Area players, coaches earn top CIF basketball accolades
Viewpoint girls basketball players Karlee White and Kayla Keshmeshian need to make room in their trophy cases. After capturing the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship with a win over Camarillo, the two players were named co-players of the year in Division 1 on Monday.
“That's been our team all year,” Viewpoint coach Will Burr said after the team's championship game win on Feb. 26. “It's (Karlee) and Kayla Keshmeshian.”
White scored a careerhigh 37 points in the final, outplaying Camarillo standout Gabriela Jaquez, and Keshmeshian added 14 points. It was the program's first-ever appearance in a CIF-SS title game.
Burr was named Division 1 coach of the year.
In the Open Division, Sierra Canyon's Juju Watkins and Mackenly Randolph were named to the All-CIF team.
Oaks Christian freshman Brooklyn Shamblin was named Division 3A player of the year after leading the Lions to the 3A title.
Her teammate, junior Omamoke Okah, was selected to the Division 3A All-CIF team, along with Trinity Classical Academy's Kelly Lotz, Louisville's Katherine Csiszar, Holy Martyrs' Ani Mketchyan and Burbank's Karen Casillas.
Oaks Christian's Kristy Hopkins was named Division 3A coach of the year.
Chaminade's Jessa Thurman
made the All-CIF Division 1 team.
Boys basketball
Village Christian was the only local boys team that won a CIF Southern Section title this season, taking down Long Beach Poly in the Division 2AA final.
Crusaders junior point guard Immanuel Taylor was named 2AA player of the year. His teammate, sophomore Noah Williams, was selected to the 2AA All-CIF team, along with Crespi's Mason Dorsey.
The Crusaders' Julian Andrade was named 2AA coach of the year.
Valley Torah junior Johny Dan was named the player of the year in Division 4A. Lior Schwartzberg was named coach of the year.
In the boys Open Division, Sierra Canyon's Amari
Bailey, Harvard-Westlake's Cameron Thrower and Brady Dunlap, and Notre Dame's Dusty Stromer were named to the All-CIF team.
St. Francis' Buckley DeJardin and Heritage Christian's Barrington Hargress were All-CIF selections in Division 1.
Junior Gavin Murphy was a Division 2A All-CIF selection.
Viewpoint junior Giovanni Goree and Providence's Jaden Clinkscales were named to the All-CIF team in Division 3AA.
Avand Dorian of AGBU in Canoga Park was named All-CIF in Division 3A.
Oakwood junior Ben Eisendrath was selected in Division 4AA.
Noam Mayouhas of Valley Torah was selected to the Division 4A All-CIF team.