Pohlen is the best, times three

Jeanette Pohlen didn't really know what to expect when she put on a Brea Olinda girls basketball jersey for the first time during a summer league game before her freshman season.

She was coming from St. Angela Merici Catholic school, and she didn't have much contact with the kids who went to the public junior highs in Brea that serve as the feeder schools for Brea Olinda.

Would the coaches notice her? Would she get any playing time? What was it going to be like playing against older and more experienced girls? Those were some questions swirling around her mind.

She got some playing time all right. Ladycats coach Jeff Sink started her in that first summer league game and she never came out of the starting lineup for the remainder of her high school career.

"I didn't really know what to expect coming into the Brea program, if I would even play, let alone start," Pohlen said. "It was kind of a shock when he put me in to start that very first game. I was definitely scared, nervous. I just tried to go out there and play hard, do the best that I could."

Pohlen went on to lead the Ladycats to the CIF-SS finals four consecutive years. She won CIF-SS championships as a freshman and as a junior and she led her team all the way to the CIF Division II state championship game this season.

Pohlen joins San Clemente's Lindsey Pluimer as the only players to be chosen the Register's Girls Basketball Player of the Year three times after her incredible effort in the 2006-07 season.

"Over the past four years I've had some great experiences and great teams and played with some great players and coaches," said Pohlen, who signed with Stanford.

She helped her team beat Narbonne of Harbor City, Marlborough of L.A., Mt Miguel of Spring Valley, Troy and San Clemente during the regular season and it beat Santa Margarita, Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach and Norco in the postseason.

Pohlen was at her best in the playoffs, as she has been throughout her career. She averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in nine postseason games.

Brea Olinda's only losses came by two points against Long Beach Poly, ranked No. 2 in the nation, in the Division I-AA finals and against Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, 54-49, in the state finals.

"It's hard to end like that," Pohlen said of the loss to Archbishop Mitty. "We all got along so well and we knew we accomplished a lot. It was just heartbreaking we couldn't get that state title."

Pohlen will play in the McDonald's All-American game Wednesday, and then head to the WBCA All-American game Saturday in Cleveland. Then it's off to Stanford on June 24.

"I'm so excited," she said. "I can't wait."

First team
Jeanette Pohlen
Brea Olinda, Sr., G, 6-0
Season highlights: Pohlen saved her best performances for the postseason, averaging more than 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in nine playoff games. She led the Ladycats to the CIF-SS finals for the fourth consecutive year, and she got Brea Olinda into the state championship game.
Notable: Pohlen, who signed with Stanford, made the McDonald's All-American and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American teams. She also was named co-player of the year in CIF Southern Section Division I-AA.
Quotable: Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink said: "The thing about Jeanette Pohlen is she is the greatest player I've coached and one of the greatest people I have ever known. She is absolutely courageous, as you saw in that (state championship) game and as you've seen the past four years."

G	Pts	Reb	Asst
35	792	354	171

Jonae Ervin
Brea Olinda, So., Guard, 5-3
Season highlights: Ervin is a whirlwind on the court. Her speed and quickness make her a matchup nightmare. She plays like she's 5-foot-10 because of her leaping ability. She has an enormous array of moves when she slashes and attacks the basket, and she can hit floaters in the lane and mid-range jumpshots.
Notable: Ervin developed many of her skills growing up in Long Beach and playing with her male cousins. She made second-team All-CIF-SS Division I-AA.
Quotable: Said Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink: "She's only 5-(foot-)3, but she's absolutely fearless, an amazing athlete. She's the fastest kid I've ever coached."

5 G

308 Pts

122 Rebs

92 Assts

Christina Marinacci
Foothill, So., Forward, 6-2
Season highlights: Foothill coach Vince Namba said Marinacci had the potential to be as good as former Knights star Kristen Mann before her freshman year. He was right. Marinacci has become one of the most dominant players in the county. She can take players off the dribble, she can shoot from outside and she can score in the post.
Notable: Marinacci made first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division I-A and she was named the co-MVP of the Sea View League.
Quotable: Huntington Beach coach Russell McClurg said: "It's not a matter of stopping her. You are not going to stop her. It's a matter of stopping everybody else. Christina, to me, is the ultimate athlete. She's 6-2, incredible speed, very good on defense. As a matter of fact, she gets a lot of her points off steals and transition."

29 G

699 Pts

296 Rebs

60 Assts

Kristen Riley
San Clemente, Jr., Forward, 6-1
Season highlights: It all came together for Riley and the Tritons this season. She had talent from the time she arrived at San Clemente as a freshman, but she became a bona fide leader this season. She was a big-time scorer and rebounder and her passing made her teammates better. She helped the Tritons win the CIF-SS Division I-A title.
Notable: She made first team All-CIF Southern Section Division I-A and she was the co-MVP of the South Coast League. She has committed to BYU.
Quotable: Said San Clemente coach Mary Mulligan: "She can do everything for us. She is a great passer. She has become such a smart player."

34 G

438 Pts

379 Rebs

81 Assts

Amanda Sims
Troy, Jr., Guard, 5-11
Season highlights: Troy was depending on Sims this season after losing four starters to graduation from a state championship team. She delivered for the Warriors. She was one of the best and most accurate three-point shooters in the county. Sims helped Troy reach the Division I-AA quarterfinals, the toughest division in the state, and she will have Troy in the hunt for a CIF-SS championship again next year.
Notable: She made first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division I-AA and was selected the MVP of the Freeway League.
Quotable: Said Troy coach Kevin Kiernan: "She had to step up for us to be successful and she did. She is a natural scorer."

28 G

479 Pts

156 Rebs

56 Assts

Sceond team
T.J. Goddard, Troy, Jr., G
Jhakia McDonald, Magnolia, Jr., G
Melanie Ysaguirre, Troy, Sr., F
Whitney Wood, Santa Margarita, Sr., F
Georgia Follmer, Santa Margarita, S, C

Third team
Amanda Franz, San Clemente,Sr., G
Melissa Zornig, S. Margarita, Fr., G
Kelsey Harris, Brea Olinda, Fr., G
Rita Sitivi, Marina, So., F
Lauren Gross, El Modena, So., F