senior Michael Graham and El Cajon Valley senior Shivan Sulymon.

Cochran averaged 16.7 points per game and also averaged 10.7 rebounds per game while Waters averaged 7.3 points per game and led the Foothillers with 4.0 assists per game.

Grossmont, seeded third in this year's playoff draw, defeated San Pasqual, 64-46, in the opening round of the CIF playoffs and then eliminated Westview by a 59-53 score in overtime before bowing out against second-seeded Mission Hills.

Braun averaged 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the Vaqueros, who finished 4-4 in league play, 10-18 overall.

McGee averaged 12.9 points per game for the Braves, who finished 4-4 in league play, 13-17 overall, with an appearance in the Division II playoffs.

Blackledge averaged 10.3 points per game for the Sultans, who finished 2-6 in league play, 14-14 overall.

Nowlin averaged 14.1points and 11.1 rebounds per game for the Wolf Pack, which finished 3-5 in league play, 11-18 overall.

El Capitan and Santana (both Division III) and West Hills (Division II) all qualified for the post-season play.

San Diego Section Honor Roll
Division I
Player of the Year: Jeremy Tyler (San Diego)
Championship team: San Diego Cavers

Division II
Player of the Year: Corey Trisby (Hoover)
Championship team: Hoover Cardinals

Division III
Player of the Year: Peter Sefton (La Jolla)
Team champion: La Jolla Vikings

Division IV
Player of the Year: Jeff Withey (Horizon Christian)
Championship team: Horizon Christian Panthers

All-League Players of the Years
Grossmont South League
Player of the Year: Kareen Abukar (Helix)
Championship team: Helix Highlanders

Grossmont North League
Player of the Year–Richard Ogunsalu (Grossmont)
Championship team: Grossmont Foothillers

North County Conference
Avocado League
Player of the Year: Nelson Rosario (El Camino)
Championship team: El Camino Wildcats

Palomar League
Player of the Year: James Rahon (Torrey Pines)
Championship team: Torrey Pines Falcons

Valley League
Player of the Year: Taylor Darby (Escondido)
Championship teams: Mission Hills Grizzlies, Escondido Cougars

City Conference
Central League
Player of the Year: Daniel Hazlett (Christian)
Championship team: Hoover Cardinals

Western League
Player of the Year: Peter Sefton (La Jolla)
Championship team: La Jolla Vikings

Eastern League
Player of the Year: Jeremy Tyler (San Diego)
Championship team: San Diego Cavers

Metro Conference
Mesa League
Player of the Year: Kenneth Bradford (Eastlake)
Championship teams: Eastlake Titans, Otay Ranch Mustangs

South Bay League
Player of the Year: Cody Reeves (Hilltop)
Championship team: Hilltop Lancers

Coastal Conference
Coastal North League
Player of the Year: David Howard (Army-Navy)
Championship team: Army-Navy Academy Warriors

Coastal South League
Player of the Year: Jeff Withey (Horizon Christian)
Championship team: Horizon Christian Panthers

Southeastern Conference
Imperial Valley League
Player of the Year: Jaqueem Coleman (Central Union)
Championship teams: Central Union Spartans, Southwest El Centro Eagles

Southern Conference
Citrus East League
Player of the Year: Tommy Alexander (Vincent Memorial)
Championship team: Vincent Memorial Scots

Citrus South League
Player of the Year: Willie Heien (Lutheran)
Championship team: Lutheran Knights

Citrus West League
Player of the Year: Josh Brown (Guajome Park)
Championship team: Escondido Adventist Hawks

Independent
Frontier League
Player of the Year: Chen Cai (Maranatha Christian)
Championship team: Maranatha Christian Eagles

Grossmont Conference
Girls basketball Players of the Year named
Mt. Miguel's Williamson, El Capitan's Duffy honored

P:osted April 3, 2008
The Mt. Miguel High School girls basketball team finished the season with a 21-6 overall record and runner-up finish in the San Diego Section Division III championship game. The Matadors finished 10-0 in Grossmont South League play as this year's league champions.

Junior Danesia Williamson was named the Grossmont South League Player of the Year. She was among two Mt. Miguel players named to the All-Grossmont South League First Team, joining senior Autumn Spikes. Senior Cindy Ekweozor and sophomore Nicole Fountain both made the All-Grossmont South League Second Team for the Matadors.

Williamson averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 steals per game this season.

Granite Hills had two players named to the All-Grossmont South League First Team: senior Molly Hillenbrand and sophomore Sabrina Jiminez. Senior Amy Sylvester represented the Eagles on the All-Grossmont South League Second Team.

Hillenbrand paced all East County players with an 11.7 rebound average and ranked fourth with a 15.8 scoring average.

The Helix Highlanders had two players earn all-league honors, as awarded by the San Diego Hall of Champions. Senior Brittany Williams earned First Team honors while junior Sinoi Leasau earned Second Team honors. Williams led all East County scorers with a 24.5 average.

Steele Canyon senior Belinda Pickens earned All-Grossmont South League Second Team honors.

El Capitan junior Ashley Duffy was named the All-Grossmont North League Player of the Year while the West Hills Wolf Pack captured the Grossmont North League team championship, finishing 23-8 overall. Duffy paced all Grossmont North League players with an 18.6 scoring average, 5.9 assist average and 6.5 steals per game.

Joining Duffy on the All-Grossmont North League First Team were West Hills sophomores Kimberly Clark and Marilyn Naderhoff, Grossmont senior Tina Rios and Santana senior Nicole Brzeczek.

Bzreczek (14.1) and Rios (13.9) followed Duffy in league scoring average.

All-Grossmont North League Second Team selections included West Hills sophomores Sherika Miller and Mariah Bennett, El Capitan seniors Crisela Banks and Liana Pitman, and Santana junior Kayla Smith.

All-CIF
Mt. Miguel's Williamson and El Capitan's Duffy both earned berths on the elite All-San Diego Section Division III First Team, joining Cathedral Catholic junior Victoria Lippert, Cathedral Catholic senior Mackenzie Mathias and Canyon Crest junior Alisha Eckberg.

Mt. M iguel's Spikes and Ekweozor, as well as Santana's Brzeczek, all earned recognition on the All-Division III Second Team along with Cathedral Catholic sophomore Kelly Reeves (Cathedral Catholic) and Our Lady of Peace junior Ariel Meek.

Lippert, a member of Division III champion Cathedral Catholic, was named the 2007-08 Division III Player of the Year.

Helix's Williams was named to the All-Division I Second Team while West Hills' Naderhoff and Grossmont's Rios both earned berths on the All-Division II Second Team.

