costa mesa

SoCalHoops High School & Prep Report

Yet Another All-Star Game: Costa Mesa
Kiwanis North-South Game--(April 24,1998)

If you thought the DOUBLE PUMP CLASSIC, featuring the "Top 25" boys, and the "Top 24 Girls" was only game in town tomorrow night, think again.

There's yet another senior All-Star game going on, and this one is in Orange County. It's the Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club Orange County Senior All-Star Game, featuring a boys' game and a girls game. The games will take place tomorrow night at Orange Coast College, with the girls getting started at 5:00 p.m., and the boys taking the floor at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $6 for those under 18. The games will not, unlike the Double Pump Classic, be televised. A three-point shooting contest is scheduled at halftime of the girls' game and a dunking contest at halftime of the boys' game.

The boys' teams feature two great lineups, including standout T.J. Williams (6'-0" Sr. G), of Santa Margarita, the State Divison II Champions, who will play for the South, and five other first-team all-Orange County LA Times players. The teams will be divided into a "North" and "South" grouping, and Loara's Ed Prange, Times Orange County boys' coach of the year, will direct the North and Brian Mulligan of South Coast League co-champion Capistrano Valley will coach the South.

Williams averaged 13 points and 8.5 assists in leading Santa Margarita to a 34-2 record and Southern Section Division II-AA and state Division II titles. He will attend Cal Poly Pomona in the fall. Other first-team all-county players for the South are Dekker McKeever (6'-9" Sr. C) also from Santa Margarita, who will play for Holy Cross, and Joe Ortiz (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Calvary Chapel who has signed with Westmont College in Santa Barbara. The North will be headed by Alan Verzani (6'-7" Sr. C) of Villa Park, Zamiro Bennem ( 6'-3" Sr. PG) of Magnolia, who led the Sentinels to the Orange League title. Bennem will attend UC Irvine.

The boys' rosters feature eight MVP, and all but one player was named to his respective "All-League" team.

North Orange County All-Stars:

Martin Banda (Loara)-- First Team All-League, Empire League
Zamiro Bennem (Magnolia)--Orange League MVP
Scott Blake (Troy)--First Team All-League, Freeway League
Brian Brennan (Loara)--Second Team All-League, Empire League
Reid Carlson (Brea Olinda)--First Team All-League, Orange League
Josh Fischer (La Habra)--First Team All-League, Freeway League
Mike Gartner (El Dorado)--First Team All-League, Empire League
John Radaza (Cypress)
Jeff Swan (Pacifica)--First Team All-League, Garden Grove League
Alan Verzani (Villa Park)-- Century League MVP
Steve Shea (Servite)--Golden West League Co-MVP
Travis Weaver (Cypress)--First Team All-League, Empire League

Coaches: Ed Prange (Loara); Assistant: Craig Snider (La Quinta).

South Orange County All-Stars

Josh Garrett (Capistrano Valley)--First Team All-League, South Coast League
Kevin Hanson (Ocean View)--First Team All-League, Golden West League
Semaj Johnson (San Clemente)--First Team All-League, South Coast League
Dekker McKeever (Santa Margarita)--First Team All-League, Sea View League
Sam Nelson (Estancia)--First Team All-League, Pacific Coast League
Duc Nguyen (Bolsa Grande)-Garden Grove Co-MVP
Joe Ortiz (Calvary Chapel)--Olympic League MVP
Eric Palmer (University)--Pacific Coast League Co-MVP
Mark Wulfemeyer (El Toro)--First Team All-League, Sea View League
Ryan Webster (Trabuco Hills)--First Team All-League, South Coast League
T.J. Williams (Santa Margarita)--Sea View League MVP
Terrail Zoller (Century)--Empire League, Co-MVP

Coach: Brian Mulligan (Capistrano Valley). Assistants.: Steve Canin (Capistrano Valley), Bill Mulligan.

Natalie Nakase of Marina, who was named the LA Times Orange County player of the year, heads the girls' lineup. The girls' game starts at 5:00 p.m. and features three first-team all-county selections. The North coach is Kim Harris, who led Brethren Christian to the Southern Section Division IV-A title. The South will be coached by Pete Belanto of South Coast League co-champion Capistrano Valley.

Nakase, 5'-1", will play for the South; she averaged 13.9 points and 8.6 assists this past season. A four-year starter who signed with UCLA where she will play with Michelle Greco, she led Marina to its best record in school history (28-5), and its first Southern Section basketball title (Division I-A).

The South also features Anna Lembke (6'-3 Sr. C) from Ocean View who averaged 21.3 points and 12.9 rebounds, and the county's leading shooter for the third consecutive year. Lembke is headed to Pepperdine. Esperanza's Leah Coombs (6'-2" Sr. C) who averaged 14.1 points, leads the North. She has signed with Arizona State.

The girls' rosters:

North Orange County All-Stars:

Sarah Belavic (Rosary)
Missy Bynon (Villa Park)
Leah Combs (Esperanza)
Yvette deBruijn (El Dorado)
Kristin Geoffroy (Los Alamitos)
Heidi Hardeman (Troy)
Heidi Hill (Esperanza)
Rachael MacDonald (Brethren Christian)
Cindy Oparah (Brethren Christian)
Stephanie Patten (El Dorado)
Jaymee Pendergast (Esperanza)
Sarah Spencer (Troy)

Coach: Kim Harris (Brethren Christian). Assistant: Robin Davis.

South--Mary Anderson (Capistrano Valley)
Kelly Boeke (Fountain Valley)
Natasha Combs (Capistrano Valley)
Taryn Commins (San Clemente)
Janet Glasby (Westminster)
Andrea Jacobs (San Clemente)
Geneva Kelly (Mission Viejo)
Erin Larsen (Laguna Hills)
Anna Lembke (Ocean View)
Kristin Moorhouse (Aliso Niguel)
Natalie Nakase (Marina)
Nicole Roberts (Woodbridge)

Coach: Pete Belanto (Capistrano Valley). Assistant: Tom Ressler..