What: Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
When: Saturday, Apr. 28
Where: Damien HS
Time: Girls game at 4 p.m., boys game at 6 p.m.
By Aram Tolegian, SGVN twitter.com/ChemicalAT
Rosters are set for the ninth annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic for area high school boys and girls basketball standouts. And if the assembled talent is any indicator, the Tribune team looks like a good bet to pull off a sweep of both games for the second consecutive year.
The game will be played on Saturday, April 28 at Damien High. The girls game is at
4 p.m. and the boys play at 6. There will be a 3-point shooting contest at halftime of each game.
Leading the way for the Tribune boys team is 6-foot-7
St. Mary’s-bound standout Chris Reyes of Damien. Reyes averaged 16 points per game and 11 rebounds this past season and will be joined on the Tribune roster by teammate Clayton White.
Tribune All-Area selections Treavon Francis (Northview), Garrett Horine (Bonita) and Kyle Gordon (Glendora) also are on the roster and will offer the coaching tandem of Covina’s Will Bissman and Wilson’s Jason Rochwerg plenty of scoring options.
As loaded as the Tribune boys team appears, it had better be on its game because the Star-News team has put together a dynamic roster that will be coached Pasadena coach Tim Tucker, who knows a thing about All-Star game success and always takes the event seriously.
Tucker’s Star-News team is led by the Pasadena duo of Blake Hamilton and John Haywood. Muir’s Dion Nelson also figures to be a force.
The Tribune boys team will practice twice next week on Tuesday and Thursday at Covina High at 7:30 p.m. The workouts are open to the public.
The Tribune girls team will have to wait two years to have Player of the Year Nikki Wheatley on the roster, but that doesn’t mean this year’s group isn’t loaded.
Diamond Ranch leading scorer Chelsea Barnes, Workman’s Evelyn Herrera and Covina’s Ashli Baddorf, all first-team All-Area selections, headline the Tribune roster.
They will be joined by Bonita center Brianna Kennedy and Bishop Amat sharpshooter Kaysee Tayag. Covina’s Marissa Clark also is on the team and adds depth to what should be a stellar backcourt.
The Tribune girls team will have to be ready to play some defense because Pasadena Poly standout Michelle Miller is fully capable of taking the game over. Miller, who finished her prep career as the second-leading scorer in CIF-Southern Section history, averaged 32.5 points per game and will play at Princeton next year.
The Tribune girls team is coached by Covina’s Nick Masi, who led the Colts’ girls team to one of the finest seasons in school history.
BOYS
Coach: Will Bissman, Covina
Coach: Jason Rochwerg, Wilson
Players
Chris Reyes, Damien
Clayton White, Damien
Kyle Gordon, Glendora
Wesley Burke, Glendora
Treavon Francis, Northview
Kyle Maloof, Claremont
Derrick Mar, Rowland
Garrett Horine, Bonita
Taylor Olvera, Bishop Amat
Brandon Croom, Walnut
Vance Valencia, Los Altos
Ricardo Soto, Workman
Corey Serna, South Hills
Nino Harrell, Covina
Bryce Kato, Wilson
GIRLS
Coach: Nick Masi, Covina
Players
Ashli Baddorf, Covina
Marissa Clark, Covina
Kaysee Tayag, Bishop Amat
Chelsea Barnes, Diamond Ranch
Tyvette White, Diamond Rach
Brianna Kennedy, Bonita
Taylor Jackson, San Dimas
Jaimie Hou, Wilson
Savannah Selby, St. Lucys
Evelyn Herrera, Workman
Natalie Iam, West Covina
Estrella Rivera, Sierra Vista
Merrissa Suarez, Charter Oak
Alice Lao, Rowland
Yasmine Wilson, Duarte
Michelle Trieu, Arroyo
