Zwagerman, Roczey Are Southeast Players of Year

Tonya Zwagerman, a forward from Valley Christian High School, and Santa Fe High center Scott Roczey are The Times’ 1988 Southeast basketball players of the year.

Coach of the year in boys basketball is Joe Mendoza, who guided Santa Fe to its first league championship in 21 years.

Gilberto Limon and Ken Popkin of Bell Gardens’ 21-3 team are coaches of the year in girls basketball.

The 5-foot-9 Zwagerman averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists and led her team to the CIF Southern Section championship. Zwagerman, who set a school record with 15 steals in a game, plans to attend Biola University.

The 6-8 Roczey, who took up basketball as a sophomore, averaged 19 points this season as a senior.

Mendoza’s title-winning season came three years after he inherited a losing program at the school in Santa Fe Springs. He is a walk-on coach who is a city parks department supervisor in Cerritos.

Gilberto and Popkin took over the Bell Gardens girls basketball program three seasons ago after it had hit bottom with a 0-20 record. This season, with a starting lineup of a freshman, sophomore and three juniors, the Lancers were 21-3.

Each honoree received a trophy Sunday at a brunch at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel.