Myishia Watkins

© East County Sports.com
PHOENIX (11-9-10) — Mount Miguel High point guard MYISHIA WATKINS has verbally committed to attend Grand Canyon University on a basketball scholarship beginning with the 2011-12 season.

A 5-foot-4 senior, Watkins averaged 11.4 points per game last year for the Matadors, who finished 31-3 and won the San Diego CIF Division III championship. She led East County with 53 three-pointers and handed out 4.1 assists per game.

“Grand Canyon is a good fit for Myishia,” Matadors coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL said. “Everything is paid for and she’ll have a chance to come in and play right away.”

Watkins took an official trip to the NCAA Division II university last month.

“They saw my video and said they liked what they saw,” Watkins said. “Once I met the coaches and players over there I knew Grand Canyon was the right choice for me.”

© East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (10-27-10) — West Hills High’s RYAN KINSER was honored as the 2009-10 San Diego CIF Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year at a ceremony prior to the business portion of the CIF-SDS Board of Managers Meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 26).

In his third season as the leader of the Wolf Pack, Kinser guided West Hills to the inaugural Grossmont Hills League title with a 9-1 league finish and 24-7 overall. The Wolf Pack went on to execute a four-game sweep to capture the SDCIF Div. II championship.

The Pack continued on to the Southern California Regionals where it lost to Huntington Beach Edison after losing standout point guard MARILYN NADERHOFF early in the game to injury.

Danielle Miller (MMHS courtesy photo)

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (8-15-10) — The Mount Miguel High girls basketball scholarship parade continues. The latest player to announce her college plans is senior-to-be DANIELLE MILLER, who has verbally committed to UNLV.

The 5-foot-9 Miller averaged 13.1 points and 4.3 steals per game as a junior, helping the Matadors finish 31-3. She also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 2 assists and nailed 72 percent of 107 free throws last season.

Miller is the third member of the Mount Miguel cast to secure a scholarship after the Matadors captured the Grossmont Valley League and San Diego CIF Division III section championships last season.

The four East County basketball players recently signed by San Diego Christian College are (l-r): Michelle Gonzalez (14), Sabrina Jimenez (5), Brittany Robinson (32) and Mariah Bennett (3). (SDCC courtesy photo by Irvin Jerry, Jr.)

In that regard, Hawks head coach KELSEY DILLON announced the signing of several players from San Diego County for the 2010-11 season, including four well-known East County products.

Among the locals is Granite Hills guard SABRINA JIMENEZ, West Hills guard MARIAH BENNETT, and Grossmont College transfers MICHELLE GONZALEZ and BRITTANY ROBINSON.

Jimenez, the runner-up in voting for the 2009-10 East County Player of the Year award after leading the region with a 17.2 scoring average, was a second-team all-CIF San Diego Section selection by the San Diego Hall of Champions.

The 5-foot-9 playmaker was the Grossmont Hills League player of the year, leading the Eagles to a second-place finish. Behind Jimenez, the Eagles placed just one game behind GHL titlist West Hills, Granite Hills' best finish in more than a decade.

Jimenez received opportunities to play elsewhere, but...

"How could I leave San Diego? This is home to me, where my friends and family can support me, I can play the game I love, and I had an opportunity to go to a great school with great academics," said Jimenez, who plays to major in kinesiology to become a sports physician.

"I am expecting a turnaround of the program; there are 14 new girls and 2 returning -- with our combined talent and hard work, I expect us to be competitive."

Besides, Jimenez resides just a few blocks down Madison Avenue from the SDCC campus.

Bennett ranked among the Wolf Pack leaders in assists and steals, helping the school to a No. 6 CIFSDS final ranking after earning the Division II championship in a 40-25 triumph over Westview. It was the school's second straight CIF title.

"My expectation for basketball at SDCC is to create lifelong friendships with my new teammates, and renew my love for basketball at a higher level," said Bennett. "It will enable me to not only enrich my college education, but San Diego Christian also empowers my Christian faith."

Bennett will major in psychology, then hopes to work in the crime laboratory of the San Diego Sheriff's Department after earning her Masters in criminology.

"I plan on making a positive and long-lasting impact on not on the basketball court but also achieving scholastic success."

Robinson helped Grossmont College gain a share of the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference crown last winter. The Griffins moved to within a game of gaining a berth in the Elite Eight of the CCCAA state championships.

Robinson gained a berth on the all-PCAC team while serving as one of the Griffins' co-captains after winning the school's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008. The forward out of Horizon High scored a season-high 19 points in a victory over Palomar to help the school grab a share of the conference title.

Gonzalez, who was not originally recruited out of Grossmont High, proved to be a valuable leader in her two seasons with the Griffins, opening doors for opportunities at 4-year schools. She last played at the Fletcher Hills campus in 2008-09.

"I chose SDCC because its a program that I really think can be turned around with the players that are returning and the players that are coming into this program," noted Gonzalez, who also plans to major in psychology.

"We all have talent and desire to do great. I look forward to play with a whole new team and look forward to play with Brittany again."

Dillon noted, "Michelle is a very quick and intelligent point guard. Her scrappy defense will lead our fast break style game well.”

Other county athletes to joined the Hawks include: Melanie Lombardi (Christian Life Academy), Heather Serven (Torrey Pines), and Rebekah Castellow (SD-Southwest).

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (8-2-10) — Mount Miguel High graduate NICOLE FOUNTAIN will attend Cal Lutheran University and play basketball for the NCAA Division III Regals, who finished 19-7 a year ago.

