Basketball star Jeremy Tyler's decision to turn pro after his junior year at San Diego High was the most talked about story in the state during the 2008-09 school year. Other stories among our top 15 include Sacramento Grant's historic win over Long Beach Poly in the CIF Open Division state football bowl game and one of the most stunning upsets any team in any sport in state history has ever pulled off.

By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores
Contributing: Paul Muyskens

1. Jeremy Tyler Leaves High School For Pros

This one is a no-brainer at the top of our list and might be the biggest story of the school year nationally, too. In a move orchestrated by summer basketball pioneer Sonny Vaccaro, San Diego High's Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 junior who previously committed to Louisville, decided to skip his senior season of high school to play professionally in Europe for two years before entering the 2011 NBA Draft.

One year earlier, Vaccaro aided EA SPORTS National Player of the Year Brandon Jennings in skipping college to play professional ball overseas, but Tyler's decision was different and drew stronger reactions since he actually has not yet finished high school.

Recently, Las Vegas High baseball sensation Bryce Harper decided to skip his final two years of high school so there is no telling where this trend is headed. While many in the local basketball community opposed Tyler's move, it was pretty obvious he was not going to finish his prep career at San Diego High, regardless. What happened with the Cavers and the players that were supposed to be playing alongside Tyler is another story.

2. Grant Wins First CIF Open Division Bowl Game

One of the biggest stories of the 2007-2008 school year came when the CIF Federated Council approved the expansion of the CIF State Championship Bowl Games from three to five games for the 2008 season. It wasn't much of a surprise, but two events that transpired from that decision were eye-openers, that's for sure.

The first came when Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II champion Grant of Sacramento was selected to play in the Open Division bowl game, which was created to pit the best team in Northern California versus the best from SoCal regardless of enrollment. Grant's selection proved the CIF Bowl Games were not just created for an annual match up of De La Salle of Concord versus the best Southern California has to offer.

Second, Grant showed the prep football world that quality football in Northern California does exist outside the Spartans' legendary program, as they upset a Long Beach Poly team that was looking to become the first program to win a CIF state championship in the early era (1915-1927) and the modern CIF bowl game era.

With its 25-20 victory, Grant was the first victorious NorCal team in the expanded bowl game setup. And to say that Grant's win boosted the prestige of the entire Sacramento community would be an understatement. It is arguably the biggest win any team in the city's history has ever had.(Read full post)

At least four CIF sections vote to oppose regional football bowl game plan. Plus, H1N1 virus causes school to halt athletics, Orange Lutheran basketball coach dies, NFL Draft rewind, reaction to Jeremy Tyler's decision and more from the best prep notes column in the state.

By Mark Tennis & Paul Muyskens

At the CIF state basketball championships in March, CIF executive director Marie Ishida seemed confident that a proposal would pass in May that would add a regional round of games to the CIF state football bowl lineup.

The proposal, which comes before the CIF Federated Council next week, calls for there to be a Northern and Southern Regional bowl game to determine the finalists for the actual CIF state bowl games, which expanded to five divisions last December. Under the plan, the new regional games would take place for 2010 after the second year of the five divisional format is completed this December.

At least four of the 10 CIF sections, however, have indicated through votes of their governing boards in the last two weeks that they will vote no on the plan and one of the those four is the massive CIF Southern Section. The CIFSS Council, in fact, unanimously instructed its representatives on the CIF Federated Council to vote against the plan. On Tuesday earlier this week, the CIF San Diego Section followed, although that vote was not unanimous.

It has also been learned that the CIF North Coast Section and the CIF Central Coast Section's governing boards have voted to oppose the regional play-in games. 

 With the CIFSS in the no column and being so large with more votes on the CIF Federated Council than any other section, it doesn't take much of a coalition of sections to agree in order for a proposal to pass or fail. And with the CIFSS apparently joined by the CCS, NCS and San Diego, the plan seems to be not likely to pass. Those sections that are reportedly in favor of the proposal are the Sac-Joaquin Section, Central Section and L.A. City Section.

(Read full post)

San Diego High's strange season will continue in the Division I section boys basketball playoffs, but as a lower-seeded team.

By Steve Brand, Special to CalHiSports.com

This is not the way it was supposed to be. Not at all.

San Diego High's boys seeded No. 10 in the San Diego Section Division I playoffs? Ridiculous.

Some background.

Before the 2008-09 boys basketball season, word got out that three pretty good basketball players had transferred to San Diego High and since the Cavers had 6-11 junior Jeremy Tyler returning, it looked like the ingredients for a powerhouse were in place.

Terrance Boyd headed the list. A Top 50 prospect, the 6-5 Boyd had played at Oak Hill Academy as a sophomore but left under a cloud and did not play his junior year in Oklahoma.

Another Oklahoman, junior Zecheriah Smith, would be a valuable asset as a mobile 7-footer who could take some of the pressure off Tyler and get more chances of his own.

LaBradford Franklin, a junior, moved in from Temecula Valley, just 50 miles north of San Diego, and would give the Cavers the outside threat the team desperately lacked.

San Diego High appeared on numerous national Top 50 lists.

But when the season started, none of the three players was determined to be eligible by the San Diego Section, pending further investigation (yes, the section actually hired a private investigator).

There were rumors of undue influence, which Coach Kenny Roy vehemently denied, but the three continued to sit because in the San Diego Section if a school is slapped with seven or more forfeits, it is ineligible for the playoffs.

Franklin's family reportedly maintained its residence elsewhere while living in San Diego, another violation but not exactly nefarious considering today's real estate market. Tried to sell your house recently?

Roy appealed, provided more information, and hoped the three would get into the lineup for the Christmas tournaments.

Didn't happen but San Diego High was playing pretty well considering. Tyler had a couple of 51-point games and the Cavers, while slipping off the national and state lists, at least remained near the top of the San Diego Section charts because they were still unbeatable close to home.

