The Faith Christian Lions’ Lauren Harris (5) celebrates the victory with Kimber Cunningham (23), Moriah Ely (31), and Ella Haeberle (4) following the 51-37 victory over the Palisades Dolphins in the CIF State Division IV girls basketball championship Friday, March 14 at Golden 1 Center.
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS
jvillegas@sacbee.com
What can anyone say about Lauren Harris that hasn’t already been said this season?
Not much, really. But what has been said is worth repeating. The Faith Christian High School senior shooter has repeated a number of accolades, including CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship runs, record-setting 3-point seasons and as The Bee’s Smallest School Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior.
But there is one thing that hasn’t yet been said about Harris until now. After a standard-bearing career and a bar-raising finish to her senior season, she is The Bee’s Overall Player of the Year.
At 31.1 points per game, Harris led the section in scoring for the third straight year, climbing the ranks of the all-time California scoring list. This year alone, she surpassed 49 players on the state’s girls scoring list, including local Golden State greats Jackie Gemelos of St. Mary’s in Stockton and Danielle Viglione of Del Campo of Fair Oaks, and all-time women’s greats Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi and Lisa Leslie. Harris finished her career with 3,578 points to land her at third among California scorers.
“I can’t even comprehend it,” Harris said. “I don’t have words. I’m just so grateful to God for giving me my talents and my mindset to work hard. I couldn’t do it without Him and my teammates.”
The Faith Christian Lions’ Lauren Harris scores a 3-pointer from behind the half court line at the end of the first quarter against the Palisades Dolphins in the CIF State Division IV girls basketball championship Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Golden 1 Center. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Harris also finished as the nation’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 742 triples in her four-year varsity career, which included 115 victories for Faith Christian, the 52-person school located in Yuba City. Harris owns three of the top six 3-point shooting seasons. She finished her senior year with a record 242 from distance.
There was no shot Harris didn’t like. In the CIF Division IV state championship game at Golden 1 Center, she drilled a first-quarter buzzer beater from 60-plus feet away en route to the program’s first state title in any sport. At the scorer’s table, the Faith Christian scorebook lists all players in numerical order. Next to the Lions’ No. 5, Harris’ name is usually swapped out with “Showtime” for the way she’s able to break down double- and triple-team schemes. Anyone who’s been to a Faith Christian game in Yuba City has likely seen several fans rocking Lauren Harris jerseys.
But she’s not just a one-trick pony. Harris averaged team highs of 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals. She finished her career with 1,438 rebounds. And as great of a 3-point shooter as she is, she still finished with more assists (749) than triples, showing her selflessness on the court.
“An amazing career,” said Faith Christian head coach Geoff Harris, Lauren’s father, after the state final on March 14. “Lauren’s been under so much pressure for many, many years in a row. She was thrown in a pretty big position when she was young, and for the last three to four years has just handled everything that’s been thrown on her shoulders, and she did it because she knew she’d have to carry a heavy load. And she made sure to work hard to be able to do that. She doesn’t want to let her teammates down.”
Harris, who is also Faith Christian’s valedictorian, finishes with three section titles, two NorCal crowns and one state championship and will continue her basketball career on scholarship at Long Beach State.
Faith Christian Lions’ Lauren Harris is triple-teamed in the first half against the Sacramento Adventist Capitals on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Carmichael. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Christian Brothers duo shares Large School honor
Senior Joy Omishakin and junior Olivia Novi of Christian Brothers share The Bee’s Large School Player of the Year award.
The Bee factored in that Christian Brothers, a school with an enrollment around 1,100, competed at the Division II level for the postseason, lumping Falcons players into Large-School consideration. The CB 1-2 punch led the team back to a third section championship game in four years under coach Shannon Foster, winning the Division II crown by defeating a stout Antelope squad. The duo had nearly identical numbers in victory, combining for 47 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and six steals, helping Christian Brothers finish as the No. 1 team in The Bee’s Top 20 rankings.
Omishakin averaged 18.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.9 steals on the year, finishing her career with 1,498 points.
“With Joy, it’s that cool, calm, collected energy that she brings, even when things aren’t going our way or I’m losing my mind on the sideline,” Foster said. “She’s our motor. She gets our defense and our press going. Without her, Liv doesn’t get her buckets. She’s elevated her game every year since she was a freshman and it was great to see her finally get a section (championship) as a senior.”
