CODY WICHMANN, LEFT, HAS BEEN NAMED THE SOUTHERN ATHLETIC LEAGUE’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, AND PIERCE CHANEY, RIGHT, WAS NAMED TO THE ALL-SAL FIRST TEAM. In winning its fifth straight Southern Athletic League basketball crown, Mariposa landed a pair of senior starters on the All SAL first team, and head coach Trace DeSandres earned the Coach of the Year title.

Standout Cody Wichmann dominated the paint throughout the league season and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in a recent vote by the league’s coaches. Senior forward Pierce Chaney was also selected to the first team.

Senior point guard Jarrett Miller earned second-team honors, and senior Parker Shaddix and junior Drake Long landed honorable mentions.

The Grizzlies finished the season with a 24-4 mark, going 15-0 in SAL play. They were eliminated in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs in a 49-47 home loss to Christian Brothers.

On the season, Wichmann, 6’5” 275 pounds, scored an average of 19.3 points per game to lead the league in that category. He pulled down an average a 12.2 rebounds per game, and blocked 59 shots for the year. He was a four-year varsity starter.

Chaney averaged 10.2 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. He blocked 22 shots during the season.

Miller led the Grizzlies in assists with a per game average of 4.9. He also averaged 1.4 steals per game, and was once of Mariposa’s better defensive players.

“It’s an honor to be named Coach of the Year,” said DeSandres, “but all the credit really goes to the young men on this team that continued to make Mariposa basketball a winning tradition.”

The only other SAL team that landed two first team players was runner up Le Grand.