Bee’s Best boys’ basketball: Meet The Bee’s Player of the Year and the All-Metro teams
Ameere Britton doesn’t have any trouble sleeping.
Anyone who plays basketball with the frenetic purpose of impacting a game and competing until his legs feel rubbery is sure to hit the sack hard. That’s the case for Britton, Elk Grove High School’s super senior guard.
In leading the Thundering Herd to a historically great season, Britton bows out as a CIF state champion and The Bee’s Player of the Year. Elk Grove’s Division II state banner is just the sixth such achievement for a boys’ program in regional history, dating back to when the event started in 1981.
In scoring any which way and providing obstacles for scorers trying to get around him, Britton was the clear choice for The Bee’s top hoops honor. He is the first athlete from the school to win the honor in boys’ basketball since the great Bill Cartwright led the state in scoring in 1975, earning back-to-back Bee Player of the Year accolades. Cartwright is so beloved in Elk Grove that the gym bears his name and has his retired jersey encased in glass. The one-time All-American at the University of San Francisco and three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls watched via livestream as Elk Grove won the state title over Foothill at Golden 1 Center, where Britton did more marvelous things.
The 6-foot-2 leader scored 20 points in that title game, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and made two steals in a 62-56 victory that capped a 7-1 playoff run for Elk Grove. Britton led the charge offensively throughout the season, scoring 18.3 points a game and averaging 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists. 2.5 steals and 1.1 blocks a game for the 28-6 Thundering Herd.
“He gave us everything,” said Elk Grove coach Dustin Monday, The Bee’s Coach of the Year. Monday’s Herd team as recently as 2018 went winless in the Delta League, 14 games’ worth of frustration, then went 12-17 the following season.
Monday is an Elk Grove High graduate, a former player, a hoops junkie, who expertly crafted this team into a championship one, calling this season, “a dream.”
Coaching Britton was a dream because no one had to remind him to hustle, or to work on his game. Britton used to race around the house as a little boy, sometimes without a basketball. When he finally used one, the running around suddenly included dribbling, and heaven help grandmother’s fine china or beloved lamp.
“I was all over the place,” Britton said with a laugh. He never slowed down as a four-year varsity starter.
Against league rival Jesuit in a second-round Sac-Joaquin Section playoff game, Britton forced star Jesuit guard Andrej Stojakovic into eight first-half turnovers, and Stojakovic raved later that Britton, “is a great defender.”
Against Vanden in a Northern California playoff game, Britton scored 24 of his team’s 27 first-half points. In short, Britton was a defender when needed, a playmaker when needed, a scorer when needed and a leader when needed. Which is to say, he was needed regularly. His first name in Swahili stands for “King.” He played like it.
“I just try to do anything I can to help this team,” Britton said, adding that growing up with most of his varsity teammates made the season “all the more special.”
Britton has smaller colleges and local junior colleges hot on his trail. He’d like to catch the attention of more Division I programs, too. Britton vows to play somewhere in college. Jesuit coach Tim Kelly vouches for Britton’s ability.
“He has a complete basketball skill set, a really well rounded player, a great defender and athlete,” Kelly said. “He has the ability to control the game from the defensive end. Great hands and anticipation. On offense, he plays very under control. Strong with the ball. His 3-point shot improved throughout his career, but his strength is his ability to get to the rim. More than his skill was his ability to will his team to wins. Seems like he put his team on his back in crunch time and was not going to allow them to lose.”
The coach added with emphasis, “I’m glad he is graduating!”
More Players of the Year
▪ Derrick Claxton of Inderkum is The Bee’s Large School Player of the Year, leading the Tigers to their finest season since the school opened in Natomas in 2004. The 6-6 Claxton averaged 21.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 blocked shots for Inderkum, which went a school-record best 28-3 and was the top seed in the NorCal Division I playoffs.
▪ Isiah Griffin and Omari Nesbit of Burbank are The Bee’s Medium School Co-Players of the Year, having each led the Division III Titans in scoring at 22.4 points per game. The senior guards also happen to be brothers, so bragging rights at the dinner table are still dead even as their statistics are nearly identical across the board as they powered Burbank to a 19-10 season.
▪ Drew Fischer of Liberty Ranch is The Bee’s Small School Player of the Year, the senior guard serving as the driving force behind the Hawks winning their first Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section championship and winning two CIF NorCal playoff games. Fischer led Liberty Ranch in scoring (18.5), rebounding (8.1), assists (6.5) and steals (3.2) as the team went 29-6.
▪ Ethan Patterson of Bradshaw Christian is The Bee’s Smallest School Player of the Year, a four-year varsity player and three-year starter that stood big on a campus with just over 300 students. He averaged 17.4 points this season and powered the Pride through a spirited run in the playoffs, winning three games as a lower seed.
▪ How the teams were selected: The Bee’s All-Metro teams were picked through personal observations by Bee staffers and from coaching nominations. Playoff success was also a primary factor. Players had to be nominated to make these teams.
THE BEE’S ALL-METRO TEAMS
Boys
Player of the Year
G Ameere Britton, Elk Grove, Sr.
Large School Player of the Year
G Derrick Claxton, Inderkum, Sr.
Medium School Players of the Year
Isiah Griffin, Burbank, Sr.
Omari Nesbit, Burbank, Sr.
Small School Player of the Year
G Drew Fischer, Liberty Ranch, Sr.
