Local basketball stars lead list of All-CIF honorees
The South Bay produced numerous outstanding players and teams on the hardwood this season with five teams – four in girls competition – capturing CIF championships.
Basketball standouts head a group of local players and coaches who were honored by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section for their accomplishments during the winter sports season.
Redondo senior guard Nao Shiota was named the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA Player of the Year. Photo
Girls Basketball
Four local girls basketball teams were crowned CIF champions in their respective division in the 2014-15 season and seven teams earned berths in the CIF State Southern California Regional playoffs.
After defeating rival Mira Costa for the Bay League title in the final game of the regular season, Redondo (27-7) continued to roll, reaching the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship game at Azusa Pacific University where they beat Mira Costa second consecutive time.
The teams met for a fourth time this season in the Southern California semifinals with Redondo once again coming out on top. The second-seeded Sea Hawks fell to top-seeded Mark Keppel in the title game but their season-long performance was acknowledged by the CIF.
Redondo head coach Marcelo Enriquez, who had recorded his 400th win earlier in the season, was named CIF-SS Division 2AA Coach of the Year.
Enriquez knew last summer his team had the possibility of being special and his feelings were confirmed when the Sea Hawks took third in their own Battle at the Beach tournament losing only to Long Beach Poly 39-38.
Winning the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions was the next challenge for Redondo but the Sea Hawks suffered what could have been a season-changing set back when leading scorer Meghan Peneueta tore an ACL in the semifinal game against Sierra Canyon.
“After dealing with the initial shock of realizing we were going to be without Meghan the rest of the season, we met before the Marina tournament and talked about still being able to achieve great things for this season,” Enriquez recalled. “It was just going to take a more united effort by everyone and that’s exactly what happened. We won the Marina tournament, the Bay League and CIF.
Marcelo Enriquez was selected CIF-SS Division 2AA Coach of the Year after leading Redondo to a 27-7 record, a CIF title and an appearance in the State Southern California Regional championship game. Photo
“The fact that this team came within the last possession of the Regional Championship game of going to State is nothing short of amazing. I’m incredibly proud of these young ladies and what they were able to accomplish and never using the loss of our leading scorer as an excuse. They showed great resilience.”
Redondo senior guard Nao Shiota earned Player of the Year honors, an honor Enriquez felt was well deserved.
“Nao is one of the best point guards that I have ever coached in my 20 year career at Redondo,” Enriquez said. “She has great court vision and outstanding basketball IQ. She also has this unwavering poise out on the court that is one of her greatest strengths.
“Nao is just a winner. She would always seem to provide what the team needed. In the Ayala (CIF second round) game, when the team was struggling with scoring, she comes up with 21 points. In the Santa Barbara (CIF semifinal) game and the outcome on the line, she comes up with a huge steal against their best player to seal the deal.”
Sea Hawk senior forward Kyra Hamlin also earned All-CIF honors for her scoring and rebounding abilities.
Mira Costa senior guard Keilani Ikehara was named All-CIF for the second straight year after leading the Mustangs to a 26-8 record.
West Torrance (25-8) captured the Division 1A championship and reached the second round of the State Division 1 playoffs. The Warrior’s Mike Caporaso was named Coach of the Year and Jasmine Jones was selected Player of the Year while teammate Kayla Sato earned All-CIF honors. Also named to the Division 1A team was Peninsula’s Madison Lucci.
South Torrance (24-8) won the Division 2A crown and reached the second round of the State Division 2 playoffs where the Spartans lost to Redondo. Jaryn Fajardo and Bobby Imamura were named Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.
North Torrance (29-3) claimed the Division 3AA championship and advanced to the semifinals of the State Division 3 playoffs. Brittany McPherson was named the Player of the Year while teammates Kylie Oshiro and Daylene Taualii were named to the All-CIF team.
In Division 4AA, Bishop Montgomery (19-14) won a CIF championship and reached the second round of the state Division 4 playoffs under the leadership of Coach of the Year Bridgette Reyes and Player of the Year Chelsea Lidy. The Knight’s Christina Delapina and Jessica Malazarte also made the All-CIF team.
Mira Costa’s Dylan Kim was selected to the boys basketball All-CIF Division 2AA team. Photo
Boys Basketball
Bishop Montgomery (31-2) competed in the elite Open Division in both the CIF Southern Section and State playoffs. The Knights won the CIF-SS crown reached the second round in the State tournament with Doug Mitchell being named Coach of the Year and Stephen Thompson Jr. selected Player of the Year. Jordan Schakel also represented Bishop Montgomery on the All-CIF team.
In Division 1A, Peninsula’s Kurt Milch earned All-CIF honors.
Although Redondo (25-8) won the Bay League and finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in Division 1AA, the Sea Hawks competed in the tough Open Division and did not have a player reach All-CIF status after the team reached the Consolation championship and later the semifinals of the State Division 1 playoffs.
Mira Costa’s Dylan Kim was named to the Division 2AA after leading the Mustangs to an 18-11 record, falling to Lawndale (23-12) who reached the Southern California Regional Division 2 championship game with stars Broderick Jones and Chimezie Metu being named to the All-CIF Division 2AA team.
In Division 5AA, Chadwick’s Ryan Apfel was selected to the All-CIF team.
Mira Costa’s Kelly Giery is an All-CIF girls water polo player for the second consecutive year. Photo
Girls Water Polo
Mira Costa girls water polo standout Kelly Giery was named to the All-CIF team for the second consecutive year, joining fellow senior teammate Isabella Magno and Peninsula’s Natalie Hill on the All-CIF Division 3 girls water polo team. Giery and Magno helped lead the Mustangs to an appearance in the CIF semifinals.
Soccer
Mira Costa also had two players from its girls soccer team honored with junior forward McKenna Doyle and senior goalkeeper Nonie Frishette selected to the All-CIF Division 2 team after leading the Mustangs to the CIF quarterfinals where they lost to eventual champion Santiago 2-2 (4-3 in shootout).
Palos Verdes senior midfielder Nikki Rosen was also named to Division 2 the team.
West Torrance defender Jenna Hernandez was named Player of the Year and Jessica Murphy was selected Coach of the Year after leading the Warriors to the CIF Division girls soccer championship.
Goalkeeper Ruth Soto and forward Kaitlin Fregulia also represented West on the All-CIF team. Also named to the team were Torrance midfielders Annika Rodriguez and Alicia Sloss.
Vistamar freshman midfielder Luisa Delgado-Heinz was selected to the All-CIF Division 7 team.
Making the All-CIF Division 1 boys soccer team were Mira Costa defender Caley Berney and Palos Verdes midfielder Zen Roten.
West Torrance seniors Tristen Lopez and Zac McGraw were named to the Division 4 team and Vistamar senior goalkeeper Tyler Salem was selected to the Division 6 team.
Complete lists available at cifss.org.