2013-2014 WINTER ALL-AREA TEAMS Unpredictable playoff results cap off wild and exciting winter season

 By Loren Kopff

While the Gahr boys basketball team was stunned at home in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section playoffs, other area teams posted upset road victories in the first round. The Cerritos and Whitney girls basketball teams advanced to the quarterfinals of their own division while on the turf, the Valley Christian boys soccer team made school history despite falling in the divisional semifinals. Here the members of the 2013-2014 Los Cerritos Community News Winter All-Area Teams.

BOYS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Jeremy Carlyle (Gahr)

Malachi Hoosein (Gahr)

Evan Leonard (Cerritos)

Vaj Rice (Valley Christian)

Dontae Smith (Artesia)

SECOND TEAM

Suni Bedi (John Glenn)

Stedmon Bryant (Valley Christian)

Gregory Carlyle (Gahr)

Rashaad Penny (Norwalk)

Kelechi Ukoha (Cerritos)

THIRD TEAM

Henry Buycks (Cerritos)

Jon Campbell (Artesia)

Brandon Paris (Artesia)

Alex Vidana (Norwalk)

Erich Webb (John Glenn)

HONORABLE MENTION

Luigi Gonzalez (Whitney)

Johnny Johnson (Valley Christian)

Daniel Morales (John Glenn)

Antony Thomas (Whitney)

Keno Valdenor (Norwalk)

PLAYERS TO LOOK FOR IN 2014-2015

Chris Pendley (Artesia)

Akil Williams (Artesia)

Daniel Kim (Cerritos)

J.J. Rivera (Cerritos)

Jordan Wong (Cerritos)

Evan Anderson (Gahr)

Cory Chavers (Gahr)

Darrell Harris (Gahr)

Justin Smith (Gahr)

David Suarez (Norwalk)

Ishmael Townsend (Norwalk)

Ronald Massey (Valley Christian)

Jordan Mitchell (Valley Christian)

Tim Han (Whitney)

Player of the Year: If you were an opponent facing Gahr the past couple of seasons, there was virtually no way of stopping senior Malachi Hoosein. The 6’ 2” guard led the Gladiators with nearly 25 points a game and scored 671 points this past season. Hoosein, the lone senior for Gahr, was held below 10 points only once and scored a career-high 50 points against Bell in the second game of the season.

Coach of the Year: Artesia had not had a winning record since the 2006-2007 season when it won the second of its back to back state championships. But in his second season with the Pioneers, head coach Ray Walker turned around the program from nine wins to 17 this past season. Walker guided the Pioneers to a fourth place finish in the Suburban League and the team upset host Barstow in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first time in three seasons Artesia had advanced past the first round.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

FIRST TEAM

Ra’vyn Bowser (Gahr)

Amanda Chamberlain (Valley Christian)

Alyssa Movchan (Cerritos)

Rachel Nagel (Whitney)

Reyna Ta’amu (Whitney)

SECOND TEAM

Cynthia Agu (Gahr)

Tatiana Fominyam (Cerritos)

Myra Gomez (John Glenn)

J’Nae Harrison (Norwalk)

Taylor Hirata (Cerritos)

THIRD TEAM

Savanna Aguilar (John Glenn)

Amber Binford (Valley Christian)

Makenna Mageo (Valley Christian)

Stacey Suzuki (Cerritos)

Miranda Ta’amu (Gahr)

HONORABLE MENTION

Tori Mura (Cerritos)

Tatiana Mendoza (Norwalk)

Mayra Ramirez (John Glenn)

Onica Yu (Artesia)

Alyssa Wakamiya (Whitney)

PLAYERS TO LOOK FOR IN 2014-2015

Keina Harris (Artesia)

Ioefoma Okoli (Cerritos)

Cailey Vitug (Cerritos)

Jazlinay Murray (Gahr)

Breanna Smith (Gahr)

Ana Zavala (John Glenn)

Jackie Aldana (Norwalk)

Arely Lopez (Norwalk)

Monica Pineda (Norwalk)

Cherilyn DeJong (Valley Christian)

Hailey Garcia (Valley Christian)

Kate Vande Vegte (Valley Christian)

Casey Chu (Whitney)

Nicole Lee (Whitney)

Player of the Year: Whitney senior guard Rachel Nagel was much more than a high scorer. Sure, the University of California, Davis signee led the area with a 21.8 points per game average and did not score below 10 points in any game. But Nagel also led the Lady Wildcats with 117 steals, 95 assists and 38 blocks in the regular season. She also had 241 rebounds in the regular season, 10 off the team lead.