But when word that there were very questionable dealings in which Boyd's mother was found to have the $2,250 rent at a downtown condominium paid by someone close to the program, the district finally stepped in, placing Roy and his assistant, Jerome Sherman, on administrative leave.

First Franklin, then Smith and finally Boyd's ineligible status was upheld by the state appeals board.

That was that, right? Not even close.

With just two weeks remaining in the season, it was revealed that two of the ineligible players had participated in a scrimmage. The section rules say the commissioner, Dennis Ackerman, can make the school forfeit one game for each violation, or force the school to give up a scrimmage the following season or, basically, anything the commissioner wanted to do short of denying them a chance to participate in the playoffs.

Ackerman made the Cavers forfeit their last two games, meaning San Diego had no chance to win the Eastern League title outright. He could have had them forfeit the two games before that, one of which was a non-league game.

Many felt that smacked of the section itself violating the statewide credo of Victory with Honor. The section had won, why stomp on the Cavers while they were down?

The commissioner could have had the Cavers forfeit their first two games of the season. He could have told them they had two fewer games next year. He could have made it the next two games and the Cavers could have determined their own fate the final week of the season. Instead, he chose a path that would cost the two teams San Diego would play, Morse and Hoover, huge home crowds and the Cavers a chance to defend their league title.

Turns out it didn't matter.

The disheartened Cavers faced a decent Mira Mesa team and lost its first game to a San Diego team in two years as Tyler, ill with the flu like three teammates, was held to a season-low 21 points. San Diego cancelled the non-league game after the section declared that all funds earned from the game would be given to the two teams to which the Cavers forfeited, making up for the lost gate.

With the loss and now three forfeits, the Cavers finished third in the league and had to be considered for at-large entry into the playoffs.

Thus, the No. 10 seed was San Diego's and the team will open the playoffs on the road at Eastlake High (Chula Vista).

As for the three players, Boyd reportedly has been offered a full-ride to Oregon State even though he hasn't played high school ball for two years. The other two, unless more damning information is forthcoming, are expected to be eligible to join Tyler next year.

But the school is not expected to renew Roy's contract, so now questions remain if the two juniors – or even Tyler for that matter – will return to take their frustration out together or scatter.

In other words, this story is far from over.

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

(For additions, corrections or to report a statistical standout we may have missed, email mark@studentsports.com. To inquire about a section or state record, please email Senior Editor Ronnie Flores at ronnie@studentsports.com or call (800) 660-1334 Ext. 4414; For games played between Feb. 2-7; Writeups by Ronnie Flores, Harold Abend, Steve Brand, Tom Shanahan, Mark Tennis & Bob Barnett)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Maverick Ahanmisi & Trevor Wiseman (Golden Valley, Santa Clarita): In addition to having a stylish first name, Ahanmisi tossed in 31 points to team with Wiseman, who set a school record with 18 boards, in an 85-76 Foothill League win over Saugus.

Jose Arreloa (McFarland): He scored 34 points against Laton with McFarland winning by the score of 71-51 in an East Sierra League game.

Christopher Bearden (Sonora, La Habra): The 6-foot senior guard had 28 points and 15 rebounds, but the Raiders went scoreless in overtime, falling to Colony, 68-60 in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.

Gaellan Bewernick (Manuel Arts, Los Angeles): Playing for a school with a storied tradition from decades past this 6-6 senior has been rolling along at a 25.3 PPG and 17.5 RPG average, with a double-double in all 28 games even though the team is only 12-16. Last week in a 73-53 victory over View Park Prep, he went for 30 points even with 18 rebounds, his seventh 30-point performance on the season. His rebounding high is 25 and he's been 20-plus on the glass six times. 

James Boyd (Jordan, Los Angeles): Former ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Boys State Athlete of the Week is putting up numbers almost as gaudy as his passing and running yardage when he won the award during football season. Don't forget his sacks because he's playing DE at USC. On the hardwood, maybe the Trojans should give him a crack there as well. In his most recent outing the 6-5, 235-pound Boyd had 35 points and 27 rebounds in a 77-46 drubbing of Bell. He's had a 30/30 game this season and been over 40 points twice, and is averaging 23.7 points and 22.4 rebounds per game. As the late Raiders announcer Bill King would say, "Holy Toledo!”

Tyler Bray (Kingsburg): The 6-6 junior, and football quarterback, scored 33 points and made seven three-point field goals to lead the Vikings past Coalinga, 71-38, in a Central Sequoia League game. Bray also had eight rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots against the Horned Toads.

Jordan Burris (Stockdale, Bakersfield): He scored a career-high of 35 points against Frontier and led his team to an 89-51 triumph in a Southwest Yosemite League game.

Luke Cassedy (Central Valley, Shasta Lake): After going for 30 and 29 points two weeks ago, the 6-1 senior guard had 24 points and 15 rebounds last week in a 60-46 win against West Valley of Cottonwood.

Stephen Clark (Community Harvest, Los Angeles): Harvest brought home the crops with his second 31-point effort of the season in 71-39 victory over Foshay Learning Center of Los Angeles.

Brian Daniel (El Sobrante Christian, El Sobrante): The 6-foot junior threw down a season-high 41 points with five treys in a 61-55 win against Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy of Pleasant Hill. On the season he's averaging 24.3 PPG and has gone over 30-points six times.

Joshua De La Torre (Washington, Los Angeles): Poured in 34 points to help the Generals bury Carson, 74-48, in the L.A. City's Marine League.

