Battle at the Bay: Frank’s Five Points
SAN DIEGO – I’m a few days late on this but what the heck . . .
Five observations after watching the five-game, Battle at the Bay at Mission Bay High Saturday:
*Taeshon Cherry was the CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year last season as a junior at Saint Augustine High.
Based upon the way he played while helping his new program – El Cajon Foothills Christian – toppledthe host Buccaneers in overtime (61-58) in the event’s final game, Cherry stands a more than reasonable chance to repeat that honor as a senior.
And, if his team can win the San Diego Open title and win a game or two in the state tournament, he’ll be a strong candidate to be the Southland – and State – Player of the Year as a senior as well. There isn’t a better high school senior frontcourt player in California.
*Point guard Boogie Ellis of Mission Bay is considered one of the elite juniors, not just in San Diego and SoCal but all of the west, as well.
He looked the part in the loss to Foothills Christian, scoring 22 points with five assists and five rebounds.
A few hours earlier, during La Jolla Country Day’s 69-35 dominance of Cathedral Catholic, 6-foot-4 Ryan Langborg (PICTURED) put forth a lot of compelling evidence as to he also falling into the category one of the elite juniors – not only locally but regionally, as well.
Langborg used a combination of jump shots and finish-thru-contact drives to score 29 points while hitting 11 of 18 shots from the floor (including four 3s).
He’s nearly a 4.0 student so his list of suiters should be quite long by the end of July.
Langborg has a 6-9 classmate on the team in Jayson Taylor who scored eight points with 11 rebounds Saturday night.
He, too, figures to have a nice group of college scholarship options.
*Mission Prep and Foothills Christian met during the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, with the Buccaneers prevailing, 72-56.
They could meet in a tie-breaking contest during San Diego’s Open Division Playoffs – maybe even in the title game if they are put on opposite sides of the eight-team bracket.
And look for the programs to put some of the better teams in Southern California on the floor a year from now:
Mission Bay doesn’t have a senior who receives significant playing time.
And Cherry is the only senior who starts for Foothills Christian.
*Joining Ellis Langborg and Taylor as juniors who impressed on Saturday were 6-5 Derrick Carter-Hollinger, 6-3 Dorian Blue and 5-7 Jaren Nafarrete (each Foothills Christian), 6-6 Ronald Latting and 6-2 Jamaryee Norton (both Mission Bay), 6-6 Christian Rose (La Jolla Bishop’s) and 6-7 Matt Bender (Francis Parker).
Two sophomores who stood out were 6-3 Albert Pirchardo (Army-Navy) and 6-6 Nakial Cross (Bishop’s).
*It was overwhelmed by La Jolla Country Day but Cathedral Catholic is a program to watch over the next few seasons.
Coach Will Cunningham starts two sophomores (Jagger Kennedy and Scotty Prunty) and three freshmen (point guard Alex Wade, wing Thomas Notarainni and post Obinna Anyanwu).
The 6-7 Anyanwu got caught too often on the perimeter (defensively and offensively) Saturday to be as effective as he has the potential to be.