Girls of Summer: SD Classic Heats Up

If ever there was a girls basketball heaven it is in San Diego during a four-day mid-July period over the past two decades.

This is only our eighth year of attending and third year of reporting the San Diego Classic but this is the 20th year that retired Santana of Santee coach Wade Vickery (609-119 record in 26 years), his lovely wife Nancy, son Adam, daughter Carina, family, friends, and dozens of volunteers have put on the largest girls basketball tournament in the nation.

The field this year consists of 352 teams competing at 11 gyms. including UC San Diego, San Diego State, Alliant International University, University of San Diego, San Diego City College and Grossmont College.

While we would like to cover all divisions, venues and the preponderance of almost 4,000 girls being showcased, our focus has been on evaluating the 96 teams competing in the tournament's 3A top division. And believe you me, there is no shortage of talent. Plus, we still moved around enough to put on almost 300 miles in two days while evaluating and watching 21 games.

The first two days of action saw teams divided into 12 pools with it taking three victories and no losses to advance into the Pool 1 winners bracket and a chance to win the overall top title at the Classic. The eight winners looked like a who's who of top teams and past sectional, regional, and state CIF champions.

Long Beach Poly, with Jasmine Dixon playing as well as ever, waltzed into the round of eight with three lopsided victories over Channel Islands (Oxnard), Maria Carrillo (Santa Rosa) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 43-28 in the Pool C final.

Mater Dei, although a loser in this game, looks like a big winner for the future, having snared coach Kevin Kiernan away from Troy of Fullerton. With Kiernan at the helm, the Monarchs look poised for a possible return to Orange County girls basketball prominence. Several Mater Dei girls, including incoming freshmen Kaleena Lewis and Alexyz Valeetoma looked very good and will earn evaluation ratings in our soon to be released list of top summer performers. "After 11 years at Troy it was a real tough decision, especially leaving the girls, but it's a new challenge at a great school with tradition that's been down for a couple of years." Kiernan told Cal-Hi Sports.

As for Dixon and Poly, the 6-0 star, from whom we hope to get a little more information about her future plans before the Classic concludes, was like a woman amongst girls. At times she appeared to be coasting, but then like a lioness taking a prey, she would clean the glass three, four, five, or even in one game, six times in a row for rebounds and putbacks. Dixon's three game totals were 48 points, 26 rebounds, 17 steals, 10 blocks, and 13 assists. Other girls who played well for coach Carl Buggs were defensive specialist April Cook, and 6-2 post Deshia Southall.

Ayala of Chino, under long-time coach Mel Sims, looks like a definite Southern Region power with state title potential with UCLA-bound 6-0 Rebakah Gardner, her amazingly talented 6-1 sophomore sister Rhema, and 6-0 forward Jasmin Holliday all earning high marks in our book. In Ayala's opening game 75-31 win over Clovis East, Rhema showed Vickie Baugh-like moves in depositing 28 points, while Rebekah, reportedly playing on a sore ankle, threw down 16 points with eight rebounds and six steals. Ayala's other wins were against Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) and 58-37 over JW North in a Pool D final that saw the Gardner sisters and Holliday dominate the inside and combine for 43 points and 31 rebounds.

Brea Olinda may have lost Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year Jeanette Pohlen but coach Jeff Sink has re-loaded the cannons with some big guns. Sophomore Kelsey Harris and lone senior Lauren Bell are the team leaders but not necessarily the top stars. Two freshmen whom Sink told Cal-Hi Sports are the two best frosh he's ever had looked very formidable and will earn some of the highest marks we have ever given to the real youngsters.

Justine Hartman, an amazingly athletic 6-2 freshman post with a soft shooting touch but no fear against older girls in the paint, is the best frosh big girl we have ever seen in 25 years watching girls basketball. Right now, Hartman may be one of the top three post players in the state. The other freshman is 5-5 point guard and speedster Alexis Perry. She can handle the rock, play Sink's aggressive defense with passion, pop the trey-ball, and shoots with either hand effectively near the bucket. Several times in games we saw, Perry switched to the left hand off a right hand dribble and left defenders flat-footed with an off-hand lay-up. The Ladycats' three wins were against West Valley (Hemet), state Div IV runner-up Pacific Hills (LA), and a Pool I 34-28 defensive slugfest final against Orange County rival Foothill with 6-2 junior star Christina Marinacci, who looked very good in two games we saw her play. Against the Wildcats, she just couldn't get her team over the hump. Look out for Brea-Olinda.

Robbie Sandoval has his Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) girls in good summer shape and the Matadors were victorious over Mission Viejo, Newbury Park, and then took a 36-28 decision over Gilbert (Arizona) in the Pool E final. Point guard Denesia Williamson and 6-1 post Autumn Spikes played well and earned high marks thus far.

While Mater Dei lost in the Pool final, Troy sans Kiernan did not. With new coach Roger Anderson and returning sophomore sensation Alex Sanchez looking bigger and much-improved, Troy won Pool A and received one of four first round byes in Saturdays Pool 1 winners bracket action.

Also getting a bye was Tom Gonsalves' St. Mary's of Stockton squad, the lone Northern California team to get through to Pool 1 competition. Last year's freshman sensation Afure Jemerigbe is not playing due to other commitments but the other frosh sensation from last year, Chelsea Gray is, as well as solid senior Cortney French and the rest of the three-point shooting happy Ram girls. St. Mary's defeated Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo), Norco, and Cathedral Catholic of San Diego with star Victoria Lippert. Earlier in the tournament, we saw Lippert turn in a great performance with 31 points against Paloma Valley of Menifee.

Other Pool winners we saw sparingly or did not see but will be checking out in the Classic's final two days, were Santa Monica, Ventura, Hanford, San Clemente, Clovis West and St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs. Clovis West and St. Paul were the last two teams to be awarded byes.

In our next edition of Girls of Summer, we will have final results from the San Diego Classic and the top-rated 35 girls so far this summer.