Lucas Devenny (Piner, Santa Rosa): With CalHiSports.com on hand to see the big fella match up with undefeated cross-town Cardinal Newman, purple-haired Devenny put on a show despite the Prospectors falling 54-51 at Newman. The 6-9, 245-pounder, who is going to UC Santa Barbara, showed everyone he is certainly the best player in the Redwood Empire. Even Newman Coach Tom Bonfigli, who's coached in the area over 20 years, said Big Luke, could very well be the best big man ever to come out of the land of redwoods and wine. Against Newman he had 23 points and 21 rebounds (tying a record for the most in Newman's house), and added six blocks. Earlier in the week in a 59-53 loss to Ukiah, Devenny did all he could with 21 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks. On the season he's averaging 21.3 PPG, 12.5 RPG with 3.7 blocks.

Chris Dixon (Garces, Bakersfield): Playing on the same team as Stephon Carter doesn't usually allow many others to score that much, but Dixon went nuts with career-high of 35 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Rams past West of Bakersfield, 61-60, in a non-league game.

James Douglas (Orange Lutheran, Orange): The Lancers toppled Campbell Hall (Van Nuys) 82-62 at Mater Dei's Nike Extravaganza, thanks in large part to Douglas' 23 points (11 of 18 shooting) and nine rebounds.

Devin Dyer (Temecula Valley, Temecula): Although the boys basketball program is the subject of a school internal investigation, it didn't distract Dyer, a 6-1 guard who pitched in 33 points as the Golden Bears downed Vista Murrieta, 70-56, in a Southwestern League game.

Stephen Henry (Coastal Christian, Arroyo Grande): Certainly gave it all he had in gathering in 22 rebounds and scoring 19 points, but the Conquerors fell short to Cuyama Valley, 61-57, in Coast Valley League play.
    
Malik Heptot (Dos Pueblos, Goleta): Heptot collected a career-high ten blocked shots, thwarting just enough Buena (Ventura) attempts to help the Chargers to a 47-46 victory in Channel League play.

Billy Hilton (Tioga, Groveland): Small school standout for last couple of seasons in the Sac-Joaquin Section had 23 points, 23 rebounds, 12 assists and five blocks as Tioga beat Stone Ridge Christian of Merced, 76-50.

Allen Huddleston (Merced): Kept up his scoring average above 30 ppg with 32 points and nine rebounds as the Bears topped Turlock, 66-62. Huddleston also had 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 73-55 win by the Bears over Atwater.

Joe Hudson (Escondido): Just a junior, the 5-11 guard poured in 32 points leading the Cougars to a 74-50 Avocado League victory over Fallbrook.

Devyn Iglehart (Horizon, San Diego): Went off for 41 points, 21 of them on long-range shots, but didn't get enough help as the Panthers dropped a 57-51 Coastal South game to Francis Parker. He came back with 29, but Horizon still faltered, 55-51, to La Jolla Country Day.

Jad Itani (University, Irvine): Dishing out 15 assists, Itani got plenty of return passes as he scored 19 points in leading the Trojans to a 74-69 win over Corona del Mar in the Pacific Coast League.

Khalil Kelly (Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga): It's a good thing Kelly was up to the challenge against Rancho Cucamonga as he scored 35 points to go with 21 rebounds in an 87-84 Baseline League victory.

Derriq Knaules (Encina, Sacramento): Knaules dropped balls through the hoop with ease in a 77-54 victory by Encina over Highlands of North Highlands. The senior guard finished with 35 points.

Bryce Layne (Hawthorne): It's hard to celebrate, even after you score 41 points, when your team falls as Hawthorne did, 84-76, in a Bay League shootout.

Malik Love (Bishop's, La Jolla): There was no love lost as the Knights' 6-2 guard collected a couple of 30-point games. In a 63-49 win over Coastal South rival Francis Parker, Love pitched in 30 and he came back with 31 more in a 66-36 win over Mater Dei (Chula Vista) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

Dominique O'Connor, Jordin Mayes & Dwayne Polee (Westchester, Los Angeles): This trio was responsible for the Comets bouncing back from a 49-42 loss to arch-rival Fairfax (Los Angeles), when Westchester defeated Rainier Beach of Seattle, 75-65, at the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.  O'Connor scored 21 points; Mayes added 19 and Polee chipped in for 13.   

Alex Perez (Otay Ranch, Chula Vista): Collected a season-high 36 points to lead Otay to a 74-67 Mesa League victory over Bonita Vista (Chula Vista).

Juan Ruelas (Parlier): The senior guard scored 49 points to tie a school record as Parlier beat Orosi, 88-31, in a non-league game.  Ruelas also became the 14th player in Central Section history to score 2,000 career points, according to section historian Bob Barnett.

David Ryn (Chester): It gets cold up there in Chester, but this 6-4 junior has kept the community feeling warm with his red-hot shooting. He had 28 in a loss last week to Portola and 18 in a win over Greenville. This week he went for 30 and 13 rebounds in a win over Loyalton and 27 points and 11 rebounds in a victory against Big Valley of Bieber.

Zeve Sanderson (Franklin, Los Angeles): The Panthers have won five straight and Sanderson has been over 20-points in four of the five outings. Last week the 6-foot junior had 20 and 26 points in respective wins over cross-town Eagle Rock and Lincoln, then came back this week with 27 points in a victory against LA's Belmont.  

Marty Scarberry (Academy for Academic Excellence, Apple Valley): A regular with this group, Scarberry went off for 40 points and 16 rebounds as the Knights downed Excelsior (Apple Valley) 70-63 in Agape League play.
    
Kiril Sergeyey (Irvine): Sergeyey's 32 points in a 72-67 victory over Laguna Hills helped keep Irvine's Pacific Coast League title hopes alive.

Jordan Shivers (El Cajon Valley): His 30 points helped the Braves get into overtime against Grossmont but the Braves were unable to stay with the Foothillers in a 60-51 loss in the Grossmont North League.

