Good things come in threes this season in several CCS leagues.
Sacred Heart Cathedral boasts the triple threat of Ashanti Coleman, Gabrielle Vigil, and Iimar’I Thomas. St. Francis has sophomores Marisa Mondave, Kiana Tom, and Jenesis Merriman. Presentation fields Akilah Jennings, Maeve Kavanagh, and Maddie Guidoux. The WCAL itself, the CCS’s strongest division, is often fronted by the three-headed beast of Archbishop Mitty, Sacred Heart, and St. Ignatius.
But fans will find this threesome mania in the lesser leagues as well. The WBAL-Foothill is known for two Panthers: Pinewood and Eastside College Prep. While Pinewood is the favorite, Eastside Prep features Destiny Graham, Brije Byers, and Chacitty Cunningham.
In the BVAL-Mount Hamilton, Piedmont Hills has Venus Tran, Tyiteyana Jefferson, and Jennielyn Sipat consistently leading the offense. (Tran averaged 12.6 points, Jefferson 7.4 rebounds). Ditto for Branham’s Regina Sankey, Ashley Parsons, and Jessica Mok. Sankey was stellar (19.5 points and 12.1 rebounds, 4.8 steals), while Parsons and Mok combined for 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Westmont won that league last season with a star performer in Savannah Scott. That leaves the two tri-powered clubs to battle it out for bragging rights.
In the WBAL-Skyline, top dog Castilleja went undefeated in conference play thanks to the terrific trio of Paige Vermeer (14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.4 steals, and 3.9 assists), Yasmeen Afifi (10.3 rebounds), and Ellie Chen (Afifi and Chen added a combined 24 points). Second place King’s Academy counters with captains Eunice Kim, Katie Young, and Milan Loiacono. All six players are back.
Westmoor, from the PAL-North, has every chance to repeat as titlists thanks to the presence of Yasmeen Goo (stats were incomplete, but in 14 games she had averages of 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 3.7 steals), Tiara Cobbins, and Kasey Liang.
Pacific Grove won the MTAL-Mission Trail despite not having a single player average more than 7.5 points per game. Yet seniors Jessica Matthews and Lela Hautau, along with sophomore Ali Patton, form their own mini-trio which should be critical to the team’s success.
Leland, from the BVAL-Santa Teresa, returns top three scorers Melissa Fletcher, Sienna Gonzales, and Sun Bang. They hope to overcome last year’s winner Silver Creek.
It’s especially nice when the trio is all from the same class, as it builds chemistry. The big three from St. Francis is made up of sophomores, Presentation of juniors. The Piedmont Hills, Branham, and King’s Academy trios take leave in 2015. Eastside College Prep’s standouts also graduate after this season.
Three is by no means the magic number, teams with three solid options, especially if they’re spread out on the floor, usually make defenses work harder and offenses run smoother. This season it will be a treat to watch these teams and others compete for CCS gold.
THE TOP 10 TEAMS
1. St. Ignatius (26-5, 10-2 WCAL)
The CCS Open Division champs are senior-heavy and deep. Wildcats Josie Little and Sydney Raggio are drawing the most interest, but the balanced approach is spun successfully by head coach Mike Mulkerrins. Brianna Beckman, Addi Walters, and Janessa Manzano are among those to return. The only significant loss is Quinci Mann, who paced the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game. The Wildcats will likely finish atop the WCAL, and will have a great chance of repeating as CCS champions.
2. Sacred Heart Cathedral (21-8, 10-2 WCAL)
Like their rival St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart Cathedral is an adept and versatile squad. GeAnna Summers-Luaulu and Kai’ree Howard depart, paving the way for Ashanti Coleman, Gabrielle Vigil, and Iimar’i Thomas to steward the team. The Fightin’ Irish, while a step behind St. Ignatius, are more than capable of securing a second place finish.
3. Pinewood (30-3, 10-0 WBAL-Foothill)
Virtually every player from the defending Division V State Champions returns. Marissa Hing, Gabi Bade, Monique McDevitt, and Chloe Eackles are the key players. Amelia Schmarzo, a promising sophomore from Palo Alto, joins the team. Leeana Bade is the graduating player of note from 2014. It would be a huge surprise if the Panthers fail to give an encore performance from their outstanding 2013-14 season.
4. Scotts Valley (25-6, 12-0 SCCAL)
The Falcons absolutely dominated their league last season, and they have enough returning pieces to believe they’ll defend that title. While top two scorers Nadine Hart and Angela Silver have said goodbye, seniors Charlie Boyle and Mandy Silver, junior Nikiya Bechtle, and freshman Sam Boyle are primed for central roles. Bechtle and Silver run the backcourt while the Boyle sisters man the post.
