CIF-SS Divisional Preview: 4AA Teams to Watch
The competitive equity format for the CIF Southern Section divisional breakdowns takes into account a team’s performance over the last two seasons. Based on season results, a team is given a score, which is then averaged out and the resulting number places said team into said division. This style makes for a lot of moving parts year-by-year among the divisions. Here are some teams to watch in Division 4AA.
Fairmont Prep
The Huskies have quite a few weapons at their disposal. High-motor and physical guard Kofi Aboagye averaged 19.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game a season ago while wing Abel Jimenez added 11.3 and 6-foot-8 freshman forward Pape Cisse pitched in 9.4. All three of those guys are back for coach Joedy Gardener and they have also added Lakewood transfer Atin Wright, who is one of the best scorers in SoCal. Fairmont Prep reached the 5AAA quarterfinals in 2017 before falling to Bloomington.
Pacifica Christian/Orange County
The Tritons lost Dominick Harris who transferred to Rancho Christian, but gained athletic 6-foot-7 wing Judah Brown and 6-foot-7 stretch four Solomon Davis, two players who were deemed ineligible last season by the CIF-SS. Coach Jeff Berokoff will also benefit by the addition of talented combo guard Houston Mallette, a transfer from Northern California. Pacifica Christian finished with a 10-17 record last season and fell to Orange Vista in the first round of the 5AAA playoffs.
Costa Mesa
The Mustangs return four of their top five scorers from last season’s team that advanced to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 4AA playoffs. Point guard Nico Dasca was one of the top scorers in Orange County last year with his 20 per game average. Osman Hefner (19 ppg) and Tre Villalpando (11.2) are also back in the fold for Costa Mesa, which finished 14-11 overall last season.
Burroughs/Ridgecrest
The Burros are hidden way up in the high desert, but they’ve got a handful of talented players. Burroughs returns its top two scorers in Dabrien Skipworth and Trevor Frisbee, who averaged 18.6 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, as juniors. The Burros finished with a 16-8 record last season and fell to Rialto, 62-59, in the second round of the 4AA playoffs.
Silverado
The Hawks bring back quite a few experienced players from last year’s team that finished 16-14 and advanced to the second round of the 4AA postseason. Kyree Manning, Jalen Hartwill and Latravion Jones all saw some good playing time as sophomores, while senior Anthony Austin can provide veteran leadership.