The Christian Brothers girls basketball team led by Joy Omishakin (10) celebrates winning the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II girls basketball championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday, Feb. 27. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com
Novi went for 17.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals and hit 92 3-pointers. She’ll enter her senior campaign with 1,419 career points and 277 triples.
“With Liv, I challenge her every year, whether it’s ball-handling or scoring on all three levels,” Foster said. “If you saw her play this year, you saw her getting downhill, pulling up from mid-range and still knocking down threes. Whenever we ask her to do something, she locks in and gets it done.”
Christian Brothers’ Olivia Novi helps a teammate up during the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II girls basketball championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday, Feb. 27. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com West Campus combo claims Medium School Player of the Year
West Campus of the Sacramento City Unified School District returned to glory in 2026 in large part to The Bee’s Medium School Co-Players of the Year, senior Naomi Johnson and junior Loismary Justice.
A perfect blend of inside and outside threats, the Warriors’ duo helped West Campus to its first section championship since 2019.
“If it was one without the other, we wouldn’t have been as great as we would have been with both,” West Campus coach John Langston said.
Johnson scored 30 points in the section final against Central Catholic while Justice chipped in 12 points and 19 rebounds at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors finished 22-4 and had an active streak of 64 straight wins in the Greater Sacramento League. Johnson averaged 22.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 5.0 steals and 1.5 blocks while Justice averaged 16.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.4 blocks.
Still with one more year to play, Justice already has 1,273 points and 1,031 rebounds for her career.
“I have college coaches asking, ‘Can she graduate early? We need her right now,’” Langston said of Justice. “When you can rebound the way she rebounds, everybody needs one of those players. She could have dominated, but I’m so proud of her because she understands chemistry and the dynamic of the team.”
Liberty Ranch’s Smith was all-time program great
Nobody set the bar at Liberty Ranch in Galt quite as high as Haley Smith, The Bee’s Small School Player of the Year.
The school’s all-time leader in scoring (2,199) and rebounding (1,053), Smith helped the Hawks to four straight Sierra Valley Conference championships – six straight overall for the program – with a 46-2 league record during her four-year varsity career. Her resume also includes over 1,000 kills and digs on the volleyball court while bringing the first section championships to Liberty Ranch for both sports.
This season, Smith went for 18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.2 blocks for the 27-7 Hawks. She also hit a career best 69 3-pointers. Liberty Ranch was a section finalist and NorCal semifinalist, nearly defeating Faith Christian in the D-V regional round.
“I’m proud of myself because I knew I did everything I could to leave a legacy and help all the teams at my school,” Smith said. “I’m proud of my school, and I’m proud to be a Hawk.”
Liberty Ranch’s Haley Smith (21) drives to the basket during a CIF girls basketball playoff game against Sonora at Liberty Ranch High School in Galt on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com Sac Adventist’s Rosich is Smallest School Player of the Year
Gwen Rosich of Sacramento Adventist Academy in Carmichael had her best friend, Kyla Friedrich, as a tag-team partner for most of the Capitals’ season. But when Friedrich went down with what was initially thought to be a season-ending hip injury, Rosich was asked to elevate her game.
With Friedrich, the Capitals’ leading scorer, out with injury, Rosich upped her scoring average by nearly six points per game and led the team to a 5-1 record, helping the team stay in line for a top seed in the section playoffs. Rosich averaged 15.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.3 steals and a section-leading 6.2 assists, including 17 double-doubles, 11 triple-doubles and two quadruple-doubles. At 5-foot-7, she grabbed a school record 34 rebounds in a Feb. 12 game against Cristo Rey.
She finished her four-year varsity career with 1,164 points, 1,021 rebounds, 406 assists and 436 steals.
Liberty Ranch’s Haley Smith (21) drives to the basket during a CIF girls basketball playoff game against Sonora at Liberty Ranch High School in Galt on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Lezlie Sterling lsterling@sacbee.com
“Gwen Rosich is the greatest player in Sac Adventist girls basketball program history,” said Scott Tedmon, who coached Rosich the last two seasons. “Gwen only cares about team success and is as fierce a competitor as anyone I’ve ever coached. She is a leader on the court and in the classroom with a 4.12 GPA and is Senior Class President. Gwen being named Sac Bee’s Smallest School Player of the Year is richly deserved and cements her status as a Sac Adventist legend.”
