Liberty Ranch of Galt (school logo at left) and Cajon of San Bernardino (with junior Kayla Washington) are two of the schools landing honorees for this week. Photo: Harold Abend.
This feature has switched to boys and girls basketball and like we did in football we are going to do our best to spread around the honors as much as possible with one boy and one girl chosen from each region. This week’s best are from Galt, Visalia, Anaheim and San Bernardino.
To nominate a player for next week, email markjtennis@gmail.com by Monday at 12 noon and be sure to include a photo that we can use (which means it’s not from the local newspaper or from another web site). Please feel free to call at 209-463-9050 as well both for nominations or to see if your business or small company would like to become a sponsor for this weekly content.
Note: For purposes of this feature, we are considering the CIF Central Section to be in the north.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Boys Basketball Player of the Week
DeAndre Stallings (Liberty Ranch, Galt) Sr.
Led by their senior captain, who is averaging 27.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, the Hawks have now won nine games in a row. In that ninth win, Stallings scored a season-high 45 points during an 84-81 overtime win against Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove in the championship game of the Cosumnes Oaks Tournament.
In that game, Stallings also scored all 13 of Liberty Ranch’s points in the overtime period to break the school record for individual points scored in a game, which was previously held by Mike Meserole with 40.
Other numbers from that finals’ performance showed Stallings hitting 7 of 11 from three-point territory while going a perfect 10-for-10 on free throw attempts.
All of this has come after former teammate Ryan Stover died last month. Stover, a senior at Liberty Ranch, was removed from life support one day after he turned 18 and one week after suffering a heart attack on November 22.
After playing minimally last season, Stover was not going to play during his senior season and was going to help head coach Josh Williams (the son of CIF Sac-Joaquin Section assistant commissioner John Williams) as a bench coach. The Hawks are now dedicating this season in Stover’s honor.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Boys Basketball Player of the Week
Jarrett Brodbeck (Esperanza, Anaheim) Sr.
Averaging more than 25 points per game this season, Broadbeck led the Aztecs to the Irvine World News/Gary Raya Classic championship.
In the 60-57 championship game win over San Clemente, he hit five 3-pointers and finished with 36 points and was named tournament MVP.
Earlier this season, the 6-foot-5 guard had a 39-point performance during a 77-61 win over Paramount and two games later he scored 37 during a 79-70 win over Hoover of Glendale.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Girls Basketball Player of the Week
Rebekah Cervantes (Redwood, Visalia) Sr.
Rebekah’s outing in Redwood’s 54-44 victory against Hanford last week wasn’t earth-shaking by itself with 20 points, but the win itself sure was.
Redwood snapped Hanford’s West Yosemite League winning streak at 96 games in a 54-44 win. According to CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett, the last loss in league for Hanford dated back to Feb. 16 2006 against Lemoore 76-61 and it was just one win shy of the Central Section record of 97 held by San Joaquin Memorial from 1972-82.
Cervantes led the way by making six 3-pointers and scored a game-high of 20 points and Madison Kast added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Cervantes actually is better in softball. She was the WYL MVP in that sport last season and has signed with Boise State. She averaged 12.7 ppg in basketball as a junior.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Girls Basketball Player of the Week
Kayla Washington (Cajon, San Bernardino) Jr.
She may be a junior but she is no stranger to having her name on our site as the state stat star regular is currently averaging 31.9 points, 16 rebounds, 5.7 steals and 4.9 assists per game for the undefeated Cowgirls.
Opening up Citrus Belt League play in a big way, she recorded a quadruple-double during a 115-30 win over Citrus Valley of Redlands as she scored 35 points, had 20 rebounds plus 10 assists and 10 steals. It also was her second quadruple-double of the season. In that one, she scored 41 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and had 13 steals and 11 assists during a 116-13 win over Kaiser of Fontana.
Washington closed out her week with 36 points and 17 rebounds as the Cowgirls topped Yucaipa 82-52.
Paul Muyskens contributed to this content item. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
One Comment
We are so appreciative of all the love and support of our dearly beloved son and light of our lives Ryan. The Hawk family knows he is shining down on them with a big smile, so happy for their success this year….play for Ryan.