Acen Jimenez brings the ball up the floor for La Habra Saturday at California Live as Coach Aaron Riekenberg leads his squad at Ladera Sports Center. (PHOTOS: Jacob Ramos, For OC Sports Zone).

La Habra High School’s boys basketball team continued its summer season at Boys California Live in Orange County on Saturday. Led by head coach Aaron Riekenberg, the Highlanders will look to build on the recent success of their program in the 2025-26 season.

La Habra reached the mountaintop in 2023-24, securing the program’s first ever CIF championship in the Division 3AA bracket. It was a title that was a long time coming for the Highlanders, three-time champs of Southern California’s Freeway League. 

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La Habra prepares for Saturday’s game.

Aaron Wilson shoots a free throw for La Habra Saturday.

Jayden Martinez brings the ball up for La Habra.

Richard Gonzalez of La Habra at Saturday’s game.

Now, the focus turns towards 2025-26 for Riekenberg and the Highlanders. Losing 10 seniors from the previous season, La Habra coaches and players understand the road ahead to contention will be without a lot of familiar faces.

“[The 2023-24 team] made history,” Riekenberg told OC Sports Zone after Saturday’s game at Ladera Sports Center. “A couple of them are going to be playing collegiately at the next level, and so definitely they were missed today. But we were blessed to be able to have Acen Jimenez return as part of that CIF championship [team].”

Jimenez profiles as the team’s leading scorer for the upcoming season, already lettering twice going into his senior year. The senior will look to guide La Habra to another deep playoff run, after the Highlanders fell to Windward in last season’s CIF first round. 

La Habra’s success in 2023-24 didn’t just get the Highlanders noticed statewide. It vaulted the program into CIF’s Division 1, the second highest-ranked cluster of teams in the region.

The Highlanders made the transition up three divisions and to a new league simultaneously leaving the Freeway League for the Crestview League in 2024-25. Some may have seen the improvement in competition as a punishment for performing well in CIF’s lower divisions, but Riekenberg welcomes the challenge with open arms.

“We have so much respect for the Freeway League and all the great coaching and the battles we’ve had there. But man, there’s nothing like the Crestview,” Riekenberg said. “You had all five teams in the top, I believe, top 12 Orange County rankings.”

La Habra held its own in its new league this past season, going 4-4 in league play and 20-9 overall in 2024-25. Riekenberg credited some of the non-league competition his program has earned the right to face when talking about preparation for the Crestview. 

“We knew we had to raise our level of play and raise our level of competition throughout the year, which is why we’re at events like Cali Live [and] Section 7, playing these teams, so we’re prepared for those moments,” he said, referring to this weekend’s tournament and Section 7, based in Arizona.

Riekenberg noted a few players to watch out for as the Highlanders prepare for the upcoming season: forward Javier Nash, guard Joshua Desatoff and guard Aaron Wilson.

Nash is a junior headed into 2025-26, and shined during the weekend as a playfinisher, skying for easy baskets at the rim. Riekenberg noted he played more as a role player last season, but is expected to step up as a starter and scorer this year.

Desatoff has had tough injury luck during his high school career. The guard has had a pair of ACL tears that limited his playing time to just his freshman season in 2023-24, the coach said.

However, Desatoff is getting back to full health now and is expected to contribute greatly to the Highlanders this upcoming season. Riekenberg told OC Sports Zone that had it not been for his original ACL injury his freshman year, Desatoff may have been a starter on La Habra’s CIF championship squad.

Wilson is perhaps the most intriguing out of the three highly-touted Highlanders. He is an incoming freshman who has spent the weekend starting for La Habra at point guard. A rare young player who can dictate the game and play at his own speed, Riekenberg said Wilson is going to be “really, really special.”

Riekenberg spoke with great pride about his program, even after suffering a 58-49 loss to a talented St. John Bosco squad on Saturday in the California Live Event. Jimenez had 18 points and five assists to lead La Habra.

The Highlanders ended the day with a 58-49 victory over Bishop Montgomery. Jimenez had 36 points, five assists and two steals and Javier Nash 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

“These boys that we’ve had have committed themselves [and]  have really changed the culture here. And it’s a great honor and a great way to finish our summer,” Riekenberg said with a smile.

Information in this staff report was provided by the City of Santa Maria. 

SPOKANE, Wash. – Meet Jack Coy, a wheelchair athlete playing in Hoopfest at 14 years old, getting the opportunity to play with kids just like him.