Coach of the Year: In one of the best turnarounds in the area, Valley Christian’s Ally Wade went 11-16 after winning just one game last season. The second-year head coach, and former Long Beach State University standout, saw her team finish in a three-way tie for second place in the Olympic League. The Lady Crusaders also went to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-2011 season.

BOYS SOCCER

FIRST TEAM

GK-Saul Ocampo (Artesia)

F-Clay D’Amico (Valley Christian)

F-Jorge Pantoja (Artesia)

F-Jonathan Ramos (Valley Christian)

M-Ari Claro (Artesia)

M-Eric Gonzalez (John Glenn)

M-Brian Marrocco (Valley Christian)

M-Max Martinez (Norwalk)

D-Brian Anguiano (John Glenn)

D-Carlos Sanchez (Artesia)

D-Jeremy Stanley (Valley Christian)

SECOND TEAM

GK-Misha Marson (Valley Christian)

F-Steven Espinoza (Artesia)

F-Ruben Martinez (John Glenn)

F-Jovanni Michel (John Glenn)

M-Miguel Arvizu (John Glenn)

M-Blake Christensen (Valley Christian)

M-Miguel Razo (Artesia)

M-Francisco Sierra (Artesia)

D-Grant D’Amico (Valley Christian)

D-Raul Navarro (Artesia)

D-Orlando Silva (Norwalk)

HONORABLE MENTION

GK-Henry Martinez (Norwalk)

F-Ryan Atterbury (Valley Christian)

F-Austin DeMedeiros (Gahr)

F-Jonathan Fuller (Cerritos)

M-Blake Allen (Valley Christian)

M-Brian Cok (Valley Christian)

M-Byron Navarro (Artesia)

M-Uly Rosales (Cerritos)

D-Greg Correia (Gahr)

D-Anthony Mendoza (Norwalk)

D-Ruben Varghese (Cerritos)

Player of the Year: Valley Christian’s Jonathan Ramos paved the way for the immediate future of the soccer program. The senior forward scored a dozen goals for the Crusaders, who had a good mix of seniors and juniors. Ramos scored eight goals in Olympic League action, one of the reasons why V.C. won the league for the second straight season.

Coach of the Year: In his first season at Valley Christian, Sean Toth had a season that many coaches dream of. Not only did V.C. win a league title and win more games (16) since the 2005-2006 season, but Toth guided his team to the Division VI semifinals. Even with a loss there, the Crusaders were awarded their first berth to the state playoffs. V.C.’s trip to the semifinals was the first since the 1999-2000 season.

GIRLS SOCCER

FIRST TEAM

GK-Isabel Applequist (Valley Christian)

F-Jazmin Gomez (Norwalk)

F-Beverly Hernandez (Norwalk)

F-Janae Megorden (Valley Christian)

M-Tiffany Castillo (Artesia)

M-Grayce DeGroot (Valley Christian)

M-Janna Jensen (Valley Christian)

M-Icseel Ortiz (Artesia)

D-Natalie DeVries (Valley Christian)

D-Karina Murguia (Artesia)

D-Victoria Sanchez (Artesia)

SECOND TEAM

GK-Cynthia Flores (Norwalk)

F-Erika Lizarraga (Cerritos)

F-Haley Magana (Valley Christian)

F-Mary Sanchez (Artesia)

M-Karen Dominguez (Norwalk)

M-Stephanie Flores (Artesia)

M-Raena Ramirez (Cerritos)

M-Breanna Sandoval (Norwalk)

D-Maria Gonzalez (Norwalk)

D-Kendra Peck (Valley Christian)

D-Casey Wind (Valley Christian)

HONORABLE MENTION

GK-Cyndie Trejo (Artesia)

F-Kathia Aquino (John Glenn)

F-Lauren Bautista (Cerritos)

F-Adriana Pacheco (Norwalk)

M-Andrea Anguiano (Norwalk)

M-Erika Garcia (Gahr)

M-Hannah Goff (Valley Christian)

M-Adaeze Skerrett (Gahr)

D-Andrea Ibarra (John Glenn)

D-Nathaly Lopez (Gahr)

D-Abigail Turnbow (Valley Christian)

Player of the Year: School records seem to be a theme at Artesia and this past season was no different. Senior midfielder Tiffany Castillo scored 31 goals and ends her high school career with 64 goals, third most in school history. Castillo set school records with most goals in a game (6), which she did twice, and set a school record for most goals scored by a senior.

Coach of the Year: After winning three games last season, Ernesto Escobar guided Norwalk to a 9-11-3 campaign, which is the second best record in school history. The Lady Lancers finished in a tie for fourth place, the highest finish in school history and Norwalk hosted a playoff game for the first time as the program made only its second trip to the playoffs ever.