NorCal Issue 219, May 2023

With A Little Help For Our Fans

June 10 will mark the 13th anniversary of the first issue of SportStars. That’s a Saturday. A few days earlier, we’ll likely be releasing Issue No. 220.

SportStars has seen a lot of changes over that time. What started as a 24-times-a-year print magazine focused mostly on East Bay high schools, evolved into a NorCal-wide product with as many as three regional covers at one point.

We then began a push to blend both digital and print together to deliver an even more well-rounded product. Then the pandemic hit us like it did so many other small businesses — many of whom were our primary advertisers — and we stopped printing and evolved into another version of ourselves. We poured even more effort into the digital space and began embracing newer formats for storytelling like podcasting.

Over all that time of staying on our toes in order to remain on our feet, we haven’t had a chance to poll readers on what is THEIR favorite version of us.

It’s time we changed that.

For the people at SportStars to continue what we love doing, we could use a little direction from both those who know us well, and those who don’t.

Throughout these past 13 years, reading SportStars in print or online has remained absolutely free. To our knowledge, we’re the only NorCal-specific high school sports media source who offers that. We want to keep it that way, so we need to know what will keep y’all coming back to the site during the week.

We’ll be launching a reader poll at SportStarsMag.com from May 12-19 and hope that many of you take the time to share what you like most about SportStars and how it can be even better.

We’ve also got some of our own ideas that we’re working on, and believe you might like as well. One of those things will be a weekly vote for SportStars Team of the Week. Why join everyone else in an Athlete of the Week vote, when we can honor more than one person while celebrating team accomplishment?

We’re also planning to continue with our podcasts. We recently revived our original podcast, SportStories, and have partnered with Youth Runner Magazine to focus the first six or so episodes on great names and moments in California track and field. We’ll have new episodes on May 10 and 17 that will each feature an Olympic gold medalist.

We might even dust off our 7 Friday Night football podcast for a special Spring Football episode.

All that, plus it’s time to wrap up the 2022-23 school year with some spring championship coverage as well. Come along for the ride, and let us know how we’re driving. ✪

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5.16.12

Del Oro 2012 graduate Austin Smotherman is photographed for a SportStars cover feature. Smotherman won the CIF State Championship as a senior after finishing fourth as a junior. He earned his PGA Tour card in 2021 and recently carded his first PGA Top 5 at the Mexico Open on April 30.

James K. Leash photo

FAR OUT

With A Very Successful Far Western Regionals In The Rearview, NCVA Prepares To Host Two Final Events For 2022-23 Season

Far Western Regionals — all six days worth of them — are over. Take a breath, club volleyball world. Or don’t.

Even after hosting close to 1,400 teams and 10,000 spectators combined over two separate April weekends in Reno, the Northern California Volleyball Association still has new events coming down the pike. But before we get to those, what about a few more numbers from the Far Western Regionals.

102 — Combined number of volleyball officials to work over the two weekends.

47 — Total amount of USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship bids awarded to top performing teams. This year’s junior nationals for the 14U-17U divisions will take place from June 28-July 6 in Chicago.

31 — Total staff members working the event.

13 — Vendors welcomed.

4 — Different venues used across the greater Reno area.

2 — Recruiting combines hosted by NCVA

It was quite the epic occasion in The Biggest Little City In The World. Now the number is two. That’s how many tournaments are still on NCVA’s slate for the 202223 season.

The first is the 2023 Bay View Classic — a season wrap-up tournament that will feature both boys and girls divisions. All of it will be held @The Grounds in Roseville. The Bay View will be held on May 2729 and will include competition between 12U to 18U girls. The Boys will have the same divisions take the court, though their age groups will run combined: 17U/18U, 15U/16U, and so forth.

National-bound squads can use the Bay View as a tuneup while others will be there simply to enjoy the final days of action. Finally, the boys schedule gets going in earnest on June 10-11 at the Capitol Sports Center. That’s when the NCVA will be hosting the Boys Summer Kickoff Tournament. There will be four combined divisions: 18/17U, 15/16U, 14/13U and 12/11U

For more information on both tournaments, be sure to visit ncva.com/events/. ✪

Bailey Hartman sat comfortably in her fold-out camping chair posted squarely in the front corner of the Carondelet swimming tent.

Throughout the morning of May 5th at Concord Community Pool, as swimmers returned from their North Coast Section Championships qualifying heats, Hartman made a point of engaging every one. Nearly every interaction started with a smile and ended with a laugh.