Renardo Sidney (Fairfax): The big, strong 6-10, 250-pounder who can shoot and put it on the floor, just keeps pounding opponents while he tries to decide where to play this fall. Last week it was 28/12 against Palisades, 33/12 against LACES, 26/22 with four blocks in a 49-42 win against Westchester that avenges one of the Lions' three losses this year; 19/9 against Whitney Young of Chicago; and this week already he dropped in 31 points with nine rebounds against University of Los Angeles.

Brandon Smith (De La Salle, Concord): It's almost impossible for one of Coach Frank Allocco's players to make the stat stars, since the grind-it-out style, ball-sharing philosophy and lockdown defense played by the Spartans, rarely allows for an offensive outburst. Still, Smith makes it for two reasons. He had a double-double, and did it on the biggest stage yet. In front of a national audience on ESPNU at the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei, the 6-goot Cal-bound guard had 10 points and 11 assists and took control in a 64-38 dismantling of Dominguez of Compton.

Derron Smith (Banning): The standout grid-hoop athlete had two outstanding efforts last week, but they weren't enough to keep the Broncos from dropping two Mountain Pass League games. First, against Tahquitz, Smith scored 26 points, had 15 rebounds and six assist as Banning fell, 74-72. He then followed with a 30-point, 11-rebound, 9-assist game against undefeated league leader Notre Dame of Riverside in the Broncos' 82-77 overtime loss.

Justin Smith (Immanuel Christian, Ridgecrest): The size of the school isn't as important as its players as Smith scored a career-high 36 points to deliver ICS a 74-56 win over Big Pine in Hi-Lo League play.

Michael Snaer (Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley): Snaer was his usual high-scoring self with 31 points but didn't get enough help as his team suffered its first Inland Valley League setback of the season, 62-59, to Ramona (Riverside).

Charles Standifer (Capital Christian, Sacramento): The Div. IV all-state candidate stayed on a roll with 33 points and eight rebounds for Cap Christian in its 59-43 triumph over Marysville.

Anthony Stover (Windward, Los Angeles): A main reason why Windward is No. 1 in the state in Div. V is Stover dominating the middle. In a 74-49 win last week over Montclair Prep, Stover had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks. He almost triple-doubled again when the Wildcats beat Crossroads of Santa Monica, 73-56. He had 20 pts, 17 rebounds and eight blocks.

Jeremy Tyler (San Diego): Though they struggle against California's best, the Cavers still own the section when they play at home as the 6-11 junior poured in 34 points in an Eastern League 77-61 conquest of Morse (San Diego) before coming back with 29 against Eastlake (Chula Vista) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Oh yes, he had 25 in another league win over Serra (San Diego), 64-50.

Damon Williams (Mira Mesa, San Diego): On fire from beyond the arc, Williams hit six three-pointers as part of his 38 points in leading the Marauders to a 54-44 victory over Serra in San Diego Eastern League play.

David Wilson (Wheatland): Pirates' 6-3 senior had a solid outing with 25 points and nine rebounds against Orland then came back just as strong with a 19/19 point/rebound performance earlier this week against Williams, both victories. By the way, this small-town boy leads the Northern Section in scoring according to Maxpreps.com with a 22.6 PPG

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Okungbowa Aiwelchoe (Monterey Trail, Elk Grove): It was a bittersweet night for Aiwelchoe, who rampaged for season highs of 31 points and 29 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Monterey Trail fell to Laguna Creek of Elk Grove, 76-72.

Michelle Anaya (Washington, Easton): She scored 30 points against Liberty of Madera Ranchos in a North Sequoia League game that the Panthers won, 78-16.

Karina Angulo (Indio): Angulo's 16 rebounds helped the Rajahs rally to a 52-41 victory over La Quinta in Desert Valley League play.

Alisha Belt (Carson): Helped Carson belt a couple of Marine League foes last week. Belt scored 20 and had 14 rebounds in a 58-36 win over Banning (Wilmington), then added 21 points and 13 boards against King-Drew in a 61-48 victory.

Marreon Belt (Silverado, Victorville): Her 15 rebounds, 18 points and six steals led the Hawks past Barstow, 57-33, in Desert Sky League play.

Gennifer Brandon (Chatsworth): Another one of the big-time Cal recruits coming in this fall, this senior 6-3 power forward/post continues to dominate opponents and some good ones at that, with consistently solid outings. Against El Camino of Woodland Hills, she had 23 points and 15 rebounds in a victory, 24 points and 20 rebounds against Harvard-Westlake (Sherman Oaks) and in a 51-40 victory over Taft of Woodland Hills that avenged an earlier loss, Brandon had 24 points and 19 rebounds.

Jenny Cavellier (St. Joseph's Academy, San Marcos): Rolled in 32 points to lift St. Joseph's to a 61-32 win over Escondido Charter in Citrus West League action.

Aunjanay Chambers (Valencia): Pulled down 20 rebounds to go with 22 points in a 68-57 victory over Cypress. It was Valencia's 26th consecutive league victory.

Lashia Clarendon (Cajon, San Bernardino): Although Clarendon was the game's leading scorer with 28 points, it simply was not enough against the state's No. 1 team, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), as the Cowgirls fell, 64-56, at the Nike Extravaganza.

Raeshel Contreras (Encinal, Alameda): Senior guard had 27 points and eight assists in a 59-38 victory over Kennedy of Richmond.

MacKenzie Cunningham (Coast Union, Cambria): Cunningham led the way with 10 steals which helped her score 16 points in a 54-30 win over North County Christian (Atascadero). In all the Broncos collected 31 steals.

Dominique Dinner (Monterey): It's been a couple of weeks since we checked in on what Dinner has been dining on. Last week she figured why not feast on Monta Vista Christian of Watsonville with 29 points and six steals but the team lost 55-54. The bill of fare was better later in the week. She only had 27 points with eight steals but the Toreadores won 62-39. Finally, she had dessert earlier this week with 30 points in a 66-51 win against Pajaro Valley (Watsonville), the sixth time she's had 30-plus in averaging 25.3 PPG, tops in the Central Coast Section.

