DeGrammont, Haneef Named County Athletes of the Year

Dominique DeGrammont of Tustin High and Tayyiba Haneef of Laguna Hills were named the boy and girl athletes of the year by the Orange County Athletic Directors Assn. Wednesday night.

DeGrammont was a wide receiver and defensive back for the Tillers, helping them reach the Southern Section semifinals.

He also has the second-fastest time this year in the 110 high hurdles and has recorded one of the fastest times this season in the 300 hurdles. DeGrammont received a scholarship to play football and run track at Boise State.

Haneef, 6 feet 6 inches, led Laguna Hills to a Division II state title in basketball, averaging 13.9 points and 10.4 rebounds.

Haneef’s high jump of 5-8 in the Southern Section finals won her division, and she has the state’s best mark this season--5-10 1/2.

But Haneef will attend Long Beach State in the fall on a volleyball scholarship.

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Cypress catcher Craig Kuzmic, the state’s co-player of the year, and teammate Greg Jacobs made the community college all-state team, Jacobs as a utility player. He hit .389 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs this season. Jacobs also was 5-2 with two saves.

Heath Bell, a freshman right-hander from Rancho Santiago, was the all-state reliever. Bell was 8-1 with nine saves and struck out 74 and walked four in 63 innings.

Saddleback first baseman Kirk Bolling (.381, 14 HRs, 66 RBIs) and right-fielder Greg Ferrell (.421, nine HRs, 55 RBIs) also made first team.

Eight more players from Orange County made the All-Southern California team, including four from Rancho Santiago.

Representing the Dons are pitcher Matt Ward (11-2, 3.30 ERA), shortstop Josh Reding (.423, 52 RBIs), second baseman Joe Secoda (.398, 63 runs) and outfielder Rick Gonzalez (.341, eight HRs).

Pitcher Mike Palumbo (10-1, 3.38 ERA) and second baseman Corrie Willkie (.391, 22 steals, 38 RBIs) made it from Saddleback.

Cypress pitcher Brian Greene (9-3, five saves) and Fullerton catcher Brian Logan (.312, 16 HRs, 44 RBIs) also made the team.

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Willie Allen, a sophomore guard from Cypress, has signed to attend Loyola Marymount. Allen, from Hacienda Heights Wilson High, made the Loyola Marymount team as a walk-on his freshman year but left for financial reasons.

At Cypress, he averaged 18 points and made 93 three-pointers and was selected to the All-Orange Empire Conference team.

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J.C. Timmons, an All-Orange Empire Conference first-team guard from Irvine Valley College, has committed to play basketball at UC Davis, Irvine Valley Coach Jerry Hernandez announced. Timmons graduated from Santa Margarita High.