Both Kameron Murrell and K.J. Feagin have proved they can play (and put up some stats) this season for always-tough Long Beach Poly. Photo by Ronnie Flores.
It’s a bigger honor roll than usual due to an attempt to get in everyone from the holiday tournament season. Among the best are Jordan Franklin from Trinity Prep of Napa, Frankie Ferrari of Burlingame and grid-hooper Bryce Dixon of St. Bonaventure.
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Contributing writeups for this week were Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend, Ronnie Flores, Mark Tennis and CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett. This honor roll is for games played from Dec. 21 to Jan. 4.
Jordan Franklin (Trinity Prep, Napa)
While the level of competition isn’t one that will turn heads, Jordan has been scoring in bunches and could end the season as the state’s leading scorer. He had four games over 40 points before he scored 53 during a 63-56 win over Adams Academy of Roseville. So far this season, Franklin is averaging 37.6 points per game, according to MaxPreps.
Stacey Leggett (Clovis West, Fresno)
He had a hot hand against Poly of Sun Valley in an 88-72 win as he scored 46 points to tie the school record at the Clovis West Nike Invitational Tournament. Michael Orlich helped in the win by scoring 12 points with 15 assists and 10 rebounds. The next night against Crenshaw, Leggett scored 30 points in a 83-66 win.
Khush Thind (Caruthers)
He scored a season high of 43 points in a 76-72 win over Orcutt Academy in the Coast Union Invitational.
Josh Rodriguez (Sonora, La Habra)
In a game played just before we released our last state stat stars, Rodriguez scored 41 points as the Raiders defeated M.L. King of Riverside 94-83. Led by head coach Mike Murphy, Sonora has gone 14-3 so far this season while winning the North Orange County championship.
Milton Stewart (Hoopa Valley, Hoopa)
He kept putting the ball in the hoop for Hoopa as he scored a game-high 39 points but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Warriors from suffering their fourth loss on the year as they lost 95-67 against West Campus of Sacramento.
Frankie Ferrari (Burlingame)
Driving up and down the court, he hit seven three-pointers and finished with 38 points but it wasn’t enough to drive away with a victory as the Panthers lost to Campolindo of Moraga 70-67.
Daryl Edwards (Fresno)
He was chosen MVP of the Holiday Invitational Tournament, as he led his team with 38 points (including 25 coming in the first half) in a 96-66 win over Buchanan of Clovis in the championship game.
T.J. Leaf (Foothills Christian, El Cajon)
This is one sophomore that is more like a tree then a leaf for opponents to deal with. The 6-9, 290-pound standout scored a season-high 38 points to go with 11 rebounds during a 59-58 win over Lake Washington of Washington.
T.J. Leaf was nearly the State Freshman of the Year last season for Foothills Christian and will be a prolific stat star for the next few months. Photo: Ronnie Flores.
Rashad Jackson (Garces, Bakersfield)
He scored a season high of 38 points by going for 15-for-19 from the free- throw line in a 69-63 win over Frontier in the Garces Holiday Hoop Classic.
Matt Hauser (Thousand Oaks)
In his best performance at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, he scored 37 points for the Lancers as they defeated Independence of Bakersfield 83-52.
Kameron Murrell & K.J. Feagin (Poly, Long Beach)
Scoring 25 of his season-high 37 points during the fourth quarter and in overtime, the Jackrabbits knocked off nationally ranked Wenonah of Birmingham, Alabama by a 90-89 final score in two overtimes at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic. Teammate K.J. Feagin, still just a junior, also is having a fine season. He is averaging nearly 14 ppg with a high a 22 against perennial power Westchester.
Elijah Stewart (Westchester, Los Angeles)
Leading the Comets to a 66-58 win over St. Edward of Lakewood, Ohio at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, this 6-foot-4 LMU-bound shooting guard finished with 37 points and eight rebounds.
Kyle Roach (Marin Academy, San Rafael)
His season high of 37 points came in a losing effort as the Wildcats suffered a 69-64 loss to Branson of Ross but less then two weeks later he scored 36 points and it was enough to get a 73-70 win over Napa.
Blake Shannon (Mission Oak, Tulare)
Scoring 30 or more points on a frequent basis this season, Shannon scored 36 points during a 80-75 loss to Fresno and then scored 34 points the next day as the Hawks defeated Roosevelt of Fresno 81-78.
