Two of this week’s top stat stars are Sierra Campisano of San Diego Torrey Pines and Li’Angelo Ball of Chino Hills. Photos: Harold Abend & Ronnie Flores.
Gelo Ball is the Ball brother with the most prolific stats from last week with 40 and 35 points for No. 1 Chino Hills. Colin Slater of Reedley Immanuel, though, did better with 48-point outburst. For girls, Amber Melgoza getting 31 for Santa Barbara against Mater Dei stands out. This week’s honor roll also includes baseball and softball players for the first time this season. One of the baseball players has the same name as an MLB outfielder and already has 11 RBIs. Plus, we salute Long Beach Millikan girls bb coach Lorene Morgan for 500th win.
Note: Writeups this week from Paul Muyskens, CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett and Mark Tennis. We also will collect totals from MaxPreps, newspapers, tweets and from those sent in to us. We also will compile single-game highs from this post throughout the season and of course we use our weekly State Stat Stars collection as an aid for the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. That is the only state record book anyone has ever done and we have published it seven times with full copyright protection. To report totals to us for this feature and for the record book, email markjtennis@gmail.com or call 209-463-9050. You can also text to 209-608-1317.
We hope you like this free post on CalHiSports.com. Please help us out today by becoming a member of our Gold Club so you can see all of our great content. For more on special offer to get signed up for $9.99 for three months that started several weeks ago, CLICK HERE.
To see this week’s NorCal/SoCal Players of the Week, CLICK HERE.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Adam Amanuel (St. Bernard, Playa del Rey)
Looking like the man on the court, he scored 30 points as the Vikings defeated Orangewood Academy 75-48 in the CIF Southern Section Division 5A playoffs.
LiAngelo & Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills)
Putting on a show that had fans lined up hours before the game and turned away at the door, it was LiAngelo (the junior) with 35 points while Lonzo (the senior) had 25 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and seven steals during a shattering 102-54 win over Mater Dei of Santa Ana. LiAngelo also had 40 points during a 112-78 win over Inglewood in the quarterfinals. The team also is getting close to the Cal-Hi Sports state record of 18 100-point games for a season set in 1996 by Balboa of San Francisco.
Saddleback Valley Christian’s Trey Smith gets interviewed after recent game. Photo: OCSidelines.com.
Riley Battin (Oak Park)
A sophomore that has stood out all season long, he had 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Eagles defeated Buena Park 70-33 in the CIF-SS Division 3AA semifinals. Battin is averaging more nearly 24 points and more than 14 rebounds per game.
Decaurey Brown (Newark Memorial, Newark)
His team is always a threat in the CIF North Coast Section D2 playoffs and he had a great game in last Friday’s 63-54 triumph over Concord. Brown, a junior, had 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals for the Cougars.
Blake Burzell (Laguna Beach)
His 30 points was not enough to prevent the Breakers from being on the losing end of a 72-57 final score against Harvard-Westlake of Studio City in the CIFSS Division 4AA playoffs.
T.J. Leaf (Foothills Christian, El Cajon)
T.J. and the Knights are ranked No. 5 in the state and his play is a big reason for that. The UCLA signer scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds during a 82-45 win over Grossmont of El Cajon in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division quarterfinals.
Bryan Paredes (Tulare Western, Tulare)
The standout sophomore scored a career high of 35 points as the Mustangs edged Madera 76-72 in the CIF Central Section Division III playoffs. Bryan then ended the season with 20 points in a 69-51 losing effort against Selma.
Colin Slater II (Immanuel, Reedley)
He put on a show last week by scoring 43 points in an 87-53 win over Lindsay in the CIF Central Section Division IV playoffs. Slater then scored a season high of 48 points and makes 12 shots from 3-point land for a new school record as the Eagles ran by McFarland 85-44.
Trey Smith (Saddleback Valley Christian)
Despite their junior guard scoring 29 points, the Warriors had their hopes of a CIFSS Division 5AA championship come to an end with a 70-67 loss in overtime against Flintridge Prep of La Canada. The season didn’t end for Saddleback Valley Christian, however, as it has been chosen as an at-large team out of the CIFSS to be in the D5 SoCal regional playoffs.
Andrew Tsangeos (Flintridge Prep, La Canada)
Overtime was needed to determine a winner in the CIF SS Division 5AA playoff game against Saddleback Valley Christian, but the Rebels got the 70-67 win as he scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Shannon Wafer (North, Bakersfield)
Just a junior, Shannon scored a career high of 42 points, to go along with 11 rebounds, as the Stars edged Frontier of Bakersfield 68-64 in the CIF Central Section D3 playoffs. In the second game of the week, he scored 27 points in a 82-62 losing effort against Roosevelt of Fresno. Bryson Williams scored 28 points for the winners.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Sierra Campisano (Torrey Pines, San Diego)
Making the most of her one game last week, the big-time Oregon recruit had 31 points, 20 rebounds and blocked eight shots as the Falcons advanced to the CIF San Diego Section Open Division semifinals with a 65-58 triumph vs. Mt. Miguel of Spring Valley.
Sabrina Ionescu (Miramonte, Orinda)
While not playing the entire game with the Mats comfortably ahead from the start in their 82-48 win over Encinal of Alameda, she still finished with 20 points and 10 assists for the double-double.
Amber Melgoza has been scoring at a record clip since last season for Santa Barbara. Photo: sbhsathletics.org.