San Diego Section
Girls Basketball
2007-08 Honor Roll

Grossmont Conference
Grossmont South League
Player of the Year: Danesia Williamson (Mt. Miguel)
Championship team: Mt. Miguel Matadors

Grossmont North League
Player of the Year: Ashley Duffy (El Capitan)
Championship team: West Hills Wolf Pack

Metro Conference
Mesa League
Player of the Year: Danielle Boykin (Bonita Vista)
Championship team: Bonita Vista Barons

South Bay League: Ebone Henry (Mater Dei)
Championship team: Mater Dei Crusaders

City Conference
Eastern League
Player of the Year: Ashley McWhorter (Mira Mesa)
Championship team: Patrick Henry Patriots

Western League: Victoria Lippert (Cathedral Catholic)
Championship team: Cathedral Catholic Dons

Central League: Larissa Hernandez (Crawford)
Championship team: Coronado Islanders, Crawford Coltts

North County Conference
Palomar League: Jennifer Bryant (Westview)
Championship team: Westview Wolverines

Avocado League: Angela Misa (Vista)
Championship team: Vista Panthers

Valley League: Tayler Williams (Escondido)
Championship teams: Ramona Bulldogs, Escondido Cougars

Coastal Conference
Coastal North League: Kristina Wavomba (San Dieguito)
Championship team: San Dieguito Academy Mustangs

Coastal South League: Janae Fulcher (La Jolla Country Day)
Championship team: La Jolla Country Day Torreys

Southern Conference
Citrus East League: Lissette Covarrubias (Vincent Memorial)
Championship team: Vincent Memorial Scots

Citrus South League: Rayelle Calvert (Midway Baptist)
Championship team: Midway Baptist Patriots

Citrus West League: Kim Iverson (Christian Life)
Championship team: Christian Life, Escondido Adventist

Southeastern Conference
Imperial Valley League: Nicole Vincent (Central)
Championship team: Brawley Wildcats, Central Union Spartans

Independent
Frontier League: Jenny Cavellier (Sierra Madre)
Championship team: Escondido Charter White Tigers

San Diego Section
2007-08 Players of the Year
Division I
Player of the Year: Danielle Boykin (Bonita Vista)
Championship team: Poway Titans

Division II
Player of the Year: Kelly Hansen (Mt. Carmel)
Championship team: Mt. Carmel Sundevils

Division III
Player of the Year: Victoria Lippert (Cathedral Catholic)
Championship team: Cathedral Catholic Dons

Division IV
Player of the Year : Janae Fulcher (La Jolla Country Day)
Championship team: La Jolla Country Day Torreys

Division V
Player of the Year : Lissette Covarrubias (Vincent Memorial)
Championship team: Calvin Christian Crusaders

Three South County athletes nominated for McDonald’s All-American basketball games

Posted March 28, 2008
Three South County players were among the 25 players from San Diego County who were nominated by the McDonald’s All-American basketball team selection committees to participate in Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee.
The selection committees consisted of prominent basketball experts, nationally renowned coaches and top high school sports journalists.

The three local players were Otay Ranch’s Anthony Cosentino and Marcus Vasquez and Bonita Vista’s Jamesha Townsend. Both Cosentino and Vasquez were nominated to participate in the boys game while Townsend was nominated to play in the girls game. Townsend remained part of the Barons team, however, though she did not see any on-court action.

Cosentino and Vasquez averaging 18.8 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, this season while Townsend did not play in 2007-08 because of a ruling by the San Diego Section on her eligibility status.

Overall in San Diego County, 16 boys and nine girls were recognized among the nation’s best high school basketball players following their nominations to the McDonald’s All-American high school basketball teams.

The regional list was drawn from 2,500 high school senior basketball players nominated throughout the nation. Twenty-four boys and 24 girls were selected for the respective boys’ and girls’ teams. No San Diego Section athletes made the final team, however.

“Our high school seniors continue to show the nation their outstanding talent as the number of San Diegans nominated to the All-American High School Basketball teams increases each year,” said Philip Palumbo, president of the San Diego County McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association. “We’re proud to recognize such a large number of local players.”

A portion of the proceeds from both games will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin. To date, millions have been donated to Ronald McDonald House charities chapters from proceeds generated at the McDonald’s All-American games. Ronald McDonald House charities’ core three programs include the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile — extending the reach of the charity to directly improve the health and well being of children around the world.

McDonald’s All-American Basketball Games

San Diego Section
Boys Nominees
•Sherif Attia (Army-Navy Academy)
•Kevin Condon (Francis Parker),
•Anthony Cosentino (Otay Ranch)
•Taylor Darby (Mission Hills)
•Tyler Fricke (Mt. Carmel)
•Eric Garcia-Bland (Mira Mesa)
•David Howard (Army-Navy Academy)
•Mark Knutson (Escondido Adventist Academy)
•Demetrius Love (El Camino)
•James Rahon (Torrey Pines)
•Nelson Rosario (El Camino)
•Corey Trisby (Hoover)
•Marcus Vazquez (Otay Ranch)
•Richard Walker (Horizon)
•Breen Weeks (Cathedral Catholic)
•Jeff Withey (Horizon)

San Diego Section
Girls Nominees
•Chelsea Burns (La Jolla Country Day)
•Dominique Conners (La Jolla Country Day)
•Cindy Ekweozor (Mt. Miguel)
•Janae Fulcher (La Jolla Country Day)
•Amanda Johnson (El Camino)
•Autumn Spikes (Mt. Miguel)
•Jamesha Townsend (Bonita Vista)
•Adelle Walton (Francis Parker)
•Brittney Wilson (Helix Charter)

Metro Conference All-League Basketball
Boys All-South Bay League
First Team
Cody Reeves Hilltop, 12
Greg Charley Mar Vista, 11
Mike Alcala Hilltop, 12
Laurence Degracia Southwest, 11
Christian Welch Hilltop, 12

Second Team
Miles Paul Castle Park, 12
Ellison Maniego Olympian, 11
Maurice Williams Mar Vista, 12
Chris Prather Hilltop, 11
De’Anthony Tobe Mater Dei, 11

Player of the Year
Cody Reeves (Hilltop)

Championship team
Hilltop Lancers (12-0)

South Bay League Standings
League Overall
Team W-L W-L
Hilltop 12-0 21-7
Mar Vista 8-4 14-11
Mater Dei 7-5 12-16
Castle Park 6-6 9-18
Southwest 5-7 7-18
Olympian 4-8 8-16
Montgomery 0-12 2-24

Girls All-South Bay League
First Team
Ebone Henry Mater Dei, 11
Jhazmine Lynch Mater Dei, 11
Stephanie Mendoza Hilltop, 11
Ashley Sevilla Hilltop, 11
Felicia Pet Montgomery, 11

Second Team
Shayla Thomas Montgomery, 12
Danae Johnson Mater Dei, 11
Anitra McCain Mater Dei, 12
Jasmine Bond Mar Vista, 12
Brittany Mark Hilltop, 12

Player of the Year
Ebone Henry (Mater Dei)

Championship team
Mater Dei Crusaders (12-0)

South Bay League Standings
League Overall
Team W-L W-L
Mater Dei 12-0 21-6
Hilltop 10-2 16-12
Montgomery 8-4 17-13
Mar Vista 4-7 5-17
Southwest 4-8 5-19
Castle Park 2-9 7-16
Olympian 1-11 3-15

Boys All-Mesa League
First Team
Kenneth Bradford Eastlake, 12
Anthony Cosentino Otay Ranch, 12
Marvin Wright Otay Ranch, 12
Alexander Epps Eastlake, 11
Erick El Belle Chula Vista, 12

Second Team
Felix Dion Eastlake, 10
Eric Czer Bonita Vista, 12
Marcus Vazquez Otay Ranch, 12
Harry Brazelton Sweetwater, 10
Alex Perez Otay Ranch, 9

Player of the Year
Kenneth Bradford (Eastlake)

Championship teams
Eastlake Titans (9-1)
Otay Ranch Mustangs (9-1)

Mesa League Standings
League Overall
Team W-L W-L
Eastlake 9-1 20-8
Otay Ranch 9-1 20-9
Chula Vista 5-5 14-14
Bonita Vista 4-6 9-17
Sweetwater 3-7 14-12
San Ysidro 0-10 1-27

Girls All-Mesa League
First Team
Cheyenne Curley-Payne Eastlake, 11
Danielle Boykin Bonita Vista, 12
Elie Magracia Bonita Vista, 12
Nirvana Hawkins Chula Vista, 12
Jennifer Valentin Sweetwater, 12

Second Team
Yvonte Neal Eastlake, 10
Diamond Mitchell Eastlake, 10
Whitney Boykin Bonita Vista, 12
Sarah Guerrero Sweetwater, 11
Raquel Tucker San Ysidro, 12

Player of the Year
Danielle Boykin (Bonita Vista)

Championship team
Bonita Vista Barons (10-0)

Mesa League Standings
League Overall
Team W-L W-L
Bonita Vista 10-0 22-8
Eastlake 8-2 21-8
Chula Vista 5-5 15-13
Sweetwater 5-5 15-13
Otay Ranch 2-8 7-2
San Ysidro 0-10 4-20

Division V San Diego Section Championship
Young Knights capture 2nd hoops title
#1 Foothills Christian tops upset-minded Maranatha Christian 66-55

Posted March 3, 2008
The Foothills Christian High School boys basketball team appears to be a team built both for the present as well as the future. And one, in particular, built for winning championships.

