Mission champs to be guests at awards banquet
The celebration season continues for Mission’s historic Division 3 state-championship boys basketball team.
The Bears — along with NCAA championship soccer coach Stephen Negoesco — will be special guests at the inaugural High School Sports Awards banquet put on by the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club on May 8 at its North Beach clubhouse on Washington Square.
Mission completed a 35-1 season by winning the first state basketball championship for a San Francisco Section school with an 81-75 win over Villa Park (Orange County).
Since then, the Bears have been honored by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee’s office, hosted by the Warriors at Oracle Arena and picked by The Chronicle as the Metro Area’s No. 1 team for 2016-17.
“It’s all still a bit surreal,” Mission coach Arnold Zelaya said. “It’s been very cool for everyone involved.”
Zelaya and his star player, Niamey Harris, will be honored individually at the May 8 event, which will salute past and present high school achievement and serves as a fundraiser to support high school sports in San Francisco.
Harris and Sacred Heart Cathedral senior IImar’I Thomas, The Chronicle’s Metro Girls Player of the Year, will be honored with the Kevin Restani basketball trophy as the top players in the city.
Each of the awards are named after an Italian American or Italian Athletic Club member.
Zelaya will be presented with the Stephen Mariucci Trophy as the top coach this year in any sport. Other award winners: SFIAC Football Trophy (for top player): Lincoln two-way lineman Ronald Phelps, The Chronicle’s San Francisco Player of the Year, who led the Mustangs to an AAA/Turkey Day championship win.
Stephen Negoesco Trophy (for top soccer players): St. Ignatius duo of Dominic Galetti (male) and Lizzy Wagner (girls). Galetti was the West Catholic Athletic League’s Forward of the Year and Wagner, a four-year All-WCAL standout, was the league’s co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Dante Benedetti Trophy (lifetime achievement for coach): Ron Isola (Riordan basketball and baseball) and John Donohue (Lowell baseball).
Isola coached basketball from 1979 to ’94, helping Riordan go 368-110 with 11 WCAL titles. Donohue retired two years ago as the state’s winningest active coach with a record of 735-390-4 in 33 seasons, winning 14 AAA titles.
The winner of the Joe DiMaggio baseball trophy has yet to be announced.
Tickets for the event, sponsored by the San Francisco Giants, are still available. Call the club at 415-781-0165 for more information. Walker national Freshman of the Year: Moreau CatholicHayward guard Kyree Walker was named the national Freshman of the Year by MaxPreps.com on Wednesday after helping the Mariners to a Northern California Division 2 title.
The 6-foot-6 standout averaged 21.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Mariners, who lost 72-65 to Esperanza-Anaheim in the state final despite 28 points and 10 rebounds from Walker.
Previous award winners include Trey Lyles, Malik Newman, Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley III.