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Mission’s Arnold Zalaya top high school basketball coach this season
[...] that the 2016-17 All-Metro teams are complete (see Sunday’s Sporting Green), here are some unofficial awards to wrap up another stellar Bay Area prep basketball season:
Coaches of the Year
Boys, Arnold Zelaya (Mission): Combine “Coach Carter” with Norman Dale of “Hoosiers” and it sort of equals what Zelaya accomplished for the Bears.
A father figure to many of the players, Zelaya used a tough love and “next-play” mentality to guide Mission to a 35-1 record and the San Francisco Section’s first state basketball title.
First-team boys coaches:
Peter Diepenbrock (Palo Alto) — Led ninth-seed (26-5) to D1 NorCal final; Melvin Easley (James Logan-Union City) — Resurrected once East Bay power to D1 NorCal title (28-6); Patrick Schneider (Bellarmine) — Orchestrated rare perfect WCAL season and 25-3 overall record; Pat Cruickshank (Heritage-Brentwood) — No. 13 Patriots (27-5) made first NorCal appearance, pulled out 11 single-digit wins; Eliot Smith (Lick-Wilmerding) — Late-season surge included BCL West playoff title, NCS D4 finals appearance and No. 20 Chronicle ranking (26-9).
Girls, Monica Mertle (Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa): Following a fantastic regular season and a first North Coast Section title, the Cardinals (30-4) were an afterthought heading into the CIF Northern California Open tournament.
The No. 7 seed — and defending state D4 titlist — then pulled off upsets at second-seeded Carondelet-Concord (48-47) and third-seeded Pinewood-Los Altos Hills (59-57).
The former St. Mary’s College player is one of the state’s top rising coaches.
First-team girls coaches:
Donovan Blythe (Eastside Prep-East Palo Alto) — Won second straight state D5 crown for No. 9 Panthers (23-8); Art Thoms III (Campolindo-Moraga) — Won school’s first Northern California crown in 20 years for 10th-ranked Cougars (27-7); Jason Lee (Lincoln) — 27 wins and second straight SFS title; Doc Scheppler (Pinewood) — Continued magic for small-school national power (25-4); Sue Phillips (Mitty) — One win from possible National Coach of the Year honor for top-ranked Monarchs (28-3).
Moreau Catholic-Hayward’s 81-77 overtime win at St. Francis for the D2 NorCal title had it all, including a great duel between Metro Player of the Year Damari Milstead (43 points) and Peninsula POY Logan Johnson (26 points).
Milstead, who scored nine of his 10 points in overtime, almost won the game in regulation with a 60-foot shot at the buzzer that drew iron.
Boys Shot of the Year
Not normally over-impressed with big dunks — they count one-less than the en vogue three-pointer — but Niamey Harris’ follow slam in the middle of the fourth quarter of Mission’s 64-54 NorCal semifinal win at packed St. Ignatius not only turned the tide but forced referees to stop play because fans were celebrating on the court.
Girls Shot of the Year
Gabriel set a state title-game record — any division, either gender — with the eight threes (in 16 attempts), breaking the previous mark of seven set by the Warriors’ Klay Thompson in 2008 for Santa Margarita (Orange County).
Boys Freshman of the Year
Moreau Catholic’s Kyree Walker (21.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) had one of top freshman seasons in the country.
Other candidates included Dublin’s 6-1 guard Robby Beasley (12.3 ppg), Campolindo 6-5 shooting guard Hunter Clarke, Mitty’s 6-3 shooting guard Devan Sapp (7.7) and Irvington-Fremont’s 6-foot guard Kaushal Bobba (12.1).
Girls Freshman of the Year
Emery 5-11 forward Stephanie Okowi averaged 19.2 points and 12.9 rebounds for the Spartans (16-9).
Oakland Tech 5-7 guard Jordan Smith (15.3 ppg), Swett-Crockett’s 5-7 guard Veronica McGee (14.5 ppg), St. Joseph-Alameda 5-9 wing Malia Mastora (14.2) and Richmond 5-6 guard Micha Turner (14.0).
In non-basketball news, defending state 3,200-meter champion Cooper Teare, of St. Joseph won that event in 8:41.46 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational — the fourth-fastest time in state high school history.
Other local winners included Bellarmine’s Alex Scales (1:50.64) and California-San Ramon’s Alyssa Brewer (2:07.90) in the boys and girls 800, respectively. …
Joining the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday:
Rink Babka (Palo Alto, track and field), Earl Hansen (Palo Alto, football coach), Gary Hughes (Serra, MLB executive), Chiome Igwe (Notre Dame-Belmont, soccer), Ray Looze (Serra, swimming), Nick Pappageorge (Mills-Millbrae, basketball), Jimmie Pryor (Aragon-San Mateo, multiple sports), Adam Tafralis (Mills, football) and Jerry Wilkinson (San Mateo, football).
MaxPreps senior writer Mitch Stephens cover high school sports for The San Francisco Chronicle.
Chronicle top 10 baseball
Rec.
Foothill
Monte Vista
De La Salle
Sacred Heart Cathedral
NR
Chronicle top 10 softball
Rec.
