Holmes to lead South squad in O.C. All-Star game

Mike Sciacca, Independent

Twenty-two years ago, Roger Holmes, a Fountain Valley High senior,

scored 15 points to help the South outrace the North in a 124-116 victory

in the Orange County All-Star Basketball Game.

The 124 points in that 1978 game still stand as the most points scored by

a team in the event’s history, which reaches its 35th year with

Saturday’s 8 p.m. game at Orange Coast College.

Holmes, now the head coach at Marina High, will be on hand for this one,

too, but this time, he’ll be playing the role of head coach for the

South.

“I never really gave it any thought, coming back to this game as a

coach,” said Holmes, who will be assisted Saturday by his Marina

assistants, Andy Myer and Sean Stevenson. “It’s been fun running this

team. It’s been a nice group of kids to work with. We have some big

scorers, but these guys have been distributing the ball around really

well during practice.”

The South squad features six of the county’s top 10 scorers during the

1999-2000 season, including Marina forward Dustin Kaatz, who averaged 23

points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The Sunset League MVP and CIF Division

I-A First Team member will be part of a starting South lineup, Holmes

said, that also will feature center Chris Manker and guard Travis Hanour

of Laguna Beach, guard Andy Lawrence of University, and Trabuco Hills

forward Evan Fields.

At halftime of the boys’ contest, a slam dunk contest, featuring players

from both the South and North squads, will be held.

The first tip-off Saturday will be the girls All-Star game at 5 p.m. The

South squad will feature local players Nikki Lee of Marina, Christine

Kimoto of Huntington Beach, and Edison’s Michelle Zylstra, the Sunset

League MVP.

A three-point extravaganza between the competing players will be held at

halftime of the girls’ contest.