The Knights captured their second consecutive San Diego Section Division V title by defeating Maranatha Christian, 66-55, last Friday at SDSU’s Cox Arena. Three Foothills Christian players finished the game in double figures: sophomore guard Kalob Hatcher (19 points), sophomore guard Troy Leaf (18 points) and junior guard Zach Kaul (14 points).

Head coach Brad Leaf’s team already has to be considered the favorite to win next year’s division championship.

“It’s a great feeling to win two in a row. It’s a great feeling to enjoy with the team,” said Troy Leaf, who entered the game with a section-leading 25.4 point-per-game scoring average. “Last year we were expected to win it but this year it was closer. I think winning this one means more to us.”

The Knights, who play an independent schedule, improved to 21-8 with a berth in the upcoming state playoffs assured. Foothills Christian seized the momentum in the game with a 20-9 run in the second quarter to lead 37-25 at halftime after holding only a one-point edge, 17-16, at the end of the opening quarter against the Eagles (21-7).

Leaf, who has accepted a scholarship offer from San Diego State University, sat out most of the opening quarter after quickly accumulating three fouls. All his 18 points came in the final three quarters, including 12 in the Knights’ runaway second period. Hatcher finished the game with 10 assists and six steals and was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Kaul sank three three-pointers in the contest.

Junior guard Brandon Hale contributed eight points for Foothills Christian while senior center Aaron Hale had six points. Sophomore guard Justin Esselstrom sank one of two free throws to round out his team’s scoring.

Maranatha Christian’s roster features just one junior, with seven sophomores and three freshmen comprising the balance of the lineup. It’s a good bet that the teams could hook up again in the finals next year.

The Eagles out-scored the Knights 30-29 in the second half.

Six-foot-eight freshman forward Chen Cai entered the game with a prodigious 23.2 scoring average but collected 17 points in the final. Sophomore forward Santiago Simental (standing at 6-2) led Maranatha Christian with 19 points. Sophomores David Porter (nine points), Christian Harper (five points) and Grant Knaphus (five points) rounded out team scoring.

Foothills Christian, the top-seeded team in the division, advanced to the championship game by defeating Vincent Memorial, 70-54, in the semifinals on Feb. 26. In that contest, Leaf generated a team-high 20 points while Hatcher had 17 points and nine assists.

The Knights defeated San Pasqual Academy, 85-45, in the quarterfinals on Feb. 23 after opening with a 92-46 victory against Christian Life Academy on Feb. 19 in first-round action.

Foothills Christian employed a team effort throughout the playoffs. Kaul (21 points), Aaron Hale (19 points), Brandon Hale (18 points) and Hatcher (16 points) all reached double figures in scoring in the opening-round win while Leaf pumped in 35 points in the quarterfinals and Hatcher and Kaul added 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Maranatha Christian tipped off post-season play with an 85-41 victory against Borrego Springs before topping third-seeded Calvin Christian, 61-42, in the quarterfinals. The Eagles stunned second-seeded Escondido Adventist by an 80-32 score in the semifinals as Cai racked up 23 points and 11 rebounds and Simental added 21 points.

Both the Knights and Eagles compete in the section’s lowest enrollment division. Foothills Christian has an enrollment of 223 students. Maranatha Christian has an enrollment of 37 students.

Barons put up heroic effort, place runner-up to Poway
It took 25 years but the Bonita Vista High School girls basketball team returned to the San Diego Section finals. The Barons finished runner-up to Poway by a 57-46 score in the 1983 Class 3A championship game. The two teams engaged in a long-awaited finals rematch, with the Titans once again coming out on top, 50-46, last Friday at SDSU’s Cox Arena.

“This team touched a lot of people in the community. There was a lot of energy going on,” Bonita Vista coach Wayne Wooten said. “I’m so proud of them.”

The Barons weren’t expected to get to where they did at the onset of the season. They almost came away as unlikely champions after surrendering a 46-42 lead with 1:41 to play against top-seeded Poway.

The Titans didn’t need to make a basket in the final minute, hitting six free throws to claim the title after Bonita Vista finished the game in foul trouble.

The Barons led by as much as six points — 35-29 — with 2:11 left in the third quarter.
“If we had a few more seconds, we might have won,” Wooten said. “Last year, we didn’t even make the playoffs. We made believers out of everybody.”

Most of all themselves.

Bonita Vista tipped off the season by splitting its first 10 games and then caught fire on the hardwood by winning 17 of 18 games, including 13 straight, to reach the Division I championship tilt.

The Barons faced a Poway team that had won 19 of its last 20 games but held its own, trailing 14-13 at the end of the opening quarter after holding a 10-9 edge in the early going. The Titans led 26-22 at halftime.

Both teams went through extended periods of cold shooting throughout the contest. Bonita Vista (22-7) hit the net throughout the third quarter; Poway (27-3) got hot right at the end when the Barons proved their most vulnerable.

Ellie Magracia made the first basket of the second half and later added two free throws to ignite the Mesa League champions’ offense. Danielle Boykin, who entered the game averaging 19 points and seven rebounds per game, then scored on a lay-up with 5:02 to play in the quarter to give the Barons a 30-29 advantage. Melissa Howell’s ensuing three-point field goal extended Bonita Vista’s lead to 33-29. A Magracia rebound to Boykin made it 35-29. Boykin then sank two shots from the charity stripe to give the Barons a 37-33 edge heading into the final quarter.

Missed free throws, ineffective shooting and foul trouble doomed the Bonitans when it mattered most.
Boykin did give the Barons a 41-37 lead with 4:15 to play. But the cushion promptly disappeared when Poway’s Katie Holiday completed a three-point play with a free throw to narrow BV’s lead to a single point, 41-40, with 2:57 left in regulation.

Poway, which received points from eight players, went ahead, 42-41, before the Barons regained the lead at 43-42. Bonita Vista appeared to seize the momentum when Howell sank another three-pointer to go up by four points. But that was the last basket the Barons would make in the game as they watched the officiating crew repeatedly send the Titans to the free throw line as time unmercifully ticked down.
Boykin led all players on the court with 22 points while Howell pumped in 15 points. The Barons had only two other players score: Magracia with seven points and Whitney Boykin with two points.

Magracia, who stands 5-2, proved to be one of the dynamos in the game. She played like a person a foot taller most of the time. However, her small stature got the best of her on a few occasions as shots fell well short of the hoop while under pressure from towering Poway defenders.

Wooten had nothing but praise for his senior guard. “We call her our eagle — when she flies, we fly,” the BV coach said. “She puts so much into her game. She’s going to USD to play soccer and look what she can do on a basketball court … amazing.”

The Boykin siblings, both seniors, expect to play college basketball at a high level. Wooten called Howell the team’s unsung hero.

“We were successful because the girls put in a lot of hard work,” Wooten said. “We had a lot of injuries at the beginning of the season but the girls never gave up. One of the things they wanted to accomplish was to win the Mesa title. It was the first time since 2000 that Bonita Vista won the league. Then they decided they wanted to win CIF.”

