1991-92 TIMES ALL-COUNTY TEAM: BOYS

JASON BARNES: Senior/Vista

There might not be a more intense player than Barnes, who has overcome a handicap--a stunted arm, limited motion and two fingers connected at the knuckle--to become one of the county’s most dangerous and entertaining players. A guard, he was Vista’s primary inside threat despite being only 6 feet tall, largely because he was fearless, scrappy and used an uncanny ability to get his shots off on balance. He averaged 19 points, four rebounds and five assists per game. Opposing coaches from outside the North County raved--one called him “a coach’s dream,” another simply wrote “great, great, great.” Those were the lucky ones--they didn’t have to play him twice.

CRAIG BROWN: Senior/Torrey Pines

The redhead was red hot this season. The 6-4 guard proved to be a big-time shooter for the county’s best team, averaging 18 points per game. There were nights he would score 32 points, others when he would score four, but his 64% field goal percentage indicated that this “inconsistency” was based more on his desire to score rather than other teams’ ability to stop him. The reason Torrey Pines went unbeaten this season in San Diego fell largely on Brown’s shoulders, especially in times of intense defensive pressure, when the game plan centered on getting the ball to Brown and letting him get it up the court. He also averaged six rebounds a game.

AARON ELLIOTT: Senior/Monte Vista

Four years ago, but no longer, Elliott considered himself strictly a baseball player. “I didn’t have any idea I’d stop playing baseball, but I just really got hooked on basketball,” he said. “I play all the time, and I’m constantly thinking about basketball.” Transformation complete, Elliott averaged 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds this season for the Monarchs, who lost to Torrey Pines in the Division II finals. Elliott’s numbers were no more impressive than those of teammates Marty Ellis (20 points, 7.5 rebounds) or Matt Ehlke (12.4, 9.4), but it was the combination of his presence, leadership and overall basketball abilities that made him the choice here.

JEROME GREEN: Junior/Chula Vista

When the 1992-93 season begins, Jerome Green will return as the county’s leading scorer. He averaged 26.2 points in 26 games. But Green will find that won’t be all people remember about him. No, the county’s top scorer will have to deal with two stigmas. The first of which is playing in the Metro Conference. Many outsiders feel his statistics were padded by opponents in what is considered an inferior league. But Green began to shed that double standard when he poured in 40 points in a ployoff loss to eventual Division I champion Poway. The second label, “doesn’t play defense,” can also be forgotten if Green becomes as tanacious on the other side of the court as he is with the ball.

LLOYD LAKE: Senior/Helix

Without Lake, Helix is up a creek. With him, the Highlanders make it to the Division II semifinals before losing to Monte Vista. It’s that simple. Lake, a 6-2 forward, meant everything to Helix in terms of winning or losing games. Lake averaged 22 points, 15 rebounds and three assists this season after scoring 17 per game a year ago. Though he could score from most ranges, Lake was at his best driving to the basket along the baseline. Said Coach John Singer: “We have not faced a better player than Lloyd Lake.” That said, Lake’s presence alone made other Highlanders--particularly forward Andreal Climon--that much more effective.

CHRIS MILLER: Senior/Fallbrook

A four-year starter, Miller had the school scoring record before the season even began. He finished with 1,911. Opposing teams had one primary objective, and that was stopping Fallbrook’s 6-4 guard. They didn’t do a very good job. Despite being double- and triple-teamed, and surviving an early-season slump, Miller still averaged 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game. He finished with a 44% shooting average from the field. A good passer and fundamentally solid, he is a two-time member of The Times’ All-County Team. Miller is agile and athletic, and his strength and quickness made him one of the county’s most dangerous players--again.

KYLE MILLING: Senior/Poway It took Milling a while to get into the swing of things, and it wasn’t until midway through league play began that he really started to assert himself. He blamed the slow start on trying to display his outside skills instead of doing what he does best--dominate the post. Despite that, Milling still averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds and a pair of assists each game in leading Poway to its second consecutive Division I title with him in the middle. One coach said Milling was “hard to handle.” He proved to be really hard to handle. A 6-7 center, he is headed to UC Santa Barbara next year, though some opposing coaches said Milling is a Division I player right now.

CHAD NELSON: Senior/Carlsbad

A 5-10 point guard, Nelson guided Carlsbad to a 14-0 finish in the Avocado League and 22-7 overall mark after a semifinal playoff loss to Torrey Pines. Though his biggest contribution was running the offense and breaking through presses, Nelson still found time to average 17.1 points per game. Many of his eight assists per game went to junior guard Kewan Shariff, who averaged 18.1 points. Mission Bay Coach Mike Seaman called Nelson, “An outstanding talent,” and Torrey Pines’ John Farrell chose, “A true leader on the court.” Nelson’s leadership really came into focus when Carlsbad lost its coach for disciplany reasons in January, and the Lancers went on to win 16 in a row.

SCOT POLLARD: Junior/Torrey Pines

Quite simply, Pollard was the best player on the county’s best team. At 6-11, he had the size to intimidate opponents and often did. There were times when he simply overpowered opposing players just to prove he could do it; he would take the ball in the paint, wheel around and jam it into into the basket, just for kicks. You could tell by the smile. He averaged 18.5 points per game and 12 rebounds, but his greatest asset may have been his wide body, sky-scraper defense. He averaged five blocks per game and forced countless altered shots. Most recruiters can’t wait to see Pollard play next year, but opposing coaches would rather catch their breath.

BERRY RANDLE: Senior/Lincoln

Playing on a team with plenty of offensive talent, Randle realized he didn’t have to do it all to carry the Hornets (25-9) to the state Division IV championship game. Yet the 6-foot-4 All-County returnee improved on nearly every facet of his game--especially defense. Randle broke the section record for blocked shots in a season with 172, an average of 5.3 per game. He also averaged 17.3 rebounds a game to go with his 18.2 scoring average. He shot 51.9% from the floor and added 123 assists and 109 steals in 32 games. Randle had a quadruple-double against Hoover. Said Coach Ron Loneski about Randle’s college prospects, “I think he can play any place.”