“It’s priceless,” Coy said. “I never could’ve imagined something like this that could’ve happened. It’s truly amazing.”

“It makes me feel like I have friends to play with, that I belong here.”

Coy’s mom and dad both played basketball, and his brother is his biggest competition.

“I’ve been basically playing basketball my whole life,” Coy said. “My brother also plays basketball, and we’re both very, very competitive, so just trying to get that edge on each other.”

Jack’s mom, Stephanie, says she loves being able to watch her son play, and done in an environment so welcoming and opening has Hoopfest.

“It fills you up with a lot of pride,” Coy said. “It’s pretty tough competition, so, you’re cheering and hoping that they win, but yeah, you want everyone to win and have a good time.”

Parasport Spokane Development Director David Greig helped lead the organization of the event, and he spoke on what the most rewarding part of providing a space for wheelchair youth who love to hit the court.

“What we hope to see is these young kids seeing the future, seeing something to aspire towards, and getting to meet hands-on. They don’t get to see this on TV, right. They don’t get to see this on ESPN, so we bring it here for them, and they get to witness it firsthand and their parents, and it gives them something to shoot for.”

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A young girl dribbles a basketball under the guidance of Imlay City girls’ varsity basketball coach Bob Bova Tuesday morning at the annual Youth Skills Camp.

Thirty-five girls in grades one-eight turned out for the three-day Imlay City Youth Basketball Skills Camp Tuesday-Thursday at the high school.

The lucky campers were instructed by varsity girls’ basketball coach Bob Bova and his entire coaching staff, Kevin Pilarski, Katie Dye and Mark Weigle along with Middle School Coach Kristyn Kurka.

Bova said the camp focused on age-appropriate skills and how to use them properly.

“We are teaching age-appropriate fundamental skills along with introducing game concepts in order to increase players confidence, understanding and ultimately, passion for the game of basketball,” Bova said. “Our Team Slogan/ Motto is “212 degrees – be the S-Team” which encourages players to give great effort, never quit and be great teammates. We want the campers, and our players, to have a great experience and have fun while working to improve their games.”

Bova had plenty of help at the camp with what he called “an outstanding turnout of volunteer camp counselors”. They included: freshmen Addison Brown, Adalyn Seigler, Macie Stine, Isabella O’Malley and Yariela Galeana; sophomores Leelynn Craven, Mia-Ann Grapentin, Roslyn Bruman and Gabbey Duncan; juniors Ava Nadrowski, Savannah Douglas, Mackenzie and Alexis Bruyere; and seniors Hannah Carney, Lilley Duncan and Adrianna Vlahos.

One of the many campers in attendance at Tuesday’s opening day of the annual Imlay City girls’ basketball Youth Skills camp gives it her all as she heaves the ball up and toward the basket.

Bova also had some headliners to lead by example.

“We were honored to have special guest coaches Amy Forti and Imlay City alum Mary Lengemann at camp to support out Program,” added Bova. “It is fun, exciting and rewarding to be able to work with these young players and a great opportunity for our current players to give back to the program. It wasn’t so long ago that they were the campers looking up to the high school players.”

The annual camp is part of a bigger goal for Bova and Imlay City High School.

“We are dedicated to building the excitement and passion for Imlay City Girls Basketball and this camp is vital to that mission,” Bova stressed. “We are also having a golf outing on August 10 at Castle Creek to support Imlay City Boys and Girls Basketball, along with the Imlay City Volleyball program. Also, our 3-on-3 Basketball tournament on August 16. We are hoping for a great turnout.”

A camper at the Imlay City girls’ Youth Skills Camp works on dribbling and shooting on the opening day of camp on Tuesday. Photos by Erin Wetzel

— Lisa Paine

Two of the 35 campers in attendance at Imlay City’s girls’ basketball Youth Skills camp work on their age-appropriate skills, putting them to the test against each other in Tuesday morning’s first day of camp.

Imlay City varsity girls’ basketball coach Bob Bova instructs two of the young girls on how to shoot from the floor at Tuesday’s opening day of Youth Skills Camp at the high school.

DENISON, Texas (KXII) – The Denison 10U All Stars are looking to keep their season going this weekend.

After winning their district tournament, they’ve now advanced to the Diamond Youth Sports Regional Tournament in Paris.

They earned a 7-4 win over Spring Hill today, and with a win tomorrow, they’ll advance to the state tournament. The team is excited to be able to continue playing together.

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