Drew is selected City Section boys’ basketball player of the year

North Carolina-bound point guard Larry Drew Jr. of Woodland Hills Taft has been selected the City Section player of the year in boys’ basketball by a panel of sportswriters.

Drew scored 24 points in the City Championship Division final this month when Taft defeated Los Angeles Fairfax, 65-55. He is a three-time All-City selection who’s scheduled to play in the McDonald’s All-American game March 26 in Milwaukee.

The first-team All-City selections: Renardo Sidney, Fairfax, Jr.; Justin Hawkins, Taft, Jr.; Eugene Phelps, Taft, Sr.; Tony Freeland, Fremont, Jr.; Laron Armstead, Fremont, Sr.; Dominique O’Connor, Westchester, Jr.; Oscar Bellfield, Westchester, Sr.; Chris Solomon, Fairfax, Sr.; Nigel Carter, Dorsey, Sr.; Jarred Dubois, Westchester, Sr.

The second-team All-City selections: Wendell Lee, Washington, Sr.; Skyler Vaden, Washington, Sr.; Solomon Hill, Fairfax, Jr.; Tyler Honeycutt, Sylmar, Jr.; Alonzo Wells, View Park, Sr.; Prince Obasi, Cleveland, Jr.; Rodney Hudson, Jordan, Sr.; Kaimyn Pruitt, University, Sr.; Gaellan Bewernick, Manual Arts, Jr.; Luis Ceja, Roosevelt, Sr.; Aaron Hawk-Harris, Palisades, Sr.

–Eric Sondheimer

Simi Valley’s Lorne Jackson and Mike Meza and North Hollywood Campbell Hall’s Dallas Rutherford were among the players expected to play in the Battle of the Valley all-star basketball game at 5 p.m. on April 14 at Cal State Northridge.

–Austin Knoblauch

College Commitments

Santa Clara senior quarterback-defensive end Randi Vines has committed to New Hampshire.

Vines, who played an important role in leading the Saints to the Mid-Valley Division title last fall, recorded 82 tackles, 12 sacks and two interceptions in addition to passing for 644 yards and eight touchdowns.

Oak Park defender Corey Whelan, who played a valuable role in the Eagles’ 2007 Southern California Lacrosse Assn. championship, has committed to Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.

Agoura’s Mike Cammorata has committed to Arizona and teammate Stephen Cordial has committed to Oregon. Lacrosse is a club sport at both universities. Cammorata, a former SCLA first-team selection, currently leads the Chargers in scoring. Cordial is Agoura’s main man on defense and is one of the reasons why the Chargers are off to a 3-1 start.

–Austin Knoblauch

Coaching Changes

Henry Lobo, who earned another Pacific View League coach-of-the-year honor last week, Monday announced his resignation as the Oxnard boys’ basketball coach after 17 seasons.

He led Oxnard to nine league championships and two divisional semifinal appearances on his way to a 300-148 career record. He also was responsible for helping the Yellowjackets post a 40-game league unbeaten streak from 1998 to 2003.

Derek Ballard, former boys’ varsity basketball coach at Saugus, has been re-appointed to the position and Kent Eaton has been selected the Centurions’ girls’ coach.

They are replacing Jeff Hallman, who resigned after a 14-year career as boys’ coach, and Eric Olsson, who resigned last week after eight years at the helm of the girls’ program.

–Austin Knoblauch

Luge

La Cañada sophomore Kate Hansen continues to make an impact on the U.S. Luge junior circuit.

Despite heading into her final run mired in eighth place, Hansen scored well enough on her final run to win the Verizon U.S. Junior Women’s Singles national title March 11 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

In February, she became the youngest U.S. Junior World Champion when she also rallied from eighth place to win the gold medal.

–Austin Knoblauch