Esperanza’s Jarrett Brodbeck has the coach’s permission to shoot at Brodbeck’s discretion.
“Any shot I can get I’m going to try to take for my team,” Brodbeck said. “As long at it’s a good shot.”
Brodbeck took plenty of good shots Saturday. He scored 36 points to lead Esperanza to a 60-57 win over San Clemente in the championship game of the Irvine World News/Gary Raya Classic at Tustin High.
Brodbeck, a 6-foot-5 senior guard who was named tournament MVP, scored on a variety of shots as he supported Coach Mark Hill’s confidence in him. He made five 3-pointers, nailed mid-range jumpers, knifed through defenders for layups and was pretty good at the free-throw line, too. Brodbeck was 10 for 11 at the line, including 4 for 5 in the fourth quarter.
Esperanza is 8-2. The Aztecs have next week off before playing Pasadena on Dec. 26 in the first round of the Orange Holiday Classic at Hope University in Fullerton.
San Clemente is 5-4. The Tritons play Corona del Mar on Tuesday in the Orange County North/South Challenge at El Toro High.
Brodbeck is averaging 25 points a game. Saturday’s game was his third-highest offensive output this season. Brodbeck scored 39 points against Paramount and 37 against Hoover of Glendale.
Tyler Thomas had 11 rebounds for Esperanza. He and Aztecs teammate Garrett Geiger were named to all-tournament.
Nick Crankshaw scored a team-high 18 points for San Clemente. Sam Darnold, the Tritons quarterback who guided his team to a CIF championship football game earlier this month, scored 11 with seven rebounds.
Both teams had seven point leads, with San Clemente ahead, 24-17, in the second quarter and Esperanza leading, 39-32, in the third.
Also in the Irvine World News/Gary Raya Classic:
No. 8 Tustin 47, Woodbridge 34: T.J. Shorts and George Wilson scored 12 points apiece for the host Tillers (9-3) in the third-place game.
In the North Orange County Championships:
No. 6 Canyon 70, Edison 63: Nick Anderson scored 21 points and Chandler Dignam scored 20 as the Comanches (8-2) won the championship game in overtime.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
