Recently in Choncey White Category

Just got this e-mail highlighting the all-SAL team. Leading the way was San Bernardino senior guard Choncey White, who won Most Valuable Player honors after averaging 16.9 points and 2.6 assists per game in leading the Cardinals to their first league title since 1993.

The entire team:

Most Valuable Player: Choncey White, SR, San Bernardino

First Team
Steven Reneau, SR, Carter
Devin Jones, JR, Cajon
Stephen Marshall, JR, Arroyo Valley
Richie Ragoo, JR, Colton
Jeremiah Tardy, SR, San Bernardino

Second Team-
Kevin Batiste, JR, Rialto
Bill Belvins, JR, Cajon
Kalen Fair, SO, Pacific
Dashun Hardrick, SR, Arroyo Valley
Khleem Perkins, SO, San Bernardino

Honorable Mention-
Channing Runkle, SR, Arroyo Valley
Lorelle Martin, SR, Cajon
Marcus Marshall, SR, Carter
Richard Medina, SO, Colton
Bobby Jackson, SR, Pacific
Devon Blackwell, SR, Rialto
Deantonio Harris, SR, San Bernardino
Kevin Poku, SR, San Gorgonio

I was going to have an article in tomorrow's paper on San Bernardino senior guard Choncey White. However, the Cardinals were upset 62-54 by Manhattan Beach Mira Costa last night in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 2A playoffs, so the story won't run.

Luckily, this is one of the main reasons I enjoy having this blog, because, quite frankly, White is one of the more impressive players I've had the pleasure to watch this season and deserves to be lauded. He stands about 5-foot-10, which means I can look him straight in the eye. But anyone who watches White knows that he plays much bigger than that.

"I go into the lane without fear because I really feel that no one can stop me," White said. "They may be bigger than me, but I'm going to get where I want to go and I'm not going to be scared off by bigger players."

White exhibited this tenacity in San Bernardino's historic 83-57 victory at Cajon Jan. 19 - the Cardinals first victory over the Cowboys in 18 years. At a key juncture in the second quarter of what was a close game, White and Cajon's 6-7 center Lorelle Martin were locked in a scramble for a loose ball when the bigger Martin pushed White out of the way.

White was unintimidated, getting right back into Martin's face (or more accurately, arching his neck to talk to Martin at close range) and bugging the Cajon player to the point where Martin pushed him off, earning a technical foul and setting the fire for a Cardinal burst that eventually overwhelmed Cajon.

San Bernardino High School boys basketball coach Darin Graham gives his team the night of and the morning after a big win to celebrate. After Monday's 79-73 victory over Cajon clinched the Cardinals' first league championship in 18 years, Graham will give his players the afternoon to celebrate as well.

"In one word, the feeling is great," Graham said. "This was a long time coming and the mood around campus is something I haven't seen here in a while. Students, teachers, administrators, everyone is happy and school spirit is as high as it has been in years."

That school spirit contributed to an electric atmosphere at Cardinal City Arena Monday night, as famed alumni such as Mark Seay and Jack Brown were among the fans attending. Recent Cardinal alumni spearheaded the Gatorade bath of Graham after the victory and helped lead the throng of fans who rushed the floor to celebrate the historic win.

"Everyone who has been in this program can share in this victory," Graham said. "Cajon has dominated across the board for a long time and for us to get this victory meant so much, from our current players to our former players. They all were a part of what led up to this."

After losing to the Cardinals 83-57 at Cajon Jan. 19 for their first loss to San Bernardino in 18 years, Cajon came out playing well, leading for most of the first two quarter and only being down 33-32 at halftime. But a 22-13 Cardinal spurt in the third quarter led by seniors Choncey White, who ended with 23 points, and Jeremiah Tardy, who had 17 on the game, gave San Bernardino wiggle room and eventually got the party started.

"We were 12-0 coming in, they were 11-1," Graham said. "I told our guys that they weren't going to back down and let us have this, that we had to take it. That's exactly what we did."