2013 All-Valley boys basketball team: CIF champ Etiwanda sweeps awards

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jordan McLaughlin, Etiwanda, Junior, Point Guard
It was hard to imagine Jordan McLaughlin entering his senior year without having won a Player of the Year award – similar to how it’s hard to believe Kobe has only won one NBA MVP in 17 seasons – but Jeremy Hemsley and Malcolm Drumwright were certainly viable candidates for the 2013 All-Valley Player of the Year award. Hemsley led Damien to the first CIF championship in school history and Drumwright was an easy direct comparison after his Rancho Cucamonga team defeated Etiwanda in their final meeting to share the Baseline League title.

McLaughlin was edged for the award last season by La Verne Lutheran’s Grant Jerrett, a Freshman at Arizona this season who was not only the All-Valley POY, but the California Gatorade Player of the Year in 2012. Etiwanda’s point guard, who already has a plethora of scholarship offers, didn’t have any gaudy statistics this season (15.6 ppg) but his team’s defensive style doesn’t lend itself to such things. McLaughlin ended any debate, however, by leading his team to the CIF-SS Division 1AA championship by defeating a Mater Dei team that would go on to win its third straight state title.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Dave Kleckner, Etiwanda
His 17th season at Etiwanda was arguably the finest coaching job of Kleckner’s career as the Eagles claimed their first CIF championship in eight years and second in the program’s history. Perhaps the best defensive team ever fielded at Etiwanda held teams to 42 points per game in capturing the CIF-SS Division 1AA title as the sixth-seeded Eagles defeated No. 1 seed Mater Dei, 54-51. Etiwanda finished with a 28-3 record and made the school’s second ever trip to the semifinals of the CIF state tournament before falling in a rematch with eventual state champion Mater Dei.

FIRST TEAM (Photo Gallery)
Kenny Barnes, Etiwanda, Sr.
The first team all-Baseline League selection was the second-leading
scorer, averaging 12 points per game for the CIF-SS Division 1AA
champions, for whom he scored the first 11 points of the fourth
quarter in a 54-51 win over No. 1 seed Mater Dei in the title game.

Sheldon Blackwell, Etiwanda, Sr.
The 6-foot-3 Blackwell averaged 10.6 points per game and was a key
component of a defense that held opponents to 42 points per game this
season as Etiwanda claimed its first CIF-SS championship in eight
years and second ever in the program’s history with a historic victory
over No. 1 seed Santa Ana Mater Dei.

Alfred Brown, Upland, Sr.
The 6-foot-2 shooting guard averaged 19.5 points and four assists per
game and made a total of 93 3-pointers as the team leader this season
for an Upland team that finished 14-12, placing fourth in the deep
Baseline League.

Cameron Curry, Chino Hills, Sr.
The Sierra League MVP averaged 13 points and five assists per game for
the league-champion Huskies. Chino Hills went a perfect 10-0 in the
Sierra League, including two victories over eventual CIF-SS Division
3AA champion Damien, one of which was by 33 points.

Malcolm Drumwright, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.
The Baseline League co-MVP averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5
steals per game as Rancho Cucamonga shared the league title with an
Etiwanda team that went on to win the CIF-SS Division 1AA
championship.

Jeremy Hemsley, Damien, So.
The 6-foot-3 Hemsley averaged 18.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists
and 2.4 steals per game while leading Damien to the CIF-SS Division
3AA title, the first championship in school history. He also his the
game-winning 3-pointer in Damien’s first ever state tournament
victory.

Dane Hollar, Bonita, Jr.
The Hacienda League co-MVP was one of the top scorers in the area and
led Bonita to the Hacienda League championship with a 25-6 overall
record and 11-1 mark in league on the way to the playoffs, where the
Bearcats advanced to the quarterfinals.

Victor Joseph, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.
The first team all-Baseline League selection averaged 18.5 points, 4.5
assists and three steals per game for a Rancho Cucamonga team that won
a share of the league championship, posted a 24-5 overall record and
earned the No. 5 seed in the CIF playoffs.

Joseph Rushing, La Verne Lutheran, Jr.
The all-CIF 6-foot-5 junior controlled the paint and averaged 15.1
points per game for a La Verne Lutheran team that finished 26-8, went
to the CIF-SS Division 4AA championship game and reached the second
round of the state tournament.

Everett Turner, Colony, Sr.
The all-CIF guard and Mt. Baldy League MVP filled the stat sheet with
23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.8 assists per game in
leading Colony to its seventh consecutive Mt. Baldy League
championship and the second round of the CIF-SS Division 3AAA
playoffs.

SECOND TEAM
Jamar Akoh, Los Osos, Jr.
Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills, Fr.
Korey Hackett, Claremont, Sr.
Bishop Mency, Chino Hills, Jr.
Tim Myles, Etiwanda, Sr.
Adam Stanford, Miller, Sr.
Jordan Stokes, San Dimas, Sr.
Jared Dizon, Damien, Sr.
Skyler Williams, La Verne Lutheran, Sr.
Nnadi Udengwu, Diamond Ranch, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
Darryl Adigwu, Etiwanda, Sr.
Mark Borgeson, Alta Loma, Jr.
Mark Eden, Don Lugo, Sr.
Chris Edward, Claremont, Jr.
Malik Edwards, Carter, Sr.
Kevin Fregoso, Montclair, Sr.
Marquane Harris, Eisenhower, Jr.
Delewis Johnson, Etiwanda, So.
Wesley Ondatje, Chino Hills, Sr.
Corey Robinson, Summit, Sr.
Jody Smith, Montclair, Sr.
Justin Tazelaar, Ontario Christian, Jr.
Silar Gaines, Webb, Sr.

TOP 10 RANKINGS
1. Etiwanda
2. Rancho Cucamonga
3. Chino Hills
4. Damien
5. La Verne Lutheran
6. Los Osos
7. Bonita
8. Colony
9. Eisenhower
10. Miller

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Ambassador: Linfield Christian
Arrowhead: La Sierra Academy
Baseline: Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga
Citrus Belt: Eisenhower
Hacienda: Bonita
Montview: City of Industry Workman
Mountain Valley: Citrus Valley
Mt. Baldy: Colony
Prep: Flintridge Prep
San Andreas: San Bernardino
Sierra: Chino Hills
Sunkist: Colton
Valle Vista: Covina

GAME OF THE YEAR
Etiwanda vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei, CIF-SS Division 1AA championship game
This game was dramatic before it even began.

Three seasons prior, the same two teams met in the CIF championship game that ended with a controversial no-call as Etiwanda shot the potential game-tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds of a three-point loss to Mater Dei.

Etiwanda entered the rematch as a No. 6 seed while Mater Dei, the two-time defending state champion, held the top seed in Division 1AA. It was the Eagles who played like the top seed, hitting all six of their 3-point attempts in the first half to stun Mater Dei by building a lead that peaked at 17 early in the fourth quarter.

Mater Dei didn’t go down without a fight. Thanks to some ferocious full-court pressure, Mater Dei made a 13-2 run in the final two minutes, but Etiwanda mustered two mammoth defensive stops stops. The Monarchs missed a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer as Etiwanda claimed a 54-51 win that awarded the school its first CIF championship in eight seasons and the second title in program history.

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