Molina shares MVP

Senior point guard Brian Molina heads the list of boys’ basketball standouts from Costa Mesa High and Estancia High who were All-Golden West League selections this season.

Molina was named the co-MVP of the Golden West League. He was the point man on Costa Mesa’s run-and-gun offense and wreaked havoc on defenses with his quickness and aggressiveness. Molina averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

Costa Mesa’s Scott Knox and Larry Puente were All-Golden West League first-team picks. Knox led the league in scoring with 15.4 points per game and grabbed 5.4 rebounds a game. Knox led the league with 76 three-pointers.

Puente averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game for Costa Mesa, which won a share of the Golden West League title. It was only the second league title for the Mustangs in the program’s 46 seasons.

Tony Krikorian and Moses Titus were honorable mention selections for Costa Mesa, which earned a first-round bye in the CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoffs before losing to El Segundo, 53-41, in the second round.

For Estancia, Michael McDaniels was a first-team all-league pick. The senior forward led Estancia with 12 points per game and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game.

Seniors Shaun Markley (8.4 points per game) and Dallas Kopp (8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds per game) were All-Golden West League second-team picks.

Freshman Troy McClanahan, junior Blake Pinto (9.3 points, 2.6 steals per game) and senior Scott Markley were honorable mention selections for the Eagles, who went 13-14 overall and 7-5 in the Golden West League.

Estancia finished third in league before losing in the first round of the Division III-A playoffs to Pasadena Marshall, 72-58.