The Sacramento Bee’s Best: All-Metro basketball honors for schools small, medium and large
One of them arrived on the varsity scene ready to impact the girls’ basketball landscape from the start. She came to lead championship teams, to score in bunches and to secure a scholarship with the best program in the country.
The other just wanted to make the junior varsity squad, and then varsity, and to play anywhere that would offer a scholarship.
The common bond between Jzanyiya Harriel of the Antelope Titans and Jaylen Wells of the Folsom Bulldogs over four tireless seasons was their work ethic in the classroom, on the court and in just about everything they did. It all paid off.
The recently graduated seniors are The Bee’s Basketball Players of the Year for their ability to make plays, to make their teammates better, and for doing a little bit of everything in warding off double or triple teams, all while sporting excellent grades and a reputation as can’t-miss good kids.
A 5-foot-9 point guard headed to Stanford, Harriel is a three-time Bee Player of the Year honoree. She joins Karen Smith of Rio Americano from 1977-80 as the only athlete — girls or boys — to ever pull the feat in any sport. The Bee produced its first All-Metro boys’ basketball teams in the late 1940s and the first for girls’ basketball in 1975. Harriel averaged 29.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists this shortened season, leading the top-ranked Bee team to a 9-1 showing.
A 6-6 guard, forward and post player headed to Sonoma State, Wells went from a junior player with promise to star senior whom no one could contain. He averaged 26.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the 11-2 Bulldogs, who four-peated as Sierra Foothill League champions.
During the pandemic, there were no practices and games. Harriel and Wells never slowed down. They went to work under the guidance of their fathers. They lifted weights, ran sprints and put up hundreds of shots. They found a way to stay sharp, and they looked the part this spring season as motivated leaders with a lot to play for.
Both also inspired with their classroom work. Harriel graduated with a 4.5 grade-point average and Wells was a 3.8 student. Both were inspired by parents who for years got their kid to a practice, a camp, a clinic. Both spoke to The Bee of their pride, and both said the key to their success was desire.
Harriel is already living in a dorm near Stanford, taking summer school courses and engaging in conditioning drills with her new teammates. Stanford won the NCAA championship this past season. Harriel will study political science, with visions of becoming a lawyer or a judge.
Wells heads to Sonoma State later this summer to study business with the aim to help kids learn how to secure college grants or scholarships. He is just the third player in Folsom program history to earn Bee Player of the Year honors (the school opened in 1924). Mike Doyle won it in 1986 and Jordan Ford was a back-to-back winner in 2013 and 2014.
Harriel and Wells said the secret to their success is no secret at all. It’s rooted in desire.
“A bunch of kids have asked me, some just a year younger than me, what they need to do to get into a school like Stanford,” Harriel said. “The term student-athlete has to start with putting student first, so it starts there. For me, I love to learn. I love school, and I love to play basketball. It creates a good balance for me. When you’re studying, you’re at a desk, using your brain. When I’m on the court, I don’t have to think so much and just react and play. It’s a great balance.”
Wells was 6-foot-2 his junior season, a good shooter and ball handler. He worked on his overall game, and also grew in body, up to 6-6. He then became a force inside without losing his ability to shoot. He started games for Folsom as a senior at point guard, forward and center.
“I saw my older sister and brother work hard to play but they didn’t get a chance to play in college, and that inspired me,” Wells said. “I wanted to play in college. I was driven. My growth coincided with my skills. I kept working. I’m definitely proud.”
Harriel wowed her Antelope coach Sean Chambers from the start, or even before her prep start, actually. She would study the gym walls two years before even becoming a high school student and declared that she would do her part to get championship banners added to the scenery. She did.
In scoring inside and out, leading the break or firing passes while also grabbing steals and rebounds, Harriel bows out with records and milestones that make her an all-time area great. She scored 2,284 career points and surely would have eclipsed 3,000 had there been a full season with playoffs. As it stands, Smith of Rio Americano and shooting star Danielle Viglione of Del Campo have scored more points in the area.
Smith scored 2,335 points and Viglione had 3,089, graduating from Del Campo in 1993. Smith played at Cal and Viglione at Texas.
Wells, meanwhile, just wanted to get a chance to be on a team when he entered high school.
“The neat thing about Jaylen is he grew but he didn’t wait to grow, so he worked his butt off to be the best guard he could at 6-2,” Folsom coach Mike Wall said. “He kept working hard and developing his game, and when his body caught up and he had the height to go with his game, he became dominant. It’s a lesson in life. You can’t wait to see how you turn out physically, so be the best you can be, and if you get big, you do, or you don’t.”
Wall said he did not see his varsity players in person for more than a year, due to the pandemic and distance learning.
He added, “So then I see him and think, ‘Oh, my Lord! This is a different kid with the same skills and now the height. It was like opening a Christmas present. It’s testament to how committed he was to his craft. He took that time to grind and get way better. He was at the school working, outdoor baskets, at the blacktop. If there was a basket on a palm tree, Jaylen would be there to shoot.”
Wells found a way to find a good spot to shoot during the pandemic.