This is a luxury for Hartman, one of the state’s top-ranked swimmers in the 2024 class.

Over the next six weeks she’ll be training and preparing to swim at the USA Swimming National Championships beginning June 27 in Indianapolis. That’s where she’ll swim in four events with the hope of making a national or junior national team.

But on this day, the junior who has already committed to NCAA defending-champion Virginia, is soaking up the team vibes in her last weekend swimming for the Cougars.

“Going into this weekend, my goal is just to have fun,” Hartman said. “This is really a fun time to experience because this is a good team that we have here, and it’s a really good culture. And maybe try to break some records — you never know.”

No records fell during the prelims or finals, but the Carondelet team had an exceptional meet. Led by Hartman, of course. Hartman took first in both the 100- and 500-yard freestyles, back-to-back events separated only by the boys 100 freestyle. Which may not have been her first choice, and likely wasn’t an optimal set-up for breaking any records in the 500 — an event in which she’s posted faster times than Chelsea Chenault’s 2012 mark of 4 minutes, 38.05 seconds. Hartman was always going to be team-first at NCS.

“I told (Carondelet coach) Roque (Santos) to do whatever he feels the team needs,” she said. It’s worth mentioning here that she finished just seven-tenths shy of setting the 100 freestyle record held by former Carondelet standout Madelyn Murphy. “We obviously want to win as a team, and he put me in the 100 and 500 because he thinks I can win both.”

And once she did, it set up the Cougars for the back half of the finals. Junior Madison O’Connell took second in the 100 backstroke and senior Stephanie Iannaccone did the same in the 100 breaststroke. Carondelet then sealed its first section championship since 2013 with a dominant win in the 400 freestyle relay.

Iannaccone swam the lead leg, followed by Claudia Dumais, Ellie Butler and Hartman on the anchor leg. They finished a little more than five seconds in front of second-place Monte Vista-Danville.

Hartman understands the history and tradition of swimming for Carondelet, which owns all but two of the NCS meet records for the 12 standard events. But for all those records and standout performances, there hadn’t been a team title in a decade. (There were no championships held in 2020 or 2021).

“Carondelet is such a good school to be a part of,” Hartman said. “We say it a lot. It’s like a sisterhood. And it really is. We really support each other and we’re all part of this big family. It’s really cool to be a part of something that big.”

Her dedication to the team dynamic doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated by teammates, either.

“Bailey Hartman is the most hard-working person and the best teammate that you’ll ever have in your entire life,” said Butler, a sophomore who took fifth in both the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly finals, and was part of the third-place 200 freestyle relay team in addition to the 400 relay champs.

“She’s not afraid to hold people accountable, and she makes sure that you’re always putting your best foot forward both in and out of the pool.”

Hartman’s swimming journey began as an 8-year old in an attempt to be like her older sister Zoie. Remember how we mentioned that there are just two non-Carondelet NCS meet records? Zoie Hartman owns one of them. She set the 200 individual medley record as a senior for Monte Vista in 2019. She just recently wrapped an extremely successful career for the University of Georgia where she holds the school record for both the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. Both sisters joined the Crow Canyon Sharks around the same time. And both will be swimming events at Nationals late next month.

Sharks head coach and Aquatics Director Joe Natina joined the club around the same time as the Hartman sisters and actually coached all three siblings. Their brother Zach swam for Monte Vista and graduated in 2022.

“All of the siblings, what sets them apart is their work ethic and consistency,” Natina said. “Bailey doesn’t blow away practice every day, but she executes the training sessions as prescribed every day. And when you do that over a long period of time, you get pretty good.”

She was more than good at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships West in Austin, Texas, last December. She finished fourth in a blazing fast 500-yard freestyle finals that saw all four top finishers post times that would’ve won the previous two NCAA championships for the event.

Hartman’s time was 4:33.72 (remember we noted Chenault’s NCS record was 4:38?). The top three spots were swept by three members of the Sandpipers of Nevada club. Bella Sims finished in 4:28.64, followed by Katie Grimes (4:29.53) and Claire Weinstein (4:33.03).

“That was definitely a shock,” Bailey said. “Honestly it was a shock in prelims to go 4:39. I was really not expecting that out of myself at all. I was just trying to race the Sandpipers who were seeded in the middle of the pool. … I wasn’t even mad about where I placed. I was really just proud of how I strove to finish the race well.”

