Wulfemeyer Leads South Past North

Much the same way it began in December--with lots of parity--the 1997-98 high school boys’ basketball season came to an end Saturday night in the 33rd Orange County All-Star Game at Orange Coast College.

The South beat the North, 114-100, amid the usual array of three-point shots, behind-the-back passes and fast breaks that are expected in such showcases. But compared with past all-star games, this one didn’t produce a single player who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

El Toro guard Mark Wulfemeyer, whose father, Mark, set the all-star record with 40 points when he represented Troy in the 1974 game, was named the game’s MVP. He got hot in the second half for the South and finished with 17 points. “It was a real even game, but in the second half we started to box out a lot and it worked,” Wulfemeyer said. “Playing in the same game as my dad did, this is a real honor.”

Unheralded Cypress guard Travis Weaver (12 points) and Troy forward Scott Blake (16) displayed nice shooting touches, and University guard Eric Palmer (17 points, six assists) showed why he is at his best when the game’s tempo kicks into high gear.

Magnolia guard Zamiro Bennem (17 points, six assists), who played for the North and has signed with UC Irvine, was, perhaps, the game’s most athletic performer. He also won the slam dunk contest.

Sam Nelson of Estancia, who has received an appointment to the Air Force Academy, had 15 points for the South.

Santa Margarita guard T.J. Williams (15 points), the Times’ Orange County Player of the Year who led Santa Margarita to the state Division II title, appeared the most effective at floor-leadership.