“I’d hop the fence at Folsom, run the track, run the bleachers, shoot at the outdoor hoops with my dad, Fred, rebounding for me,” Wells said. “My dad is my inspiration. He works so hard, night shifts, a lot of hours, so I could work with trainers, go to tournaments.”
Harriel also praised her father, Mister Harriel, and her mother, Melissa.
“She’s my inspiration,” Harriel said. “She works so hard in everything she does and she always puts herself above others. I get my competitive nature from Dad and my work ethic from her. I just want to make them proud.”
Harriel did everyone proud, said her prep coach.
“She’s such a great talent, and she’s the most gifted, hard-working kid, the most dedicated, in the region, and one of this area’s all-time greats,” said Chambers, the longtime Antelope coach. “She put goals in front of her and refused to let anyone slow her down. I’ve never seen a kid with this kind of incredible spirit. She wanted to be the best. She’s the best.”
Girls’ Coach of the Year: Sean Chambers, Antelope
In his 15th season with the Titans, Chambers has produced the program’s best seasons in his most recent seasons, including going 9-1 this shortened season that did not include a postseason due to the pandemic. His teams have not lost to a Sacramento-area program in three seasons.
Boys’ Coach of the Year: Tim Kelly, Jesuit
In his third year with the program as head coach, Kelly guided The Bee’s preseason No. 1 team to a 16-0 season in a shortened spring run, the first such unbeaten run since the school opened in 1963. The Marauders won the Delta League and would surely have been a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title contender had there been a postseason.
Boys’ Large School Player of the Year: Ameere Britton, Elk Grove
A 6-foot-2 junior guard skilled enough to dribble and hit midrange jumpers and strong enough to power inside or dunk on the break, Britton earned Delta League MVP honors after averaging 18.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals a game. Elk Grove went 10-1, losing only to top-ranked Jesuit.
Girls’ Large School Player of the Year: Teagan Brown, Oak Ridge
The Sierra Foothill League MVP averaged 18.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and nearly three steals in 10 games. Longtime Oak Ridge basketball coach Steve White called the junior earlier this season “the most talented player I’ve been able to coach.”
Boys’ Medium School Player of the Year: Cameron Niles, Del Campo
A 6-4 senior guard headed to UC Davis on scholarship, Niles averaged 17.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals a game for the Cougars, who went 8-4 in coach Dave Nobis’ final season after 19 years and more than 300 victories.
Girls’ Medium School Player of the Year: Kira Sadler, Vista del Lago
The junior helped lead the Eagles 14-2 record, including going 10-0 in Capital Athletic League. Sadler averaged 17 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Boys’ Small School Player of the Year: Joseph Schneider, El Dorado
A 6-4 senior guard/forward, Schneider averaged 20.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals for the Cougars of Placerville. The team went 10-5.
Girls’ Small School Player of the Year: Jazzy Owens, Colfax
Owens was a key player on Colfax’s team that reached the Northern California finals last spring. This season, the senior averaged 12.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and almost four steals a game. She scored 1,200 points in her career.
Boys’ Smallest School Player of the Year: Breckin Beaman, Sacramento Adventist
A four-year starting guard and a three-time captain, Beaman quietly produced one of the most prolific careers in regional history. He averaged 29.0 points as a senior, the second-most in the state, and averaged 8.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 4.0 steals. His career scoring average was 19,4 points and he scored 2,092 career points.
Girls’ Smallest School Player of the Year: Audrey Harris, Faith Christian
The sophomore made the most of a six-game short season. Harris averaged 29.3 points. Against Wheatland, Harris had 50 points and she scored 41 in the season finale against Capital Christian.