Natina couldn’t believe it as he watched.

“I remember thinking she’s got to be falling off pace, because the other girls were pulling away,” the coach recalled. “I was just being blown away by the effort she was giving. ... I don’t know this for sure, but I think it’s got to be the fastest heat of 500 frees there’s ever been as far as depth goes. For all four of those girls to be under what won NCAA’s the last two years? I was like, ‘Wow’. That was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in person, at least in terms of 500 free.

“I was proud of her effort, and I think she’s hungry to do more.”

Doing more will start with a Pro Series meet in Mission Viejo in mid-May, an event that will lead to her skipping the CIF State Championships in Clovis. Then she’ll gear up for Nationals at the end of June. She’ll be swimming in four events there, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, and the 200 and 400 freestyles.

“With Bailey, it wasn’t a matter of IF she was going to break through, but WHEN,” Natina said. “I think she’s got a fairly decent chance at (making) the world juniors team. … She’s fired up.”

And she’ll dive into those goals as a now six-time (five race, one team) NCS champion. Even if the records have to wait. ✪

— Story & Photos by Chace Bryson

“This is really a fun time to experience because this is a good team that we have here, and it’s a really good culture. And maybe try to break some records — you never know.”

— Bailey Hartman

CAT ATTACK

After six straight full seasons of losing records, the Franklin-Elk Grove softball program has come back to life under first-year coach Jon Gudel. The Wildcats entered the final week of the regular season with a 20-5 record and sitting at second place in the Delta League. SportStars will have a feature on the Wildcats at SportStarsMag.com prior to the postseason bracket announcements. Until then, enjoy these photos from Franklin’s May 5 game vs. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove.

Photos by David Gershon

Kealani Nitta

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Franklin’s Ashley Fields drives the ball as Emma Nelson prepares to break home from third base; The Wildcats infield huddles around pitcher Scarlett Riddle; Nelson makes a backhand stab of the ball; Second baseman Micayla Arlotto fires to first; Riddle strides toward the plate as she delivers a pitch; Catcher Emily Azemar frames a pitch on the outside corner.

Ryan Beasley • Dougherty Valley-San Ramon

The Best Player From The Best League Who Helped Deliver His School’s First Section Title

They came from all corners of Southern California to watch senior Mikey Williams star that Tuesday night in December at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

The Memphis-bound whirlwind of a point guard and YouTube sensation for San Ysidro near San Diego had packed gyms since bursting onto the scene as a freshman, scoring 41 and 50 points his first two prep performances.

Instead of the splish and splash of Williams that night, they got the razz and ma-taz of another senior guard, Dougherty Valley’s relentless Ryan Beasley, who poured in 30 points in a 94-73 runaway win for the visitors from San Ramon.

The ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ normally directed at Williams were instead reserved for Beasley, who converted a series of acrobatic drives, midrange jumpers and 12 of 15 from the foul line. At barely 5-foot-11, Beasley’s nifty moves and relentless attacks made him an immediate fan favorite at the packed gym — giving San Diego fans a glimpse of what eventually led to Beasley being SportStars’ NorCal Player of the Year.

Though many of those fans knew little about the USF-bound guard, who averaged 30.6 points as a junior and pumped in 37 the day before against Washington state power O’Dea-Seattle, Beasley was well aware of Williams and fellow Memphis-bound top recruit JJ Taylor.

Williams had 25, many long after the game had been decided, and Taylor 15 to equal 40 between them. Beasley and longtime teammate Connor Seville combined for 58. .

“They had two great players coming in with Mikey and JJ,” Beasley said after the game. “We knew we could get ‘em. We just came in here and worked. That’s all we did and always do.”

Beasley didn’t boast that night. He never pointed at himself or raised his arms. He just focused. Attacked. And scored or dished.

“I’ve been playing in big games since I was a little kid,” Beasley said. “The energy of the big crowd definitely got me going. But I’m always going.”

All who watched him during a brilliant, relentless four-year career in the Bay Area can attest to that. Especially his high school coach Mike Hansen, who flat out called Beasley “the best guard in the country. He’s definitely the best guard in California; I know that.”

He prefaced the remarks noting that “I’m biased,’ and it came after Beasley scored 13 straight points to start the fourth quarter to finish with 24 in the Wildcats’ 77-70 East Bay Athletic League tournament title home win over GranadaLivermore, the eventual Northern California Division I champion.