A three-time All-East County Sports.com selection, the 5-foot-9 Fountain helped Mount Miguel capture four straight Grossmont South League championships and one section crown.

“This is a great spot for Nicole,” Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL said. “She has a chance to step in and play right away. She could make an impact as a 2 or 3 for them. The way I see it is she’ll probably start as a freshman.”

The versatile Fountain averaged a career 9.2 points, nailed .648 percent of her 206 free throws and yanked down nearly 5 rebounds per outing for the Matadors, who compiled a 105-21 record during her stay at Mount Miguel.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (6-12-10) — Maintaining a recernt tradition of making a nationwide sweep to find a coach to add to its already impressive athletic staff, the Helix Highlanders introduced DEAN BRUNSON to the post as girls basketball coach. Athletic director DAMON CHASE announced the hiring.

Brunson is a veteran of both the collegiate and high school ranks, most recently coaching in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

In taking over for former Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH, who retired for maternity, Brunson was slated to meet with returning players on Friday (June 11) afternoon.

As a collegiate head coach Brunson earned three coach of the year awards and one national title at Bluefield College in Virginia. He also served the University of Central Florida, Union College (Barbourville, Ky.), Western Kentucky (Bowling Green, Ky.) as an assistant coach.

In March, Brunson coached in the Southwest Iowa All-Star Classic, and in the past two years was a middle school girls basketball coach while an assistant for the Council Bluffs Central Union High staff. Previous to his recent move to girls basketball, Brunson served as head coach with the Lewis Central High School boys, once taking them to the large-class Sub-State final.

© East County Sports.com
STOCKTON (5-8-10) — Mount Miguel High senior YVONTE NEAL, who ranked among the leader in nearly every statistical category to earn a berth on the All-CIF San Diego Section team, gained one additional honor to cap a standout career.

CalHiSports announced its all-state teams Friday (May 7), with the 5-foot-8 Neal, the East County Player of the Year, being the lone San Diego County player named to the 20-member State All-Division III team.

The Cal State Fullerton bound guard averaged 14.8 points per contest, showing remarkable consistency since her single-game high was just 22 points, as she guided the Matadors (31-3) to the CIFSDS championship and gained a Final Four berth in the Southern California regional playoffs.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-14-10) — AL SILVA has accepted the girls basketball head coaching position at Valhalla High School.

Silva was the girls junior varsity basketball coach at Granite Hills previously, and served as an assistant coach at Steele Canyon before that.

Yvonte Neal, Mount Miguel 2009-10 East County Player of the Year

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-18-10) — Ten-time league champion Mount Miguel placed three players on the annual East County Sports.com All-East County™ Girls Basketball team.

Matadors senior guard YVONTE NEAL was selected East County Girls Basketball Player of the Year. The 5-foot-8 Neal averaged 14.8 points and 3.5 steals per game. She was also a 70.6 percent free throw shooter, hitting 72 of 102 attempts.

Neal’s value to the Matadors went well beyond her statistics in that she is a solid floor leader and plays bigger than her size. She will attend Cal State-Fullerton on a basketball scholarship next season.

The Matadors also placed senior NICOLE FOUNTAIN and DANIELLE MILLER on the first team. Fountain averaged 3.7 assists and 3.7 in steals, along with averaging 9.2 points per game. Miller, a sophomore, averaged 13.1 points per game and scored 64 points in four playoff games. She led East County with 4.3 steals per game.

Seniors SABRINA JIMENEZ of Granite Hills and MARILYN NADERHOFF of West Hills earned first-team berths for the second season in a row. Jimenez topped East County in scoring (17.2 ppg) and assists (4.4 pg). Naderhoff, East County’s top shooter from the field (110-for-212, .519 pct), has a college scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield.

East County’s Unsung Hero was 5-4 junior guard GABRIELLE BEASLEY of Steele Canyon .

Coach of the Year for East County girls basketball went to Granite Hills’ JERRY PARKER. The 4th-year head coach led the youthful Eagles to a 25-7 record and reached the San Diego CIF Division I semifinals.

2009-10 ALL-EAST COUNTY™ TEAM (Selected by ECS.com staff)
FIRST TEAM Pos   Player, School Hgt, Year G F G G F   Yvonte Neal, Mount Miguel Sabrina Jimenez, Granite Hills Nicole Fountain, Mount Miguel Marilyn Naderhoff, West Hills Danielle Miller, Mount Miguel 5-8, 12 5-8, 12 5-9, 12 5-8, 12 5-8, 11	Player of the Year YVONTE NEAL, Mount Miguel Rookie of the Year SHAMONIQUE BOYD, Monte Vista Unsung Hero Award GABRIELLE BEASLEY, Steele Canyon Coach of the Year JERRY PARKER, Granite Hills
SECOND TEAM Pos   Player, School Hgt, Year F F F G G   Sherika Miller, West Hills Deanna Bembry, Monte Vista Kim Clark, West Hills Myishia Watkins, Mount Miguel Alyssa Padberg, Santana 5-11, 12 5-9, 11 5-9, 12 5-4, 11 5-9, 12	THIRD TEAM Pos   Player, School Hgt, Year F C G G F   Shay Young, Mount Miguel Janvier Barbarin, Steele Canyon Mariah Bennett, West Hills Hazel Doe, El Cajon Valley Amber Rel-Solia, El Capitan 5-11, 10 5-11, 12 5-4, 10 5-3, 12 5-10, 11