All City Teams: Boys Basketball
Berry, Hedrington a cut above
Friday, Mar. 28, 2008
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BOYS BASKETBALL
Co-Player of the Year
Elliott Berry
Clovis West, senior
The Tri-River Athletic Conference co-Player of the Year earned his second trip to the All-City squad as the senior established himself as the league's dominant inside presence. Despite frequent double-teams, which created scoring chances for his teammates, Berry led Clovis West in scoring (12.6 points per game) and both offensive and defensive rebounds. He also used his long wingspan and 6-foot-7 height to block more than a shot per night. One of three co-captains with Ethan Larson and Mike Vogt, Berry guided Clovis West to the regular-season league title, a runner-up Central Section finish and a berth in the Southern California Regional playoffs.
Co-Player of the Year
John Hedrington
Clovis East, junior
Hedrington, last season's All-City Newcomer of the Year, continued to prove clutch with the game on the line as Clovis East won its second straight Central Section championship. The 6-3 slashing guard scored the final six points -- as part of an 18-point outing -- in the title game, a 60-56 win over Clovis West. For the season, the TRAC co-Player of the Year led the team in scoring 16.8 points per game (47.3 shooting percentage) and added 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals. A solid outside shooter, he converted 31.3 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Mr. All-Around
Brandon Sperling
Buchanan, senior
This versatile guard, who also played forward, had a breakout season for the Bears. The 6-3 Sperling led the team in every major statistical category -- 16.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game -- as Buchanan made a run at the TRAC title. A complete player, the first-team All-TRAC performer could play in the post or out on the perimeter.
Newcomer of the Year
Nikos Natsues
Clovis West, sophomore
A broken leg cost Natsues his freshman season, but the 5-10 guard was healthy in 2007-08. Natsues proved himself as a contributor this season and should only improve over the next two years. A stout defender willing to give up his body -- he took five charges against Etiwanda in the season finale -- he drew the top defensive assignment nightly. Offensively he averaged 3.7 points and about 2 assists and 2 boards, while leading the team in steals.
Co-Coach of the Year
Tim Amundsen
Clovis East
One season removed from a 26-5 mark and the school's first boys basketball Valley championship, Amundsen, in his fifth season at Clovis East, led this year's team back to the pinnacle of Central Section basketball -- back-to-back titles. Along the way to a repeat, Clovis East had its hands full with two Clovis Unified rivals -- traditional-power Clovis West and a much-improved Buchanan squad.
Co-Coach of the Year
Eric Swain
Buchanan
After back-to-back 0-10 conference seasons, Swain, in his third year on the Buchanan bench, kept the Bears in contention all season. Buchanan (18-9) finished third in the TRAC at 6-4 and advanced to the Central Section semifinals. The TRAC Coach of the Year also led Buchanan to its first regular-season sweep of Clovis West, the eventual league champion.
The Rest of the Team
Justin Carroll
Buchanan, senior
Carroll could be counted on for 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds each game. Those totals translated to a spot on the all-conference second team for the 6-2 forward. Offensively, he thrived on the baseline, often attacking the rim from 15 feet. On defense, he was asked to guard the TRAC's top post players despite being outsized.
Joey Davis
Clovis, senior
The 5-10 guard, the Cougars' lone senior, may have saved his best for last, scoring 55 points in his final two prep games -- a season-high 29 in an upset of Ridgeview to open the Valley playoffs and 26 in a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Clovis East. Davis, the team's Sassano Blanket Award winner and a second-team all-league pick, averaged 11.8 points per game to go with 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals.
Ethan Larson
Clovis West, senior
Larson could do it all for the Eagles, as the senior guard was an adept dribbler, passer and shooter. His ability to bring the ball up the court made it tough for the opposition to press, while his 3-point shooting stopped opponents from collapsing on the Clovis West interior players. The 6-3 Larson averaged 12.2 points, leading the team in 3-pointers, to secure a place on the all-conference first team.
DeAndrè Medlock
Clovis West, junior
Whether it was altering shots on the defensive end or scoring inside, Medlock matured into a force this season. "The sky's the limit," said Clovis West coach Tom Orlich of the 6-10 junior who formed an imposing tandem with Berry. The second-team all-conference pick led Clovis West in field-goal percentage while scoring 10.8 points, grabbing about 7 rebounds and blocking about 1.5 shots per game. Medlock scored a game-high 24 points in the Valley championship game.
Rob Toloy
Clovis East, senior
The Clovis East point guard's touch from the outside stretched opposing defenses all season. A marksman from the perimeter, Toloy averaged 14.6 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field (36.2 percent on 3-pointers). He added 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per night. Toloy, who missed most of the 2006-07 season with concussions, twice scored 28 in games this year is being named an All-TRAC first-teamer.
Mike Vogt
Clovis West, senior
Vogt was the glue to the Golden Eagles as the team marched back to the Central Section championship game. His outstanding play continued a long tradition of Clovis West point guards garnering first-team all-league honors. The 5-11 Vogt averaged 6.7 points and led the team in assists. One of the team's co-captains, he hit 50 percent of his shots from the field and was Clovis West's most dependable free-throw shooter.