But whether he’s in the national or state conversation, he was undoubtedly the top player in Northern California for 2022-23.

After outplaying Williams and earning All-Tourney honors at Torrey Pines, Beasley led the Wildcats on a historic season, going 27-4 and winning their first East Bay Athletic League outright and North Coast Section Open Division title.

He averaged 24.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shot 51 percent from the field (112 of 219) and 85 percent on free throws (107 of 126).

Even though he scored less than the previous season, he was far more effective because Sevilla (21.9 points per game) was so much better. The two have played together since CYO days when they were 7-years-old.

They helped pack gyms throughout the EBAL, which emerged as Northern California’s best league.

“Ryan is like a brother to me,” Sevilla said. “We’ve shared the court since back in elementary school days. It’s always been really fun to play with him. He’s a real humble guy even though he gets all that attention. He gives me my credit. I just appreciate sharing the court with him.”

Combined with the transfer addition of Blake Hudson — another CYO teammate — who averaged 11.8 points and team-best 8.0 rebounds per game, the Wildcats were the top ranked team in the Bay Area and finished No. 11 in the state by SBLive Sports.

As well as Sevilla and Hudson played all season, during crunch time, Beasley was always the man. Makes sense. He’s patterned his game and demeanor after his idol, Damian Lillard. It’s also why Hansen tagged him “Ryan the Lion.”

“There’s so many times, he just wouldn’t let us lose,” Hansen said.

That was never better demonstrated than in the first round of the EBAL playoffs when he scored 42 — 24 in the fourth quarter — as part of an 86-83 win over San Ramon Valley. He made 14 straight free throws over the final eight minutes, bringing the Wolves back from a 27-point third-quarter deficit.

In his final game, the Wildcats faced a 21-point second-quarter deficit to eventual NorCal Open champion St. JosephSanta Maria. Beasley scored 36 points in an 87-76 semifinal loss but willed the team back, getting within three in the final moments before running out of gas.

But make no mistake: That tank will be back on F when he arrives on The Hilltop this fall. ✪

— Story By Mitch Stephens | Photos by Chace Bryson

Our Top 15 Player Features Two Sets Of Teammates And A Lot Of The East Bay Athletic League

FIRST TEAM

RYAN BEASLEY Guard | Dougherty Valley-San Ramon | 5-11 Senior

CRUNCHTIME ’CAT: Big moment. Big game. Big stage. Our choice for NorCal Player Of The Year was an absolute monster all season — but especially when the stakes were highest. The USF-bound point guard averaged 24.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He shot 51 percent from the field for the NCS Open Div. champs.

BJ DAVIS Guard | Modesto Christian | 6-1 Senior

TWO-WAY TERROR: Davis has been on the short list of NorCal’s best defensive players for multiple seasons. But after an early-season transfer exit by a leading scorer, the San Diego State-bound guard proved he could be the go-to guy at the opposite end of the floor as well. He averaged a team-best 18.3 points per game while adding 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the CIF NorCal Open Div. finalists.

ANDREW MCKEEVER Center | Granada-Livermore | 7-0 Senior

BIG TIME BIG: The Saint Mary’s-bound center closed out a remarkable prep career by leading the Matadors program to its first ever state finals appearance. He had a 31-point, 16-rebound effort in a regional semifinal win over Riordan-S.F.

ANDREJ STOJAKOVIC Wing | Jesuit-Carmichael | 6-7 Senior

McDYNAMITE: The Stanford-bound talent with NBA All-Star blood became the third player from the Greater Sacramento region to be named to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Stojakovic was a threat to score wherever he was on the floor as he led the Marauders to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I crown.

MONEY WILLIAMS Wing | Oakland | 6-4 Senior TOWN TALENT: There was plenty of talent throughout the roster, but Williams was the driving force behind the Wildcats’ first ever CIF State Title. The Montana commit averaged 17.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists on his way to being a firstteam All-Oakland Athletic League selection.

Davis

Williams

Stojakovic

SECOND TEAM

COURTNEY ANDERSON JR Guard | Dublin | 6-5 Senior

MR. CONSISTENT: Anderson will begin his Pac-12 career at Colorado after wrapping up his Gaels career with a second consecutive first-team All-East Bay Athletic League selection. His athleticism was on display nightly as he averaged 16.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per night.

