Manteca boys basketball standout Gino Campiotti and Mary Cotton of the Valley Oak League co-champion Lathrop girls team were selected to the All-VOL first team for a second year in a row.
East Union junior center Donja Payne also highlights local all-league recipients, making it back to the first team after doing so her freshman season.
Lathrop’s Dwayne Davis is the girls Coach of the Year, and Mike Wilson earned the same honor for the boys after leading Central Catholic to an undefeated finish in league. Kimball’s Raziya Potter and Central’s Josh Hamilton are the MVPs.
Cotton played a key role in what was a historic campaign for Lathrop (13-1 VOL, 23-7), which lost its first-ever CIF State Northern California Regional Championships game in a 59-57 overtime thriller at Clovis last week. The versatile 6-foot junior averaged 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in just 14 games after joining the team from ineligibility in the third week of league.
Spartans guard Myani Thornton (15.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals) also made the first team. Payne battled through nagging ankle and leg injuries for third-place East Union (9-5, 16-12) but still managed to tally 15.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game — all team highs, along with her 52.6 field goal percentage.
Manteca (9-5, 17-11) has one all-league selection in freshman point guard Kyaira Jacobs (10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds), while double-double machine Lindsey Walljasper made it for Sierra (2-12, 9-18).
Justice Stitt and Nia Boston earned second-team honors for Weston Ranch (2-12, 5-22), joining East Union’s Kayla Montoya, Manteca’s Jayda Jackson and Lathrop’s Semajynique Steen. Khiya Thornton (Lathrop), Julia Vezaldenos (East Union) and Darnaysha Huff (Weston Ranch) are part of the All-Defensive team.
Campiotti helped lead the Manteca boys squad (8-6, 13-16) to the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs after a late arrival from the football season averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
League runner-up Weston Ranch (10-4, 19-11) was spearheaded by first-team selection Makhi Turner (17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists). Third-year Sierra (8-6, 13-14) point guard Jaime Ochoa was at his best in the second of the season, averaging 16.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists in VOL play.
Lathrop (7-7, 10-17) has two all-league players in Sacramento transfer Dafford McKenzie (15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks in league) and Isaiah Victor (16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds).
Devin Small (Weston Ranch), Jorge Cedano (Manteca) and Blake Greenlee (East Union) are on the All-VOL second team. All-Defensive Team selections include Amil Adams (Lathrop), Derek Range (Manteca), John Elijah (Sierra) and Charles Jemison (Weston Ranch).