Destiny Littleton (Bishop’s, La Jolla)
Setting a season-high for blocks in a game with eight, Littleton also scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds during a 77-40 win over Poway in the CIFSD Open Division playoffs. Littleton is averaging a reported state best 35.9 ppg.
Aarion McDonald (Brookside Christian, Stockton)
Nearly recording two triple-doubles last week, she had 31 points, nine rebounds and nine steals during a 95-26 win over Mountain House before ending the week with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists during an 83-46 win over Central Catholic of Modesto.
Amber Melgoza (Santa Barbara)
While it came during the CIFSS Open Division consolation round, it was still a big time performance by the senior guard and win for the Dons when they defeated powerhouse Mater Dei of Santa Ana 48-45. In that game, Melgoza, who is averaging 25.6 points per game, scored 31 points.
Lillian Olson (Sacramento Waldorf, Fair Oaks)
It was a pair of back-to-back 30-point games last week for Olson. First, she scored 34 points and grabbed 19 rebounds during a 67-18 win over Sacramento Adventist and then had 32 points with 24 rebounds during a 66-63 win over Valley Christian of Roseville. The Waves advanced in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs.
Cassidy Rodriguez (Orosi)
She had two nice games last week, which began when she scored a career high of 32 points in an 83-20 win over Lindsay in the CIF Central Section playoffs. Cassidy also scored 23 points in a 76-40 win over McFarland.
Alaysia Styles (La Jolla Country Day)
Opening up the CIF San Diego Section Open Division playoffs, she scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds during a 62-45 win over Serra of San Diego.
Kameron Taylor (Bakersfield Christian)
BC head coach Frank Thiessen had high praise for Taylor when she scored 35 points in a 72-70 loss to Kern Valley of Lake Isabella in the CIF Central Section Division V playoffs. Taylor is a junior and has been second behind Kern Valley’s Rebecca Gallis for section scoring and also has been among the section leaders in rebounds, steals, blocks and assists.
BASEBALL
Travis Burleson (Fountain Valley)
From a game earlier this week, Burleson was two outs away from a no-hitter, but then gave up just the one hit and finishing with a one-hitter in a 1-0 win over Long Beach Poly. Burleson also struck out nine.
Kevin Milam (Heritage, Brentwood)
In a great season-opening pitching duel, Milam finished with a four-hitter, struck out seven and walked none to lead the Patriots past Maria Carrillo of Santa Rosa 2-0. Maria Carrillo’s Andrew Vaughn also pitched well. Both pitchers should be among the best in Northern California this season.
Chris Murphy (Granada Hills)
Outdueling Los Angeles Roosevelt’s Kenny Gallegos,who struck out 16, Murphy did one better as he had 17 strikeouts while allowing just one hit during a 2-0 win for the Highlanders.
Gerardo Parra (Chavez, Delano)
This junior who has the same name as the outfielder for the Colorado Rockies is already up to 11 runs batted in on the season. Parra’s standout game last week saw him go 4 for 4 with a double, triple and six runs batted in during a 10-6 win over Delano.
SOFTBALL
Aurora Adams (Santiago, Garden Grove)
Starting her junior year in a big way, she was 5-for-5 during a 13-3 win over Century of Santa Ana. She also hit for the cycle and drove in six runs while scoring four runs.
Danielle Caoili (Carmel)
While struggling in the circle herself, this senior captain helped to make sure the Padres would start the season with a win as she was 3 for 3 with a double, home run and five runs batted in during a 12-8 win over Linden.
Katie Evans (Taft)
The Wildcats had big-time stat stars in recent years with Kaitlyn Emberson (hitting) and Arizona Pilgrim (pitching). It already looks like Evans will be stepping up this season. She ripped a pair of homers and drove in six runs in the team’s first game two weeks ago vs. Immanuel of Reedley and last week had a homer and a double in a 10-0 win vs. Coast Union of Cambria.
Sabrina Morales (Heritage Christian, Northridge)
The freshman pounded out a pair of homers plus a triple to lead her team past Windward of Los Angeles 10-3 last week. In her previous game, she had a double and triple as the Warriors blanked Pasadena 16-0.
Megan Stevens (Etiwanda)
The preseason state-ranked Eagles opened up the season with a doubleheader against Summit of Fontana and she had a nice afternoon. Stevens first went 4 for 4 with a double, two home runs and seven runs batted in during a 22-0 win and later pitched five shutout innings while driving in three runs during an 11-0 win to end the day.
Bella Veloz (Calvary Chapel, Downey)
Veloz and the Grizzlies are off to a 3-0 start to the season. She went 3 for 4 with a double, home run and six runs batted in during a 23-1 season-opening win against Arrowhead Christian of Redlands. Earlier this week, she hit her second home run on the year while driving in five runs during a 14-1 win over Pioneer of Whittier.
COACHING MILESTONE
Congrats to Long Beach Millikan girls basketball head coach Lorene Morgan for reaching 500 career wins when the Rams defeated Warren of Downey 90-57 on Feb. 18 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA playoffs.
Morgan, our Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year for 2008, is in her 28th season at Millikan. According to the Gazettes Sports web site, her parents, Bob and Elaine (age 94 and 93), were in attendance.
Millikan assistant coach John Perry also notes that the school now has coaches on staff with 800, 600 and 500 career wins. Wrestling coach Marshall Thompson is the one with more than 800 wins, while boys soccer coach Rod Petkovic has more than 600. Petkovic also is reportedly seventh in the nation for career boys soccer wins.
We did a quick check and couldn’t find any other schools with three coaches that have that many wins. We’ll keep checking.
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