ALEC BLAIR Wing | De La Salle-Concord | 6-5 Sophomore

ONLY JUST BEGINNING: Blair is only halfway into what will be a four-year varsity career and he’s already been named first-team All-EBAL twice. This year he earned the honor by averaging 16 points and five rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the field. His defense often drew heavy praise as well.

JOEY KENNEDY Wing | University-S.F. | 6-6 Senior

DEVILS’ DURACELL: A four-year varsity player and “point center,” Kennedy powered the Red Devils to a historically good season. He averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks for a team that went 29-4 and won the NCS Div. IV title before being placed in the CIF Div. I regionals — where it upset Stojakovic’s Jesuit team.

JALEN BROWN Guard | Modesto Christian | 6-2 Senior

CLUTCH CRUSADER: After transferring from little-known Alvarez-Salinas to the defending NorCal Open Div. champion, Brown instantly proved he belonged. A first-team MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section selection, Brown scored double figures in every game but one (averaging 15.7). He dropped 28 in a playoff win over Inderkum-Sacramento and 19 with seven assists against Jesuit in the section final.

DEREK SANGSTER Wing | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | 6-7 Senior

MAIN MONARCH: Sangster will be joining the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 darlings, Princeton, on the heels of a senior season in which he averaged 17.7 points and 8.8 rebounds and was named West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year. Mitty went 22-6 and finished as NorCal’s No. 4-ranked team.

THIRD TEAM

AARON CLAYTOR Guard | Salesian-Richmond | 6-3 Junior

TOP OF THE ROCK: Claytor was the catalyst for a Pride team that went 26-9 and reached the NorCal Division I regional final. His averaged 7.4 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, and provided an impact that led to his being named Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division MVP.

SEAMUS DEELY Wing | San Ramon Valley-Danville | 6-5 Junior

LEADER OF THE PACK: It was an historically good year in the EBAL, and Deely was front and center in lifting the Wolves to 26 wins and a trip to the NorCal Division I regional semifinals (where they lost to Claytor and Salesian). Deely averaged a little more than 10 points a game while also leading San Ramon Valley in both rebounds and assists.

JALEN GLENN Wing | Inderkum-Sacramento | 6-4 Senior

TOP TIGER: Glenn opened his third and final varsity season by dropping 32 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in a win over Weston Ranch-Stockton. He’d never look back. Glenn averaged 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 steals as Inderkum went 28-4 and finished in the Top 10 of our final NorCal rankings.

LOGAN ROBESON Wing | Campolindo-Moraga | 6-3 Senior

SHOE-FILLER: Following the graduation of now-Saint Mary’s College star Aidan Mahaney, the Cougars had a vacancy when it came to a go-to guy on the floor. Robeson took the role and ran with it. He recently committed to the University of Hawaii after averaging 19 points, six rebounds and nearly three assists per night.

CONNOR SEVILLA Guard | Dougherty Valley-San Ramon | 6-0 Senior

NO SIDEKICK: He shared the backcourt with essentially the unanimous NorCal Player of the Year, but Sevilla commanded his own spotlight — and didn’t need anyone else’s in order to shine. The four-year varsity starter averaged just shy of 22 points per game and topped the 30 mark six different times (including a stretch of three straight games in early December).

Blair Robeson Sevilla

Jordan Lee• St. Mary’s-Stockton

The Driving Force For A Rams Team That Overcame Injuries To Reach Div. I NorCal Final

Jordan Lee put 47 on Oakland Tech in the NorCals, so she’s got to be one of those score-first wings, right?

And though 47 is hard to ignore, especially against a team that defends like Oakland Tech, defense is her calling card.

“Defense is the most important aspect of the game to her,” says her coach, Alle Moreno, of the 6-0 junior.

“She took five charges in one game,” marvels Moreno, who knows as well as anyone that a lot of elite players haven’t taken five charges in their entire careers.

“Defense is incredibly personal,” Lee says. “Defense gets my offense going.”

Of course, Lee learned early on that there’s more to the game than scoring. Both her parents played collegiately in Canada, and her dad Roderick has coached her since she first started playing.

But even though she calls herself a “coach’s kid,” and Moreno praises her basketball IQ and calls her “a coach on the floor,” what really separates her — what really drives her — is her competitive fire.

“You can’t teach that kind of will,” says Moreno, who saw the same kind of fire in Chelsea Gray, her teammate when she played at St. Mary’s. Gray, now a star in the WNBA and Olympic gold medalist, “did whatever she needed to do to win — and Jordan reminds me of her.”

