Heads Above the Rest : There Was Little Doubt About Which 10 Prep Basketball Players Were Best in the Valley

High above the crowd.

That’s where a majority of The Times’ All-Valley boys’ basketball team spent this past season.

At Cleveland High, where Trevor Wilson soared above the rim, the crowd often rated his dunks a 10.

At Simi Valley, Mark Robinson set a school record for most dunks (five) in a game and in a season (30).

But nowhere was the dunk more of a crowd pleaser than at Van Nuys, where 6-8 Anthony Cook left his fans breaking (as in dancing) and opponents, as well as the baskets, shaking.

No matter how many times they saw Cook rise up to take a lob pass from Pat Meyer or Maurice Idolor and slam it home, they never got bored with it.

Jeff Halpern, in his first year as coach at Van Nuys, did not have the lob dunk in his playbook. But he expected that Cook and the guards had been working on it before he arrived.

Then, it happened in a game.

“I was in awe,” Halpern said. “Just to see it and enjoy it. It was a beautiful thing.”

And one that had a definite impact on the Wolves’ opponents.

“It’s got to have an affect,” Halpern said. “In the NCAA (playoffs), you hear, ‘Don’t let (Pat) Ewing dunk.’ They’d rather have him get a layup than a dunk.

“There’s just something about having the ball put down on you like that, that takes something out of you.”

But Cook’s game was more than the dunk. And that’s why the senior has been named to the All-Valley team a second straight season.

Other members of the team are Steve Banales of Camarillo, Joe Campanella and Brian Capp of Crespi, Tyrone Mitchell and Wilson of Cleveland, Desmond Cerceo of Granada Hills, Robinson of Simi Valley, Todd Bowser of Montclair Prep and Gerald Thomas of Faith Baptist.

The team will be honored Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Times’ annual awards program, which will be held in the Harry Chandler Auditorium in Los Angeles. Each player will receive a certificate and trophy.

The most valuable player and Coach of the Year from nine of The Times’ circulation areas also will be announced. USC Coach Stan Morrison will be the guest speaker.

A look at the All-Valley team:

Steve Banales: The 6-2, 175-pound senior guard led Camarillo to the Marmonte League crown and earned league MVP honors. Banales was first-team all-league was a junior.

Banales averaged 15.8 points and 4.8 assists. A third-team All-Southern Section performer last year, Banales twice was named to the All-Ventura County team.

Joe Campanella: Said Crespi Coach Paul Muff, “Joey was probably as good an outside shooter as you’ll see. He was a real force. Most of his points came from the 20-foot range.”

Campanella, a 6-3 senior guard, averaged 14 points a game for the Celts, shooting 54% from the field. He was named a first-team All-Del Rey League member after helping Crespi win the league championship.

Brian Capp: The 6-4 senior led Crespi in scoring with 19.4 a game. He also hit 55% from the field, most of his shots coming from 15 to 20 feet.

“Brian was a prolific scorer for us,” Muff said of the league’s MVP. “He always buried one when we needed it.”

Tyrone Mitchell: A repeater from last year’s All-Valley team. Mitchell’s scoring average dropped from 19 points as a sophomore to 13 points last season to 10.5 this year. But that didn’t mean the 6-4 senior wasn’t getting any better.

“Tyrone was just a jewel to coach,” Cleveland Coach Greg Herrick said. “If I were to pick the top five players I’ve coached at Cleveland, he would be one of them.”

Mitchell was the Co-Valley 4-A League MVP last season with teammate Trevor Wilson. He also earned All-City honors. But this season he was not selected to the All-City team, as some thought he did not live up to his billing.

“There was a media rap that he was overrated,” Herrick said. “That’s crazy. He is one of the best guards in California.”

Mitchell had 232 assists for the 22-2 Cavaliers, the school’s season record. His 479 career assists is also a school mark.

Desmond Cerceo: After missing the first six games while recovering from the football season, Cerceo led Granada Hills to the league championship, gaining MVP honors along the way.

The 6-5 senior forward averaged 22.2 points a game, earning All-City honors for the second straight season. Cerceo grabbed nearly 11 rebounds in league and in two playoff games scored 58 points.

He will attend San Diego State on a football scholarship next season.

Mark Robinson: The Simi Valley senior, in his first season at the varsity level, averaged 24.4 points and 9.3 rebounds a game for the Pioneers. The 6-5 forward scored 30 or more five times, including a season-high 39 against Granada Hills.

“He was a real key to our success,” coach Bob Hawking said. Robinson was named first-team All-Marmonte after leading Simi to second place.

Trevor Wilson: Herrick says the 6-7 junior from Cleveland will be one of the top five players recruited in America next season.

Wilson averaged 24.4 points and 11.9 rebounds a game for the Valley 4-A League champions and was league’s outright MVP this time around. He also was named All-City for the second time.

Only two California players were named to Parade All-American’s top five teams. Tom Lewis of Mater Dei (Santa Ana) was named to the second team, Wilson to the third.

“He is the best player in the school’s history,” Herrick said.

Todd Bowser: “The Bowz,” Montclair Prep’s 6-8, 270-pound center, led the Mounties to a 23-2 record, the Alpha League title and the 1-A semifinals.

Bowser, a junior, tallied 23.2 points and grabbed 14.8 rebounds a game, and made 67% of his shots. An All-Southern Section performer in football, Bowser earned similar honors in basketball. He was also the league’s MVP.

In three playoff games, he scored 24, 37 and 30 points.

Anthony Cook: After averaging 20.3 points and 13.8 rebounds a game, Cook was named East Valley League MVP a second straight season. He was an All-City choice for the second straight year.

The 6-8, 185-pound Van Nuys senior will play at the University of Arizona next season.

Gerald Thomas: The Delphic League MVP, Thomas averaged 15 points and 17 rebounds for Faith Baptist. The 6-5, 213-pound senior was named to the All-Southern Section team for the third straight season.

Thomas was named the player of the year in the 8-man large-schools division after leading the football team to the Southern Section championship.

“Gerald was outstanding,” Faith Baptist Coach Mark Trammell said. “He is a coach’s dream. It’s really sad to see him go.”

ALL-VALLEY BASKETBALL TEAM

Name School Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG Steve Banales Camarillo G 6-2 175 Sr. 15.8 Joe Campanella Crespi G 6-3 170 Sr. 14.0 Brian Capp Crespi G 6-4 180 Sr. 19.4 Tyrone Mitchell Cleveland G 6-4 190 Sr. 10.5 Desmond Cerceo Granada Hills F 6-5 195 Sr. 22.2 Mark Robinson Simi Valley F 6-5 195 Sr. 24.4 Trevor Wilson Cleveland F 6-7 195 Jr. 24.4 Todd Bowser Montclair Prep C 6-8 270 Jr. 23.2 Anthony Cook Van Nuys C 6-8 185 Sr. 20.3 Gerald Thomas Faith Baptist C 6-5 213 Sr. 15.0