WHITE, DUDLEY, FARBER CITED AS JANUARY STARS
14 pro, amateur and high school athletes honored by the San Diego Hall of Champions
Whether flying through the air with a ball or on a snowboard, Shaun White, Jared Dudley and Brian Farber were the best of the best, earning Stars of the Month honors for January as chosen by the San Diego Hall of Champions.
White once again proved unbeatable as he captured his sixth straight X-Games SuperPipe title by collecting 98 out of 100 points. He was so dominant his second score of 95 would also have captured the competition.
Dudley, a former Horizon High standout, was the most steady of the Phoenix Suns players as he averaged 12.3 points while Farber displayed several of his most spectacular kicks for goals in helping the San Diego Sockers stay on top of the PASL.
On the amateur front, the University of San Diego’s Amy Kame and Johnny Dee were cited for their efforts on the basketball court as were San Diego State’s Chelsea Hopkins, Cal State San Marcos’ A.J. Gasporra and another ex-Horizon Panther, Jeff Withey, who plays for Kansas University.
Basketball dominated on the high school front as well as Army-Navy Academy’s Devin Watson and Cathedral Catholic’s Xavier Williams were honored for boys hoops while Mater Dei Catholic’s Kandiss Barber and Serra’s Tylinn Carter were cited for girls basketball.
Mt. Carmel’s Michael Griswold and Bishop’s Geny Decker were feted for boys and girls soccer.
PROFESSIONAL STARS
JARED DUDLEY, Basketball, Phoenix Suns, Horizon High grad—While this hasn’t been the best of seasons for the Suns, Dudley has been his usual steady self, averaging 12.3 points a game. The 6-foot-7 swingman had a high game of 23 points versus the Clippers and a double-double 14 points, 10 boards against the Celtics.
BRIAN FARBER, Soccer, San Diego Sockers—Farber helped the Sockers extend their pro team sports-record winning streak to 48 games with some dramatic goals. For the month Farber led the Sockers with seven goals and two assists (9 points) in four games, and on the season Farber is second on the Sockers and 6th in the PASL with 20 goals and 19 assists (39 points).
SHAUN WHITE, X-Games, Snowboarding, Carlsbad High grad—Sometimes when athletes win time after time, the sport suffers. No one is getting tired of watching the flashy red-head as he won his 6th straight X-Games SuperPipe title. White thrilled the Aspen, Colo., crowd, scoring a 98 out of a possible 100 as well as the second best score of 95. He also captured the HalfPipe.
AMATEUR STARS
A.J. GASPORRA, Basketball, Cal State San Marcos—Gasporra played a key role in the eight-ranked Cal State San Marcos men’s basketball team’s 10-game winning streak. The senior guard averaged 15 points, registering 22 in a 74-64 win at The Master’s College, following with 18 in a 75-64 victory over Pacific Union. He also averaged 4.6 boards and 2.25 assists per game.
CHELSEA HOPKINS, Basketball, San Diego State—The national leader with three triple-doubles. Hopkins scored 22 points and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds to with 10 assists in a 74-60 win at UNLV. She poured in a career-high 25 points while adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 69-57 triumph over Nevada, earning MWC Player of the Week honors twice.
JEFF WITHEY, Basketball, Kansas, Horizon High grad—Nationally-ranked Kansas looks to the 7-foot senior as more than scorer, despite his 13-point average. He is the team leader with 174 rebounds, 129 on defense. He is also one of the nation’s top shot-blocker with 89—more than the rest of the team combined.
JOHNNY DEE, Basketball, USD, RBV grad—Dee paced USD to a 4-3 West Coast Conference record, including a 4-0 start. He averaged a team-best 12.7 points per game, converting 43.8% of his shots, 35.9% of his threes (14-39) and a conference-best 90.0% of his free throws. For the season he leads the Toreros in scoring (14.4) and ranks 9th in the WCC.
AMY KAME, Basketball, USD—The junior guard helped USD to a 6-3 record to open WCC play. Kame averaged 17.6 points a game while shooting .444 from the field. She scored in double figures in all but one game, averaging 4.2 rebounds while also dishing out 35 assists and recording 16 steals.
HIGH SCHOOL STARS
MICHAEL GRISWOLD, Boys Soccer, Mt. Carmel—With the 6-3 senior leading the way, the Sundevils lost just once, posting a 6-1-1 record. In the eight games, Griswold scored 11 goals, including five against El Cajon Valley, and was credited with seven assists, bringing his season totals to 26 goals and 15 assists.
KANDISS BARBER, Girls Basketball, Mater Dei Catholic—Only a junior, the 5-10 forward helped lead the Crusaders to a 7-0 record and undisputed first place in the Metro Mesa League. Barber pushed her season averages to 15.7 in scoring and 9.5 in rebounding. Her top game was a 21-point, 13-rebound effort against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.
DEVIN WATSON, Boys Basketball, Army-Navy Academy—Looking at his 23.4 scoring average would not give the clear picture of what Watson means to the Warriors, who were 9-2 in January. The 6-foot guard is Mr. Outside, not only scoring but handing out 6.4 assists per game. He scored 29 points in a win over No. 1 Cathedral Catholic.
TYLINN CARTER, Girls Basketball, Serra—A 6-1 senior, Carter is a major inside presence for the Conquistadors who went 5-3 with the only loss to a section team being a 1-pointer to Mater Dei Catholic. Carter averages 12.7 points and 12.0 rebounds a game. She had an 18-point, 14 rebound game against Patrick Henry.
XAVIER WILLIAMS, Boys Basketball, Cathedral Catholic—Although any one of the five Cathedral Catholic starters could be honored, the 6-4 senior was the most consistent on the Dons who went 8-1, losing only to Army-Navy. Williams averages a team-leading 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds a game.
GENY DECKER, Girls Soccer, Bishop’s—Headed to Yale University in the fall, Decker has been the go-to scorer for the Knights, who stand 9-2-1. Decker scored 14 goals and was credited with five assists for the month and just as important, her steady play has had a calming effect on the entire team.