Tia Dixon (San Diego): The Cavers boys aren't the only ones with a good team as Dixon, who scored 32 against Serra in a 76-53 Eastern League win over Serra (San Diego), is one of three freshman starters.

Jenn Dupper (Mesa Grande, Calimesa): Poured in 30 points in a 63-19 Victory League game against outmatched Desert Chapel (Palm Springs).

Heather Foley and Joanna Hernandez (Beaumont): Foley tore down 15 rebounds and Hernandez pitched in 28 points to lead Beaumont to a 62-25 win over Rubidoux (Riverside) in Mountain Pass League action.

Stephanie Golden (Miramonte, Orinda): One of the late Darrell Hirashima's favorites both at Miramonte and the Orinda Magic, and one of the better underclass post players in Northern California, the 6-4 junior went for 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-49 victory over Dougherty Valley of San Ramon.

Samantha Hansen (El Toro, Lake Forest): Like the long-running TV show, her 20-20 (points and rebounds) were a success as El Toro collected a 53-42 win over Northwood (Irvine) in Sea View League play.

Jordan Henry (Ursuline, Santa Rosa): This sophomore Bear had a season-high 34 points, shot 8 of 15 from beyond the arc, had 15 rebounds and five steals, but unfortunately it wasn't enough in a 68-56 loss to Ukiah. Two nights previous the 5-7 guard had 20 points eight rebounds and six assists in a 64-60 win against cross-town Montgomery.

Kim Iverson (Christian Life, San Diego): Single-handedly out-scored Escondido Adventist as she poured in 34 points in the 57-24 Citrus West League victory.

Atoe Jackson (Narbonne, Harbor City): Jackson just dominated the boards, as she has done the entire Marine League season, pulling down 21 (scoring 17 points) in a 47-35 win over Banning (Wilmington) after grabbing 15 caroms (13 points) in a 41-23 win over Gardena.

Sara Khalafi (Torrance): Teaming with Tori Caporaso (five three-point field goals), Khalafi tore down 19 rebounds and scored 12 points in a 53-41 Pioneer League win over Lawndale.

Ashleigh King (Kearny, San Diego): A 5-4 guard, King has led the Komets in scoring, including 33 points, in a 68-40 victory over Madison (San Diego) in San Diego Central League play.

Ariel Mars (Ayala, Chino Hills): While 19 points usually isn't enough to make this list, scoring that many while leading the Bulldogs to their 13th straight Sierra League title with a 61-31 win over Diamond Bar ain't bad.

Terilyn Moe (Terra Nova): This young lady looked good over the summer and actually was the fifth ranked freshman out of only seven frosh that made the list of over 200 girls evaluated in the 2008 CalHiSports.com Girls of Summer rankings. Last week the 5-7 guard, who plays like the energizer bunny, had 26 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and six assists in an 80-50 win over South San Francisco. She came back with another double-double 21 points and 10 rebounds against Westmoor (Daly City) in a 57-55 nail-biter. She started a three-win week for the Tigers with 17 points in a 66-51 win against Jefferson of Daly City.

Kerah Natividad (Citrus Hills, Perris): Natividad's 15 rebounds and 11 points helped catapult Citrus Hill past Heritage (Menifee) in Mountain Pass League, 53-40.

Lauren Polansky (Branson, Ross): Many players get double-double's in their high school career, and a few get triple double's, but rarely does a prep hoopster ever record a quadruple-double like this point guard did earlier this week. Not only that, but she didn't do it against some stiffs, and she played the entire 32-minutes to lead her two-time defending Division V state champion Bulls to victory. With CalHiSports.com in the stands, and almost needing an abacus to keep up with her, the 5-9 Princeton-bound Polansky was everywhere, finishing with 11 points, 12 steals, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 57-48 victory on the road at Marin Catholic (Kentfield), the No. 6 team in Division IV in the state. Overall, her numbers are astonishing. Playing against top-notch competition, Polansky is averaging 13.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.5 steals and 6.5 assists per game.

Chaunise Powell (Newark Memorial, Newark): Got in amongst the big girls but got it done in a 57-52 victory over arch-rival Logan of Union City. The 5-7 junior point guard had 25 points and 15 rebounds.

Jasmine Ray (San Bernardino): It was another couple of days at the office for the Southern Section's leading reported scorer according to Maxpreps.com. In respective 57-28 and 84-30 wins over San Bernardino's Pacific and Arroyo, the junior guard had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds (six steals, seven assists), and a triple double 27 points, 10 rebounds, 13 steals and added five assists. It didn't raise her 28.5 PPG scoring average however.   

Andrina Rendon (St. Paul, Santa Fe Springs): Collected 16 rebounds to go with 20 points as the Swordsmen downed Dana Hills, 70-42, at the Nike Extravaganza. Lauren Shute's 25 points weren't near enough for the Dolphins.

Kelsie Sampson (South Torrance): Collected 15 rebounds to go with 16 points in a 52-40 Pioneer League victory over El Segundo.

Dominique Scott (Palisades, Pacific Palisades): It gets a little foggy out near the coast but this 6-2 senior forward hasn't been in one at all this season. Last week in a 39-37 razor thin win over Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth, Scott had most of the numbers herself with 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Janae' Sharpe (Rialto): This sophomore guard must like the number 29. Last week she hit that point total in both games, wins over Fontana and Yucaipa. Two weeks ago she had that many points and in a win over cross-town rival Eisenhower. Three weeks ago she had 29 against Miller of Fontana. The difference is last week Sharpe had double-doubles with 11 and 10 steals respectively. By the way, she's been over 30-points four times as well, and is averaging 25.7 PPG for the 21-2 Knights.

