Boys’ basketball: Mater Dei’s Freedman earns Player of the Year award

SpencerrnFreedman, who led Mater Dei High School to the CIF-Southern Section OpenrnDivision boys’ basketball championship, is the CIF-SS Player of the Year forrn2018.

It’srnthe 24th time a Monarch cager has earned the award, reflecting the continuedrndominance of the Santa Ana-based program under Coach Gary McKnight, whornreceived Coach of the Year honors in the Open Division. The awards and thernAll-CIF-SS teams were presented March 26 by the LA84 Foundation.

Freedman,rna 6-foot-1 point guard, led Mater Dei to another Trinity League title and arn23-7 overall record in 2018. The Harvard-bound Palisades native scored 13rnpoints in the Monarchs’ 55-53 victory over Sierra Canyon in the CIF-SS OpenrnDivision championship game.

MaterrnDei senior Michael Wang joined Freedman on the Open Division first team, alongrnwith seniors Fletcher Tynen and David Singleton of Bishop Montgomery andrnBrandon Williams of Crespi, and juniors Jake Kyman of Santa Margarita andrnJoshua Adoh of St. John Bosco. Freedman and Singleton are repeat selectionsrnfrom the 2017 first team.

Alsornrepeating his 2017 first team selection was Mary Star of the Sea junior JosephrnOctave in Division 4A. Other 2018 first team selections from Catholic schoolsrnin the Los Angeles Archdiocese and Orange Diocese were:

¬∑      D-1: SeniorrnCameron Shelton of Damie

¬∑      D-2A: JuniorrnAmani Harris of St. Bernard

¬∑      D-3AA: SeniorsrnCaCoa Chatman of St. Anthony and Nathan Kasongo of St. Paul

¬∑      D-3A: SeniorsrnJonathan Aguirre and Ismael Arrellano of Bishop Amat

¬∑      D-4AA: JuniorrnKai Rojas of St. Bonaventure

¬∑      D-5AAA: SeniorrnTevan Khudatyan of Providence/Burbank

¬∑      D-5A: SeniorrnPeter Ford and junior Charlie Boles of St. Monica Academy