DREAM TEAM

Rick Devereux

He led his team in virtually every category while carrying the squad

on his back to the CIF Southern Section Division III-A semifinals.

It is easy to see why people call him “Super Carlos.”

Estancia High senior Carlos Pinto is not Superman, it just happens

to appear that way on the court.

Pinto made buzzer-beating shots to lift the Eagles to wins over

Golden West League opponents Costa Mesa and Ocean View. Behind

Pinto’s leadership, Estancia finished 23-6 and won a league title for

the first time since 1997 with an 11-1 mark in the Golden West

League.

The poise under pressure and leadership skills Pinto possesses

have earned him numerous accolades, including this year’s Daily Pilot

Newport-Mesa Player of the Year.

“Beyond all the numbers, he’s just a pleasure to coach,”

first-year Estancia coach Jason Simco said. “We played one game

without him this season and lost by 30 points [62-32 to Laguna

Beach]. It’s just ridiculous what this guy can do.”

Pinto finished with 1,538 career points.

Joining Pinto, a repeat selection, on the Newport-Mesa Dream Team

are Newport Harbor seniors Brett Perrine and Taylor Young, Sage Hill

senior Matt Loper and Costa Mesa junior Scott Knox.

Pinto, a four-year starter with the Eagles, led all Newport-Mesa

players by averaging 20.4 points per game. The 6-foot-4 guard also

led Estancia in rebounding, blocked shots, steals and three-point

baskets (47).

“That’s very, very impressive to be able to do all of those

things,” Simco said. “He carried the program the last four years. I

think he became a lot more of a team player this year. He would pass

up a shot to get his teammates involved. Most of his points came in

the second half when we needed him to take over the game.”

Perrine also had the ability to take over games. The 6-5 forward

scored 35 points in Newport’s first-round win over University in the

CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs and was second on the team,

averaging 14.3 points per game. While his skills on the court are

impressive, the work ethic he showed to rehabilitate a torn ACL in

his right knee his sophomore year and torn meniscus in the same knee

his junior year is at least as noteworthy.

“It’s not easy coming back from two knee surgeries,” Newport

Harbor Coach Larry Hirst said. “He is definitely not afraid to take a

shot. He is a very gifted athlete. He has a nose for the basket. It

doesn’t matter where he is on the court, he’s always a threat to

score.”

Young was also a threat to score for the Sailors, but the senior

was usually getting his points inside the paint. Taylor is a repeat

Dream Team selection who was also selected to the football Dream Team

in the fall as an outside linebacker. His hard-nosed approach to

football carried over to the effort he exuded in basketball.

“He’s the blue-collar guy,” Hirst said. “He did all the dirty

work. Nobody likes to get rebounds, especially offensive rebounds.

Nobody wants to get banged around inside the paint and under the

boards, but he thrived down there.”

Young averaged 17.4 points per game to lead the Sailors, but his

presence had more of an effect on his team than just his scoring

average.

“I don’t think it’s a big surprise that we were 1-4 to start the season when Taylor was still on the football team,” Hirst said. “And

then, all of a sudden when he comes back, we went 16-6.”

Loper also had a winning impact for the Sage Hill program. The 6-3

guard has been a mainstay for the Lightning for four years.

“I have never coached a game at Sage Hill without Matt in the

lineup,” Coach Steve Keith said. “He evolved as a 5-6, 140-pound

freshman point guard to a 6-3, 180 senior who can do everything.”

Loper was second among Newport-Mesa players with an 18.9 scoring

average, leading Sage Hill to a 16-11 record and a berth in the CIF

Division IV-A playoffs.

“To say he is a senior leader is probably an understatement,”

Keith said. “Not only was he our go-to guy and a four-year varsity

player, he was a two-year captain. He embodies all the leadership

qualities you want in a basketball player.”

Knox, a repeat Dream Team selection, led all area players with 69

three-pointers. He made 91 long balls as a sophomore, but first-year

Mustangs coach Ryan Schachter said his drop in production beyond the

arc was actually a plus for this year’s team.

The Mustangs finished 18-10 and advanced to the CIF Division III-A

quarterfinals, including the program’s first playoff victory in 42

years.

“He’s a vocal leader,” Schachter said. “When it’s time to step up

or get guys in line, he’s the guy who leads the team and gets [his

teammates] focused.”