Lee’s understanding of the game also triggered one of her biggest steps forward this season: Raising her 3-point percentage from 26.7 percent as a sophomore to 39.3 as a junior. Unlike many elite players who are satisfied getting to the rim over and over again, simply by being taller and more athletic than their overmatched opposition, Lee realized her own future and her ability to help her team required her to put in the time and effort to refine her stroke from beyond the arc.

“She spends lunch and every break shooting,” says Moreno. “She didn’t get a trainer or anything like that. She just put up two or three thousand shots and made herself better.”

Another area where Lee improved was leadership.

“After last season, we challenged her to speak up more,” Moreno said. “Her maturity and leadership were a major factor in our success”

That was especially true when senior point guard Nia Anderson went down with a torn ACL halfway through the season. Suddenly, Lee was not only forced to expand her role on the court, she also had to take on more responsibility off of it.

“It was tough, and in the middle of the year,” Lee said. “But it taught me how to lead in different ways.”

It also taught her more about playing the point, something she hadn’t done for St. Mary’s.

“It made me more versatile,” she noted, “and made me a better player.”

Another thing that made her a better player was competing against boys in elementary school. “It was great in terms of mental toughness,” she says. “If I scored against a boy, he would say ‘I’m not going to let a girl beat me’.”

Of course, she had trouble scoring because, she laughs, “they never pass the ball.”

That school of hard knocks prepared her well for club basketball, and she immediately made a name for herself.

“I came here recruiting for San Jose State,” says Moreno, “and Jordan was in the gym.”

It didn’t take long for Moreno to realize the middle schooler was going to be really good. “You can tell from a young age,” the coach added.

Moreno, now in her third season as a high school coach, can appreciate Lee’s talent — not only as a college prospect (she’s 15th in the nation in the Class of 2024, according to ESPN Hoopgurlz), but also as a worthy successor to St. Mary’s greats like Gray, Afure Jemerigbe, Jacki Gemelos and Moreno herself.

Lee was certainly aware of the tradition at St. Mary’s. How could a young player not be?

“You get blasted by the 15 banners on the wall of the gym” she said.

Yet, she has embraced the challenge.

And despite her individual success, there were challenges aplenty for St. Mary’s this past season, over and above the usual daunting schedule. At the beginning of the season, the Rams had four senior starters; at season’s end, they had one. The team was completely remade on the fly, and still managed to win 26 games.

“We had to fight through adversity,” Lee said, and she immediately deflects credit from herself to her teammates. “Our sophomores stepped up.”

Thus, the stage is set for next year, when St. Mary’s once more is primed to be a California power.

And sophomores or no sophomores, the biggest reason will be Jordan Lee. “She’s one of the most special kids I’ve ever coached,” Moreno said. ✪

— Story By Clay Kallam | Photos By Chace Bryson

2022-23 All-NorCal Girls Basketball Team

Three Teams. 15 Players. One McDonald’s All-American.

FIRST TEAM

JORDAN LEE Wing | St. Mary’s-Stockton | 6-0 Junior

A STAR WHO DEFENDS: Lee can score, as her 47 points against Oakland Tech in the Div. I NorCal final showed very clearly, but she’s also a lockdown defender who takes it personally when opponents score on her. Smaller players can’t guard her on the block, and taller players can’t deal with her on the perimeter. Thus, she averaged 20.2 points a game to go along with 7.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Oh, and she shoots 39 percent from the 3-point line.

TALIYAH LOGWOOD Wing | Oakland Tech | 5-9 Junior

THE MISSING LINK: On a team filled with scoring guards and flashy freshmen, Logwood is the lockdown defender who gave Div. I state champion Oakland Tech toughness and spark. The junior’s versatility and physicality set the tone for a team that hasn’t lost a NorCal game since 2018.

KAMRYN MAFUA Forward | Folsom | 6-2 Junior INSIDE PRESENCE: In a game that’s shifted to the perimeter, Mafua’s ability to protect the rim and score in the paint make the junior stand out in the Northern California crowd. Her 16.6 points — many from jump hooks with either hand — and 6.3 rebounds were central to Folsom’s 26-3 record.