Sylvia Shepard (Alta Loma): Nice double for Shepard as she scored 33 points in addition to sweeping down 12 rebounds to lead the Braves to a 68-57 win over Upland in Baseline League action.

Lindsay Sherbert (Great Oaks, Temecula): Needing a win to clinch the Southwestern League title, Sherbert stepped up by scoring 30 points and collecting 11 rebounds in a 63-40 victory over Murrieta Valley.

Jenna Sherman (Granite Hills, Apple Valley): Sometimes monster stats just aren't enough to produce a win. You'd think that Sherman's 23 rebounds, to go with 13 points, would give her club an edge but it was Burroughs (Ridgecrest) that prevailed, 51-46, in the Desert Sky League.

Brooke Silva (Los Banos): She looks like a lock for the Modesto Bee All-District team as well as All-Merced County and had another strong outing last week with 34 points and 10 rebounds in a 61-46 win over Atwater.

China Smith (West Adams, Los Angeles): This 6-1 forward, who dominates the small prep schools in the Los Angeles City Section, was more like fine crystal last week, going for 42 points, 25 rebounds and 10 steals; 29 points 20 rebounds and eight steals; and 24 points 18 rebounds and 10 steals in blowouts against Los Angeles, Santee and Bravo respectively. She only had 10 points, 11 rebounds and five steals against Contreras. What happened? Another blowout.

DeNesha Stallworth (Pinole Valley, Pinole): She couldn't deliver the victory in a 62-50 loss to re-vamped Berkeley but it wasn't due to lack of effort. The Cal-bound post played all 32 minutes and finished with 36 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks.

Tabitha Torres (Corcoran): Stat star regular from the Central Section scored 30 points against Woodlake. Corcoran won by the score of 58-21.

Taijuan Walker (Yucaipa): Walker dominated inside as she swept down 21 rebounds to go with 23 points in a 65-57 Citrus Belt League triumph over Riverside East Valley (Riverside).

Cierra Windham (Norco): Although it was far from Windham's best game of the year, her 19 points allowed her to set the school career scoring record which she now hold with 1,779 points. Norco downed Big VIII foe Roosevelt (Eastvale), 73-37, to cap Windham's big night. She broke the record previously held by Erica Arriaran, now at the University of Texas. 

Hannah Womack (Liberty Christian, Redding): Another girl that looked good over the summer at a camp in San Diego is this 5-5 sophomore point guard. Last week she went for 30 points and six assists against Mercy of Red Bluff, the fourth 30-point or more performance on the season. Saturday, at the Bentley Shootout, she had 20 but the Patriots lost to Castilleja of Palo Alto.

Emily Writer (Laguna Beach): After a 51-point effort earlier, Writer scripted out a major upset as she scored 32 points to go with 10 rebounds as the Waves denied Estancia (Costa Mesa) a share of the Orange Coast League title…at least for one more game.

Melissa Zornig (Santa Margarita Catholic, Rancho Santa Margarita): The 5-9 guard/forward scored 30 second half points on her way to 33 points (eight rebounds, three steals, three assists) to lead the Eagles to an upset victory over Villa Park. The effort was the biggest single point production in the girls' games at the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei. Earlier in the week she was near her 23.1 PPG average with 24 points in a loss to Lutheran (Orange), but under it with only 12 in a loss to top-ranked Mater Dei. 

Eve Zelinger (Castilleja, Palo Alto): The individual star of the Bentley Shootout in Lafayette had 33 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in an impressive 62-39 victory over Liberty Christian of Redding.

By Steve Brand, Special to CalHiSports.com

Coming into the season, San Diego High School expected to showcase to the country that its team was one of the nation's best. But without its head coach nor three expected transfers in the lineup, the Cavers were routed by ESPN RISE FAB 50 ranked Fairax of Los Angeles on Friday night before a national television audience despite a strong effort from top junior Jeremy Tyler.

SAN DIEGO – Nothing could have been more apropos than the numbers on the back of Fairfax High's Renardo Sidney and San Diego's Jeremy Tyler.

	Scott Kurtz
	Renardo Sidney got a little more help from his friends in showcase game against Jeremy Tyler.

No. 1.

The 6-foot-10 Sidney is the No. 5 ranked player in the ESPNU 100 and serious EA SPORTS Mr. Basketball USA candidate while the 6-foot-11 Tyler could be the nation's best junior.

When they squared off Friday night in Jenny Craig Pavilion at the University of San Diego, their battle was certainly closer than the game's outcome as Fairfax (15-3), ranked No. 7 in the state, buried San Diego, 86-47, before a national ESPN2 audience.

Sidney, easily 25 pounds heavier than Tyler, scored a game-high 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. The San Diego High standout countered with 27 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots before fouling out with 3:02 to play.

That's a far cry from a year ago when Sidney schooled Tyler early in the season in Florida, outscoring him 33-0, the only time in his high school career Tyler has been shut out.

"I thought about that, it's been on my mind since last year” said Tyler, who scored his first bucket 1:40 into the game, ending the drought. "I know I could have played better tonight, I could have been stronger.”

They were like the center ring of a circus, slamming over each other or anyone else who got in their way. The difference was Fairfax's other players, golden side rings as it were, not to mention what has become a season of chaos for San Diego High.

When this game was scheduled, coach Kenny Roy expected to have three quality transfers suited up for the game with a half-season of experience.

But the closest 6-foot-5 Terrence Boyd (Oak Hill Academy two years ago), 7-foot Zechariah Smith (McLoud, Oklahoma) and 6-foot-1 LaBradford Franklin, a high-scoring guard from Temecula, came to playing was having their names in the scorebook.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) San Diego Section has declared all three ineligible and although the battle is still on at the state level for Boyd and Smith, Franklin's appeal was denied this week.

