Boys basketball: Co-players of the year
For Campolindo’s Emmanuel Callas and Archbishop Mitty’s Michael Mitchell, their senior seasons were filled with triumph.
Callas led Campolindo to a 15-0 record, a run that ended in late May because of the North Coast Section’s decision to not hold playoffs.
Mitchell guided Mitty to a 17-1 season, capped in June by a celebration after the Monarchs repeated as Central Coast Section Open Division champions.
They both were paramount to what their teams achieved this spring, and both will share the Bay Area News Group’s top boys basketball honor. They are this new organization’s co-players of the year.
Callas averaged 15.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He scored at least 20 points in six games, including a victory over Bishop O’Dowd.
“I don’t know him, but I’ve seen video of him getting better and better,” O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said about Callas. “He’s tough. He’s a polished player. He’s a tough matchup. He can shoot the three. He can handle the ball. Makes good decisions. You wish you had 12 of them on your team.”
Mitchell, who has already left to start his college career at Pepperdine, averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds for a team that won its final 15 games and a two-point loss at home to Capital Christian-Sacramento.
In the CCS final against Archbishop Riordan, which Mitty won 69-63 on its home court in overtime, Mitchell scored 27 points and ignited the OT run with a three-point play.
“It means everything,” Mitchell said of winning another CCS crown. “Growing up, I always dreamed of playing on this court. I am happy.”
— Darren Sabedra
Girls basketball: Player of the year
San Ramon Valley went undefeated this spring, and junior Natalie Pasco was a huge reason for the success.
She scored at least 40 points on three occasions, averaged 28.3 points per game and led the Wolves to the top of the East Bay Athletic League standings.
In a late-season victory at Carondelet, a team that also brought an undefeated record to the court, Pasco led the way for the Wolves with 16 points.
Carondelet is coached by Kelly Sopak, whose Cal Stars AAU program includes the 5-foot-10 Pasco.
“Natalie is one of the most improved players in our Cal Stars program and has established herself on the national circuit as one of the top shooters in the country!” Sopak wrote in a text. “Her game has evolved to where she now is a legitimate three level scorer, which at the high school level is nearly unstoppable.
“As an opposing coach in high school I get the unfortunate task of game planning against her and she is a player that you can not miss a coverage or a rotation on because she is simply too good and too efficient to not make you pay for your mistake.”
Pasco made a lot of teams pay this spring.
She played in 10 of San Ramon Valley’s 11 games, missing one because of an AAU tournament. In addition to her scoring contributions, she averaged 13 rebounds per game.
Pasco shot 49% from 3-point range, 62% overall and 79% from the free-throw line.
— Darren Sabedra and Evan Webeck