AMANDA MUSE Post | Heritage-Brentwood | 6-4 Senior

RIM PROTECTOR: The 6-4 senior UCLA signee didn’t make the McDonald’s All-American team because of her scoring — though 14.5 points a game isn’t half bad. And it wasn’t the 59 percent shooting or 12.1 rebounds. No, Muse gets the Mickey D swag because she controls the paint to the tune of 4.1 actual blocks a game — and who knows how many altered shots from shooters who realized their stuff was just too weak to compete with Muse.

McKENNA WOLICZKO Post | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | 6-2 Freshman

FRESHMAN PHENOM: Woliczko is as difficult to pronounce as she is to guard. It’s “va-litch-ko,” in case you were wondering. But even if opponents knew how to say it, they couldn’t stop the freshman from averaging a double-double (20.2 and 10.3 rebounds). Her non-stop motor, unexpected speed, and skill around the basket mark her as the next Mitty superstar. She’s also a softball standout this spring.

SPECIAL MENTION

MORGAN CHELI Wing | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | 6-2 Junior

IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE: Cheli, just a junior, is already one of the top recruits in the country and a USA Basketball gold medalist. However, she only played 14 of Mitty’s 31 games this season, making it hard to justify her a spot on an all-NorCal team. But Cheli’s all-around game (15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game) for the top team in Northern California can’t go without acknowledgement.

Woliczko

Muse Logwood

Mafua

SECOND TEAM

MAKIAH ASIDANYA Guard | Salesian-Richmond | 5-7 Senior

UNDER THE RADAR: Like the team she plays for, the senior guard (who will play for UNC Greensboro next year) never quite seems to get the credit she deserves. Asidanya scored 14.2 points per game, made 34 percent of her 3-point shots, and added 5.3 rebounds. Not to mention gritty defense. Yet somehow she’s been overlooked. No more.

MARY CARTER Forward | Antelope | 6-3 Senior

DOING IT ALL: Antelope won 26 games this past season, and wound up ranked 13th in Northern California — and without the 6-3 Carter scoring, rebounding, blocking shots and leading the way, both of those numbers would have dropped precipitously. The Cal Poly-bound senior scored from all over the court, despite being the player every defense was geared to stop.

ALYSSA JACKSON Wing | Vanden-Fairfield | 5-11 Senior

ON THE ATTACK: The San Diego State signee was the focal point of Vanden’s all-out assault on opponents at both ends of the floor. She led the harassing defense with 3.9 steals a game, and put up 20.4 points a game when her team had the ball.

NATALIA MARTINEZ Guard | Piedmont | 5-7 Junior

POWERING PIEDMONT: The Highlanders had a great season, and on a roster filled with stars, Martinez stood out. She ran the show for Piedmont, and also scored 20 points a game to go along with plenty of steals and assists.

AVA UHRICH Forward | Pinewood-Los Altos Hills | 5-11 Senior

CARRYING THE LOAD: Perennial power Pinewood was decimated by injuries, and all Ava Uhrich could do was watch until she became eligible. Once that happened, though, Pinewood rode Uhrich’s 17.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists back near the top of the NorCal rankings. Her playing career will continue at Southern Utah.

THIRD TEAM

SIERRA CHAMBERS Point guard | San Ramon Valley-Danville | 5-6 Sophomore

PACK LEADER: The Wolves wouldn’t be the East Bay power they’ve become without sophomore point guard Sierra Chambers running the show. Chambers handles pressure like a senior, nails long 3s and finds her way to the rim despite her size. But the number that sticks out is 8.2 assists per game, and it came against the third toughest schedule in Northern California.

KARYSS LACANLE Point guard | Acalanes-Lafayette | 5-4 Sophomore

ENERGY PERSONIFIED: Lacanle, usually referred to by her nickname KK, simply never stops. She was all over the court in Acalanes’ annoying press, with close to four steals a game, and also scored 15.4 points a game while handing out 4.3 assists and hitting 34 percent of her 3s.

GRACYN LOVETTE Guard | Marin Catholic-Kentfield | 5-9 Senior DOES IT ALL: Talk about filling up a stat sheet. The senior (who will play for Lehigh next year) averaged 15.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.4 steals a game. She was also the team’s best defender (4.6 deflections per game).

KATE SCHAT Guard | Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa | 5-8 Sophomore

NORTH BAY BOMBER: Schat’s shooting was a big part of Cardinal Newman’s 25-win season (and No. 7 NorCal ranking), as she shot 35 percent from behind the arc, and 49 percent overall en route to 15.2 points a game. A classic three-level scorer, Schat also used her high basketball IQ to help Cardinal Newman exceed expectations.