Foothill
Heritage
Freedom
NR
More...
[...] that the 2016-17 All-Metro teams are complete (see Sunday’s Sporting Green), here are some unofficial awards to wrap up another stellar Bay Area prep basketball season:
Coaches of the Year
Boys, Arnold Zelaya (Mission): Combine “Coach Carter” with Norman Dale of “Hoosiers” and it sort of equals what Zelaya accomplished for the Bears.
A father figure to many of the players, Zelaya used a tough love and “next-play” mentality to guide Mission to a 35-1 record and the San Francisco Section’s first state basketball title.
First-team boys coaches:
Peter Diepenbrock (Palo Alto) — Led ninth-seed (26-5) to D1 NorCal final; Melvin Easley (James Logan-Union City) — Resurrected once East Bay power to D1 NorCal title (28-6); Patrick Schneider (Bellarmine) — Orchestrated rare perfect WCAL season and 25-3 overall record; Pat Cruickshank (Heritage-Brentwood) — No. 13 Patriots (27-5) made first NorCal appearance, pulled out 11 single-digit wins; Eliot Smith (Lick-Wilmerding) — Late-season surge included BCL West playoff title, NCS D4 finals appearance and No. 20 Chronicle ranking (26-9).
Girls, Monica Mertle (Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa): Following a fantastic regular season and a first North Coast Section title, the Cardinals (30-4) were an afterthought heading into the CIF Northern California Open tournament.
The No. 7 seed — and defending state D4 titlist — then pulled off upsets at second-seeded Carondelet-Concord (48-47) and third-seeded Pinewood-Los Altos Hills (59-57).
The former St. Mary’s College player is one of the state’s top rising coaches.
First-team girls coaches:
Donovan Blythe (Eastside Prep-East Palo Alto) — Won second straight state D5 crown for No. 9 Panthers (23-8); Art Thoms III (Campolindo-Moraga) — Won school’s first Northern California crown in 20 years for 10th-ranked Cougars (27-7); Jason Lee (Lincoln) — 27 wins and second straight SFS title; Doc Scheppler (Pinewood) — Continued magic for small-school national power (25-4); Sue Phillips (Mitty) — One win from possible National Coach of the Year honor for top-ranked Monarchs (28-3).
Moreau Catholic-Hayward’s 81-77 overtime win at St. Francis for the D2 NorCal title had it all, including a great duel between Metro Player of the Year Damari Milstead (43 points) and Peninsula POY Logan Johnson (26 points).
Milstead, who scored nine of his 10 points in overtime, almost won the game in regulation with a 60-foot shot at the buzzer that drew iron.
Boys Shot of the Year
Not normally over-impressed with big dunks — they count one-less than the en vogue three-pointer — but Niamey Harris’ follow slam in the middle of the fourth quarter of Mission’s 64-54 NorCal semifinal win at packed St. Ignatius not only turned the tide but forced referees to stop play because fans were celebrating on the court.
Girls Shot of the Year
Gabriel set a state title-game record — any division, either gender — with the eight threes (in 16 attempts), breaking the previous mark of seven set by the Warriors’ Klay Thompson in 2008 for Santa Margarita (Orange County).
Boys Freshman of the Year
Moreau Catholic’s Kyree Walker (21.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) had one of top freshman seasons in the country.
Other candidates included Dublin’s 6-1 guard Robby Beasley (12.3 ppg), Campolindo 6-5 shooting guard Hunter Clarke, Mitty’s 6-3 shooting guard Devan Sapp (7.7) and Irvington-Fremont’s 6-foot guard Kaushal Bobba (12.1).
Girls Freshman of the Year
Emery 5-11 forward Stephanie Okowi averaged 19.2 points and 12.9 rebounds for the Spartans (16-9).
Oakland Tech 5-7 guard Jordan Smith (15.3 ppg), Swett-Crockett’s 5-7 guard Veronica McGee (14.5 ppg), St. Joseph-Alameda 5-9 wing Malia Mastora (14.2) and Richmond 5-6 guard Micha Turner (14.0).
In non-basketball news, defending state 3,200-meter champion Cooper Teare, of St. Joseph won that event in 8:41.46 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational — the fourth-fastest time in state high school history.
Other local winners included Bellarmine’s Alex Scales (1:50.64) and California-San Ramon’s Alyssa Brewer (2:07.90) in the boys and girls 800, respectively. …
Joining the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday:
Rink Babka (Palo Alto, track and field), Earl Hansen (Palo Alto, football coach), Gary Hughes (Serra, MLB executive), Chiome Igwe (Notre Dame-Belmont, soccer), Ray Looze (Serra, swimming), Nick Pappageorge (Mills-Millbrae, basketball), Jimmie Pryor (Aragon-San Mateo, multiple sports), Adam Tafralis (Mills, football) and Jerry Wilkinson (San Mateo, football).
MaxPreps senior writer Mitch Stephens cover high school sports for The San Francisco Chronicle.
Chronicle top 10 baseball
Rec.
Foothill
Monte Vista
De La Salle
Sacred Heart Cathedral
NR
Chronicle top 10 softball
Rec.
Foothill
Heritage
Freedom
NR
More...