ALL-COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM 2024-25
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brandon Benjamin, Canyon, Senior
Everyone in the gym knew that Brandon Benjamin would get the basketball, including every opponent Canyon’s boys basketball team played against.
So getting double- or triple-teamed were nightly events for Benjamin. He still managed to average 30 points a game while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
Benjamin’s unstoppable consistency made him the Orange County player of the year for the second time.
Canyon finished 21-10 overall and went 5-4 in the Crestview League, which was the county’s second-best boys basketball league.
Benjamin, a 6-5 senior, started the season with 34 points in a tournament win over Sunny Hills and concluded it with 30 points in a loss to Santa Barbara in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
In between were a plethora of great performances. Benjamin scored more than 30 points in five of Canyon’s league games and never scored fewer than 19 points in league.
He also averaged 12 rebounds and four assists a game.
Canyon coach Nate Harrison has coached many All-County players at the school.
“We’ve never had a more dominant player in my time here,” said Harrison, who has coached for 23 seasons at Canyon. “And we’ve had some great ones. He’s really a throwback kid who has this incredible footwork that is something of a lost art in basketball. He can post up, he can play on the perimeter and he’s super-physical.”
Benjamin was the county player of the year as a sophomore at Canyon two seasons ago. He transferred to Mater Dei for his junior year, was All-County second team there, and returned to Canyon for his senior year.
Even with that one season away from Canyon, Benjamin is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,362 points. He also is the school’s all-time rebounding leader.
All-OC girls basketball team: Addison Deal is the Player of the Year
“Breaking multiple records is huge for me on a personal level,” Benjamin said. “What’s most memorable for me is how we took this team as far as we could and as far as we did. That’s a memory I’ll never forget.”
Other highlights for Benjamin were the 40-point games against Inglewood, Mission Viejo and Norte Vista.
“In those games I felt like I was the best player in the world,” he said.
Benjamin signed with the University of San Diego where Steve Lavin is the head coach. The Toreros added former UCLA and NBA guard Earl Watson to the coaching staff a few months ago.
“I know I’m going to have to play guard in college,” Benjamin said. “I’ve already been talking to him about how to develop my game.”
Harrison is confident Benjamin will continue to succeed after high school.
“Brandon plays the right way,” Harrison said. “If other players get open, he’s going to find them. He’s just a winner.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Nathan Berger, Los Alamitos
Nathan Berger, in his fourth season as Los Alamitos’ head coach, led the Griffins to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game. They beat Mira Costa 63-60 to win the title.
It was Los Alamitos’ third CIF-SS title in the sport. Berger was a sophomore reserve on the previous Griffins team that won a CIF title in 2007.
Los Alamitos also won the Sunset League championship with a 12-0 league record and finished 26-9 overall. The Griffins reached the second round of the CIF Southern California Regional Division I playoffs.
The Griffins’ roster consisted mostly of players who had been in the program since they were freshmen.
“It worked out perfectly how well they played together,” said Berger. “Maybe that’s because they played together for a long time. They knew how to read and react with each other.”
ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM
Brandon Benjamin, Canyon, Sr.: Player of the Year.
David Abisogun, Fairmont Prep, Jr.: Abisogun, who is 6-10, scored 20 points with 15 rebounds when the Huskies defeated Pacifica Christian 64-60 in the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship game. He averaged 21 points and 14 rebounds a game and was named CIF-SS 2AA player of the year.
Kaiden Bailey, Santa Margarita, Jr.: He was a Trinity League player of the year, selected to the All-CIF Open Division team and was at his best in big games.
Luke Barnett, Mater Dei, Jr.: Barnett, an outstanding outside shooter, averaged 21 points a game, made 94 3-point baskets in 31 games and was selected to the All-CIF Division 1 team.
Liam Gray, Los Alamitos, Sr.: A key player on the Griffins’ CIF championship team, the versatile Gray scored 12 points a game with five assists a game and was placed on the All-CIF Division 1 team.
Mason Hodges, San Juan Hills, Sr.: He averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds a game, was named All-South Coast League first team and was on the All-CIF Division 2AA team.
Trent Minter, Los Alamitos, Sr.: Minter was named CIF-SS Division 1 player of the year. He was a Sunset League co-MVP after averaging 14 points and nine rebounds a game.
Jacob Majok, Crean Lutheran, Jr.: Majok, who is 6-7, was Crestview League co-MVP, averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game, had many big games including scoring 19 points with eight rebounds and six blocks in a playoff win over San Clemente.
BJ Davis Ray, JSerra, Sr.: Ray, who signed with Southern Methodist University, averaged 18 points a game, was selected to the All-Trinity League first team and to the All-CIF Open Division team.
EJ Spillman, Pacifica Christian, Sr.: He was a San Joaquin League co-player of the year and is on the All-CIF Division 2AA team, He averaged 16 points, five rebounds and five assists a game.
ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM
Christian Fernandez, San Clemente, Sr.
Ryan Gov, Cypress, Jr.
Samori Guyness, Los Alamitos, Jr.
Acen Jimenez, La Habra, Jr.
Derick Johnson, Edison, Jr.
Brayden Kyman, Santa Margarita, So.
Brannon Martinsen, JSerra, Jr.
Cooper Stearns, Irvine, Sr.
Wes Trevino, Los Alamitos, Sr.
Dallas Washington, Santa Margarita, Sr.
ALL-COUNTY THIRD TEAM
Jack Berry, Newport Harbor, Sr.
Blake Davidson, Mater Dei, Sr.
Aaron DeSantiago, Fountain Valley, Sr.
Rocco Gaffoglio, Yorba Linda, Sr.
Porter Hansen, San Clemente, Sr.
Demarcus Henry, Mater Dei, So.
Malachi Johnson, Villa Park, Sr.
Maxwell Scott, Corona del Mar, So.
Barak Simon, Marina, Sr.
Staf Yilmazturk, Canyon, Sr.
ALL-COUNTY FOURTH TEAM
Michael Ahern, Capistrano Valley Christian, Sr.
Kingston Birdsong, Cypress, Sr.
Hunter Caplan, Crean Lutheran, So.
Jorden De La Mora, Santiago, Sr.
Marcus Fernandez, Fairmont Prep, Sr.
Christien Jimenez, El Toro, Sr.
James Karhalios, Sage Hill, Sr.
Danny Kennard, Foothill, Sr.
Myles Salas, Pacifica, Jr.
Darius Turner, Capistrano Valley, Sr.
RELATED
All-County boys soccer: JSerra’s Jake Tatch is the OC player of the year
All-County girls soccer: Santa Margarita’s Cora Fry is the OC player of the year
All-County girls water polo: Orange Lutheran’s Allison Cohen is the OC player of the year
