DREAM TEAM

Dennis Heenan showed right away this season that he was going to be the main scoring threat on the Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball team.

The 6-foot-6 senior forward opened the season with a pair of 19-point games then followed it up with a 22-point effort. Heenan also had a pair of 31-point games for the Sailors this season and was the team’s go-to guy on offense all year long. Heenan’s standout performance makes him the Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Player of the Year.

Heenan was deadly from three-point range and was aggressive in creating his own shot or driving to the basket. His 31-point games came in wins over La Serna in the third-place game of the Bill Reynolds Classic and Santa Paula. Even when teams in the Sea View League started keying on stopping Heenan, he still racked up the points, including a 26-point effort in a 51-42 victory over Laguna Hills and a pair of 21-point performances against Foothill.

Coming into the season, Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst thought Heenan could be a consistent scorer and he has never been more right. He also became a more all-around player, improving his defensive skills and his rebounding.

Heenan said rigorous summer workouts helped him improve in all areas of the game, including dribbling, rebounding and perimeter shooting. The hard work paid off with a stellar season in which Heenan averaged 19 points a game. He hit five three-pointers in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA playoffs against No. 4-seeded Ayala, including one to tie the score with 20 seconds left in the game. Heenan led the way as Newport Harbor finished with a 21-7 record.

Here’s a look at the rest of this year’s Dream Team:

Stefan Kaluz: The Corona del Mar sophomore was a first-team All-Pacific Coast League honoree after helping the Sea Kings finish 16-12, 9-3 in league.

CdM, which tied for second in league, lost to Gahr, 90-71, in the first round of the CIF Division III-AA playoffs, despite Kaluz’s 25 points.

The 6-foot-7 standout emerged as an inside threat and was second on the team with 14.9 per game. He led the squad in rebounding (8.1 per contest) and also blocked 53 shots.

Scott Knox: The senior guard led Costa Mesa with 15.4 points per game. He led the Golden West League with 76 three-pointers and added 56 steals and 42 assists.

Knox also averaged 5.4 rebounds and made several big shots in crunch time, including several free throws.

Knox, a three-time Dream Team honoree, was a first-team All-Golden West League selection this season.

Costa Mesa lost to El Segundo, 53-41, in the second round of the CIF Division III-A playoffs.

Robert Koon: The Newport Harbor senior was the Sailors’ defensive stopper this season. He was usually assigned to guard the opposing team’s best player, and he had a knack for keeping that player well under his season scoring average.

Koon, a first-team All-Sea View League selection, held El Dorado star Jason Toney to seven points in Newport Harbor’s 32-31 victory in the first round of the CIF Division II-AA playoffs. Toney was averaging 22.8 points per game.

Koon also hit big baskets in crunch time for the Sailors, who finished second in the Sea View League.

Ryan Lance: The Corona del Mar senior shooting guard/small forward, led the Sea Kings with 15.6 points per game.

Half of Corona del Mar’s stellar one-two scoring punch with Stefan Kaluz, Lance netted 24 points in the Sea Kings’ Pacific Coast League-opening 71-65 win over University. The 6-0 standout continued to be a consistent scorer for the Sea Kings throughout league play.

Lance scored 20 points against Calvary Chapel, making the tying free throw and game-winning three-pointer in the team’s key 66-63 victory.

Coach Ryan Curry said the first-team all-league choice became a clutch performer, who also averaged 5.2 rebounds per game and tallied 75 assists and 42 steals.

Brian Molina: The Costa Mesa senior point guard was the catalyst for an undersized squad that won a share of the Golden West League title.

Molina averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 assists per game and tallied 73 steals while helping create many more with his quickness and defensive intensity.

Molina, who triggered Costa Mesa’s run-and-gun attack, helped the Mustangs finish 16-10, 10-2 in league.

Molina was named the Co-MVP of the Golden West League.