Jace Mclennon missed the majority of his sophomore season with Central Valley’s boys basketball team after fracturing his collarbone.
The junior guard bounced back in a big way this year.
Mclennon, Hawk teammates Andre Flores and Emmanuel Carranza, and Ceres High’s Manny Ortega, Somil Bansal and Treyvon Martinez were recognized during the Western Athletic Conference year-end head coaches’ meeting last month at Grace Davis High School.
Central Valley (10-4) and Ceres High (5-9) finished third and fifth, respectively, in the WAC standings.
Mclennon and Ortega were both named to the WAC First Team.
“I put Jace up for MVP,” Hawks’ head coach Mike Rodriguez said. “But the Beyer kid (Curtis Harmon) averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds per game. His numbers were a little better.”
“It was a no-brainer,” Bulldogs’ leader T.J. Walker Jr. stated. “Manny saw a double-team all year and he still averaged 19 points in league.”
Mclennon, a shooting guard, averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.2 assist per game.
“I’m not surprised he had that type of year,” Rodriguez said. “He works really hard. He’s always in the gym and weight room. He leads by example.”
Ortega logged playing time at all five positions during his final season with the Bulldogs. He averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists per game on the year.
“We knew what Manny was going to give us,” Walker said. “His confidence was high. He was determined to score the ball. He had the ability to get points in bunches.”
Ortega scored at least 30 points in five different games, including 38 versus Lathrop.
He totaled a career-high 39 points against Beyer junior year.
“His mindset is a bucket,” Walker said. “He’s a scorer.”
Ortega was a three-year varsity contributor
He started as a senior and junior.
He fell one vote shy of being named the WAC’s Most Valuable Player in the 11th grade.
Ortega averaged 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 assists per game during his career.
“He wants to play in college,” Walker said. “He has to find the right situation.”
Flores and Carranza were both named to the WAC Second Team.
Flores, a senior guard, averaged 7.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
“He was our best all-round player,” Rodriguez said. “He was our best defender as well. He was a guy that could do it all.”
Flores was a three-year varsity player.
“He was a great teammate,” Rodriguez said. “He always had a good attitude. He worked hard. He was very unselfish. He could have scored more.”
Carranza, a 6-foot-tall senior center, averaged 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
“He was a hard-nosed, physical player,” Rodriguez said. “He played bigger than his size. He’s a strong and athletic kid.”
Carranza also played varsity basketball for three seasons.
“Each year, he got better,” Rodriguez said. “
Bonsal and Martinez garnered honorable-mention recognition.
Bonsal, a senior guard, averaged 4.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
He scored a career-high 19 points in a 54-50 loss to crosstown-rival Ceres High.
“Somil played major minutes this year,” Walker said. “He played defense. He could score a bit.”
Martinez, a 6-foot-5 junior center, averaged 3.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
“Treyvon had his best games against the MVP of the league,” Walker said.
