Sierra Canyon's Taylor Named Section Hoops Player of Year

Sierra Canyon High basketball sophomore Jahmel Taylor has been named Southern Section Division V-A Player of the Year, and Sierra Canyon coach Ryan Silver has been named coach of the year.

Both arrived this past season and helped Sierra Canyon to a 27-6 record, a Southern Section Division V-A championship and a berth in the Southern California Regional final – one win shy of the state finals.

Taylor, who lives in Los Angeles, transferred in from Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks, where he was an All-Mission League guard as a freshman. Silver, 31, formerly the coach at Rolling Hills Prep in Palos Verdes, took over for Colin Jamerson, who left after guiding Sierra Canyon to a section final in 2009-2010.

Taylor averaged 21.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and he hit 38 percent on 3-pointers, including seven in one game in a win over Bell-Jeff.

Sierra Canyon’s Jesse Howell, a junior, also earned All-Southern Section honors. The 6-5 forward averaged 6.4 points and a team-best 7.2 rebounds.

The other first team honorees in Division V-A were Trey Dickerson and Charles Lockett of Montclair Prep, Brandon Thurman of St. Bernard, Hunter Merryman and Daniel Wohl of Pasadena Poly, Daniel Healy of Brethren Christian, Greg Sequele of Ribet Academy, Jessy Cantinol of Renaissance Academy and Josh Markum of Saddleback Valley Christian.

NEW COACH FINDING HER FEET AT SIERRA CANYON

Ashley Herrera, the new softball coach at Sierra Canyon, won her first game, but the Trailblazers lost the next three, followed by two rainouts.

“I’m loving it. I’m just trying to find my way with the other teams and the competition,” said Herrera, 26, who played at Valencia High and UCLA. “We’re trying our hardest.”

With spring break coming up, it will be nearly a month of inactivity before Sierra Canyon (1-3) plays next with a game April 12 against Montclair Prep at Rocky Peak Church in Chatsworth.

Sierra Canyon is coming off a 17-15 loss to Oakwood of North Hollywood last Friday.

“We were hitting really well and running all over the bases, but we made too many errors and too many mistakes on defense,” Herrera said. “If had another inning or two, I have no doubt we would have won the game. We just ran out of time and ran out of innings.”

Christina Rodgers, a shortstop, has been among Sierra Canyon’s key players.

“She’s been playing really well, she’s a good leadership, and she’s getting it done in the classroom, too,” Herrera said.

CHATSWORTH'S BASEBALL TEAM MAKES ITS PITCH

Chatsworth’s baseball team broke a two-game losing streak Thursday with a 6-0 nonleague win at Carson, as Angel Rodriguez pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout and struck out 10.

Hayden Tsutsui had a double and two RBIs, and Brady Conlan had two hits and a run, as the Chancellors improved to 6-2 heading into a game Saturday against visiting Calabasas.

Led by its talented pitching staff featuring returning standouts Rodriguez, Steven Karkenny and Aaaron Brown, Chatsworth has given up a total of 24 runs for an average of three per game.

“We’re definitely blessed to have a pitching staff as talented as ours,” said Karkenny, who has two wins. “We’re working hard at finding the strike zone.”

The Chancellors had a rainout Wednesday against Banning.

After Saturday’s game, Chatsworth has an 11-day break, and then the Chancellors’ pitching depth will be really be tested, as the team is scheduled to play nine games over 15 days, including the ultra competitive National Classic in Orange County on April 18-21.