Each week, publications from the Southern California News Group’s 11 properties (Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin, Redlands Daily Facts, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena-Star News) select the Athletes of the Week for their respective region.
Each athlete is then entered into the overall Southern California Athlete of the Week vote.
Click on the newspaper links below the athlete’s name to read about their performance from last week, and then vote for who you think deserves the top honor.
Readers are allowed to vote multiple times. Voting ends at midnight, but final totals aren’t always immediately reflected due to processing.
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING
The overall winner will be announced on Friday, February 18.
Voting poll at bottom of the page.
Savannah Lewis, Northview: One of the Northview’s most celebrated girls wrestlers won the CIF Southern Section Southern Division 150-pound title over the weekend, which helped the Vikings win the team crown. She will be one to watch at the state championships as well.
Alexandra Lopez, Marina: Lopez earned MVP honors for the upper weights in the Central Division of the CIF-SS Individual Championships. She won the title in the 143-pound division with four pins to help lead the Vikings to the team title. Lopez (40-1) earlier this season won tournament titles at Capistrano Valley, Mater Dei, Bonita, Ayala, the Dick Morris Memorial and the Sunset Conference finals.
Madison Watts, Mary Star: Watts and the Stars opened up play in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A playoffs with a 63-31 win over Valley Christian. Watts was dominant as usual, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Jessie Nelson, Centennial: Nelson was a goal-scoring machine last week, tallying 29 of them over three matches to help the Huskies advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 5 semifinals. Nelson opened the week with 10 goals against Lawndale, and then followed with eight goals against Torrance. She capped the week with a career-high 11 goals in a quarterfinal victory over Lakewood. Nelson has registered a team-high 132 goals this season. Centennial takes on Ayala in the semifinals Wednesday evening.
Kristal Caldwell, Long Beach Poly: Caldwell, a guard, helped Poly’s stifling defense shut down Roosevelt to win 67-42 in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs on Saturday, Feb. 12. Caldwell had a strong game with 12 points (10 in the second half), seven rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. In January, Caldwell was nominated to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago this March.
Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon: Watkins was stellar for the Trailblazers last week, averaging 26.4 points per game through five games, including games of 33, 30 and 39 points. The transfer from Windward scored a game-winner in the team’s 65-64 victory over New Hope Academy of Maryland in Texas, then scored 39 points in a 69-52 win over Christ the King of New York at Staples Center. Sierra Canyon is 8-0 this season.
