Price High Knights

Record- 26/3

Ranked #11 in the state and #4 in the city by the L.A. Times

Ranked #1 in Division 4 of the CIFSS

Price Knights crowned CIF Division IV champs
BY JARRETTE FELLOWS, JR.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.---The Price High Knights boys varsity basketball team came within two games of the CIF state title in Division V, last year. Last March 26, the Knights, led by senior guard Allen Crabbe, and forward Richard Solomon, dispatched St, Mary's of Stockton, 69-51, at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Calif., in a game that was only a contest for the opening minutes.

Consensus All-Americans --- guard Allen Crabbe and forward Richard Solomon --- led a 7-0 run at five minutes of the first quarter to take an 11-7 lead, and never looked back. The Knights hit from every angle, adding 10 highlight dunks from Crabbe, Solomon, and sophomore center Skylar Spencer. St. Mary, whose tallest player was 6-4, couldn't handle the size advantage by the Knights, whose big three --- Crabbe, Solomon, and Spencer --- are 6-6, 6-9, and 6-7, respectively.

Crabbe was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2009-10 season; his finale game as a prep showed why. He turned in a double-double, scoring 25 points with 10 rebounds. Solomon scored 22 points, before fouling out with 3.49 left in the game, and pulled down seven rebounds. He also kept St. Mary's on their heels most of the game with 10 dunks. Spencer played his best game of the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

The 2009-10 state crown had a special significance for the Knights of South L.A., who, previously won five state championships in the school's 22-year history,, but the past titles came in Division V. Despite its small school size, the CIF elevated Price to Division IV --- which presented a much tougher schedule, and a step up for the Knights. But under head coach Michael Lynch, the team  still rolled over teams from much larger schools, to take the Division IV crown, despite a clear student body size disadvantage. The total number of students at the school is less than 100.
Other Price players who figured in the scoring included, senior point guard Casey Trujeque with seven points, and junior shooting guard Askia “Skeet” Booker with four points.
The championship marked the final game for seniors Crabbe, Solomon, and Trujeque. Crabbe and Solomon signed  letters of intent to Cal Berkeley, and Trujeque, to Montana State University.

PRICE HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE® CALIFORNIA BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (March 18, 2010) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Allen Crabbe of Price High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Crabbe is the first Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Price High School.
 
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Crabbe as California’s best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Crabbe joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Chris Paul (2002-03, West Forsyth HS, N.C.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).
 
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound senior guard has led the Knights (32-3) to the California Interscholastic Federation Division IV final, scheduled for March 20. Entering the postseason’s final four round, Crabbe boasted averages of 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in addition to hitting 91 percent of his free throws. A 2010 McDonald’s High School All-American Game selection committee nominee, Crabbe was the ESPN RISE California Boys Athlete of the Week for Feb. 6 when he scored a season-high 38 points in a 90-86 win over Crenshaw High.
 
Crabbe has maintained a 3.39 GPA in the classroom. An active member of his church community, he has volunteered locally as a youth basketball coach.
 
“Allen Crabbe has been an absolute joy to coach,” said Price High Head Coach Michael Lynch. “He is self-motivated to be the best that he can possible be. I never have to worry about him putting in the effort to make himself better on and off the court. He is the epitome of a zero-maintenance student athlete.”
 
Crabbe has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of California at Berkeley this fall.
 
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
 
Crabbe joins recent Gatorade California Boys Basketball Players of the Year Michael Snaer (2008-09, Rancho Verde) and Jrue Holiday (2007-08 & 2006-07, Campbell Hall School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
 
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Allen is a product of  our outstanding FKCP III Schools! He has been a student since Pre-School.  He is not only an excellent athlete but an excellent student and an example of the impressive students Price produces!
 
In addition, his mom, our very own Cheryl Price is ecstatic about this achievement her son was chosen for, along with his sister Nicole who works in our Preschool. The entire Price Family is very proud and we wanted to share this special news with all of you. Thanks for your support!

Price High School Students Beat The Odds
Three Of The School’s Seniors To Receive Basketball
Scholarships To D1 Schools
By Denisha Randle

The word “Impossible” is not apart of the vocabulary of the students at the faith-based Christian school, Frederick KC Price III School. In fact it never existed. Three of the Price Knight basketball players can attest to the phrase coined by Adidas, “impossible is nothing.”
 
The reality is anything is possibly at Price High School, home of the 2008-2009 CIF 4A Champs, which announced the signing of three of the school’s star players to Division 1 universities at the Youth Activity Center on Wednesday, November 11th .    
 
The odds of a high school senior receiving a basketball scholarship to a Division 1 university in the National Collegiate Athletic Association are approximately 1 in 15,000. Imagine the odds of three students signing with a Division 1 university, coming out of the same school with an entire student body of less than 100.

The students who will sign with D1 schools are not only formidable basketball players, two are on honor roll.  Richard Solomon,17, and Allen Crabbe,17, will sign with the University of California Berkeley. The third player, Casey Trujeque,18, will sign with Montana State University. Trujeque and Crabbe are on honor roll.
 
The likelihood of landing a full D1 scholarship can be slim to none. There are approximately 313 D1 programs that offer anywhere from 900 to 1,000 new scholarships annually. The chances of a graduating senior landing a D1 scholarship are 1 and 15,000.
 
“The average school may only receive one scholarship offer to a D1 school,” said Michael Lynch, head coach for the David-size private school that would beat relatively larger Goliath-sized public schools.  Last season the CIF Governing Board moved Price High from Division 6A to 4A. They defeated Chaminade High School for the Div. 4A championship. Chaminade had an estimated 1,300 students enrolled compared to Price High which had 68.
 
“Over the course of 13 years, I’ve had about eight or nine students sign, but I’ve never had three at one time.  This is unprecedented,” added Lynch.
 
Coach Lynch has headed the Price Knights for the past 13 seasons and holds an outstanding record of 358-65. Due to the remarkable leadership, the Price High Knights are the 2008-2009 CIF Southern Section 4A defending champions and have one of the best records in the nation, ending the season with 29-6. They are determined to take the next title as State Champions.  The much anticipated home game opener is Dec. 11 at Price High.