Prep Rally: And the basketball players of the year are ...

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s awards time in basketball for players and coaches.

Drum roll

King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster celebrate with his players after winning City Section Open Division championship.

(Nick Koza)

The Times’ boys and girls basketball players of the year are Trent Perry of Harvard-Westlake and Kennedy Smith of Etiwanda. Both led their teams to Southern Section Open Division and state Open Division championships while earning McDonald’s All-America honors.

Here’s a profile of Perry. Here’s a profile of Smith.

The coaches of the year are Lloyd Webster of King/Drew and Melissa Hearlihy of Harvard-Westlake. Here’s the profile of Webster. Here’s the profile of Hearlihy.

Here’s the boys’ 10-man all-star team.

Here’s the girls’ 10-woman all-star team.

Here’s the final top 25 boys rankings.

Here’s the final top 20 girls rankings.

All-City basketball

Donald Thompson Jr. of King/Drew and Alijah Arenas of Chatsworth were selected the City Section Open Division co-players of the year in basketball.

Here’s the link to All-City teams.

Baseball

The top three teams in Southern California are pretty firm after the first month of the season: 1. Orange Lutheran, 2. Corona and 3. Harvard-Westlake. Corona has the most improvement ahead because on Wednesday, the Ebel brothers, Brady and Trey, become eligible, adding more punch to the lineup and a top pitcher in Brady.

Harvard-Westlake is 10-1-1 even though its top pitcher from last season, Thomas Bridges, has made only one appearance after feeling arm discomfort. It’s a good sign showing the Wolverines’ pitching depth, and senior Duncan Marsten might be the best in Southern California.

The most interesting early season aspect is how many top schools are relying on pitching by committee, including Orange Lutheran. That remains to be seen if it’s going to work in the playoffs when facing top pitchers in Division 1 in a one-game situation. Teams with one dominant pitcher rather than a few good ones can pull off upsets.

It’s a big week for 9-0 Westlake, which finally gets tested in league play with a three-game series against Calabasas. These two teams went at it last season pretty intense. Calabasas has played some tough opponents this season, including a 10-inning loss to San Dimas last week.

In the City Section, Birmingham is a surprise having started West Valley League action with wins over Granada Hills and El Camino Real, considered the two toughest opponents. Birmingham has never won a league title under coach Matt Mowry and to be out front this early is unusual.

Chaminade is surging in the Mission League at 9-3 overall and holding down second place behind Harvard-Westlake. The Eagles have been receiving power hitting. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has struggled with its hitting.

Hart, in the final season for retiring coach Jim Ozella, has been playing well in nonleague and Foothill League games with wins over Villa Park and Crespi last week.

Camarillo’s Boston Bateman continues to be a pitcher who everyone is having trouble with. He’s throwing hard with some walks but opponents just can’t tag him.

Nick Murrey of Marina turned in one of the best pitching performances, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before settling for a 2-0 shutout of Huntington Beach.

Two Yucaipa players, Danny Arambula and Wes Hickey, have reached 100 hits in their high school careers. They are committed to LSU and USC, respectively.

San Dimas (10-2) is on an eight-game win streak.

Here’s this week’s top 25 baseball rankings by The Times.

Softball

UCLA commit Aleena Garcia of Whittier Christian hit three home runs in an 11-2 win over Mary Star and was MVP of the Whittier Christian tournament.

Brianne Weiss of Orange Lutheran threw a perfect game against Cajon with 16 strikeouts.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame got a strong pitching performance from Sarah Jacobs in a 1-0 Mission League win over Sierra Canyon.

Pacifica, Norco and Los Alamitos continue to dominate opponents.

Volleyball

Newport Harbor opened the Surf League with a 25-23, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22 win over Corona del Mar.

The big match coming this week has Loyola taking on No. 1 Mira Costa on Friday night at Mira Costa. It’s always one of the best sports events of the season because of the fan interaction and the quality of play on the court.

Track

Saturday’s track and field invitationals produced more top performances.

No one was better than Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura. She ran the fastest 1500 in girls state history at 4:09.70 at JSerra.

Holly Barker of Trabuco Hills ran the 3200 in 10:08.13, the third-fastest time in Orange County history.

Bishop Alemany freshman Demare Dezeurn ran a wind-legal 10.47 100 meters in the Maurice Greene Invitational, fastest time in the state. Junior Adonyss Currie of Quartz Hill was second in 10.58. Both are football players showing off their speed.

Dezeurn could end up facing Granada Hills speedster Jordan Coleman at the Arcadia Invitational next month.

Coach Ozella memoir

Hart coach Jim Ozella has written a book.

(Jim Ozella)

There’s lots of talents retiring Hart baseball coach Jim Ozella has besides a passion and dedication for coaching baseball.

He has written a memoir, “The Greatest Time To Be A Kid: Stories of Unexpected Adventure,” that will be available in paperback and ebook on April 2.

Ozella grew up in Illinois, attended Catholic schools and learned lots of life lessons while playing sports and with neighborhood kids in Ingalls Park. He moved to California, became a social studies teacher and coach.

Lacrosse

Riley Padian of Palos Verdes has become the school’s all-time points leader in lacrosse.

(Ed McClure)

Riley Padian of Palos Verdes continues to pile up achievements.

She has passed 200 career goals in lacrosse and become the school’s all-time points leader.

Not bad for a former soccer player who started playing lacrosse her freshman year.

Notes . . .

Erick Morales is the new football coach at La Puente. . . .

Santa Margarita sophomore receiver Jonah Smith, a Mater Dei transfer, has committed to UCLA. . . .

Kennedy Smith from Etiwanda was selected the Gatorade state player of the year in girls’ basketball. . . .

Wednesday is the day spring sports athletes in baseball, softball and volleyball who sat out the first half of their seasons by transferring without moving officially become eligible. Track athletes can compete on March 24.. . . .

Newbury Park defensive lineman Blake Bryce has committed to Brigham Young. . . .

The latest from the high school football transfer portal.

From the archives: Gavin Grahovac

Villa Park shortstop Gavin Grahovac during a game in 2022.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Freshman infielder Gavin Grahovac from Villa Park is off to an outstanding start playing infield for Texas A&M baseball.

He’s batting .333 with 26 hits, four doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs.

He was one of the top pro prospects in California last season but decided to go to college.

He was The Times’ player of the year in 2022 as a junior at Villa Park. Here’s a look back.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, the story of a 12-year-old marathon runner from Ventura.

From the Washington Post, a story on how the star basketball player from Harvard is receiving no NIL money.

From the Daily Pilot, a story on former Huntington Beach soccer star Jenna Nighswonger preparing for the World Cup.

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