Williams, Nakase Highlight Field

T.J. Williams of Santa Margarita and Natalie Nakase of Marina, Times Orange County players of the year, head the lineup at the Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club Orange County senior All-Star boys’ and girls’ basketball games Saturday at Orange Coast College.

The boys’ game begins at 8 p.m. and features five first-team all-county players. Loara’s Ed Prange, Times Orange County boys’ coach of the year, will direct the North and Brian Mulligan of South Coast League co-champion Capistrano Valley will coach the South.

The girls’ game opens the doubleheader at 5 and features three first-team all-county selections. The North coach is Kim Harris, who led Brethren Christian to the Southern Section Division IV-A title. The South will be coached by Pete Belanto of South Coast League co-champion Capistrano Valley.

Williams, a point guard, averaged 13 points and 8.5 assists in leading Santa Margarita to a 34-2 record and Southern Section Division II-AA and state Division II titles. He will attend Cal Poly Pomona in the fall.

Other first-team all-county players for the South are Dekker McKeever, a 6-9 center from Santa Margarita who has signed with Holy Cross, and Joe Ortiz, a 6-2 shooting guard from Calvary Chapel who has signed with Westmont.

The North will be headed by 6-7 center Alan Verzani of Villa Park, and 6-3 point guard Zamiro Bennem of Magnolia, who led the Sentinels to the Orange League title. Bennem will attend UC Irvine.

The 5-foot-1 Nakase, who will play for the South, averaged 13.9 points and 8.6 assists. A four-year starter who signed with UCLA, she led Marina to its best record in school history (28-5) and its first Southern Section basketball title (Division I-A).

The South also features Anna Lembke, a 6-3 center from Ocean View who averaged 21.3 points and 12.9 rebounds, and the county’s leading shooter for the third consecutive year. Lembke is headed to Pepperdine.

Esperanza’s Leah Coombs, a 6-2 center who averaged 14.1 points, leads the North. She has signed with Arizona State.

A three-point shooting contest is scheduled at halftime of the girls’ game and a dunking contest at halftime of the boys’ game.

Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $10 for adults and $6 for students under 18.

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The boys’ rosters:

North--Martin Banda (Loara), Zamiro Bennem (Magnolia), Scott Blake (Troy), Brian Brennan (Loara), Reid Carlson (Brea Olinda), Josh Fischer (La Habra), Mike Gartner (El Dorado), John Radaza (Cypress), Jeff Swan (Pacifica), Alan Verzani (Villa Park), Steve Shea (Servite), Travis Weaver (Cypress). Coach: Ed Prange (Loara). Assistant: Craig Snider (La Quinta).

South--Josh Garrett (Capistrano Valley), Kevin Hanson (Ocean View), Semaj Johnson (San Clemente), Dekker McKeever (Santa Margarita), Sam Nelson (Estancia), Duc Nguyen (Bolsa Grande), Joe Ortiz (Calvary Chapel), Eric Palmer (University), Mark Wulfemeyer (El Toro), Ryan Webster (Trabuco Hills), T.J. Williams (Santa Margarita), Terrail Zoller (Century). Coach: Brian Mulligan (Capistrano Valley). Assistants.: Steve Canin (Capistrano Valley), Bill Mulligan.

The girls’ rosters:

North--Sarah Belavic (Rosary), Missy Bynon (Villa Park), Leah Combs (Esperanza), Yvette deBruijn (El Dorado), Kristin Geoffroy (Los Alamitos), Heidi Hardeman (Troy), Heidi Hill (Esperanza), Rachael MacDonald (Brethren Christian), Cindy Oparah (Brethren Christian), Stephanie Patten (El Dorado), Jaymee Pendergast (Esperanza), Sarah Spencer (Troy), Coach: Kim Harris (Brethren Christian). Assistant: Robin Davis.

South--Mary Anderson (Capistrano Valley), Kelly Boeke (Fountain Valley), Natasha Combs (Capistrano Valley), Taryn Commins (San Clemente), Janet Glasby (Westminster), Andrea Jacobs (San Clemente), Geneva Kelly (Mission Viejo), Erin Larsen (Laguna Hills), Anna Lembke (Ocean View), Kristin Moorhouse (Aliso Niguel), Natalie Nakase (Marina), Nicole Roberts (Woodbridge). Coach: Pete Belanto (Capistrano Valley). Assistant: Tom Ressler.