Ellis, Keefe Selected State Players of Year

Center LeRon Ellis of Mater Dei High School has been named the State’s Division I Player of the Year and Woodbridge junior Adam Keefe was named Division II Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports of Sacramento.

Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight was named the Coach of the Year.

Ellis averaged 23.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game in leading the Monarchs to a 31-1 record and the Division I state championship. Ellis will attend the University of Kentucky in the fall.

Keefe averaged 22.2 points and 12.8 rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 28-5 record and the Division II state championship.

Other Orange County players who earned Division I honors were Ricky Butler (Ocean View), Mark Georgeson (Marina) and Kevin Rembert (Mater Dei). Richard Lucas (Katella) and Vince Bryan (Woodbridge) were named to the Division II team, and Chris and Erik Martin (Whittier Christian) were named to the Division III team.

Carrie Egan (Brea-Olinda), Ursula Lovely (Kennedy), Kristi Smith (Edison), Tricia Stringam (Mission Viejo) and Susan Tousey (Brea-Olinda) were named to the girls’ Division I team.