The Barons, who graduate six seniors, just hope they don’t have to wait another 25 years to get the chance to play once more for the division banner.

San Diego Section
Basketball Championships
Boys Finals
Division I
San Diego 74, El Camino 68
Division II
Hoover 54, Mission Hils 43
Division III
La Jolla 65, University City 57
Division IV
Horizon Christian 58, Army-Navy 53
Division V
Foothills Christian 66, Maranatha Christian 55

Girls Finals
Division I
Poway 50, Bonita Vista 46
Division II
Mt. Carmel 50, Westview 44
Division III
Cathedral Catholic 56, Mt. Miguel 50
Division IV
La Jolla Country Day 56, Bishop;s 38
Division V
Calvin Christian 41, Escondido Adventist 28

And then there was one ... Barons advance to finals

Posted Feb. 28, 2008
When Bonita Vista girls basketball player Danielle Boykin gushed in midseason, following a last-second victory against defending San Diego Section Division I champion Eastlake that her team might win the CIF title this season, it might have seemed like wishful thinking. Well, the Barons took one step closer to making that dream a reality by defeating visiting Patrick Henry, 52-45, in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Second-seeded Bonita Vista (22-6) will tip off Friday’s Division I championship game at SDSU’s Cox Arena against No. 1 Poway (26-3). Game time is 7 p.m.

“Heading into the final week of the regular season, I saw us being seeded around seventh, but when we beat Eastlake the second time, we got seeded second and Eastlake was seeded third,” Barons coach Wayne Wooten said. “Our girls never lost their focus. I’m so proud of them.”

The sisters Boykin — Danielle and Whitney — combined for 31 points in Wednesday’s semifinal contest, with Danielle scoring a game-high 17 points and Whitney adding 14 points. Ellie Magracia, the team’s quarterback, dished out 12 points while Melissa Howell contributed seven points.

Bonita Vista led 45-28 entering the final period, with the Patriots (25-6) making the final score respectable with a 17-7 fourth-quarter run.

The Barons thus avenged a 66-31 holiday tournament loss.

Patrick Henry had three players reach double digits in the scoring column: Tiffany Klein (15 points) and Amy Vietty and Emily Osga, each with 11 points.

The Barons faced a physical Patriots team that eliminated Eastlake, 57-41, in last Saturday’s quarterfinals. Osga totaled a game-high 18 points in that game, with Klein contributing 10 points.

A few blocks away, the Barons were dismantling a visiting Vista Panthers team by a final 44-33 score as Magracia (17 points) and Danielle Boykin (13 points) combined for a lethal 30 points.

Bonita Vista is the only Metro Conference team to advance to this year’s championship round. Mater Dei (21-6) also reached Wednesday’s semifinals but fell 57-42 at second-seeded Bishop’s (21-8) in a Division IV match-up. Ebone Henry led the third-seeded Crusaders with 16 points while Jhazmine Lynch added 13 points.

Lynch had 21 points and Anitra McCain had 15 points in Mater Dei’s 57-28 quarterfinal-round win against Coronado last Saturday.

Cheyenne Curley-Payne led Eastlake (21-8) in its quarterfinal-round loss with 12 points.

One and out ... 9 times for Metro boys teams

Posted Feb. 21, 2008
When the seeds for this year’s San Diego Section boys basketball playoffs were announced, there was some grumbling by at least one Metro Conference team that felt it should have been placed higher in the brackets. Well, after the dismal showing posted in Tuesday’s opening round, perhaps the section’s seeding committee was justified in handing South County teams disappointingly low seeds.

All nine Metro teams lost.

That nine South County teams were invited to this year’s five-divisional format playoffs was a positive development. Both Castle Park and Olympian made it from the South Bay League and Sweetwater was accepted from the Mesa League.

But an 0-for-9 showing likely will not help in future seeding meetings.

Eliminated were South Bay League champion Hilltop, which saw its 11-game winning streak snapped with a 73-72 overtime loss to visiting Poway, as well as Mesa League co-champions Eastlake (64-57 loss to visiting Escondido) and Otay Ranch (64-58 loss to visiting Rancho Bernardo).

Also going one and out were Chula Vista, Mar Vista and Mater Dei.

Hilltop (21-7) led by as many as 14 points in its clash against the Titans. Poway opened up a four-point lead before a three-point bomb at the buzzer to end overtime with a one-point loss.

Brian Kuklok paced Poway (21-8) with 34 points while Chris Prather keyed the Lancers with 20 points. Christian Welch had 10 points for Hilltop, which also received nine points from Michael Alcala.
The Lancers, who led 22-12 after the opening quarter and 32-26 at halftime, finished South Bay League play 10-0 but received the No. 12 seed in the Division I playoffs. Poway, which benefited from 27 points from Kuklok in the second half, was seeded fifth but traveled to play because Hilltop was guaranteed a home game as a league champion.

Eastlake and Otay Ranch tied for the Mesa League lead with 9-1 league records. The Mustangs grabbed a share of their second consecutive league banner by topping the visiting Titans, 58-55, on Feb. 8.

Eastlake, seeded sixth, hosted 11th-seeded Escondido while Otay Ranch, seeded seventh, hosted 10th-seeded Rancho Bernardo.

The Titans (20-8) got off to a somewhat slow start but went into intermission tied 29-all against the Cougars, who then executed a 16-8 run in the third quarter to take control of the game on the scoreboard.

Felix Dion led Eastlake with 20 points while Kenny Bradford had 14 points.

The Mustangs (20-9) were out-scored 21-11 in the second quarter, thus forced to play catch-up all throughout the second half.

Anthony Cosentino paced Otay Ranch with 20 points while Marvin Wright contributed 12 points and Marcus Vasquez pumped in 11 points.

The other two Mesa League playoff qualifiers were Chula Vista and Sweetwater. The Spartans, who finished third in league play, dropped an 86-35 first-round contest at No.1-seeded El Camino while the Red Devils were eliminated, 77-62, in a competitive Division II match-up against seventh-seeded Serra.
Eric El Belle paced Chula Vista (14-14) with 18 points while Angelito Kamatoy led Sweetwater (14-12) with 26 points.

A whopping five South Bay League teams qualified for this year’s section playoffs. Mar Vista (14-11) and Castle Park (9-18) dropped opening-round Division III contests while Mater Dei (12-16) and Olympian (8-16) bowed out in the first round of the Division IV playoffs.

Antonio Cordova keyed Castle Park with 17 points while teammate Miles Paul dropped in 15 points in the Trojans’ 68-50 loss at top-seeded La Jolla.

Mar Vista had three players reach double figures in the scoring column in its 80-66 loss to St. Augustine: Maurice Williams (15 points), Zach Penolio (14 points) and Francisco Contreras (10 points)
Ellison Maniego had 25 points and Ryan Canlapan had 18 points to power Olympian in its first-ever varsity playoff game, a 72-60 loss at Santa Fe Christian (15-12).

R.J. Rowan (12 points) and Jake Marrion (11 points) both scored in double figures in Mater Dei’s 56-41 loss at La Jolla Country Day (7-16).

San Diego Section
Divisional Playoffs
First Round
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Division I
Rancho Bernardo 64, Otay Ranch 58
Poway 73, Hilltop 72
Escondido 64, Eastlake 57
El Camino 86, Chula Vista 35

Division II
Serra 77, Sweetwater 62

Division III
St. Augustine 80, Mar Vista 66
La Jolla 68, Castle Park 50

Division IV
La Jolla Country Day 55, Mater Dei 41
Santa Fe Christian 72, Olympian 60

We have a winner!
Barons, Titans, Aztecs, Patriots advance in girls hoops playoffs

Posted Feb. 21, 2008
The top two finishers in the Mesa League both advanced in Wednesday’s opening round of the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball playoffs. Mesa League champion Bonita Vista, seeded second, topped visiting Carlsbad, 45-40, while league runner-up Eastlake, seeded third, topped visiting Helix 75-35.