Camillucci a champion after more than three decades
It took more than 30 years of coaching before Tony Camillucci finally got his chance to play for a section championship.
After a memorable afternoon in late February at Golden 1 Center where both the Placer boys and girls claimed CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships, Camillucci is The Bee’s Coach of the Year. The longtime Hillgals head coach can now call himself a champion with a starting five of all juniors who could be poised to make a repeat run in 2027.
“This year was super special, no doubt. It was such a great team of character kids that made it all the more special,” Camillucci said. “But I think of all the great character kids I had in the past that we got close but didn’t quite get there together. It’s great for them too because they’re part of a program that did things the right way, so it’s also for all of them.”
The 2026 title was Placer’s first since 1990.
Placer girls basketball coach Tony Camillucci yells instructions in the second half against the East Union Lancers in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division lll championship on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Golden 1 Center. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Other coaches considered for Coach of the Year included Shandyn Foster of Christian Brothers, Jessica Kunisaki of McClatchy, John Langston of West Campus and Shiloh Sorbello of Woodland Christian.
Foster guided the Falcons to the Division II section title as the team dealt with the tremendous loss of beloved Christian Brothers freshman Jaden DeJesus-Eves. Langston helped bring West Campus back to championship status after six years at the D-IV level. Kunisaki helped McClatchy return to defend its D-I crown in the finals despite losing a wealth of talent to graduation. Sorbello helped the Cardinals to back-to-back state titles despite coming up short in the section playoffs each year.
Sacramento Bee 2026 Girls Basketball All-Metro HonorsPlayer of the Year
Lauren Harris, Faith Christian, Sr.
Large School Co-players of the Year
Olivia Novi, Christian Brothers, Jr.
Joy Omishakin, Christian Brothers, Sr.
Medium School Co-Players of the Year
Loismary Justice, West Campus, Jr.
Naomi Johnson, West Campus, Sr.
Small School Player of the Year
Haley Smith, Liberty Ranch, Sr.
Smallest School Player of the Year
Gwen Rosich, Sacramento Adventist, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Tony Camillucci, Placer
FIRST TEAM ALL-METRO
Presley Berry, Faith Christian, Sr.
Brookelyn Dunkle, Placer, Jr.
Leah Harris, Oak Ridge, Sr.
Callia Johnson, Antelope, Fr.
Elliott Schwartz, John Adams Academy (El Dorado Hills), Sr.
Daisy Throckmorton, McClatchy, Sr.
SECOND TEAM ALL-METRO
Paradise Manning, Antelope, So.
Kate Myers, Pleasant Grove, Sr.
Londyn Odom, Antelope, So.
Madeline Poe, Del Oro, Jr.
Sophia Ross, Oak Ridge, Sr.
Asia Washington, Grant, Jr.
THIRD TEAM ALL-METRO
Kamrynn Blevins, Liberty Ranch, Jr.
Belle Marshall, Folsom, Sr.
Chloe Preuss, Woodcreek, Sr.
Madalyn Siegrist, Colfax, Sr.
Siena Sorbello, Woodland Christian, Jr.
Caitlyn Subejano, Cosumnes Oaks, Sr.
FOURTH TEAM ALL-METRO
Alyson Aguirre-Hernandez, Laguna Creek, So.
Ginger Biddle, Placer, Jr.
Mia Bryan, Faith Christian, Jr.
Janet Donkor, Valley Christian, Sr.
Kaitlyn Fayter, Oakmont, Sr.
Journey Williams, Christian Brothers, Jr.
FIFTH TEAM ALL-METRO
Bailee Broward, Woodland Christian, Jr.
Isa Keidel, Lincoln, Sr.
London Lee, St. Francis, Sr.
Mackenzie McEntee, Elk Grove, Fr.
Lorelei Nachman, Davis, So.
Saniah Wiley, Sheldon, So.
