Point guards soar to the top

Mojave's Darian Norris and Canyon Springs' Deremy Geiger have plenty in common.

Both have been fixtures with their teams since their freshman season. Both have signed to play at Division I colleges. Both are high-scoring point guards who helped their teams win division titles. And area coaches named both region Most Valuable Players.

Norris, who has helped the Rattlers win 22 consecutive games, was named the Sunset Region MVP, and Geiger was the Sunrise MVP.

Norris stepped on the Mojave campus in Tony Hopkins' second season as coach and has helped Mojave become a force in the Sunset.

"Darian has been basically the foundation for what we were trying to get accomplished when I first arrived five years ago," Hopkins said. "He showed up as a freshman and played with so much maturity."

Norris has averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.1 assists this season, but Hopkins said his contribution goes beyond the numbers.

"The intangibles he has, you can't even count them," Hopkins said. "He's fearless, and he'll step up to any challenge, and that's what's allowed us to excel."

Geiger has averaged 22.4 points this season and has increased his production since the start of January.

"After Christmas, it just seemed like he took it upon his shoulders that he wasn't going to let us lose," Canyon Springs coach Daryl Branham said. "He's been putting up numbers and playing solid defense for us, and that's really all you can ask."

Norris has signed with South Carolina State, and Geiger will play at Utah State next season.

"Utah State is getting a sleeper," Branham said. "They're really getting a steal on him."

Geiger was joined on the All-Sunrise Region team by Las Vegas' Marvin Campbell, Silverado's Ali Sabra, Foothill's Earl Jones, Liberty's Justin King, Eldorado's Curtis Malone and Desert Pines' Reggie Shaw.

Campbell shared Northeast Division MVP honors with Geiger, and Sabra and Jones shared the Southeast Division MVP.

Joining Norris on the All-Sunset team were Mojave's Anthony Marshall, Cheyenne's Elijah Johnson, Bishop Gorman's Kylel Coleman and Quintin Dailey and Spring Valley's Jason Walter.

Norris was the Northwest Division MVP, and Coleman won the Southwest MVP award.

Contact Prep Sports Editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.