Smallest School Player of the Year
G Ethan Patterson, Bradshaw Christian, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Dustin Monday, Elk Grove
First Team
C Aaron Bliss, Ponderosa, Sr.
G Rashaud Bradley, Sheldon, Sr.
G Rishod Brown, Grant, Sr.
G Kiku Parker, El Camino, Jr.
F Brycen Shackleford, Folsom, Sr.
G Andrej Stojakovic, Jesuit, Sr.
Second Team
G Anthony Garcia, Capital Christian, Sr.
G Varick Lewis, Monterey Trail, Sr.
C Dajon Lott, Elk Grove, Sr.
G Yaqub Mir, Granite Bay, Sr.
F Leo Wagner, West Campus, Sr.
F Kai Wallin, Jesuit, Sr.
Third team
G Kevin Haupt, Oakmont, So.
G Matt Hoffman, Rio Americano, Sr.
F Milo Goehring, Nevada Union, Sr.
G Jayson Mathews, Grant, Sr.
G Donovan Morgan, Sheldon, Sr.
C Cody Smith, Liberty Ranch, Jr.
G Nick Von Zboray, Ponderosa, Sr.
Fourth Team
F James Cook, Center, Sr.
G Boston Graf, Whitney, Sr.
G Brandon Herrera, Foothill, Sr.
G Juanluis Rubio, Rio Linda, Sr.
G Mateen Rafiq, El Camino, Jr.
F Jake Thoensen, Folsom, Sr.
Fifth team
G Samrat Adhikary, Pioneer, Sr.
F Harrison Alexander, Bear River, Sr.
G Joshua Brown, Marysville, Sr.
G Jermaine Haliburton, Inderkum, Jr.
F Majer Sullivan, Antelope, Sr.
G Nanik Tagore, San Juan, Sr.
Honorable mention: Anthony Arguelles, Mesa Verde, Sr.; Braeden Beaman, Sacramento Adventist, Jr.; Kris Bridgers, Marysville, Sr.; C.J. Brown, Natomas, Sr.; Jeremiah Butler, Center, So.; Tyrone Butler, Fortune Early College, Sr.; Caleb Byers, Foresthill, Sr.; Brandon Carlton, Bella Vista; Sr.; Isaiah Chandavong, Inderkum, Jr.; Casen Chaney, Ponderosa, Sr.; Mathias Chatman, Valley, Sr.; Kanye Clarke, Capital Christian, Jr.; Troy Crighton, Sheldon, Sr.; Lamanz Cummings, Florin; Garret Dutro, Placer, Jr.; Joe Espy, Pleasant Grove, Sr.; Nick Frantti, Western Sierra, Sr.; Jack Gillingham, Oak Ridge, Sr.; Jalen Glenn, Inderkum, Jr.; Grant Golonka, Elk Grove, Sr.; Nick Graves, Oak Ridge, Sr.; Dylan Harms, Bella Vista, Jr.; Kendahl Hearne, Sacramento, So.; Jordan Hess, Elk Grove, Sr.; Austin Ito, Woodcreek, Jr.; Donovan Johnson, Antelope, Sr.; Kason Johnson, Franklin, Sr.; Kentrell Kelly, Monterey Trail, So.; Isaiah King, Elk Grove, Sr.; Miles Lake, Rio Americano, Jr; Mark Lavrenov, Rocklin, Fr.; Miles Macayan, Folsom, Sr; Amrin Mann, Sutter, Jr.; John Marengo, Christian Brothers, Sr.; Tagipo Maui, Johnson, Sr.; TJ Maveety, Granite Bay, Sr.; Brady Meyers, Valley Christian Academy, Sr.; Mason Mottashed, Union Mine, Jr.; Jayden Morris, Sacramento, Sr.; Jacob Olson, Oak Ridge, Sr.; Jack O’Neill, Forest Lake Christian, Sr.; Jake Overbay, Lincoln, Sr.; Caden Pinnick, Del Oro, So.; Nick Primavera, Roseville, Sr.; Freddy Rodriguez River City, Sr.; Wyatt Rumfelt, Woodland Christian, Jr.; Gabe Santiago, Victory Christian, Sr.; Matt Shoroeder, Whitney, Jr.; David Schumeier, Bradshaw Christian, Sr.; Joe Sinor, Colfax, Sr.; Devin Sorci-Moore, Vacaville, Sr.; Antonio Tercero, River City, Sr.; Karlos Zepada, Elk Grove, Sr.
THE BEE’S FINAL TOP 20
1. Sheldon 22-11
2. Inderkum 28-3
3. Grant 25-4
4. Elk Grove 28-6
5. Folsom 24-7
6. Ponderosa 27-1
7. Vanden 21-13
8. Liberty Ranch 29-6
9. Granite Bay 19-14
10. Whitney 24-9
11. Capital Christian 17-10
12. Jesuit 14-14
13. Antelope 23-6
14. Burbank 19-10
15. El Camino 21-9
16. Sacramento 16-13
17. Oakmont 19-9
18. Rio Americano 17-12
19. Oak Ridge 16-12
20. Placer 22-8
Bubble teams: Bella Vista (18-9), Center (18-9), Lincoln (19-8), Marysville (24-5), Pleasant Grove (16-13), Pioneer (19-8), River City (15-12), Rocklin (15-15), Sacramento Waldorf (17-5), San Juan (16-10), Union Mine (23-9); West Campus (16-10), Wood (17-11), Western Sierra (22-6).
This story was originally published April 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.