SALINAS VALLEY — With the start of baseball, softball and track season in South Monterey County, this means the only thing left to do for boys’ and girls’ basketball is hand out league awards.
Boys’ basketball
The varsity boys’ basketball season has officially concluded as the Pacific Coast Athletic League announced the end-of-the-year awards.
This past year all four South Monterey County teams were in the Santa Lucia Division.
Local players secured five of the six spots for the Santa Lucia’s all-league first team.
Soledad’s Daniel Raso and Jason Mendoza, Gonzales’ Gabe Mendez, King City’s Adan Garcia and Greenfield’s Anthony Martinez were voted to the first team.
Second team selections were Greenfield’s Naythen Hernandez and King City’s Bryce Blair and Jjey Martinez.
King City led all South Monterey County teams with three selections, while Soledad and Greenfield finished tied for second with two.
Making the Richard Chamberlain All-Sportsmanship team were Greenfield’s Angel Avila, Gonzales’ Jesus Barragan, King City’s Adan Garcia and Soledad’s Jorge Olivarria.
Earlier this year, Soledad’s Daniel Raso won Defensive Player of the Year in football, and now he gets to add another accomplishment to his career by being voted MVP of the Santa Lucia league.
“The feeling was surreal,” Raso said. “When coach (Nick) Twitchell broke the news to me, it shocked me.”
Girls’ basketball
This past year, the varsity girls’ basketball teams from Gonzales, King City and Greenfield all competed in the Santa Lucia Division, while Soledad was placed in the Cypress Division.
For the Santa Lucia all-league first team, South Monterey County girls took five of the six spots available.
Greenfield’s Arianna Villagomez, Jessica Rodriguez and Linda Ornelas, Gonzales’ Angel Martinez and King City’s Gisela Contreras were all voted to the first team.
Making all-league second team were Greenfield’s Latai Matalau, Gonzales’ Angelina Navarro and King City’s Samantha Richardson and Julia Mendez.
Soledad’s Marisol Rodriguez was their only member to make the Cypress all-league first team.
Rounding out the awards, Greenfield’s Arianna Villagomez won Defensive Player of the Year and Gonzales’ Angel Martinez won Offensive Player of the Year.
Earlier this year, Greenfield’s Linda Ornelas was part of the first league title team for volleyball in the school’s history, and now she helped raise a banner for the Bruins’ first-ever basketball title as well.
In addition to being named Defensive Player of the Year this year in volleyball, Ornelas has added league MVP to her year of accomplishments.
“I feel honored to have won MVP,” she said. “I worked hard and played just as hard, and I’m glad that other coaches could see that.”
