Pali High Hoops Players Make All-City Teams

The CIF Los Angeles City Section has released its All-City boys and girls basketball teams for the 2014-15 season and Palisades High players have made both lists.

Two Dolphins are on the girls’ All-City first team: senior forward Bianca King and sophomore guard Chelsey Gipson. Another Pali High guard, junior Kayla Merrill-Gillett, is on the second team. All three have also made the City’s first All-Open Division squad.

“I’m so proud of these young ladies,” Pali High head coach Torino Johnson said. “All three were instrumental in us winning the Open Division championship.”

Latecia Smith of Open Division runner-up Narbonne has been voted Player of the year. Also on the All-City first team are Fatou Semebene and Keri Alexander of View Park, Ijeoma (Brianna) Anugwom of Westchester, Marguerite Effa of Fairfax, Monica Garcia of Garfield, Tybriann Jones of Narbonne, Precious Nwaba of University and Terrin Sullivan of Douglass.

Joining Merill-Gillett on the second team are Sankia Braxton of Animo South LA, Yolanda Ealy of Fairfax, Dominique Godbolt of View Park, Allissa Gomez of Roosevelt, Christina Hilton of Eagle Rock, Taylor Jackson of Douglass, Esther Mensah of Granada Hills, Alizé Niko of Carson, Monica Perla of Poly and Marina Rojas of Sylmar.

For the boys, Pali High guard Joe Robinson has been named to the All-City second team after leading the Dolphins in scoring this season. He and teammate Will Johnson also made the City’s All-Division I squad.

Senior Lindsey Drew from Open Division champion Fairfax has been voted Player of the Year. Also on the All-City first team are Evan Battey of LACES, Shane Carney of Narbonne, Lorne Currie and Donald Gipson of Fairfax, Cameron Evans and Tommie from Dorsey, Keith Fisher and Ellis Sallahudin of Westchester, Chris Kendrick of Crenshaw, Cesar Reyes of Poly, Chris Terry of El Camino Real and Tramel Wilson of Washington Prep.

Joining Robinson on the second team are Josiah Breda-Nixon and Samoore Riley of King Drew, Sean Fernandez of North Hollywood, Adrian Gutierrez of Verdugo Hills, Darius Henderson and Damian Wilson, Jr. of Taft, Tyler Hooks of Sylmar, Brandon Russell of El Camino Real, Christopher Tovar of Huntington Park and Bernard Wolfe of Middle College.

Tyler Hooks of Sylmar has been named Player of the Year in Division I. The Spartans were seeded ninth in the playoffs and upset top-seeded Palisades en route to winning the title.

— Steve Galluzzo