Called Game: Mikey Williams big shot caps 7th installment of the 3P Creme of the County
With his team trailing by 5 in the waning moments of the final game of the seventh installment of the 3P Creme of the County, the county's biggest high school basketball star stepped into the spotlight.
6-3 senior guard Mikey Williams hit consecutive threes - including a difficult contested step-back triple - to lift his "white" team to a 118-116 victory in the Creme De La Creme game, which featured most of San Diego's top basketball talents regardless of class.
While Williams didn't have his most efficient game (unofficial statistics had him 5-19 FG), his late-game heroics notched him co-player of the game honors along with St. Augustine junior point guard Lolo Rudolph.
Rudolph had nine assists in the final game and played stellar on both ends of the floor to get his "black" team off to a big lead. It was Rudolph's second player of the game award on the day, as he was the best player on the floor in the 2024 Creme game earlier in the day.
Along with Williams and Rudolph, the Creme De La Creme game featured big performances from St. Augustine senior duo Jaden Matingou (17 points) and Jurian Dixon, San Ysidro senior guard Angelo Gil and La Costa Canyon senior wing Christian Brown for the Black team, and Temecula Rancho Christian senior Bailey Chambers, Santa Fe Christian junior guard Brycen Mackenzie, San Ysidro freshman Ty Ingram - one of the game's youngest players - and Cathedral Catholic junior forward Ryan Enos.
Many of those players had strong efforts in earlier games.
Among the senior standouts that I saw during the 2023 sessions included Gil, 6-0 Otay Ranch G Elijah Newsome, 5-11 Balboa School G Kalik Sharpe; 5-9 Morse PG Darnell Green, 6-1 San Diego G Noah Marte, 6-4 Helix W Hudaifa Osman, 6-2 Rancho Christian G Titus Davis, 6-4 W Austin Nassar, 6-1 Coronado G Nolan Reuter, 6-3 Mater Dei Catholic SG Kristian Gonzalez, 6-5 Torrey Pines SG JJ Bartelloni and 6-4 Maranatha Christian F Joel Schwantner.
In the 2024 Creme Game, Rudolph and Mackenzie, one of the event's breakout stars, was joined by 6-7 Mission Bay W Charlie Hutchison, 6-1 El Camino G Euan Davis, 6-4 Victory Christian G Derek Edmond, 6-6 Francis Parker F Kam Dubois, 6-6 Imperial F David Scariano, 6-4 Lincoln W Kyelin King, 5-9 San Marcos G Derek Tuason, 5-11 Scripps Ranch G Kai Brown and 6-7 San Ysidro C Andrei Tovar as game standouts.
The 2024 Select game saw 6-1 Del Norte G Luke Sandburg and 6-3 Rancho Bernardo G Zach Thompson - both very underrated prospects - give stellar performances along with 6-4 San Marcos W Mazen El Bissat, 6-4 Torrey PInes W Matin Madadkar, 6-2 Mission Bay G Kumari West, 6-4 Del Norte WF Zion Applewhaite, 6-4 Otay Ranch W Adam De La Cruz and 6-2 Bonita Vista G David Soto.
The 2025 class was well represented in both the Creme and Select Game. Atreju De La Cruz starred with another breakout performance in the Creme Game, but his teammates 6-5 Montgomery F JJ Sanchez, 6-4 St. Augustine F Manny Cortez, 6-2 Rancho Bernardo PG Josh Thompson, 6-5 W Shane Perry and 6-8 St. Joseph Academy F Justice Ahiafor all had solid efforts. The East Team was paced by 6-5 Sage Creek F Elijah Stephens, 6-4 Lincoln W Jair Benjamin, 6-1 Montgomery G Xair Mendez, 6-3 San Ysidro G Steve Evans-Glynn, 6-3 Cathedral Catholic G Patrick O'Brien and 6-3 Montgomery G Devin Hamilton.
In the 2025 Select Game, Cathedral Catholic G PJ Jourdain and San Diego G Isaiah Marte put together masterful performances in one of only two blowouts on the day. The winning "West" team also go solid performances from 5-9 San Marcos shooter Elias Flaim, 6-2 Torrey Pines G Luke Sanchez, 6-2 Montgomery W Jordyn Webster, 6-4 Vista F Cody Myers and 6-2 Poway G Gabe Menck. The East team was paced by the play of 6-5 Eastlake F Mason Little, 6-1 Rancho Buena Vista G Isaiah Justice, 5-11 Bishop's G Owen Turner, 5-9 Corona Centennial G Devin McGee and 6-2 St. Joseph Academy F Thaddeus Yuhas.