Meanwhile, Roy himself has been placed on administrative leave by the San Diego Unified School District.

"That's really been on my mind,” said Tyler. "I've tried not to allow it to affect my play, but it's hard. I want to think it's OK what has happened, but it's not.”

As a result, Tyler collected 27 and the rest of the team scored 20-combined. Conversely, Fairfax supported Sidney with double-figure scoring from all-state candidate Soloman Hill (15 points, 10 rebounds), Kendrick Thomas (12 points) and Lance Bailey (11 points).

All the numbers favored Harvey Kitani's Lions, who used a 12-0 run to turn a 7-6 lead into a 21-10 first quarter bulge that just grew and grew until at it reached 84-40 before the host Cavers saved some face at the end.

Fairfax outboarded San Diego, 33-15, and forced 28 turnovers while committing just 16.

"Our half- and three-quarter court press have been effective for us,” said Kitani. "We knew they had the big man in the middle and he was forced to carry them and to his credit, he did that.”

It was easy to just focus on the two big men, one who has not yet decided where he will go to school next year and the other who has committed early to Louisville.

There wasn't much else to watch.

By Steve Brand, Special to CalHiSports.com

San Diego High School boys basketball coach Kenny Roy and two assistants placed on leave of absence by San Diego Unified School District amid recruiting allegations of three transfer students to a program that won the section Div. I title last season. These removals come on the heels of the Cavers' highly-anticipated match up with state No. 2 Fairfax of Los Angeles this upcoming Friday, January 23 on ESPN2 (6:30 pm PST).  

San Diego High head boys basketball coach Kenny Roy and two of his assistants have been placed on a leave of absence by the San Diego Unified School District in the midst of an investigation into possible undue influence regarding three high-profile transfers.

Roy, whose Cavers captured the San Diego Section Division I championship a year ago, had steadfastly maintained he exerted no undue influence and that the three players transferred in on their own, possibly attracted by the possibility of playing on the same team with 6-11 Louisville commit Jeremy Tyler, last seaon's CalHiSports.com State Sophomore Player of the Year.

The three players are 6-5 senior Terrance Boyd, who did not play at all last year in Oklahoma after transferring out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia; 7-foot junior Zechariah Smith, who also attended school in Oklahoma last year; and 6-1 junior guard LaBradford Franklin, who played at Temecula Valley High, about 90 miles north of San Diego.

Boyd is considered a Top 50 national prospect in the Class of 2008 and has received interest from Kentucky, Oklahoma, USC and Oklahoma State. Smith is a solid prospect who would complement Tyler inside and Franklin brings a strong outside game from the perimter.

San Diego High (8-3) was ranked high in the state and ESPN RISE FAB 50 before the season and based on the expectation that those three players would become eligible, are to play nationally-ranked and state No. 2 Fairfax of Los Angeles this Friday night on ESPN2.

That game will still see a highly-anticipated rematch between Fairfax's 6-10 Renardo Sidney and Tyler, who earlier this year had back-to-back 41-point games in the top National Division of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines, where the Cavers finished fourth, losing to Rialto Eisenhower in the semifinals.

A year ago, at the start of the season, Sidney, last season's state junior player of the year, outplayed and shut out Tyler during a holiday showcase game and this Friday's game in highly-anticipated by San Diego's basketball community.  

The three transfer students turned their paperwork over to the San Diego Section of the California Interscholastic Federation before the start of the season but almost immediately hit a roadblock when the San Diego Unified School District investigated their arrival and turned over their findings to the San Diego Section.

That governing body denied eligibility, citing questionable living accommodations for Boyd and Franklin. The section said that Boyd's mother came to San Diego looking for work and established residence in a downtown condominium that rents for $2,400 a month. Section rules also state you can not reside in two houses at the same time and officials claim the Franklins have not sold their home in Temecula – not exactly an unusual situation in today's housing market.

Smith's paperwork reportedly has been lost and he has already reapplied.

The basis of the denials, though, also involve undue influence, claiming that Roy, and/or his assistant coaches, had contact with the three players before they transferred to the school right on the edge of downtown San Diego.

Not only has Roy denied those claims, he has produced affidavids from several individuals that the San Diego Section cited, denying any involvement.

However, the investigation also focused on what the district claimed was a less-than-adequate graduation rate of Roy's players (Roy is not a teacher at the school) and the past history of one of his assistants who had been fired from another city school for alleged violations several years ago.

The cases went all the way to state appeals panel hearings for Boyd and Franklin but when the section produced new evidence, those hearings were postponed, giving attorneys for Boyd and Franklin an opportunity to respond.

"Until all the findings come in and all the facts, I'm just a parent now cheering my son, Xavier, on,” Roy told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I feel very strong that I'll be vindicated. There is nothing there to show that I've done anything. I'm not worried about it.”

In his stead, Tyler's uncle, Maurice Tyler, coached San Diego High on an interim basis to a 63-42 victory over Serra of San Diego on Friday night.

There are two views on what placing Roy and his two assistants on a leave of absence will have on the cases.

One is that now the district has taken action, there is no longer any reason to punish the players, especially Boyd who has not played in almost two years. The other is that by taking the action, the district is admitting there was wrongdoing, dooming any chance the three will gain their eligibility.

By Mark Tennis, Deputy Editor

Both California players in Friday's Boost Mobile Elite 24 boys basketball all-star game at famed Rucker Park in Harlem scored in double figures, but neither could be described as having a breakout performance.

Playing for the victorious White team, San Diego High junior center Jeremy Tyler had 10 points, including four dunks, with one block and four rebounds.

On the Blue team was Dominguez of Compton swingman Jordan Hamilton, who hit for 13 points. Hamilton, who also was runnerup in the slam dunk contest to Dexter Strickland (St. Patrick, Elizabeth, N.J.), connected for one three-pointer and had three dunks.