KEISHA VITALICIO Point guard | Carondelet-Concord | 5-8 Junior PRESSURE POINT: There was no doubt who was handling the ball for Carondelet. Vitalicio brought the ball up the court for 30-plus minutes against some of the best teams in California — and also had to defend the other team’s top guard. She still managed to average 10.1 points and 6.1 assists a game for NorCal’s ninth best team. ✪

Asidanya Chambers

Leroy Hurt • Oakland Tech Quaran Johnson • Granada-Livermore

Hurt Has Oakland Tech Girls In Midst Of Dynastic Run While Johnson

Guided Granada Boys To Historic Firsts

Ineed a girls’ coach,” said the principal at the middle school where young Leroy Hurt worked, “and you’re it.”

Hurt laughs at the memory. “And then she walked out.”

But that middle school principal saw the potential in Leroy Hurt, a potential that has been realized at Oakland Tech, his alma mater. The Bulldogs claimed the California Division I championship in Sacramento last month, which was their third state championship since 2019, and continued a 19-game winning streak in CIF state playoff games.

“We’re just on a helluva run right now,” Hurt said in the postgame press conference following the team’s state championship win over Santiago-Corona. “There’s some luck, but thank God for the luck.”

Hurt’s path to being named this year’s SportStars NorCal Girls Coach of the Year, however, didn’t exactly proceed in a straight line. In fact, there was a 15-year detour when he didn’t coach in high school at all.

After a solid season in his first year at Piedmont in 2000-01, with the legendary Paris twins about to enroll, Hurt got called into the principal’s office. “I want you to resign,” she said, but Hurt refused.

“So she fired me,” he said. “I was very disappointed in that.”

“Very disappointed” might be an understatement. He quit coaching entirely for a few years before starting the Cal Ballaz club team in 2005, which has made a name for itself regionally and nationally. But he knew his hometown high school teams needed help.

“I felt the need to do high school,” he says. “I felt something was missing.”

As it turned out, what Oakland Tech was missing was Leroy Hurt.

The start was slow, as that first season he only had 14 girls in the entire program, but the progress was immediate and steady. And Hurt, like all of us, had matured.

“When I was younger, I was fiery,” he says. “Every call was the end of the world.”

Now Hurt is a calming presence on the bench, no matter the circumstances. Trailing Carondelet-Concord by 20-plus points in the first half on the road, Hurt never raised his voice — and Tech came back to win by six.

His time on the club circuit helped as well, especially in the playoffs.

“I thought my AAU experience with quick turnarounds was a great advantage,” he said. In club tournaments, teams can play three games a day — which makes three games a week seem like a vacation.

Now Hurt has settled into doing both, and though he will lose six seniors from this year’s title team, the foundation has been laid for Oakland Tech to continue its roll through California girls’ basketball — and for Hurt to continue to justify that middle school principal’s belief that he could be a pretty good coach.

COACH Q’S MATS MAKE HISTORY

Approximately 20 minutes after his Granada team defeated Riordan of San Francisco to advance to its first CIF NorCal final, Coach Quaran Johnson emerged from the locker room with a grin that simultaneously showed elation and relief.

After five years of grinding in one of NorCal’s most competitive leagues, Johnson’s Matadors earned the validating breakthrough that a regional final appearance brings.

“Everything,” Johnson told reporters that night when asked what the win meant. “Everything to me. Everything to the school. Everything to the players, the community. It means everything.”

With SportStars All-NorCal first-teamer Andrew McKeever leading the way at center, a hungry and balanced roster went on the road the following week and soundly defeated Salesian-Richmond for a trip to the Div. I state final.

Though they’d fall to Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks, the Matadors still produced a 26win season. They played in the EBAL Championship game, made the North Coast Section Open Division field, and rolled to the Div. I state championship game as a No. 9 seed. Johnson’s guidance through it all lands him our NorCal Boys Coach Of The Year honors.

“It’s just been a grind and hard work,” the coach said after that regional semifinal win. “This community has always been primed for something like this, it just needed people who can believe.” ✪

— Story by Clay Kallam | Photos by Chace Bryson

Oakland Tech girls basketball coach Leroy Hurt (top) and Granada boys coach Quaran Johnson both watch their teams from the sideline during the CIF Division I State Championship games at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Hurt’s Bulldogs won the title while Johnson’s Matadors came up just short.