The 2026 Creme Game saw a number of standout performances on both sides, including for the West 5-10 Rancho Buena Vista G CJ Aldrich, 6-0 Victory Christian G Jayden Gray, 6-3 Maranatha Christian W Adrian Ownbey, 6-3 Torrey Pines W Tevaris Green, 6-1 El Camino G Gage Blakemore, 6-3 Torrey Pines G Ethan Abeles and 5-10 Cathedral Catholic G Max Meza; and 6-3 Foothills Christian W Julian Lebel, 6-2 Madison W Runnar Miller, 6-2 San Ysidro G Ty Ingram, 5-10 Carlsbad G Wyatt Cann, 6-0 St. Augustine G Jaden Bailes, 6-3 San Marcos G Jordan Barnhart, 6-1 Vista G Romeo Friend and 6-1 Helix G Jason Black on the East squad.
Leo Hawkinson, a 5-10 guard from St. Augustine (Bailes future back court mate), had a stellar performance in the 2026 Select game to lead his East team to a win against the West. Along with him, the East team got strong games from 6-5 2026 La Costa Canyon C Mason Jones, 6-1 San Diego G Terry Gant, 6-1 Mar Vista G DK Montgomery, 5-10 Maranatha Christian G Dash Ekeroth and 5-5 Mission Hills G Oliver Savona.
6-3 Mission Hills G Mykah Simmons, 5-9 Mission Hills G Logan Vergenz, 6-4 San Diego Jewish Academy C Jack Silberstein, 6-2 Victory Christian Academy G Isaiah Owens and 6-1 Torrey Pines G Harris Notrica were the standouts for the West team.
And finally, the 2027 Creme Game, one of the most watched games of the day, saw Oceanside-area guard Tavid Lee Johnson hit a three from the right wing at the buzzer to beat the West Team 81-78. Johnson, 6-3 G Jackson McCall, 6-4 post Alejandro Gonzalez, 5-10 2028 wing Jagger Johnson and guards Kannon Seals, Donovan Bryant and Tristan Anderson all had solid efforts in the win.
6-4 G Jeremiah Profit, 6-3 post Jasen Hughes, 6-3 wing Deven Hewett, 6-4 wing Taj Ingram and 6-1 G Justin Wise had solid peformances in the loss.
Game MVPs
This year's Creme of the County honored Nick Herrmann, the late Torrey Pines star guard who passed away from cancer last month, by naming the player of the game award in his honor.
In addition to Williams and Rudolph, the following players were also named player of the game in their respective games:
2023 games: Kalik Sharpe, 5-11 G, Balboa School; Bailey Chambers, 6-3 G, Rancho Christian; Dalton Norvell, 6-1 G, Ramona
2024 Creme Game: Lolo Rudolph, 6-7 W Charlie Hutchison, Mission Bay
2024 Select Game: Kumari West, 6-2 G, Mission Bay; Luke Sandburg, 6-0 PG, Del Norte
2025 Creme: Atreju De La Cruz, 6-1 G, Mission Bay
2025 Select: Mason Little, 6-5 F, Eastlake; and PJ Jourdain, 6-1 G, Cathedral Catholic
2026 Creme: Julian Lebel, 6-3 W, Foothills Christian
2026 Select: Leo Hawkinson, 5-11 G, St. Augustine; and Mykah Simmons, 6-3 W, Mission Hills
2027 Creme: Tavid Lee Jackson, 5-10 PG, Oceanside; Jeremiah Profit, 6-4 W, Temecula International Academy.
Hustle Award winners:
The COTC also honored players who exhibited high motors in their respective games with the Work Ethic Hustle Award. Players received a pair of shorts from sponsor Work Ethic.
2026: Jack Silberstein and Oliver Savona
2027 Creme: Tristan Anderson and Jasen Hughes
2026 Creme: Jaden Bailes and Tevaris Green
2025 Select: Reid Givens and Devin McGee
2025 Creme: Elijah Stephens and Manny Cortez
2024 Select: Adam De La Cruz and Zion Applewhaite
2024 Creme: Brycen Mackenzie and Euan Davis
2023 Session 1: Joel Schwantner and Dante King
2023 Session 2: Quaylon Bryant and Zane Goldman
2023 Session 3: Titus Davis and Andres Tabarez
