Notebook: Sonora’s Patterson commits to prep academy, St. Mary’s hires alum as coach
Sonora High School senior guard Austin Patterson, who led the Wildcats to two straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Division IV Championships, announced via Twitter on May 5 that he will attend Brewster Academy next year, one of the nation’s top prep schools. It’s located in New Hampshire.
Patterson, the Bee’s Player of the Year after averaging over 23 points per game, will reclassify into the Class of 2021 after joining the Bobcats, who have won seven National Prep championships since 2010 including the last two.
Patterson had offers from Montana State, UC Davis, and UC Santa Barbara before making his decision and picked up an offer from UC Riverside last week.
Zaire Wade, son of 3-time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade, also announced he will play for the academy next year. Wade played at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth this year.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell played for Brewster in 2015.
St. Mary’s hires new girls basketball coach: Alle Moreno, who had been on the San Jose State Women’s Basketball staff since 2014, was named the St. Mary’s High School girls basketball coach on Sunday, the school announced.
Moreno, who graduated from St. Mary’s in 2010, replaces Tom Gonsalves, who resigned on April 30 after leading the Rams to seven state championships and 13 straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Section titles.
“God’s timing is always perfect and it is a dream come true to be back home at Saint Mary’s,” Moreno said in a press release. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Adam Lichter, Kathy Smith and Jim Brusa for believing in me and naming me the Head Coach of the girls basketball program. The dynasty that has been built over the years speaks for itself along with the work Tom Gonsalves has done over his tenure is nearly unmatched in high school sports. I look forward to continuing that path of academic and athletic excellence and keeping Saint Mary’s at the forefront of high school basketball.”
AHL season done: As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the American Hockey League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on Monday.
The Stockton Heat were in third place in the Pacific Division when the season was suspended on March 12.
“The Stockton Heat and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation are in support of the American Hockey League’s decision to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season and playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the team said in a press release. “While we are disappointed that we will not be able to compete for a division championship and this year’s Calder Cup with the support of our devoted fans, we look forward to resuming play in Stockton with the 2020-21 season when appropriate and prudent.”
Hilmar’s Crowley looks forward to next chapter: Hilmar High senior pitcher Treven Crowley chose Fresno State because he said the school resembled himself.
“They’re underdogs, and they’re a bunch of scrappy people, and it just reminds me of myself,” Crowley said in a recent interview with CBS47 sports reporter Julia Lopez. “It just made me feel accepted in, so it’s something that was great for me.”
Crowley, who signed with the Bulldogs in November, had 16 strikeouts in seven innings before the CIF canceled the remainder of the sports season.
“The Bulldogs will love his versatility and athleticism,” Hilmar coach Jeff Brown said. “Not only is he a pitching prospect who can throw in the low 90s, he’s also an outstanding hitter with good speed who can transition to any position in the field defensively.”
Crowley led the Yellowjackets to a 6-AA state football championship in 2018 before making the decision to focus on baseball exclusively during his senior season.
Two local volleyball players named best in the nation: Central Catholic’s Abby Castillon and Escalon’s Amanda “Mandy” Murphy were each named to the Top 79 Sophomores in the Nation list by PrepVolleyball.com.
Castillon, who was named the Bee’s Player of the Year after leading the Raiders to a Division III title, had 474 kills and 417 digs in 2019.
Murphy had 483 kills for the Cougars, who won the Div. IV title, the first in school history.
