CHATSWORTH — The entire Sierra Canyon student body filed into the gym on Friday morning for an all-school assembly. The center of attention was girls basketball player Mackenly Randolph, who was presented with her McDonald’s All-American Game jersey.
“I love it,” Randolph said. “It’s fun, exciting. I know my high school career is coming to an end so I’m living it up.”
Randolph, a Louisville commit, is the second McDonald’s All-American from Sierra Canyon girls basketball after Juju Watkins. She’s also the second in her family to receive the honor after her dad, Zach Randolph, who was the 2000 McDonald’s All-American MVP and went on to play eight years in the NBA.
Mackenly Randolph, left, and her father, Zach Randolph, celebrated Mackenly’s McDonald’s All-American Game honor on Friday at Sierra Canyon. (Courtesy of Sierra Canyon)
The red jersey with “Randolph” printed on it stirred up all kinds of emotions for Zach, who didn’t have a celebration quite like Sierra Canyon’s when he was at Marion High School in Indiana.
“It’s like deja vu,” Zach said. “It’s like, wow, she’s doing that. She is doing what I did when I was playing. It’s like wow, it’s a blessing.”
Mackenly was selected from over 729 nominees from across the country and will play in the girls’ All-American Game at Toyota Arena in Houston on April 2 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised/streamed on ESPN.
Mackenly’s reaction to the television broadcast that revealed she was a McDonald’s All-American was recorded by head coach Alicia Komaki, who also gifted her McDonald’s-themed Crocs in honor of the accomplishment.
The video, which was shown at the assembly, shows Mackenly and some of her teammates glued to the TV screen and screaming when her name is shown.
“It’s always great to accomplish the basketball stuff,” Komaki said. “But when you can do it in front of your school and peers and people who respect and admire you and some kids in this gym look up to her — to be able to do that is very special.”
Sierra Canyon girls basketball player Mackenly Randolph is the second McDonald’s All-American after her dad and former NBA player Zach Randolph. #reporter #journalism #journalist #sports #basketball #nba #grizzlies #trailblazers #sierracanyon #highschoolbasketball #girlsbasketball #womensbasketball #louisville #girlpower #ncaabasketball #collegebasketball #michiganstate
♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer
Mackenly will leave Sierra Canyon with a CIF Open Division championship, a CIF State Open Division championship, an ESPN national championship and four league championships. She is also the girls basketball program’s all-time leader in points and rebounds.
The Trailblazers can still add to that resume. They have a CIF SoCal Regional Open Division semifinal game against Ontario Christian at home on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“I feel like once the season is over, then that’s when it’s really gonna sink in,” Mackenly said of her accomplishments. “As of right now, I feel like, wow, it’s coming to an end.”
The Randolph family, Komaki and several players stuck around after the assembly to help put away the folding chairs used for the event — a moment that showed Mackenly’s humbleness.
“I love her so much,” Zach said. “I’m so proud of her not only because of (basketball) but because she’s the person that she is. And that’s what’s more important, how you treat people and how you are as a person. For that, she’s A1 and everything else just falls into place.”
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