Montgomery (17-12) won its Division III opener, 65-45, over University City (15-13) while Midway Baptist (13-6) claimed a 55-38 Division V first-round match-up against Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy (7-11).

Mater Dei (20-5) received a bye as the third-seeded team in the Division IV playoffs.

Danielle Boykin paced Bonita Vista (20-6) with 14 points while teammate Ellie Magracia scored 10 points.

Cheyenne Curley-Payne keyed Eastlake (21-7) with 20 points. She received support from teammates Yvonte Neal (13 points) and Diamond Mitchell (12 points).

Britney Rose led Montgomery with 23 points.

Rayelle Calvert led Midway Baptist with 20 points while Lynsie Rheam tacked on 13 points and Michelle Fimbres added 10 points.

In other games, Sweetwater dropped a 51-43 first-round decision to Mission Hills while Escondido eliminated Chula Vista, 86-51, and Hilltop, Mar Vista and Castle Park also dropped opening-round games.

For updated brackets, visit www.cifsds.org.

San Diego Section
Girls Basketball Playoffs
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Division I
Bonita Vista 45, Carlsbad 40
Eastlake 75, Helix 35
Escondido 86, Chula Vista 51
Granite Hills 56, Hilltop 33

Division II
Mission Hills 51, Sweetwater 43

Division III
Montgomery 65, University City 45
Cathedral Catholic 93, Mar Vista 28
Mt. Miguel 87, Castle Park 19

Division V
Midway Baptist 55, Chula Vista Calvary Christian 38

Mesa League Standings
Bonita Vista 10-0
Eastlake 8-2
Chula Vista 5-5
Sweetwater 5-5
Otay Ranch 2-8
San Ysidro 0-10

Buzzer beater propels Barons past Titans
Posted Jan. 31, 2008
Trailing by three points, 23-20, at halftime in a raucous Bonita Vista gym last Friday in a key Mesa League match-up, the defending San Diego Section Division I champion Eastlake girls basketball team appeared to have found its groove by fashioning a five-point lead heading into the final quarter of play.

The Titans’ lead still stood at five points with just a couple of ticks over two minutes to play. The lead was down to three points with just over a minute to go. It was down to one point with 21 seconds to play.

At the buzzer, it was gone.

“It’s been eight years since we last beat them. We’ve been waiting for this a long time,” said BV senior Danielle Boykin, whose rebound shot of teammate Ellie Magracia’s attempted lay-up after a steal powered the host Barons to a thrilling 51-50 upset victory.

“We were pretty confident we could do it. With our crowd behind us, we felt we had it all the way,” said Boykin, who matched her senior sister Whitney Boykin with a game-high 11 rebounds.

After an initial scoring spurt handed seventh-ranked Eastlake (3-1 in league play, 15-5 overall) a 13-11 first quarter lead, it was time for the hosts to turn it on. After a 10-0 run in which Danielle Boykin scored eight points, the Barons led 21-15 midway through the second quarter.

The Titans countered with long-range shooting to start the second half, dropping seven three-point shots in the half to build what appeared to be a safe five-point lead. But Bonita Vista (4-0, 11-5) perhaps played at its most tenacious in the closing two minutes of the game, with Danielle Boykin scoring a couple of buckets to narrow the score to a single point.

Eastlake attempted to in-bounds the ball three times to no avail, with the officiating crew handing the ball back to the Titans under the hoop each time a BV player attempted a steal. The third time proved the proverbial charm as Magracia finally stole the ball and drove toward the basket with time ready to expire.

Her shot with nine seconds left missed, but Boykin was there to grab the rebound and make the game-winning shot with four seconds showing on the clock.

Game over.

“I thought just don’t let the time run down. I didn’t think we had much time left,” said Magracia, who acted as the team’s quarterback throughout the contest. “It turned out we had plenty of time. I ended up missing and Danielle grabbed it.”

Said Boykin: “I was thinking ‘Let me make this.’”

“It feels like a dream,” said Magracia, who earlier that day played in a 6-0 girls soccer win against San Ysidro and had seven points in the hoops win.

“It’s not going to set in until I get to school on Monday and hear someone say ‘good game,’” interjected a gushing Boykin, who finished the game with 26 points. “We’d like to be league champs and maybe CIF champs.”

Yvonte Neal sank four treys to buoy Eastlake, which received a team-high 16 points from Diamond Mitchell, 15 points from reigning Mesa League Player of the Year Cheyenne Curley-Payne and 14 points from Neal.

Whitney Boykin scored 10 points for the Barons, who out-scored the visitors 12-7 in the second quarter and 17-11 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

“It was a physical game. What can you say?” an elated BV coach Wayne Wooten said after the game, obviously lost for words.

“It came down to four seconds. The crowd was roaring,” Boykin said. “Even when we were down by five points, we knew we could come back. That’s our motto — never give up.”

The teams rematch in the Titans’ gym Feb. 14 in the regular season finale for both teams. Wooten had no problem choosing the right words to describe the significance of that game. “It’s going to be a war,” he said.


Mater Dei 79, Hilltop 50
The visiting Crusaders — trailing 32-31 at halftime — exploded on the court for 46 second-half points to secure sole possession of first place in the league standings in a battle of league unbeatens. Four players scored in double figures for Mater Dei: Ebone Henry (16 points), Danae Johnson (14 points), Kamela Jackson (12 points) and Anitra McCain (11 points).

The Lancers, who improved to 5-1 in league (11-10 overall) after Monday’s 77-27 victory against visiting Southwest (2-4, 3-14), received 13 points from Stephanie Wertz and 10 points from Brittany Mark in last Friday’s highlight contest.

The Crusaders, who tipped visiting Olympian (1-5, 3-9) by an 81-25 score on Monday, took control of last Friday’s game with a 26-10 run in the third quarter and secured the win with an 18-8 scoring edge in the final quarter.

After the two victories, Mater Dei stands 6-0 in league play, 13-5 overall.

Boys hoops
Kenny Bradford scored a game-high 23 points to lead Eastlake (4-0, 15-6) to a 63-43 win at Bonita Vista last Friday. Zander Epps contributed 10 points for the Titans, who jumped out to an early 18-5 lead and closed the Mesa League contest with a 23-6 run after the Barons (1-3, 6-13) had won the middle two periods by a 32-22 margin. Derrick Davis keyed Bonita Vista with 143 points while Zach Sanchez pumped in 10 points.

Alex Perez posted a game-high 25 points to lead Otay Ranch (3-1, 13-8) to an 83-41 win against visiting San Ysidro (0-4, 1-21) last Friday … Chula Vista (2-2, 11-10) topped Sweetwater (2-2, 13-9) by a score of 77-63 last Friday.

Michael Alcala scored 20 points, Christian Welch scored 14 points and Chris Prather scored 10 points to lead host Hilltop (5-0, 14-6) to a 54-35 South Bay League win against Mater Dei (3-2, 8-11).
In other South Bay League games, J.J. Snarponis scored 16 points to pace Mar Vista (4-1, 10-7) past visiting Southwest (2-3, 4-14) 64-53 while surprising Olympian (3-2, 7-8) got 19 points from Ellison Maniego in a 59-35 win against visiting Montgomery (0-6, 2-18).

Titans fast break past Mustangs

Posted Jan. 24, 2008
Mesa League basketball play continued last Friday with boys and girls double-header action on South County courts. Of the six games (three boys and three girls), five proved to be nail-biters, with four games decided by five-point margins or less and two more teams separated by 10 points at the buzzer.

