Times Honors Westside Players and Coaches

Peter Micelli of Beverly Hills High School, Jamila Banks of Crossroads High, Coach David Uyeshima of Hamilton High and Coach Patricia Peisner of University High received top honors for the Westside at The Times’ annual basketball awards program.

The ceremony at a breakfast Sunday at the Anaheim Hilton saluted 240 prep all-star boys and girls from 12 Southern California areas.

Banks, a senior forward-guard, and Micelli, a senior center, were named players of the year. Peisner, 32, was named girls coach of the year, and Uyeshima, 43, the top boys coach.

A double-figure scorer and a fine rebounder for three years for Coach Larry Weiner, Banks was named the most valuable player in the Delphic League for the last two years. She was a big reason why Crossroads extended its league winning streak over several years to 77 consecutive games at the end of the regular season.

She was named to All-Westside teams for three straight years. This season she averaged 22.2 points and 9.1 rebounds, was chosen the most valuable player at the Westlake School for Girls tournament and made the Cabrillo all-tournament team.

Micelli may have been an ordinary player last year, but he became extraordinary this year through hard work and determination. After his junior year, he began an early-morning weightlifting program, adding pounds and muscle that helped him against bigger centers, and he also jumped rope and ran to improve his hand-eye coordination and stamina.

This year he averaged 23.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots. He was also named the most valuable player in the Bay League and was selected on the All-CIF Southern Section Division II first team.

In her seventh year as University’s coach, Peisner, who also coaches junior varsity basketball, took her 1989-90 squad further than any of her previous teams. The Warriors, who were 10-0 in the Coastal Conference’s Metro League, went to the Los Angeles City 3-A finals, where they lost to defending champion Marshall. University finished with a 17-4 overall record.

Peisner, who had four sophomores on this year’s varsity, said she doesn’t stress winning but does “emphasize playing to (one’s) potential. We have a very strong team concept, which is one reason that we did so well.”

After five lean years as Hamilton’s head coach, Uyeshima guided the Yankees’ return to prominence. Hamilton won the Metro League championship with an 8-2 record and finished 19-7 overall, losing by one point in the City 3-A quarterfinals to North Hollywood, which went on to win the 3-A championship.

Uyeshima, who also coaches varsity baseball and the B and C basketball teams, said that Hamilton has lost a lot of talent in the past few years because of the closing of Louis Pasteur Junior High School, which used to send many good athletes to Hamilton. But the talent was there this year, he added, and he had plenty of help from his volunteer assistant coaches: Marvin Menzines, Gradison Johnson and Walter Carpenter.

Jim Colonna, Times associate sports editor, was the speaker at the breakfast.

Besides Banks, members of the All-Westside girls team are sisters Alana Collins of University and Stephanie Collins of Brentwood, Anael-Stephanie Edwards of Westlake School for Girls, Shaney Fink of University, Katrina Ramalho and Kimberly Robinson of St. Bernard, LaNae Solomon of Marlborough, Faye Stapleton of Crossroads and Erika Threadgill of Westchester.

In addition to Micelli, members of the boys team are Jahi Bacon and Cleveland Jackson of St. Monica, Ryan Hickman and John Woolery of Fairfax, Greg Hooks of Culver City, DeWayne Lewis of Hamilton, Jonah Naulls of Beverly Hills, Greg Vernon of University and Damian Wilson of Westchester.