The Bee’s All-Metro Boys’ Basketball roster
Samrat Adhikary, Pioneer, Jr.; Damjan Agovic, Del Campo, Sr.; Emmanuel Akpan, Rockin, Sr.; Anthony Arguelles, Mesa Verde, Jr.; Braeden Beaman, Sacramento Adventist, So.; Breckin Beaman, Sacramento Adventist, Sr.; Aaron Bliss, Ponderosa, Jr.; Ameere Britton, Elk Grove, Jr.; Kevin Burlaka, Antelope, Sr.; Mathias Chatman, Valley, Jr.; Derrick Claxton, Inderkum, Jr.; Isaiah Conlon, Davis, Sr.; Gabe Dirksen, Jesuit, Sr.; Nem Drca, Wood, Sr.; Pierre Dupont, Natomas, Sr.; Takai Emerson-Hardy, Vanden, Jr.; Joe Espy, Pleasant Grove, Jr.; Anthony Garcia, Capital Christian, Jr.; Caden Flowers, Capital Christian. Sr.; Nick Frantti, Western Sierra, Jr.; Tyree Gill, Burbank, Sr.; Aaron Gillyard, Elk Grove, Sr.; Boston Graf, Whitney, Jr.; Isaiah Griffin, Burbank, Jr.; Jaylen Hawkins, Del Oro, So.; Kevin Haupt, Oakmont, Fr.; Devon Hayes, Sheldon, So.; Brandon Herrera, Foothill, Jr.; Matt Hoffman, Rio Americano, Jr.; Te’And Indalecio, Inderkum, Jr.; Lonzale Kemp, Valley, Sr.; Jackson Lee, Placer, Sr.; Sione Lose, Capital Christian, Sr.; Dajon Lott, Elk Grove, Jr.; Malik Madison, Sacramento, Sr.; Alex Maze, Sacramento, Sr.; Agianthi Miller, Vanden, Sr.; Ravena Miller, Cosumnes Oaks, Sr.; Jack Milne, Granite Bay, Jr.; Yaqub Mir, Granite Bay, So.; Michael Moreno, Christian Brothers, Sr.; Omari Nesbit, Burbank, Jr.; JP Nida, Union Mine, Sr.; Cameron Niles, Del Campo, Sr.; Kiku Parker, El Camino, So.; Ethan Patterson, Bradshaw Christian, Jr.; Jaylen Patterson, Bradshaw Christian. Sr.; Max Petrenko, Placer, Sr.; Mason Pryor, River City, Sr.; Ben Roseborough, Sacramento, Fr.; Sam Rosen, Union Mine, Sr.; Juanluis Rubio, Rio Linda, Jr.; Brycen Shackelford, Folsom, Jr.; Joseph Schneider, El Dorado, Sr.; Isa Silva, Jesuit, Sr.; Andrej Stojakovic, Jesuit, So.; Nick Stultz, Woodcreek, Sr.; Maxx Swanson, El Dorado, Sr.; Jayden Teat, Jesuit, So.; Seth Villanueva, River City, Jr.; Davion Wright, Franklin, Jr.; Corey Yerger, Grant, Sr.; Leo Wagner, West Campus; Adam Wong, Sacramento Adventist, Sr.; Greg Zane, Casa Roble, Sr.; Karlos Zepeda, Elk Grove, Jr.
The Bee’s All-Metro Girls’ Basketball roster
Donnelli Allen, Capital Christian, Jr.; Joe’l Benoit, Inderkum, Sr.; Mara Bledsoe, Davis, Jr.; Paris Brown, Sheldon, So.; Madison Butcher, Del Oro, Jr.; Christiane Carlisle, Colfax, Sr.; Mary Carter, Rocklin, Jr.; Marissa Christian, Pioneer, Fr.; Soquel Childers, Pioneer, Jr.; Sophia Covello, Woodcreek, Sr.; Jiana Creswell, Vanden, Jr.; Alina Daffon, Antelope, Sr.; Samaya Dillard, Antelope, Fr.; Bridget Donlan, Union Mine, Sr. ; Emme Eisenman, Davis, Sr.; Imani Felix, McClatchy, Sr.; Kaia Foster, Christian Brothers, Fr.; Jillian Friedman, El Camino, Sr.; Charity Gallegos, Folsom, Sr.; Genesis Hamilton, Wood, Sr.; Lakayla Hale, Monterey Trail, So.; Brynlie Headrick, Vacaville, So.; Maya Hodge, Lincoln, Fr.; Alyssa Jackson, Vanden, So.; Kaitlyn Juaros, Franklin, Jr.; Nisha Kang, Monterey Trail, Sr.; Emily Ko, Cosumnes Oaks, Jr.; Katie Leeth, Lincoln, So.;Sofia Lendahl, Vista del Lago, Jr.; Kaijia Lesane, Antelope, Sr.; Nyah Lowery, River City, So.; Natalie Lundberg, Colfax, Sr.; Rilee Macomber, Woodcreek, Sr.; Talia Medalle, Dixon, Jr.; Jocelyn Medina, Pierce, So.; Marina Montez, Woodland, Jr.; Natalie Moulos, Del Oro, Sr.; Leah Nelson, Christian Brothers, Fr.; Abby O’Brien, Jaclyn Orchard, Union, Jr.; Rio Americano, Jr.; Eden Perry, Woodcreek, Sr.; Harper Peterson, Whitney, Fr.; Ella Ray, Oak Ridge, Jr.; Sidney Richards, Inderkum, Sr.; Diamond Richardson, Grant, Sr.; Julia Riley, Granite Bay, Jr.; Kiari Roberts, Vanden, Jr.; Makayla Rose, Folsom, Jr.; Heaven Samayoa-Mathis, Sacramento, Sr.; Skylar Schouten, Davis, Sr.; Tessa Schouten, Davis, Fr.; Keke Scott, Rocklin, Jr.; Samia Smith, Grant, Jr.; Kristen Sobrepena, Sacramento Adventist, Sr.; Paisley Specht, Folsom, Sr.; Monet Stallworth, Grant, So.; Zoe Tillery Laguna Creek, Jr.; Mia Waki, McClatchy, Sr.; Jene Wells, Christian Brothers, Jr.; Saray White, McClatchy, Jr.; Elizabeth Wylie, Union Mine, Sr.; Ahrray Young, Laguna Creek, Jr.; Aries Younger, Del Campo, Sr.
This story was originally published July 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.