It was another blockbuster year for Long Beach prep sports, as Moore League teams managed to rise above and beyond once more. Over the course of the season, that made our job of covering all this amazing action so much easier, but now, at season’s end, it makes our job of picking the recipients of the first annual Post Sports Prep Awards that much harder…which is why we’re asking for your help! Please lobby for your favorite school, team, coach, and player below, and we (Me, JJ and Zoomy) will be sure to take your comments into consideration when picking our winners. The final choices will be announced in a week and a half, on episode 36 of SportsNight (and on this site). Monday, June 23, be on the lookout to see the winners! The best comments will be featured on the show and the site.<\/p>\n
Program\/School of the Year<\/span> Wilson, on the other hand, had a surprise national championship from their girls’ soccer team, a CIF runner-up from their defending national champion baseball team, and strong performances from their softball and golf teams.<\/p>\n Team of the Year<\/span> Coach of the Year<\/span>
Poly and Wilson are the obvious frontrunners here. Among its many successes this year, Poly won the football CIF championship, and had their girls’ basketball team take state championship for a record third year in a row, as well as their girls’ track team winning a back-to-back state championship. My memory fails me, but I believe the Poly Cheer team also won a national championship in Florida.<\/p>\n
This is a tough one, with Wilson baseball sending two players to the bigs in the Spring draft, Poly’s football team boasting one of the best defenses in high school football history, the Poly girls’ basketball team winning their third consecutive state title, and Millikan’s girls’ basketball team creating a new rivalry with Poly by beating the defending state champs at home, and going on to reach the CIF Finals. Of course, Wilson’s girls’ soccer national championship is hard to best, and state champion Lakewood girls’ volleyball were no slouches either.<\/p>\n
Another wide open category, with impressive work this year from Wilson girls’ soccer coach Jason Kirkwood, Poly girls’ basketball coach Carl Buggs, Wilson baseball head coach Andy Hall, and Lakewood girls’ volleyball coach Mike Wadley, who brought home an emotional state championship this year. Calvin Bryant, head coach of Compton’s football team, did a great job building his program this year as well.
Player of the Year<\/span>
The clear frontrunners here would have to be graduating superstars Jasmine Dixon (from Poly’s girls basketball team) and Aaron Hicks (the centerpiece of Wilson’s baseball squad). But what about Lakewood senior pitcher Aubray Zell, their star who led them to two victories over defending national champs Wilson and a Moore League title that may have been the surprise of the year? Zell, headed to Boise State next year, was 19-5-1 on the year with a .417 batting average. Or senior standout Demar Derozan, one of the nation’s top basketball recruits this year, who averaged almost thirty points a game and has the ability to dunk from halfcourt? There’s also Moore League-leading rusher Donald Green of Compton, whose average of twelve-plus yards a carry were an enormous part of Compton’s rise this season. Or suggest someone else we’re missing and make your case!
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