SIXTH TEAM ALL-METRO
Kyla Friedrich, Sac Adventist, Jr.
London Lee, McClatchy, Fr.
LaRay Mitchell, Rio Linda, Sr.
Makayla Smith, Vanden, Jr.
Abbie Stokes, Forest Lake Christian, Sr.
Jestine Tofi, Laguna Creek, Sr.
How the teams were selected: The Bee’s All Metro Teams were chosen based on personal observation, local media and coaches’ input, playoff team success and stats entered into MaxPreps.
Honorable mentions
Alaziah Akinmurele, Monterey Trail, Sr.; Jaiden Alexander, Mesa Verde, Jr.; Annabell Baker, Woodland Christian, Fr.; Mia Bautista, Sutter, Jr.; Natalia Benavidez, Whitney, Sr.; Dallis Blackshire, Monterey Trail, Sr.; Annalyse Braden, West Park, Jr.; Kelsey Brooks, Vista del Lago, Sr.; Addison Carpenter, Twelve Bridges, Jr.;Adriana Cavallaro, Union Mine, Sr.; Kamaria Charlo, Antelope, Sr.; Madeline Benedyuk, Granite Bay, Jr.;Aniyah Bruhn, Inderkum, So.; Taylor Butler, Lincoln, So.;Belle Chu, Colfax, So.; Ana Elkins, Natomas, Jr.; Gizelle Ellison, River City, So.;Savannah Grant, Rio Linda, Jr.;Kenzie Harrington, Forest Lake Christian, Jr.; Chrisshaya Haygood, Sacramento, So.; Isabella Hernandez, Rio Linda, Sr.; Jorden Hill, Wheatland, So.; Kate Hull, Woodcreek, Fr.; Kennedy Hull, Woodcreek, Fr.; Brooklin Kimmons, Sheldon, So.; Ella Klee, Sacramento Waldorf, So.; Amara Knowles, Destiny Christian, Jr.; Oranell Latham, Grant, Jr.; Tremiyah Lawrence, Inderkum, Fr.; Keyara Lopa, Grant, Sr.; Racquel Mauch, Folsom, Sr.; Myra Miles, Rosemont, Sr.; Khaliah McDonald, Encina, Sr.; Kyrri Mitchell, Rio Linda, Sr.; Sam Morales, Destiny Christian, Jr.; Gisele Negueloua, Rocklin, Jr.;Abigail Pietz, Marysville, Sr.; Endeara Pham, Sacramento Waldorf, Fr.; Claire Piper, Colfax, Jr.; Alli Powell, Granite Bay, Sr.; Gia Rickertsen, Sutter, Fr.; Gabby Sams, Jr.; Amy Saxelby, Foresthill, Sr.; Leila Serrano, Christian Brothers, Sr.; Breely Shriver, Placer, Jr.;Parker Schwartz, John Adams-EDH, Fr.; Maya Smiley, Colfax, Jr.; Sofia Sorbello, Woodland Christian, Fr.; Francesca Steffes, Del Oro, Jr.; Elena Vizcay, Vacaville Christian, So.; Kimora Akira-Snell, Vanden, Sr.; Laila Stancil-Williams, McClatchy, Sr.; Tillie Talani, River City, Jr.; Lana Terrell, Placer, Jr.; Malania Wilder, Sutter, Jr.; Kyra Wooden, Union Mine, Sr.
The Bee’s Final Top 20
1. Christian Brothers (27-6)
2. Antelope (25-6)
3. Oak Ridge (23-8)
4. McClatchy (23-10)
5. Del Oro (25-7)
6. Folsom (21-8)
7. Faith Christian (34-1)
8. Placer (30-3)
9. Woodcreek (26-8)
10. West Campus (22-4)
11. Vanden (26-7)
12. Grant (21-8)
13. Laguna Creek (21-8)
14. Cosumnes Oaks (19-9)
15. Woodland Christian (33-3)
16. Liberty Ranch (27-7)
17. Colfax (22-8)
18. Inderkum (17-12)
19. Sheldon (20-9)
20. John Adams (28-6)
Nick Pecoraro is a longtime area high school sports journalist who has contributed to the Bee since 2021. He is a staff writer for MaxPreps.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Related Stories from Sacramento Bee