The Eastlake-Otay Ranch twin bill clearly set the standard. The host Titans held off the defending league champion Mustangs, 61-56, in overtime in boys action in a game that shaped up to determine this year’s Mesa title-winner. Eastlake began defense of its league banner with a 70-29 victory in girls play.

Zander Epps scored 17 points and Stephen Caldwell (11 points) and Kenny Bradford (10 points) both scored in double figures to lead the Titans (2-0, 12-6 overall). Eastlake got off to a fast start with a 22-10 first-quarter edge and led 35-21 at halftime. But the Mustangs (0-1, 11-8) out-scored the hosts 31-17 in the second half, including 16-6 in the pivotal third quarter, to send the game into the extra period. The Titans regrouped and won the overtime period by a 9-4 margin.

Three Otay Ranch players also reached double digits in scoring, led by Anthony Cosentino’s game-high 21 points. Alex Perez (11 points) and Marvin Wright (10 points) rounded out the Mustangs’ top scorers in the contest.

In the preceding girls game, Melanie Robbins scored 17 points and Yvonte Neal and Cheyenne Curley-Payne both scored 15 points to lead the Titans (2-0, 14-3). Eastlake led 23-6 after the opening period and 39-11 at halftime to turn back the Mustangs (0-1, 5-6).

The sweep over Otay Ranch enabled Eastlake to remain in first place in both the boys and girls standings. The Titan boys opened league play with an 86-49 victory at San Ysidro on Jan. 16 as Felix Dion scored 20 points and Bradford added 19 points. Eastlake’s girls team won its league opener, 84-40, as Curley-Payne, Robbins and Diamond Mitchell each scored 19 points.

Otay Ranch’s boys team topped Chula Vista in its league opener, 67-51, behind 18 points from Cosentino, 17 points from Perez and 10 points from Richard Vitalich.

Bonita Vista swept its double-header at Chula Vista last Friday, winning 56-46 in the girls game and 53-51 in the boys game.
Chula Vista’s Ryan Famina led all scorers in the boys game with 20 points but the Barons (1-1, 6-11) rallied with a 13-7 run in the fourth quarter to post the win against the Spartans (0-2, 9-10).

Danielle Boykin led all scorers in the girls game with 19 points while Wesley Boykin added 15 points for the Barons (2-0, 8-4). Chula Vista (1-1, 10-8) led 30-23 at halftime but was out-scored 33-16 in the second half. Bonita Vista took control on the court with an 18-6 run in the third quarter.

Briana Gearhart and Nirvana Hawkins led the Spartans each with 14 points.

Sweetwater put its home court advantage to good use, defeating the visiting Cougars 51-46 in girls action and 57-52 in boys play.

Sweetwater’s Harry Brazelton (17 points) out-dueled San Ysidro’s Diondi Shumate (15 points) for top scoring honors in the boys contest while Sweetwater’s Jonalynn Fuentes matched San Ysidro’s Laquaysha Martin with 16 points in the girls game.

The Red Devils boys squad held off a spirited fourth-quarter rally by the Cougars to improve their overall record to 13-4 and remain in a first-place tie with Eastlake while SuHi’s girls team (1-1 in league) inched closer to the .500 mark, improving to 6-8 overall.

San Ysidro fell to 1-18 overall in boys action and 3-9 in girls play. Both Cougars teams remained winless in two league outings.

Angelito Kamatoy scored 21 points to lead Sweetwater to a 65-61 victory at Bonita Vista in the teams’ league opener on Jan. 16. Eric Czer led the Barons with 19 points in the loss.

Mater Dei, Hilltop stay unbeaten in league

Posted Jan. 24, 2008
The Mater Dei Crusaders are once again making noise in the San Diego Section girls basketball standings, specifically the South Bay League where the defending league champions improved to 4-0 following Wednesday’s 77-25 victory against visiting Castle Park.

Four players hit double figures in the scoring column for the Crusaders (4-0, 12-5), led by Jhazmine Lynch with 17 points. Mater Dei overwhelmed the Trojans (0-5, 5-10) with a 30-4 scoring barrage in the first quarter. Anitra McCain poured in 16 points in the win.

Wednesday’s runaway victory came on the heels of last Friday’s 64-60 win against Montgomery.
The Crusaders and Aztecs tied for last year’s league title and the four-point differential bodes well for another close match-up.

Anitra McCain paced all scorers in the game with 25 points while Mater Dei teammate Ebone Henry tacked on 16 points. The Aztecs dropped to 3-2 in league play, 11-9 overall, after topping Mar Vista, 54-41, on Wednesday behind 12 points from Brieanna Gibson.

Meanwhile, Hilltop matched Mater Dei with a 4-0 start to league play after defeating visiting Olympian, 92-19, on Wednesday as five players scored in double digits. The Lancers previously defeated host Castle Park, 62-34, last Friday after topping Montgomery, 50-39, two days earlier behind 14 points from Stephanie Mendoza.

Boys hoops
The Hilltop Lancers (3-0, 12-6) remained the lone unbeaten team in the South Bay League boys standings after topping host Castle Park, 60-30, last Friday. Cody Reeves led all scorers with 17 points while Hilltop teammates Michael Alcala (14 points) and Chris Prather (12 points) also reached double figures in the scoring column. The Lancers opened a modest 14-11 first-quarter lead but out-scored the Trojans (1-1, 4-14) 46-19 over the remaining three quarters. Keifer Baker led Castle Park with 13 points.

Other winners in league play last Friday included Mater Dei (76-57 over Montgomery) and Olympian (64-61 over Southwest).

De Anthony Tobe led Mater Dei (2-1, 7-10) with a game-high 27 points while teammate Moises Lora scored 17 points.

Mark Armitage had 19 points and Eugene Alfalla had 17 points for Montgomery (0-4, 2-16).
Olympian (2-1, 6-7) received a game-high 26 points from Ellison Maniego in beating the Raiders (1-2, 4-13). Laurence DeGracia keyed Southwest with 18 points while Max Estrada had 16 points.

Lancers tested but win South Bay League opener

Posted Jan. 18, 2008
The San Diego Coaches Association preseason poll for the South Bay League’s boys basketball teams went as follows: Hilltop (first), Mater Dei (second), Mar Vista (third), Southwest (fourth), Olympian (fifth), Montgomery (sixth) and Castle Park (seventh).

One week into the 2007-08, those predictions might have to be revised after defending league champion Hilltop battled Mar Vista to a hard-fought 48-45 victory in the teams’ league opener on Jan. 9.

The Mariners proved they can contend after topping Mater Dei by a 65-47 score last Friday.
The 2007-08 season already is starting to serve up its little surprises.

Hilltop, which dropped a high profile 64-54 non-league decision at Eastlake last Friday, entered this week with a 10-5 overall record. The Lancers are led by seniors Cody Reeves (6-0) and Michael Alcala (6-5) and junior Chris Prather (6-2). Hilltop advanced to the quarterfinal round of last year’s San Diego Section playoffs with a 20-7 overall record and is picked to win another league title.

The Lancers finished 10-0 in league play last season.

Hilltop, which is coached by 17-year veteran Chuck Vallero and assisted by former Sweetwater coach David Ybarra, found itself in a decidedly unenviable position in its league opener. Mar Vista broke out to a 14-3 first quarter lead, held a 23-21 halftime advantage and owned a 35-31 edge heading into the final quarter.

The Lancers prevailed on the strength of a 17-10 scoring edge in the fourth quarter. Hilltop used an 18-9 scoring edge in the second quarter to get back in the game.

