CARLSBAD, Ca. – Guard Patrick McLachlan’s 3-pointer from just beyond the top of the key with 21 seconds to go in overtime provided the final points of the fourth Crème of the County Classic Saturday even at the Army-Navy Academy.
And the shot gave McLachlan and his West teammates an 87-85 victory in the Class of 2019 Crème game – the ninth and final 50-minute contest played in the Aaron Burgin/Full Time Hoops-fronted event.
Many of the best hoopsters in San Diego County – from grades 7 thru 12 – were in attendance, as were some “non-San Diego” standouts, notably 6-foot-5 junior Austin Cook (La Verne Damien) and 6-3 sophomore Jahmai Mashack (Etiwanda).
Six-four Ryan Langford (La Jolla Country Day/he’s committed to Princeton) seemed well on his way to leading the East squad to victory and picking up the Most Outstanding Player in that final game Saturday McLachlan, diminutive guard Kyle Paranada (San Diego Montgomery) and the eventual game Most Outstanding Player, 6-6 Travis Snider (Torrey Pines), led the comeback.
Langford’s 14-footer that would have sent things into another 2-minute OT was just off the mark in the closing seconds.
Other notable performances were turned in Saturday by Mashack (PICTURED/the MOP after helping the East prevail, 89-88, in the 2021 Crème game), point guard Adam Sevier (Poway) and 6-foot Alexis Marmolejos (Army-Navy), the MOP after a spectacular effort for the West in its 74-55 victory in the 2022 Crème game.
Marmolejos – who came to the U.S. from the Dominican on Aug. 24 – is expected to attend the Sept. 22-23 Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp at Westminster High, where he will demonstrate that he’s one of the very best freshmen in the entire west region.
The same can be said of Mashack – who played on an unbeaten Etiwanda junior varsity squad as a freshman – relative to the western sophomore class.
Had the West prevailed against Mashack & Co., 6-5 Chris Howell (San Marcos) no doubt would have gotten MOP honors.
Howell, who played very well at the Pangos Camp a year ago, is among the very prep best passers in Southern California – regardless of class.
Sevier passed and shot the West over the East, 89-79, in the 2020 Crème Game.
The other MOP selections Saturday included:
*Five-four Xavier Ogle (Bernardo Heights Middle School), who paced the West past the East, 61-52, in the 2023 Crème’ game;
*Six-two Vincent Berlucchi (Solana Beach Santa Fe Christian), after leading the West over the East, 59-41, in the 2022 Select Game;
*Six-one Isaiah Brickner (San Diego St. Augustine), after helping the East edge the West, 76-72, in the 2021 Select Game;
*Six-three Joel Calhoun (Fallbrook), for the East after its 79-75, 2020 Select Game;
*Six-one Jeremiah Brown (San Diego Serra) and 5-11 Roman Wright (Rancho Bernardo) split MOP honors as the East rolled, 96-65, in the 2019 Select Game.
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