Close-ups

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

DOMINIQUE JOHNSON

Sr., Moreno Valley Valley View

* Then: Jim Long still gets ribbed by Johnson for not promoting him to the varsity when he was a freshman, but the Valley View coach wanted him to develop chemistry with his classmates. As a sophomore, Johnson scored a career-high 41 points against Banning in the championship game of the Hemet West Valley tournament and averaged 22.9 for the season. As a junior, he averaged 24.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in leading the Eagles to a 22-7 record. Johnson is also one of the top receiver prospects in the Southland and verbally committed to UCLA in March.

* Now: At 6 feet 4 and 210 pounds, Johnson continues to score at will. He had 30 points and eight rebounds in the second game of the season, a 78-61 victory over Yucaipa, despite matching up against 6-10 forward Jared Anthony. He scored a season-high 35 last week, converting 17 of 18 free throws in a 74-64 victory over Rialto Carter. For his career, Johnson has scored 1,474 points in 63 games -- a 23.4 average.

* Quote: “He’s probably the most consistent player I’ve coached,” said Long, in his eighth season. “What he does in basketball is all natural. I think he can take football wherever he wants to go.”

--DAN ARRITT

*

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

ZAIVE WOODS

Jr., Long Beach Poly

* Then: Averaged 4.5 points as a freshman and 4.6 as a sophomore. Last season, while freshman Jasmine Dixon and senior April Phillips did much of the scoring, Woods’ modest numbers were complemented by an average of 1.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals on a squad that finished 28-4. She cracked double-digits in scoring only twice, with 11 points against Moore League-rival Long Beach Millikan, and 10 against Long Beach Cabrillo.

* Now: With point guard Brittany Brumfield and forward Taja Edwards injured, Woods got off to a fast start at the South Torrance tournament that ended Saturday, winning MVP honors. She scored 15, including seven during a pivotal 20-14 scoring run in the second quarter that gave the second-ranked Jackrabbits the lead, in their 77-58 victory over No. 6 Harbor City Narbonne. She has averaged 12 points. 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.2 steals.

* Quote: “With Brittany and Taja being out, we asked some kids to step up, and she definitely stepped up,” Coach Carl Buggs said. “Right now, she’s our best all-around player.”

--MARTIN HENDERSON

*

GIRLS’ SOCCER

ASHLEY BOWYER

Sr., Aliso Viejo Aliso Niguel

* Then: A four-year varsity player, Bowyer suffered a broken left ankle a few games into her freshman season and missed the rest of that year. As a junior, she led the Wolverines to an 18-3-3 record and their fourth consecutive Sea View League title with a team-high 16 assists. She also tied for second on the team with 10 goals and was named the team’s and league’s most valuable player. Bowyer won age-group state championships with her club team, the Slammers FC, each of the past two summers.

* Now: Although she plays up front, Bowyer’s role in Aliso Niguel’s three-forward offense is that of an attacking midfielder. A deft passer and ball-handler, she collected six assists to go with one goal in five games as the Wolverines (7-0-1) won the championship of the inaugural Aliso Cup. Aliso Niguel capped its tournament run with a 3-2 victory over defending Southern Section Division I champion Los Alamitos on Monday as Bowyer had a goal and an assist. She leads the team with seven assists and has two goals this on the season.

* Quote: “I worked hard, and everyone did, to win that tournament,” Bowyer said. “We wanted to make a statement, that ‘This is our event,’ and we all played really well.”

-- LAUREN PETERSON