5. St. Francis (16-12, 6-6 WCAL)
At the helm is point guard Daisha Abdelkader, a speedster who averaged 6.5 points and 3.1 assists per game. Lauren Johnson and her 7.5 points departs, but it’s a trio of juniors— swing Marisa Mondave, guard Kiana Tom, and post Jenesis Merriman—who led the team in scoring last season at 9.6, 8.4, and 8.3 respectively
6. Eastside College Prep (20-11, 8-2 WBAL-Foothill)
Eastside Prep conquered Pinewood in the WBAL Championship game, 41-36, and came within striking distance in their two regular season matchups with that team. Charmaine Bradford and Alexus Simon, both very good players, have graduated. Destiny Graham stands 6-foot-3 with a slender build, guard Brije Byers is a spunky 5’4”, and Chacitty Cunningham fills the wing. Those three will be the focus on both ends of the floor.
7. Mitty (21-12, 8-4 WCAL)
Junior guard Jahnay Anderson, who needs to improve her shooting percentage but has had key moments, and senior forward Taylor Todd, who establishes a post game but can also be a factor from the perimeter, are the upperclass strengths. The Monarchs have several exciting sophomores, including Heleyna Hill. It will be a tall order to replicate last year’s success, which was fueled by current UCLA Bruin Kelli Hayes.
8. Wilcox (23-6, 11-1 SCVAL-De Anza)
The Chargers have compiled 67 wins over the past three seasons, but have yet to make much of a dent in the CCS Division I playoffs. Wilcox lost several good players over the summer, including Prep2Prep’s CCS Senior of the Year, Joeseta Fatuesi, now at Utah. Wilcox doesn’t score a lot, but most of the offense will fall on the shoulders of guard/forward D’Airrien Jackson.
9. North Salinas (25-3, 13-0 MBL-Gabilan)
North Salinas had an outstanding run last season, culminating in a CCS Division I championship win over Gunn, 39-38. The Vikings succeeded at that level despite not having a single senior on the roster. What that means is a team almost certain to repeat. Alyssa Springs (15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game) and Nicole Hermossillo-Wright (11.7 points, 5.2 steals per game) figure to lead the charge again.
10. Gunn (10-9, 7-5 SCVAL-De Anza)
Zoe Zwerling and Camille Steger were fixtures in the backcourt and top scorers in 2013-14. The Titans have Olivia Tapia and Meghan Mahoney waiting in the wings. Both will be seniors and should provide a nice 1-2 punch (Tapia is a guard, Mahoney a center/forward). Gunn may have lost a little shine since 2013’s CCS Division I title and trip to the CIF-State semifinals, but it is still a factor.
THE TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. Josie Little, Senior F-C, St. Ignatius
Josie Little’s last name does not fit her 6-1 frame or what she has contributed to St. Ignatius since her debut as a freshman. Josie scored 8.5 points per game while recording team highs in rebounds (10.1) and blocks (1.5). She is headed to Columbia next season.
2. Ashanti Coleman, Senior F-C, Sacred Heart Cathedral
Coleman was second on the team in scoring last year at 10.9 points per game. At 6-2, she battles on the boards with the best of them and swats away shots.
3. Marissa Hing, Senior G, Pinewood
She’s only 5-1, but Hing is the heart of the backcourt of a Pinewood team which has become accustomed to winning all sorts of titles. Voted Division V Player of the Year, she averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 assists last season and is poised for an upgrade.
4. Destiny Graham, Senior F/C, Eastside Prep
Graham led the Panthers in scoring at 14.6 points per game last year, and in this campaign will take on more of a leadership role. She has length, speed, and court smarts all at once.
5. Sydney Raggio, Senior G-F, St. Ignatius
Like Little, Raggio could easily surpass her season averages (7.6 points, 6.5 rebounds) on a different squad or with another team style of play. Raggio has been a key piece since freshman year as well, and has signed a letter of intent with St. Mary’s College.
6. Regina Sankey, Senior F, Branham
Sankey ran roughsod through the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton last season, compiling averages of 19.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.8 steals, and 2.3 assists per game. She’s improved steadily since year one and should gather big numbers.
7. D’Airrien Jackson, Senior G-F, Wilcox
She has a large wingspan, can shoot from all places on the court, and flies through the lane with ease. She averaged 16 points per game last season and could jump to a 20-point per game average this season on a team which doesn’t usually score a lot.
8. Alyssa Springs, Senior F, North Salinas
The Monterey Herald recognized her as the MVP of the county after she averaged a double-double (15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds) for the entire season. She was also consistent, scoring under 10 points only twice, and often played in the paint despite a 5-6 frame.
9. Charlie Boyle, Senior P, Scotts Valley
Boyle was an integral part of a resoundingly successful squad, averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds. She’ll get more of the spotlight this year and should make a leap not just statistically but as a floor leader, too.
10. Taylor Todd, Senior, F, Mitty
Like other WCAL players profiled here, Todd could have stronger numbers in a different league. As it was, she tallied a respectable 7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
