LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca – Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to my 2012-13 high school boys All-CIF Southern Section and L.A. City squads . . .
Remember, these selections are NOT based upon “college potential” but upon how the players performed when I watched their high school teams and their accomplishments during the just-concluded season.
The “all-teams” are listed by seniors (20), juniors (15), sophomores (10) and freshmen (10), with Players of the Year for each class (separate from the all-teams).
My final Top 30 team ratings are also included, with – shockingly – California State Open Division champion Santa Ana Mater Dei topping the ratings as the “Team of the Year”.
Coach of the Year honors go to Reggie Morris Jr of Redondo in Redondo Beach.
Last spring he took over a program that was 10-17 during the 2012-13.
Playing a difficult non-league schedule, the Sea Hawks got off to a 7-8 start – and never lost again.
That 21-game winning streak including victories over Westlake Village Westlake (68-63) in the Southern Section Division 2A championship game; Southern Section 2AA champion Riverside JW North (60-48) in the State Southern Regional Division II final; and Northern champion Pleasant Hill College Park (54-47) in the State Division II title game in Sacramento.
The 34-year-old Morris numbers the NBA’s Russell Westbrook and Dorell Wright among his former players and coached Lawndale Leuzinger and Playa del Rey St. Bernard to Southern Section titles in his previous head coaching stops.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he is coaching his own college program some day.
The overall Player of the Year accolades go to the same fellow that I tabbed Junior of the Year.
And the selection of forward Stanley Johnson should surprise no one who watched Mater Dei play during the season that wrapped up in Sacramento with the Monarchs’ 50-45 victory over Aaron Gordon and San Jose Mitty in the first-ever State Open title game on March 23,
In four State Tournament games, Johnson averaged 23.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game – including a 26-point, 12-rebound effort against Mitty to help the program win its 10 state championship under Coach Gary McKnight.
OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Stanley Johnson (Santa Ana Mater Dei)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Reggie Morris Jr. (Redondo Beach Redondo)
ALL-SOUTHERN AND L.A. CITY SECTION SELECTIONS
SENIORS
Jordan Bell 6-7 Long Beach (Poly)
Sheldon Blackwell 6-4 Etiwanda (Etiwanda)
Elijah Brown 6-3 Santa Ana (Mater Dei)
Malcolm Drumwright 6-2 Rancho Cucamonga
Nick Hornsby 6-6 Tustin (Tustin)
Ako Kaluna 6-7 Valencia (West Ranch)
Trey Mason 6-2 Los Angeles (Loyola)
Jordan Mathews 6-3 Santa Monica (Santa Monica)
Chance Murray 6-0 Los Angeles (Price)
Lamond Murray Jr. 6-5 Torrance (Bishop Montgomery)
Mamadou N’Diaye 7-4 Huntington Beach (Brethren Christian)
London Perrantes 6-2 Encino (Crespi)
Roschon Prince 6-5 Long Beach (Poly)
Brandon Randolph 6-3 Inglewood (Inglewood)
Jordan Strawberry 6-0 Santa Ana (Mater Dei)
Jahmel Taylor 6-0 Los Angeles (Pacific Hills)
Michael Thomas 6-6 Woodland Hills (El Camino Real)
Jordan Wilson 5-7 Los Angeles (Windward
Kris Yanku 6-4 Woodland Hills (Taft)
Evan Zeller 6-4 Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Isaac Hamilton 6-4 Bellflower St. John Bosco
*****
JUNIORS
Bryan Alberts 6-3 Sun Valley (Village Christian)
Robert Cartwright 6-2 La Canada (Flintridge Prep)
Ajon Efferson 6-0 Gardena (Serra)
Ian Fox 6-1 Redondo Beach (Redondo)
Joe Furstinger 6-9 R. Santa Margarita (Santa Margarita)
Daniel Hamilton 6-7 Bellflower (St. John Bosco)
Tra Holder 6-1 Los Angeles (Brentwood)
Parker Jackson-Cartwright 5-8 Los Angeles (Loyola)
Victor Joseph 6-1 Rancho Cucamonga (Rancho Cucamonga)
Jordan McLaughlin 6-0 Etiwanda (Etiwanda)
Julian Richardson 6-2 Woodland Hills (El Camino Real)
Luke Selway 6-4 Villa Park (Villa Park)
Iziahiah Sweeney 6-3 Compton (Compton)
Jack Williams 6-7 West Hills (Chaminade)
Namon Wright 6-3 Los Angeles (Pacific Hills)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Stanley Johnson 6-6 Santa Ana Mater Dei
*****
SOPHOMORES
Sedrick Barefield 6-1 Corona (Centennial)
Bennie Boatwright 6-7 Mission Hills (Alemany)
Tyler Burch 6-5 Huntington Beach (Ocean View)
Tyler Dorsey 6-4 Bellflower (St. John Bosco)
Max Hazzard 6-0 Los Angeles (Loyola)
Jeremiah Headley 6-6 Redondo (Redondo Beach)
Aaron Holiday 6-1 N. Hollywood (Campbell Hall)
Tristan Hunter 6-0 Perris (Perris)
Jimbo Lull 6-10 San Pedro (Rolling Hills Prep)
Chemezie Metu 6-9 Lawndale (Lawndale)
Rex Pflueger 6-4 San Juan Capistrano (JSerra)
Khalil Simplis 6-0 N. Hollywood (Campbell Hall)
Kendall Small 6-0 Huntington Beach (Ocean View)
Stephen Thompson Jr 6-2 Torrance (Bishop Montgomery)
Cameron Walker 6-7 Santa Maria (Righetti)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jeremy Hemsley 6-2 La Verne Damien
*****
FRESHMEN
Milan Acquaah 6-0 Pasadena (La Salle)
Lonzo Ball 6-3 Chino (Chino Hills)
Breland Brandt 6-4 Los Angeles (Windward)
Michael Cage Jr. 6-9 Santa Ana (Mater Dei)
Leland Green 6-2 Redondo Beach (Redondo)
Vance Jackson 6-6 Pasadena (La Salle)
Dikymbe Martin 6-0 Riverside (JW North)
Deveral Ramsey 6-0 Chatsworth (Sierra Canyon)
Trevor Stanback 6-9 West Hills (Chaminade)
Derryck Thornton 6-2 Chatsworth (Sierra Canyon)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Max Heidegger 5-8 Encino Crespi
TOP 30 TEAMS
1. Santa Ana Mater 34-2
2. Etiwanda 28-3
3. Long Beach Poly 28-4
4. Los Angeles Westchester 29-7
5. Santa Monica 29-7
6. Los Angeles Loyola 25-8
7. Los Angeles Pacific Hills 29-4
8. Torrance Bishop Montgomery 32-2
9. Bellflower St. John Bosco 24-7
10. Inglewood 20-11
11. Woodland Hills El Camino Real 28-4
12. Redondo Beach Redondo 28-8
13. Pacific Palisades Palisades 23-10
14. Mission Viejo 26-5
15. Lake Forest El Toro 28-7
16. Tustin 31-3
17. Gardena Serra 26-7
18. Corona Centennial 26-3
19. Riverside J.W. North 31-4
20. West Hills Chaminade 26-7
21. Encino Crespi 23-10
22. La Verne Lutheran 26-8
23. Los Angeles Crenshaw 21-10
24. La Verne Damien 26-7
25. Westlake Village Westlake 28-6
26. Rancho Cucamonga 24-5
27. Compton 20-11
28. Villa Park 24-8
29. San Juan Capistrano JSerra 17-9
30. Orange Lutheran 18-10
