CCS Sophomore of the Year
JT BYRNE, CARMEL
After a remarkable freshman year in which he averaged just shy of a double-double, Carmel’s JT Byrne stepped his game up a notch as a sophomore, elevating his stats to reach 10 rebounds per game to get to the double-double average, all while leading the Padres to a CCS Division IV Championship, their first section title in school history.
As a three-sport standout, Byrne is a remarkable athlete but faces obstacles that many other top sophomores didn’t have to. Rather than practicing on the hardwood throughout November, Byrne was starting on Carmel’s CCS runner-up football team, meaning he didn’t see the court until December 4. When he did get there, he hit the ground running, scoring 18 in a win over Aptos and putting up 26 in a win over King’s Academy two days later, gaining a bit of revenge for a loss in the section title game on the gridiron.
Over the course of his 24 games, Byrne was held to single digits just once, and that was in a 24-point win over Palma in which his minutes were reduced by the lopsided score. When his team took third place in the Carmel Invitational, Byrne dropped a career-high 34 in the final game of the tournament, a 71-54 win over Antelope. He also had his best showing on the glass in that game, collecting 18 rebounds, with seven coming on the offensive end. He had 12 double-double games and was one board shy of two more, including a 23-point, nine-rebound performance in a season-ending loss to top-seeded St. Mary’s-Stockton in the first round of the CIF Division II Tournament.
“He progressed by getting more comfortable on elbow and short corner catches while passing better out of the post,” head coach Kurt Grahl said.
Even on what would be considered his quiet nights, which would be impressive showings for any other player, be it a sophomore or an upperclassman, Byrne’s presence alone was impactful. With teams devoting their resources to slowing him in the post, it opened up opportunities for Kai Lee, Joe Garello, Zach DeZee and the rest of the supporting cast that led the Padres to their first section title in program history, with Byrne’s development as a passer playing a significant part even when he wasn’t scoring.
His improvement also continued on defense, familiarizing himself with Grahl’s schemes in order to become a better player within the system.
“He grasped more of what we run,” Grahl added. “Just a really hard worker and great kid.”
Between football, basketball and baseball, the sport he first became familiar with, the possibilities for his future are endless, but Grahl loves what he’s seen from Byrne in the gym.
“I think he’s seen his most success in basketball,” his head coach said. “He’s been a dominant player both years so far.”
Other players considered for this award include Half Moon Bay’s Mykola Ediger, Bellarmine’s Ryan Kiachian, Mitty’s Michael Mitchell, King’s Academy’s Noah Short and Menlo-Atherton’s Skyler Thomas.
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