SCV PLAYERS NAMED ALL-CIF
Prep basketball: Seven from SCV named All-CIF
The Santa Clarita Valley didn’t have any basketball teams win CIF-Southern Section divisional championships this season.
But that doesn’t mean the SCV didn’t make its mark.
Some proof came Monday, when seven local prep basketball players were named All- CIF Southern Section.
Canyon girls hoops came the closest to a CIF title this season with an appearance in the Division 2AA finals.
The Cowboys’ 6-foot-3-inch center, Rachel Bowers — who averaged a double- double in the playoffs (12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game) — was the only underclassman on the Division 2AA list.
“I was definitely surprised (to make the list),” Bowers said. “There are so many great kids in our division. The CIF is so big, but I’m definitely happy to have made it. For my age, being only 15, it’s very shocking to be on the list, but there’s always room to grow.”
Another shock, at least to him, was the selection of Valencia boys hoops’ Chibuzo Ikonte.
He was told at the Vikings’ banquet
last week there was a chance his 68 points in Valencia’s three-game, Cinderella- esque playoff run could get him a nod at an All- CIF D1AA selection. But he didn’t think so. “I didn’t think I would make the list because I only played in 11 games this year, and we only got to the quarterfinals,” said Ikonte, who was playing in his first season since his freshman year after collapsing at practice in 2013 and sitting out his sophomore and junior years. “I was just thankful, thankful to God. I didn’t think I would be on the first team for AllLeague or All- CIF.”
The 6-7 senior scored 36 points against Village Christian (the 2015 CIF-SS D1AA champion), 15 points in the second round against Sonora of La Habra (2015 D3AA champion) and 17 against St. John Bosco in the quarterfinals, when the Vikings’ playoff run came to an end.
Hart senior Chad Donohoe rounded out the boys’ selections for the SCV, as he was awarded with a nod in Division 2A, after scoring a total of 110
points in Hart’s six playoff games.
Valencia’s Kayla Konrad made the All- CIF girls D1AA team despite the Vikings’ exit in the quarterfinals against West High of Torrance.
Konrad, the Foothill League Player of the Year, scored 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the Vikes’ second-round win against Downey and scored 13 against West.
Trinity Classical Academy had the most representation from one SCV school, with junior Taylor Oshiro and freshman JaNasjia Bethke both making the Division 5A AllCIF team.
Oshiro averaged 35 points in the Knights’ three postseason games, while Bethke — who is only one of two freshmen girls selected for All- CIF — averaged 15 points during the playoffs.
Santa Clarita Christian boys hoops’ Bryce Wilkinson earned AllCIF Division 5A honors after averaging 23 points per game this season, including setting a new school record by scoring 53 against Frazier Mountain back in January.
He averaged 16 points per game in the Cardinals’ four playoff games.