photo credit: Dennis Lee
photo credit: Chace Bryson
By Harold Abend
The massive West Coast Jamboree girls basketball tournament celebrates its 20th birthday when it begins Dec. 27 at 12 different schools across the East Bay. The 2019 Jamboree features 136 teams split across 17 eight-team divisions. The Platinum Division features the most elite field — including Southern California heavyweights Mater Dei-Santa Ana and defending state champion Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth — and will take place at College Park High.
However, some of the East Bay’s best teams will be on display in the equally competitive fields of the Diamond and Gold Divisions.
Cal-Hi Sports’ preseason No. 15 Miramonte-Orinda headlines one side of the Diamond tournament, which will be hosted by Las Lomas. Preseason No. 17 Chaminade-West Hills resides on the other side.
Miramonte enters the Christmas Week with a perfect 7-0 record. The Matadors have five solid starters who all can shoot the 3-pointer. They are led by 5-11 junior Mia Mastrov, the Platinum David “Scoop” Jackson MVP winner last year. Senior guards Erin Tarasow, Rebecca Welsh, Leah Sopak, and junior wing Jordan Allred round out the starting five. The Mats open the Jamboree against Damonte Ranch-Reno (4-2).
Chaminade has a new coach in longtime assistant Megan Kelso. She has one of the top players in Southern California in 6-2 Washington-committed senior Alexis Whitfield. The Eagles (7-2) have a couple of solid wins this season but do have losses to Mater Dei and a solid Lynwood team.
Preseason No. 24 Salesian-Richmond will enter the tournament with a 7-1 record. The Pride will open against Del Oro-Loomis (8-3) in a first round match-up that could be an interesting game. Salesian is young but coach Stephen Pezzola has a solid core led by seniors Anisa Rillo and Fresno State-bound basketball and track star Daylee Dunn. The up-and-comers are 6-1 sophomore center Silvia Fonongaloa and sophomore forward Nevaeh Asiasi.
Del Oro looked good at the recent Elite Showcase, particularly 5-10 senior wing Madison Parry. Rounding out the Diamond Division is a first-round matchup of Marlborough-Los Angeles and Buchanan-Clovis, and an Elk Grove team that meets Chaminade in the first round.
GOLD DIVISION
Heritage will host the Gold Division. The Cal-Hi Sports preseason No. 20-ranked Patriots are on the other side of the bracket from preseason No. 19 Antelope. It was Antelope that beat them 53-48 in the second round of the CIF Division I state playoffs last March.
Heritage coach Rob Ocon has Boise State-bound 6-3 center Abby Muse back for her senior season, as is guard Paige Ziemann. A newcomer drawing raves from college scouts and analysts is Abby’s younger sister, 6-3 freshman Amanda Muse. Two other girls to look for are Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco transfer and junior point guard Milan Tuttle, who is immediately eligible since her family moved into the district, and junior point guard Julie Ramirez.
The Patriots open the week of tournament with a 3-1 record. Their first-round opponent is Canby (Oregon).
Antelope junior guard Jzaniya Harriel is among Northern California’s top players. Despite being 5-9, Harriel averaged 23.4 points and 12.8 rebounds last season. Complementing her are three more solid returners: senior guards Jordan Goodwin and Angel Jordan and junior point guard Kaiija Lesane. The Titans have opened the season with eight straight wins.
Antelope opens with a Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. team that consistently plays better than its record, which often reflects the Fighting’ Irish’s extremely difficult schedule. Senior Carmela Marquez and junior Nya Epps have both looked good.
The Jamboree has a team from Hawaii this year and it’s Kamehameha-Kapalama of Honolulu. The Warriors opened the year winning six of their first nine. Junior guard Camille Feary and seniors Malie Marfil and Noelle Sua-Godinet are currently the team’s leading scorers. The Warriors open with Valencia.
Rounding out the field in a first-round matchup are Oakland Tech and San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno. Tech, the defending CIF Div. V state champ, is led by seniors Stephanie Okowi and Jordan Smith. San Joaquin Memorial is led by the senior duo of Maci James and Angela Whitfield.
For more of your favorite local sports coverage visit SportStars Magazine online. For more information on the West Coast Jamboree, visit the tournament website: WestCoastJamboree.org.
‘a whole lot of B’Ball goin’ on…….