CIF Southern Section 2AA: Top Darkhorses
Top Darkhorses
Camarillo Scorpions
After coming off a 19-10 record from a year ago, Head Coach Michaeltore Smith will have some rebuilding to do, considering he lost two key contributors in 6-foot-3 Jonah Cottrell (14ppg) and 6-foot Brandon Adair. But fear not, because the Scorpions will provide quite the “sting” to opponents due to the emergence of national recruit Jaime Jaquez Jr. The 6-foot-6 sophomore is coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he averaged (24 ppg) and (10 rpg.). He is a 3-level scorer who plays with a “hot” motor. However, for the Scorpions to have a successful season, he must get help from his teammates.
Cathedral Phantoms
Head Coach William Middlebrooks is coming off a difficult 9-18 season and a quartet of seniors have graduated in Rob Brown , Kai Robancho-Smith, Semaj Shepheard, and Michael Mensah. However, not all is lost as the Phantoms received some optimistic transfer news when two Las Vegas transplants—Sedrick Hammond and Orlando Robinson—arrived on campus in the summer. Hammond is a talented 6-foot-3 junior who is an exceptional athlete that is learning the nuances of the point guard position. Joining him in the starting line-up should be Alex Akins (13 ppg during 2016-17 season) as well as 6-foot-2 junior Noah Fernando. The key to the season may lay on the interior production levels of the 6-foot-8 Robinson.
Crossroads Roadrunners
Anthony Davis takes over the reigns of the program as Chad Beaten left after one season to return to Las Vegas/Clark. Davis inherits a program that finished at 20-11, but lost a “big” piece in Arizona signee Ira Lee. However, don’t feel to bad for the Roadrunner program as Arizona commit Shareef O’Neal is back as are starters DJ Houston and Jacob Ray. The 6-foot-9 O’Neal is a gifted 4-man who can shoot it with range, but if this team is going to make any noise, he’ll need to be productive in the paint area on a nightly basis. In the backcourt the 6-foot-1 Houston is an athletic combo-guard who has a nice balance of scoring and facilitating to his repertoire. Look for 6-foot-6 junior (Ray) to do most of the dirty work in the interior as he displays solid post post moves and feel when operating in the paint.
Mayfair Monsoons
The Monsoons, led by one of the “coolest” coaches around in Tony Davis, are coming off a solid 18-11 record, but will have to replace starting point guard Kyle Small. On the bright side Davis has a plethora of talent coming back which should translate to an outstanding season. Leading the way will be 6-foot-5 sophomore Josh Christopher—who is regarded as one of the top prospects in his class. He is a bonafide scorer who can really pass as well. If he stays focused an plays with purpose in mind, the Monsoons will be a headache to their opponents. Christopher’s backcourt mate will be his brother (Caleb Christopher) who is a 6-foot-2 combo-guard who can score from all three levels. The catalyst to the Monsoons’ success will be exhibited by the point forward skills of 6-foot-5 junior Dylan Cabs—who was one of the bigger revelations this fall.
Rancho Cucamonga Cougars
Head Coach Bill Burke and his team had to endure a setback when 6-foot-2 lead guard Toby Okwuokei transferred to Etiwanda during the summer. Despite the loss of Okwuokei, the Cougars always have a solid collection of athletes that wreck havoc on their opponents—led by Kelvin Wright Jr. The 6-foot-5 senior is a long-armed explosive athlete who affects the game with his motor, bounce, and consistency around the rim. In the backcourt 5-foot-7 junior Shayden Knight utilizes his quickness and speed to put defenders on their heels and create plays for his teammates. Look for 6-foot-5 sophomore CJ Stroud to take his game to a new level and take some of the scoring pressure off of Wright Jr.