The game MVP was EA SPORTS National Junior of the Year Lance Stephenson from Lincoln of Brooklyn, N.Y. The 6-5 wing guard led his White team to a 135-121 win and was MVP of the event for the third straight year.

Tyler spent much of his time on the ESPNU telecast of the game battling Atlanta's Derrick Favors, the No. 2 prospect in the new ESPNU 100. The 6-11 center, who has a chance to be highly-ranked next year as a Class of 2010 prospect, held his own during several sequences involving Favors.

"I felt I could have done more, but playing against (Favors) was fun," Tyler said. "I thought I could have held onto the ball better and I missed a couple of easy shots."

Hamilton indicated that one of his favorite memories of the night was when he tried to guard super-quick point guard Maalik Wayns from Roman Catholic of Philadelphia. Wayns wowed the crowd with his crossovers and quick bursts and got by Hamilton, but as a 6-7 player matching up against a 6-1 player it was an opportunity that the Californian relished.

"Nobody else on our team wanted to guard him, so I stepped up to do it, Hamilton said. "Me not being a point guard, he did what he had to do, but I look at it as a positive experience."

The entire three days of activities surrounding the ESPN RISE-produced event were equally positive for Tyler and Hamilton.

"I thought the best part of the week probably was the community service project we did yesterday, Tyler said. "Making kids smile like that was a lot of fun."

"It was a nice experience because guys were not trippin' so much about getting the ball, Hamilton said. "Just being around all these guys who are all so highly-ranked was cool, too. I've never played in an atmosphere like this in a park like this. The last guy on the bench for both teams was good."

Renardo Sidney from Fairfax of Los Angeles was a junior-to-be participant in the Elite 24 last year, but was not invited back to this year's event.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

Mater Dei's Franklin scores 21 in another game but team loses

Written by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores

Note: To see more of Ronnie Flores' dispatches from the summer boys hoop circuit, please see ESPN's Basketball Recruiting section.

The Atlanta Celtics have been a staple of the adidas Super 64 in the five years since its inception as a major tournament during the July evaluation period. With the No. 1 player in the ESPN 100, 6-foot-9 Derrick Favors of Atlanta on its roster and a plethora of other talented Division I prospects, the Celtics were the odds-on favorites to win the top division on paper.

During the first day of competition the Celtics played sluggishly, by all accounts, but they picked up their level of play on Wednesday. The problem was the Celtics' opponent, Pump N Run Elite of California, also brought its A game and came away with a 72-68 victory.

The story of Pump N Run's victory was the play of 6-foot-11 center Vander Joaquim from Christian of El Cajon. He held his own in the pivot versus the South Atlanta star and when he wasn't in the game, Pump N Run was at a clear disadvantage. He finished with 13 points, including a three-pointer from the corner that was in rhythm. The victors shot well from the outside, especially 2010 UCLA commit Kendall Williams from Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga.

Williams stepped up his game down the stretch when the outcome was in limbo and finished with a team-high 20 points, including two big three-pointers in the second half. He nailed a triple to give Pump n Run Elite a 67-60 lead with just under four minutes remaining, but the Atlanta Celtics eventually tied the game at 67 on a lay-up by Favors.

Pump N Run took control on a three-pointer by Sacramento's Chase Tapley (12 points) that gave them a 68-64 lead. Favors, however, gave his team a chance when he blocked a shot and saved it from going out of bounds with 1:10 remaining that could have been the difference in his team going down by six points. Favors didn't play his best game, but unlike some of the other talented big men on display in Vegas, he still made an impact on both sides of the ball on nearly every possession.

He finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots to lead his team in a losing effort. 2010 guard Trae Golden chipped in with 19 points, but he didn't look for open teammates nearly enough and his turnover in the closing seconds with the Celtics down two possessions sealed the upset win for Pump N Run.   

In another game on Wednesday and in fact the best game we've seen so far in Sin City, upstart FOH Seattle gave the California Supreme all it could handle and then some with a 79-77 win in three overtimes.

FOH took a double digit lead in the first half and led at the intermission, 39-28.

The California Supreme finally caught them at 57-57 with 4:30 remaining in the ball game on a breakaway lay-up by guard Torrance Bishop Montgomery guard Justin Cobbs. Point guard Gary Franklin (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) hit a triple that gave the Supreme the lead at 65-64 with one minute to go, but FOH rallied to take a 67-64 lead. Franklin then nailed another three-pointer to tie the game with 19.2 seconds.

FOH's Aaron Dotson tried to seal matters at the end of regulation, but his tip-in at the buzzer was disallowed. The first overtime ended with the two clubs locked at 71-71, but in the second overtime it looked like FOH would take control after Aaron Bright nailed a three-pointer. Supreme's Jamaal Franklin, however, answered with a three-pointer on the next possession and the game went into a third extra period.

In the second and third overtime, the teams played with no timeouts and only one minute on the clock and after both teams had some empty possessions, FOH finally had the ball underneath the hoop on an out of bounds play trailing 77-76. The California Supreme didn't get the alignment they wanted defensively and after the shot went up, 6-foot-10 post Jeremy Tyler (San Diego) wasn't able to secure the rebound. The ball was batted to the top of the key and Bright proceeded to knock in the game-winning three-pointer.

Bright was the game's leading scorer with 22 points, including four three-pointers, and Dotson also had a big game for the victors with 18 points. Tyler, one of the nation's top five prospects in the ESPN 2010 Super 60, had a solid game with 13 points and seven rebounds. He didn't, however, impact the action on both ends of the floor on every possession as a player with his talent and size should.

Franklin led the California Supreme in the scoring department with 21 points while Cobbs checked in with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.            

Be sure to leave a comment or email any corrections or comments to mark@studentsports.com.