Braxton Huggins (Mira Monte, Bakersfield)
One of the top reported scorers in the state, Huggins scored 36 points during a 88-77 loss to Centennial of Bakersfield. Before the loss, he had 34 points during a 72-54 win for the Lions over Arvin and then after the loss he scored 35 points during a 67-65 win over El Segundo.
Riley Blea (El Modena, Orange)
It was anything but a blah performance in the Vanguards’ final game of 2013 as he scored a season-high 36 points while hitting seven three-pointers in a 89-85 win over San Ysidro.
Mo Abdulrasul (Fremont, Sunnyvale)
The junior guard scored 35 points during a 79-73 loss in double overtime against Valley Christian of San Jose.
Lynard Steward (San Ysidro, San Diego)
While the Cougars have struggled to pick up wins this season, this 5-foot-10 junior has been doing all he can to put points on the scoreboard. He scored 35 points during a 89-85 loss to El Modena.
Joe Colliate (Simi Valley)
Facing Victor Valley of Victorville in the third place game of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, Colliate made sure the Pioneers would get the victory as he scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in their 66-50 win.
Aleks Abrams (Oaks Chrisitan, Westlake Village)
With third place on the line in the Chaminade Christmas Classic, he scored 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds during a 80-66 win over Valencia.
Marcus LoVett Jr. (San Gabriel Academy, San Gabriel)
While it wasn’t quite the 44 points he scored earlier this season for the Eagles in a loss to El Toro, his team did get two wins with him scoring 33 points against Bullard of Fresno and then 30 against Rolling Hills Prep of San Pedro.
Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana)
It would be a shock if this talented scorer was not listed here every week for the rest of the season. Johnson made his first 13 shots and finished with 32 points during a 81-41 win over Saddleback Valley Christian in the second round of the Orange Holiday Classic yet still didn’t feel like he played well. He told Steve Fryer from the OC Register that the outing “was an average game for me.” He also nearly outscored Foothills Christian on his own back in the middle of December with 42 points during the Monarchs’ 84-45 win.
Jalen Coates (Burbank, Sacramento)
With a trip to the Modesto Christian Hoops Classic championship game on the line, Coates scored 32 points but it wasn’t enough as the Titans fell 79-76 to Salesian of Richmond.
Max Hazzard (Loyola, Los Angeles)
A big time hazard to teams trying to defeat the Cubs this season, Max scored a game-high 32 points during a 76-61 win over The Patrick School from Elizabeth, New Jersey in the quarterfinals of the UA Holiday Classic. The Cubs went on to win the tournament title as he scored 17 points during a 78-57 win over Centennial of Corona and was named tournament MVP.
Kevin Zachman (Colfax)
Against the host of the Mesa Verde Co-Ed Challenge, Zachman was the man as he scored a game-high 31 points as the Falcons defeated Mesa Verde of Citrus Heights 67-56. Shooting an impressive 83 percent from the floor, he made 15 of his 18 field goal attempts while also grabbing 18 rebounds.
John Jenkins (Tesoro, Rancho Santa Margarita)
Already with two 30-pont games, he scored a season-high 31 points on Monday as the Titans defeated Saugus 73-63 to extend their winning streak to a season-best five games.
Ben Rico (Sonora, La Habra)
With a smooth touch from behind the three-point arc, he knocked down five long balls on the way to finishing with a season-high 31 points along with eight rebounds during a 85-79 win over La Mirada in his first game of 2014.
Max Thurman (Sunny Hills, Fullerton)
Mad Max went crazy from behind the three-point arc as he knocked down seven three-pointers and finished with 30 points during a 79-65 win over University of Irvine at the Estancia/Tustin Classic. It was his fourth game this season with at least 30 points while his season-high of 37 came during an 88-75 loss to Redlands East Valley of Redlands on December 19.
Bryce Dixon (St. Bonaventure, Ventura)
With the football season finished, some familiar names should start to show up on this honor roll and that includes this talented senior. Just before leaving for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl (where he committed to UCLA), Dixon scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a narrow 65-64 loss to Birmingham of Lake Balboa at the Chaminade Christmas Classic.
Paul Muyskens is the Stockton office assistant editor for Cal-Hi Sports and can be seen throughout the year in Stockton while working for the Stockton Ports and at University of the Pacific. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Paul and Mark on Twitter: @CalHiSports
