Annual Optimist All-Star basketball games will showcase the Sacramento area’s top seniors

Saturday in Oak Park in the heart of Sacramento inside a storied old gymnasium, the curtain will drop for scores of remarkable high school basketball careers in the greater Sacramento region.

The annual Optimist All-Star Basketball Games will be played at the famed Dave Hotell Pavilion, home of the Sacramento Dragons, in a showcase of senior stars playing one last time in their school colors. This time, it’ll be for charity, pride and memories.

The action starts at 10 a.m. with the North small-school girls team taking on the South, followed by the noon showdown between the North and South small-school boys teams. The large-school girls game will be played at 2 p.m. with the large-school boys game set for 4 p.m.

The games will be livestreamed on the NFHS Network through ABC Jam Productions with broadcasters Matthew Bessette and Scott Tedmon.

Each of the Optimist rosters includes players who made The Bee’s 2023-24 All-Metro Teams. This includes Monterey Trail star guard Brandon Gibson, the 6-foot-5 guard who was named The Bee’s Player of the Year.

Gibson leads the South large-school team that will be coached by longtime Sheldon coach Joey Rollings. Gibson averaged 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a dynamic offensive/defensive stalwart for the Elk Grove Unified School District program, which spent the last half of the season as The Bee’s top-ranked team.

The South large-school boys team also includes Sheldon stars Jaden Woodard, Nick Stone and Tyler Rattler. Woodard, a forward, was a Bee first-team pick, and Rattler, a guard, was an honorable mention selection.

Other Bee All-Metro players on the South large-school boys team include guard Kendahl Hearne of Sacramento, center Greg Piotrowski of Franklin, shooting guard KJ Ramey of Laguna Creek and wings Dondre Prothro of Kennedy and Markus Butcher of Burbank.

The North team, coached by Rocklin’s Steve Taylor, has the size advantage with 6-10 center Tallis Toure of West Park in Roseville, 6-9 Malik Johnson of Inderkum and the burly Jake Williams of Del Oro. All-Metro guards on the North team include Ben Manley of Placer, a four-year varsity player, and Kanyon Rice of Rocklin, The Bee’s No. 2 ranked team to close the season.

The South large-school girls team is led by Christian Brothers guard Kaia Foster, daughter of South coach Shandyn Foster, and McClatchy guard Kaela Stancil-Williams. The North large-school girls team is led by Bee Large School Player of the Year Harper Peterson of Whitney, the 6-3 forward headed to Stanford on scholarship. Her teammates include Bee All-Metro players in guards Samaya Dillard of Grant, Maya Hodge of Lincoln, Michelle Rice of Antelope and Isabella Azzolino of Antelope.

The South small-school boys roster is anchored by Bee All-Metro guard Ethan Gines of Union Mine, the state leader in assists this season with 10.2 per game. The North small-school team is led by Bee All-Metro guard Chase Clary of Valley Christian of Roseville.

The South small-school girls team is led by Bee All-Metro guard Leilani Edinburgh, a flashy guard, while the North small-school team is led by Bee All-Metro guards Krissy Kelly of Bear River and Jade Biitner of Colfax.

Optimist All-Star Teams

South Large School Boys

Jaden Woodard, Sheldon

Nick Stone, Sheldon

Tyler Rattler, Sheldon

Cayden Ward, St. Mary’s

Jalen Flenory, Laguna Creek

KJ Ramey, Laguna Creek

Dondre Prothro, Kennedy

Paris Clay, Burbank

Markus Butcher, Burbank

Jay Washington, Cosumnes Oaks

Exander Irving-Romero, Christian Brothers

Kamari Simpson, Christian Brothers

Brandon Gibson, Monterey Trail

Greg Piotrowski, Franklin

Vinny Gonzalez, Elk Grove

Kendahl Hearne, Sacramento

North Large School Boys

Jake Williams, Del Oro

Davis Abell, Granite Bay

Bryce Buchanan, Inderkum

Malik Johnson, Inderkum

Julian Watt, Nevada Union

Dylan Sayer, Oak Ridge

Ben Manley, Placer

Leo Muroaka, Rio Americano

Tayvione Brown, River Valley

Kainoa Marasco, Rocklin

Kanyon Rice, Rocklin

Clark Nielsen, Roseville

Tallis Torre, West Park

Mason Marsh, Whitney

Aidan Triplett, Woodcreek

North Large School Girls

Ariel Bailey, Inderkum

Jessica Cranell, Oak Ridge

Samaya Dillard, Grant

Ayla Kasten, Rocklin

Reina Herndon, Rocklin

Shaelyn Parry, Del Oro

Hunter Gordon, Del Oro

Harper Peterson, Whitney

Maya Hodge, Lincoln

Tatiana Blackmon, Grant

Michelle Rice, Antelope

Isabella Azzolino, Antelope

South Large School Girls

Kaela Stancil-Williams, McClatchy

Emily Bowman, Cosumnes Oaks

Chidera Okoye, St. Francis

Kaia Foster, Christian Brothers

Ursula Chen, Vista del Lago

Jakayla Gilmer, Vanden

Taytum Johnson, Vanden

Charlize Miles, Sheldon

Milah Masters, McClatchy

Olivia Nichols, Franklin

South Small School Boys

Ethan Gines, Union Mine

Damion Schade, Union Mine

Josh O’Neal, Bradshaw Christian

Isaac Jensen, Bradshaw Christian

Caleb Carson, Bradshaw Christian

Yousef Diab, Liberty Ranch

Amir Sabir, Cordova

RayShawn Johnson, Cordova

Ahmad Ellis, Rosemont

Chancy Minshew, Pioneer

Nate Sweet, Union Mine (injured)

North Small School Boys

Elijah Neuhaus, Sacramento Waldorf

Cobee Wesley, Leroy Greene

Kenneth Brown, Mira Loma

Terrill Reid, Center

Travis Remly, Casa Roble

Ian Glaspy, Valley Christian

Max Frantti, Western Sierra

Damien Jones, Highlands

Jacob Gilchrist, Twelve Bridges

Chase Clary, Valley Christian

Emanuel Sims, Center

Sergio De La Cruz, Encina

Tyler Huesveldt, Bear River

South Small School Girls

Leilani Edinburgh, West Campus

Olivia Gill, Pioneer

Sophia Felix, Liberty Ranch

Jennifer Wylie, Union Mine

Zakiyyah Abdul-Azeem, Fortune

Mibella Gammage, Rosemont

Annabella Isham, Union Mine

North Small School Girls

Jade Biitner, Colfax

Miessah Sagun, Center

Krystal Briggs, Marysville

Krissy Kelly, Bear River

Cass Craig, Bear River

Mariah Contreras, Valley Christian

Ellie Gunter, Valley Christian

Myunique Hill, Rio Linda

Toni Guiterrez, Rio Linda

Taliyah Edward Wallace, Marysville