Sports

FOOTBALL AWARDS

Tony Griffin and Travor Turner of Westchester and Marco Pleas of University were selected to the City Section 4-A Division prep football team by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles and First Interstate Bank.

Griffin, The Times’ Westside lineman of the year, was one of five players who made the 4-A team for the second consecutive season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior tight end had 27 receptions for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Turner, a 6-6, 198-pound defensive end, had 78 tackles, including 38 solo tackles, and 18 1/2 sacks for the Comets.

Pleas, a 5-11, 190-pound junior running back, rushed for 1,455 yards in 216 carries and scored 10 touchdowns.

All three players were members of The Times’ Westside all-star first team.

Sylmar running back Durell Price was selected the 4-A player of the year.

Six Westside players were chosen to the City 3-A team on defense. They are linemen Vashon Farris of Fairfax and Sam Batts of Hamilton, linebackers Max Guevara of Hollywood and Jaime Craig of Palisades, defensive back Tony Gomez of Venice, and punter Mike Barry of Venice.

Farris, Craig, Gomez and Barry were selected to The Times’ Westside first team and Batts and Guevara were selected to the second team.

Bell tight end Dicky Purcell was named the 3-A player of the year.

VEGAS SHOWDOWN

Crossroads had to travel all the way to Las Vegas for its first meeting ever against Westchester.

The two Westside teams met Tuesday in the second round of the Holiday Prep Classic in Las Vegas. Defending tournament champion Westchester won the game, 85-79, in overtime.

The Roadrunners trailed by three points with eight seconds left in regulation when John Skinner made a three-point shot to send the game into overtime.

Westchester had a two-point lead with 12 seconds left in overtime when Crossroads guard Namrod Girmai lost control of the ball driving through the lane. The Comets’ Ben Sanders stole the ball and made a pass that led to a fast-break basket.

Westchester stole the inbounds pass and Jason Hart made a layup for the game’s final basket.

Skinner had 19 points, including five three-point shots, to lead the Roadrunners and Baron Davis had 17, including three three-point shots, before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Hart had 22 points to lead Westchester.

“I was very pleased with our effort,” Crossroads Coach Daryl Roper said. “Our kids didn’t quit. We had three starters who fouled out and we just kept coming.

“Girmai ran the club and delivered two crucial passes to John Skinner and Eric White that kept us in the game.”

In addition to Davis, Kejuan Woods and Perry Parks fouled out.

OVERLOADED

Coach Larry Wiener’s dilemma whenever Crossroads wins a basketball tournament: Who should he receive the most valuable player award?

The Roadrunners won four games to win the Redondo tournament, including a 58-51 victory over Redondo in the championship game. It was their second tournament championship victory.

Although Sherrise Smith, who leads the team in scoring with a 20.1 average, received the most-valuable-player award, Wiener said two other players were also deserving of the honor.

“Yasmeen Benjamin has been a consistent rebounder and scorer for us all year,” Wiener said. “But entering the championship game, I thought Halima Cotwright was the team’s MVP.”

Cotwright, the cousin of former Westchester standout Marty Cotwright, had 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Roadrunners’ 77-24 victory over Leuzinger on Thursday. Cotwright had 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 74-43 win over Torrance.

Although Benjamin and Cotwright were impressive, Smith’s play has made her one of the state’s best point guards.

FAST STARTS

With the new open enrollment policy, Hamilton Coach Dave Uyeshima feared he might lose one of his better players to perennial power Crenshaw.

“I know Darnai Thomas has friends at Crenshaw High,” Uyeshima said. “I was worried about him, but he chose to stay at Hamilton.’

Thomas, who lives across the street from school, remained a faithful Yankee and has led the team to a 9-1 record, its best start under Uyeshima. In the Hamilton tournament last week, Thomas scored 36 points as the Yankees defeated Kennedy, 69-57. Thomas was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

The Yankees have a strong supporting cast of neighborhood players for Thomas, including Alex Carcamo, Khalid Morris and Andrew Sacks. Bobby Kassaie, the team’s second leading scorer, missed the tournament after injuring his right knee.

“The entire team is home-grown,” Uyeshima said.

The Yankees, who finished second in the Beverly Hills tournament, conclude the preseason next week in the Eagle Rock tournament. Then they begin play in the Coastal Conference.

Are they capable of beating Westchester and Fairfax?

“At least this year, we have a chance to play with them,” Uyeshima said. “In the past, we didn’t.”

TURNAROUND SEASON

The St. Monica girls’ basketball team has already won more games (four) than the past two seasons combined (three).

Stephanie Seiler scored 14 points as St. Monica beat tournament host Marlborough, 39-25, for the Mariners’ third consecutive win. More importantly, the Mariners improved to 4-5. They won only one game in the 1992-93 season and two games in the 1993-94 season.

“I think this is the best start this program has ever had,” Coach Alan Mindell said. “But who really knows because no one keeps records at this school.”

Mindell, who is entering his second season as coach, said St. Monica has not been “a hotbed for girls’ athletics.”

“I’m not speaking derogatory of the school, but girls’ athletics has not taken hold at St. Monica,” Mindell said. “It’s tough competing for basketball players with Crossroads and Santa Monica.”

Seiler continues to be the team’s leading scorer, but the Mariners began their turnaround with the addition of freshman point guard Brenda Gonzalez.

“I’ve never had a true point guard in five years of coaching,” Mindell said. “I knew we had a chance to turn the corner when I first saw her play.”

The Mariners’ win streak came to an end with a 41-24 loss to Calabasas Friday in the Marlborough championship game. Mindell, however, was pleased with his young team’s performance.

“We belonged on the court with them,” Mindell said. “I was surprised. They blew other people out who were much better than us.”

PRESEASON POLL

The Southern Section released its preseason basketball polls and selected Mater Dei as the team to beat in boys’ Division I and Lynwood as the top girls’ Division I team.

Of particular interest to Westside boys’ teams, St. Bernard was ranked second behind Encino Crespi in Division IV. Crossroads was ranked third and St. Monica seventh in that same division.

Brentwood was ranked No. 6 in Division V.

In girls’ rankings, two-time defending state champion St. Bernard is ranked third behind top-ranked Valley Christian and Santa Ynez in Division IV. Crossroads is ranked sixth.

RECRUITING NEWS

El Camino College and former Beverly Hills High receiver David Saraf is being recruited by Wyoming, Western Michigan, New Mexico and San Jose State. Saraf, who has a 3.8 grade-point average as a business major, was recently named to the J.C. Grid-Wire Scholar/Athlete All-American team. . . .

St. Monica’s Adrian Klemm plans to take trips to Fresno State, Hawaii and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in January. The 6-4, 245-pound Klemm played offensive tackle and defensive end for the Mariners. Klemm, the son of basketball coach Leo Klemm, recently joined the Mariners basketball team after missing the first four games because of an infected finger.

POSTSEASON HONORS

West L.A. College announced its most valuable player and most-improved player awards for the football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross-country teams.

In football, wide receiver Chris Miller and quarterback Ron Peebles shared the most-valuable player award and linebacker Dempster Jackson received the Gerson (Gus) Okum Memorial Award for most improved player.

Kristi Fuzell was named the MVP of the women’s volleyball team.

Former Venice standouts Nyron Bernard and Marlette Byrd were named MVPs for the men’s and women’s cross-country teams, respectively.