The Mariners, who were led by 6-3 senior J.J. Snarponis’ 18 points and 11 rebounds, rebounded with last Friday’s 65-47 victory at Mater Dei as Snarponis scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 17 boards.

Maurice Williams added 12 points in last Friday’s win as Mar Vista evened its season record at 7-7.
The Mariners led 29-20 at halftime and pulled away with a 16-8 run in the third quarter. Moises Lora and De Anthony Tobe scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Crusaders (6-9).

Mar Vista qualified for last season’s Division II playoffs, finishing 12-10 (5-5 in league play, tied for third place). The Mariners were picked as “the sleeper” this season, with the potential to impact the order of the league standings.

Mater Dei finished 11-16 last season, 4-6 in league play for fifth place. The Crusaders, who are settling into their new digs on their new campus in Otay Ranch, are keyed by junior R.J. Rowan (6-2) and Tobe (6-0) and senior Nathan Baugh (6-0).

Mater Dei lost DeAndre Henry to graduation but should still battle for the title to the end of the season. The Crusaders advanced to last year’s Division IV playoffs, losing in the opening round.

The Crusaders tipped off league play with a 50-37 win against Southwest on Jan. 9.

Southwest is under the guidance of 23-year coach Steve Selland. The Raiders finished 13-15 overall last season (6-4 in league, second place in the league standings) and qualified for the Division II playoffs.
Key players in 2007-08 include 6-1 senior Ruben Nunez and 6-1 junior Laurence Degrasio. Matching last season’s showing will be the challenge for this season’s squad, though the Raiders went 1-1 in their opening two league games last week.

Southwest recorded its first league win last Friday after topping host Montgomery 61-57. Nunez scored 18 points and Max Estrada scored 15 points to lead Southwest in a match-up of struggling teams. The Raiders improved to 3-12 with the win while the Aztecs fell to 2-14. Surge Ponce (16 points), Eugene Alfalla (15 points) and Al Agapay (10 points) all scored in double figures for Montgomery, which trailed 30-28 at halftime before being outscored 16-8 in the third quarter.

The Aztecs, who are mentored by 18-year coach George Anderson, finished 6-18 last season but tied for third in the league standings with a 5-5 record. Montgomery is off to an 0-2 start this season after falling 60-49 to Castle Park in its league opener on Jan. 9.

Junior Mark Armitage, who earned selection to the Aztec Holiday Invitational all-tournament team, appears to be a bright spot on a Montgomery team that will otherwise once again face its share of challenges this season.

Alex Salazar is entering his first year at the helm of the Olympian Eagles, who are coincidently playing their first varsity season. Junior Ellison Maniego (6-0) was the preseason pick to lead the Eagles on the court in their inaugural varsity campaign and he produced with 19 points to lead Olympian (5-6) past visiting Castle Park, 54-40, last Friday.

Ryan Canlapan added 12 points for the Eagles, who trailed 11-10 after the opening quarter but took a 25-21 halftime lead. Olympian solidified its position to grab the win by out-scoring Castle Park 16-12 in the third quarter and 13-7 in the final period. The Trojans’ Miles Paul led all scorers in the game with 23 points.

Castle Park, which dropped to 4-12 overall, tipped off league play with a spirited victory against Montgomery. The Trojans used a 21-11 run in the final quarter to score the win.

Castle Park’s 2-19 overall record last season included an 0-10 league mark. Second-year coach Aaron Partch could be facing another long season but improvement on last year’s record has already been seen.
Team leaders include 5-8 senior Tim Taylor and 5-6 junior Tyree Jackson.

Three-pointers
Hilltop’s Reeves earned honors as the preseason pick for South Bay League Player of the Year. Also penciled in for First Team honors were Hilltop’s Alcala, Olympian’s Maniego, Mar Vista’s Snarponis and Mater Dei’s Tobe.

Titans slip past Hilltop 64-54
Eastlake opened a 23-7 first-quarter lead and held on to post a 10-point win in the teams’ annual high profile midseason match-up on Jan. 4.

Kenny Bradford led the victorious Titans (10-5) with 19 points while teammates Zander Epps (11 points) and Stephen Caldwell (10 points) also scored in double digits. Felix Dion added six points and Dennis Clay and Andrew Meisen both had four points.

Chris Prather led the Lancers (10-5) with 15 points while Rayshon Roberts contributed 10 points. Christian Welch scored nine points for Hilltop, which also received eight points from Michael Alcala and seven points from Cody Reeves in the loss.

Eastlake Titans are hooping it up in 2007-08

Posted Jan. 11, 2008
The Eastlake High School girls basketball team has opened defense of its San Diego Section Division I championship title with a 12-3 tear to start the 2007-08 season. The Titans demonstrated their early-season dominance via last Saturday's 65-46 non-league victory against visiting Montgomery.

Cheynne Curley-Payne, the 2007 Mesa League Player of the Year, led the hosts with 21 points while two other players — Diamond Mitchell (16 points) and Yvonte Neal (15 points) — also hit in double figure scoring.

Janay Cortell contributed seven points in the win while Kayla Rivera, Jacara Roberts and Melanie Robbins each scored two points.

The Titans blew out to a 19-9 first-quarter lead against last year’s Division II finalists and pumped in 19 more points in the second quarter to own a commanding 38-17 halftime lead.

Eastlake matched Montgomery with 14 points in the third quarter while the Aztecs (8-7) closed out the game with a 15-13 scoring advantage in the final quarter.

Tyshayla Thomas paced Montgomery with 18 points while Felicia Pet had 10 points.

The Titans, who opened the season with a 10-0 run, tipped off the season by winning all their six games in the Matador Classic, defeating Helix, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Westview, Crawford and Escondido. Eastlake competed simultaneously in the Surf N Slam Classic and Mt. Miguel Festival over the winter break, suffering losses to teams from Washington and Oregon and another to 2007 Division IV finalist Francis Parker (63-37).

The Titans enter the second half of the season ranked second among Division I teams to Poway (13-1).
Eastlake tips off Mesa League play Jan. 16 at San Ysidro before hosting Otay Ranch Jan. 18.

Will Mustangs, Titans clash for Mesa title?

Posted Jan. 11, 2008
According to a preseason coaches poll, the Otay Ranch Mustangs have been tabbed as the proverbial “team to beat” for this year’s Mesa League boys basketball title.

With a 9-6 record at the midpoint of the season compiled against some tough competition, the Mustangs have risen above the pack along with the Eastlake Titans, who had their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped last Friday by the La Costa Canyon Mavericks in a non-league encounter in North County.

Eastlake is 9-5 with a pair of tournament championships after starting the season 2-4.
Otay Ranch won its own holiday-themed tournament.

The two heavyweights are set to tip off their chase for this year’s league banner on Friday, Jan. 18, on the Titans’ home court.

Anything less than a capacity crowd would be disappointing.

The Mustangs, who are picked for a top four finish in this year’s section playoffs, are led by preseason all-country first team pick Anthony Cosentino, a 6-6 senior, along with seniors Marcus Vasquez (6-3) and Marvin Wright (6-4) and freshman Alex Perez (6-0).

Cosentino is averaging 20.9 points while Wright is averaging 16.1 points.

Otay Ranch finished 17-8 last season (9-1 in league play) under coach Howard Suda, who is in his fourth year leading the team.

Eastlake, which has collected 69 wins over the last three seasons (one more than Hilltop’s 68 victories), is led this season by seniors Kenny Bradford (6-1) and Stephen Caldwell (6-0) along with sophomore Felix Dion (6-1), who is rated as one of the section’s top newcomers.

