Dee's numbers may not be enough in race for San Diego Section basketball honor

There is talk that Johnny Dee won't be named the CIF-SDS Player of the Year due to the presence of guys like Lincoln's Norman Powell and Hoover's Angelo Chol. Yet, overlooking the Longhorns' 6-foot-3 senior guard would be difficult to do.

In one of his latest outings, Dee knocked down 51 points, guiding Rancho Buena Vista (Vista) (24-3) to an 87-83 overtime victory at El Camino that created a tie between the teams for the Avocado West League championship.

Dee's 51 points set an RBV single-game record and marked the fifth time this season he has scored at least 40 in a contest.

Overall, Dee has poured in 860 points for a section-leading 31.9 points per game. He has also landed 98 3-pointers and clicked on 84 percent of 236 free throws. In the win over El Camino, Dee was accurate on 20 of 23 free throws.



"It's rare to see a performance like that from a high school basketball player," RBV coach Terry Miller told the North County Times. "It was a very wonderful experience to coach a player like that, because he makes everybody better on the team."

Yet, unless RBV rolls through the playoffs to the Division I state finals, Dee will likely be ignored for the CIF-SDS' top award. His problem is Powell has a basketball scholarship to UCLA in hand, while Chol announced earlier in the week that he will accept an offer to Arizona. Dee is still looking.

MaxPreps California boys basketball playoff brackets

POWAY REMAINS THE TITANS OF CIF-SDS WRESTLING
Four-time state champion Poway captured 10 of 14 weight class championships, propelling the Titans to their 31st section title, including 30 straight dating back to 1982. Earlier this month coach Wayne Branstetter notched his 400th career dual meet win, another milestone in the program's dynasty.

CLAIREMONT GRAPPLERS RISE FROM THE ASHES
Long-time Chieftains coach Gerry Knuppel celebrated his final season by guiding Clairemont (San Diego) to its first CIF-SDS championship in 23 years. A one-time budding dynasty under Knuppel when the Chiefs claimed consecutive section titles from 1986-88, this one had to be the sweetest after a lengthy draught.

NORTH COUNTY BOYS CAGERS FIT TO BE TIED
Three North County Conference boys basketball teams shared league titles. Rancho Buena Vista and La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) finished 7-1 in the Avocado West, while Vista and Mission Hills (San Marcos) finished 9-1 to share the Avocado East League penthouse. In the Valley League it was Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego) and Valley Center knotted on top at 7-1.



MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS
The scholarship parade continues. Mount Miguel linebacker Diante Lee has accepted a football ride to Sacramento State, while Oceanside center/nose guard David Vasquez has signed to play next season at NCAA Division II Western New Mexico in Silver City, N.M.

Baseball players announcing their college futures from Madison include junior third baseman Corey Oswalt (Oregon), an Aflac pick and a member of the Under Armor National Team. Other Warhawks signing national letters are senior outfielder Mitchell Esser (Loyola-Marymount) and sophomore southpaw pitcher Ian Clarkin (University of San Diego).

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
* The Brawley Wildcats ran away with their 11th consecutive section wrestling title, easily outdistancing second-place Ramona 276-232.

* Hoover's Angelo Chol collected 26 points against Patrick Henry to break the 2,000-point hoops scoring barrier. He is the 12th player in the CIF-SDS to do so.

* La Jolla Country Day senior Kaylah Miller rang up 37 points, most coming on a LJCD record-tying 11 3-pointers. She has 86 3-pointers for the season.

* Granite Hills senior guard Garrett Larch-miller nailed 14 of 27 shots from the field, including three triples, and 10 of 12 free throws, as the Eagles eliminated defending champion Grossmont from the Grossmont Hills League race. It was the fourth time Larch-Miller has scored 40 or more points.



* UCLA-bound Norman Powell of Lincoln scored 40 points as the Hornets stung St. Augustine.

* Santana junior guard Landon Lozoya nailed seven 3-pointers on his way to a 32-point finish against Monte Vista.

* Six-foot-5, 205-pound junior Sam Okhotin of Westview ripped off 30 points – the majority coming on five 3-pointers – as the Wolverines popped Poway 56-42.

* Torrey Pines senior guard Megan McClurg registered 36 points against Rancho Bernardo.

* Madison Jones of Rancho Bernardo drilled in 31 points, including 15 of 19 free throws, as the Broncos busted Torrey Pines.

* Six-foot-3 senior Danny Bashara of Fallbrook scored a nifty double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds against Escondido.



* Poway's sure-handed senior sharpshooter Katie Kuklok tallied 33 points in a recent game.

* La Jolla Country Day's Maya Hood hammered in 33 points as the Torreys pounded Francis Parker 90-24.

COMING ATTRACTIONS
A first round SDS-CIF Division I boys basketball contest pitting Granite Hills (17-11) at Otay Ranch (23-4) on Wednesday will match two of the section's top scorers in the Eagles' Garrett Larch-Miller and the Mustangs' Alex Perez at 7 p.m. On the wrestling front is the Masters meet Saturday at Canyon Crest Academy in North County.

DICKENS' DEALINGS
The controversy surrounding the mandatory "limited action" baseball bats will be a topic of conversation throughout this season. Not only will it put a stranglehold on the offensive side of the game it could well bring the end to many high school programs due to the cost of purchasing new bats.

Even before the first pitch this season some schools have dropped their baseball programs. Several schools have discontinued junior varsity teams, while Maranatha Christian (San Diego) dropped their total baseball programs.

Surely more are to follow suit, especially those in the inner city.



I thought baseball was supposed to be America's national pastime — it's turning into America's national trashtime. Given the shrinking budgets, school administrators seem to relish in finding ways to eliminate programs and put more kids on the street with nothing constructive to do.

Perhaps they should run their apathy past the local law enforcement agencies to test their thinking.