Chula Vista (15-11, 6-4 last season) and Bonita Vista (11-14, 5-5 last season) are both picked to challenge for upper division finishes. Key players include 6-6 senior Erick El Belle for Chula Vista and 6-8 senior Eric Czer for Bonita Vista.

Sweetwater finished 5-21 overall, 0-10 in league last season but has already posted an 11-4 start this season. The Red Devils enter league play on a four-game winning streak with victories against San Ysidro, West Shores, El Cajon Valley and Mountain Empire. Prior to that, SuHi finished 3-1 at the Islander Christmas Tournament. Top scorers include sophomore Harry Brazelton (15.7) and senior Angelito Kamatoy (13.3).

San Ysidro finished 8-18 overall, 2-8 in league last season and is 1-15 to tip off 2007-08. Sophomore Dondi Shumate leads the Cougars with a fine 17.4 scoring average.


Highs and lows
•Hilltop was the lone Metro Conference team to post 20 wins last season. The Lancers have 43 wins the last two seasons (two shy of Eastlake's 45 wins).

•Sweetwater leads the section with the most losses the last two seasons (46) while Castle Park ranks third worst in the section (41 losses) and San Ysidro seventh worst (39 losses). Montgomery (35 losses) and Mater Dei (33 losses) also made the list for on-court futility the past two seasons.

•Southwest's Steve Selland ranks No. 3 on the current list of coaches who have coached more than 20 years at the same school. He trails El Camino's Ray Johnson and Helix's John Singer, both of whom have 28 years of service at their respective schools.

•The section's top returning scorers include Guajome Park's Josh Brown (26.9), Torrey Pines' James Rahon (26.8), Morse's Remil Landrum (26.6), Foothills Christian's Troy Leaf (25.2), Escondido Adventist's Mark Knutson (22.1), El Capitan's Barrett Braun (21.2) and Grossmont's Ian Cochran (20.9), Mission Hills' Taylor Darby (19.4), San Pasqual Academy's Josh Collazo (18.3), Christian's Daniel Hazlett (18.2) and Escondido's Peter Smith (18.0).

Holiday baskets overflow for area hoops teams

Eastlake wins Spartan classic; Otay Ranch claims holiday invite

Posted Jan. 4, 2008
League play tips off in mid-January for Metro Conference hoops squads. However, the recent holiday break was reserved for annual holiday-themed high school basketball tournaments throughout the county — and the country.

The Eastlake High School boys team travelled to Orlando, Fla., to take part in KSA Events Disney World Classic. The Titans went 3-0 to claim the tournament title with victories against Canon-McMillian from Pennsylvania, Brea Olinda from Los Angeles and Orchard Park from New York.

Eastlake won four more games in a row to capture the championship title of this year’s Spartan Classic that wrapped up with finals and awards last Friday at Chula Vista High School.

The Otay Ranch Mustangs boys squad that is favored to repeat as Mesa League champions this season tipped off the season by winning its own pre-Christmas holiday invitational before travelling to Hawaii after Christmas to compete in the Merv Lopes tournament.

Hilltop’s boys team also enjoyed success on the hardwood by finishing second in the Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery High School.

The Montgomery girls team, led by tournament Most Valuable Player Britney Rose and all-tournament picks Stefanie Maher and Felicia Pet, won its share of accolades in the girls portion of the Aztec Holiday Invitational field.


Spartan Classic
The Titans (2-4) topped the Fountain Valley Barons, 51-40, last Saturday to win their second Spartan Classic title in three years.

According to head coach Alex Estrada, the Titans look to gain momentum as the season progresses.
“We missed five players early due to football and got off to a 2-4 start,” Estrada said. “The team regrouped and headed to Orlando.”

Eastlake ran its current winning streak to seven games after going 4-0 in the Spartan Classic upon returning from Florida.

Senior Stephen Caldwell led the Titans with 17 points in the championship game against Fountain Valley while senior Kenny Bradford contributed nine points, junior Zander Epps had six points while seniors Henry Simon, Dennis Clay, Andrew Meisen and sophomore Felix Dion each had four points.

Eastlake broke out to a 12-4 first-quarter edge and led 26-10 at halftime after holding the Barons to just six points in the second quarter.

Bradford earned honors as the tournament’s MVP while Epps also earned selection to the all-tournament team.

Bradford had 19 points and Epps had 17 points as the Titans used big runs in the first (13-4) and third quarters (26-9) to cruise past the Grossmont Foothillers, 65-39, in the semifinals.

Eastlake travels to La Costa Canyon for an 8 p.m. non-league match-up on Friday, Jan. 4, before hosting Hilltop in the teams’ annual non-league match-up at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11.

Holiday Invitational
Anthony Cosentino had 22 points, 11 rebounds and two assists and Marvin Wright contributed 17 points, 13 rebounds and three steals to lead Otay Ranch to a 71-69 victory over Hoover in the championship game of the Holiday Classic Dec. 22 on the Mustangs home court.

Otay Ranch went 5-0 in the tourney, defeating El Cajon Valley, Montgomery, Orange Glen and, in the semifinals, Santa Fe Christian.

In the championship game against the Cardinals (8-2), the Mustangs led 35-31 at halftime but went down 53-43 entering the final quarter after being outscored 22-8 in the third quarter. Otay Ranch, however, rebounded with a heroic 28-16 run in the final period to claim the tourney title.

Melvin Holper added 10 points and Isaiah Hall had nine points and three assists for the Mustangs, who also received six points, four rebounds and four steals from Alex Perez.

Otay Ranch opened tourney play with an 86-50 win against El Cajon Valley on Dec. 19 as Cosentino — named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player — scored 28 points and Wright scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Otay Ranch then topped Montgomery, 77-26, the following day behind 14 points each from Wright and Hall.

The Mustangs reached the final with ensuing wins against Orange Glen (71-49) and Santa Fe Christian (61-44). Marcus Vasquez (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Cosentino (20 points, 11 rebounds) paced Otay Ranch against Orange Glen while Cosentino (18 points), Vasquez (12 points) and Wright (11 points) all scored in double figures against SFC.

The tourney title hiked the Mustangs early season record to 6-4. Otay Ranch followed with a 2-2 showing in the Marv Lopes tournament in Hawaii over the holiday break, finishing up with a 75-74 overtime victory against Mililani on Dec. 29. Cosentino and Wright (13 rebounds) led the defending Mesa League champions with 20 points apiece while Perez contributed 16 points.

The Mustangs host Mar Vista (6-5) on Friday, Jan. 4, in a non-league game at 7 p.m. before testing small schools power Foothills Christian (11-4) on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2:30 p.m. in the South Bay Challenge.

Foothills Christian, keyed by 50 points from Troy Leaf and 25 points from Kalob Hatcher, handed Otay Ranch a 90-83 loss in the Wolfpack-Horsman tournament on Dec. 7.

Aztec Holiday Invitational
Hilltop finished 3-1 in the Montgomery High tourney, falling 57-53 to Paramount from Compton in last Saturday’s championship finals. Wins came against Southwest El Centro (43-34), Bonita Vista (55-44) and Orange Glen (63-35).

Chris Prather (15 points), Cody Reeves (14 points) and Anthony Carrillo (10 points) all scored in double figures for the Lancers in the title game.
Hilltop trailed 23-20 at halftime but fell behind 41-33 before rallying with a 20-16 scoring edge in the final quarter.
Michael Alcala had 13 points, Reeves had 12 points and Christian Welch contributed 10 points to lead the Lancers past Bonita Vista in a preliminary game on Dec. 27.

Hilltop improved to 9-3 as Prather scored 20 points, Welch had 15 points and Alcala added 12 points in the Dec. 28 win over Orange Glen.
The Lancers tip off South Bay League play Jan. 9 at Mar Vista before engaging in the high profile match-up against Eastlake.