The boys’ high school sports season in the desert featured athletes who excelled in multiple sports, athletes who were part of a CIF-SS championship team like Palm Desert water polo and Xavier Prep golf, and those who racked up individual awards.
But which boys’ athlete had the best overall performance for the 2024-25 school year? We want to hear from you.
The Desert Sun will reveal its boys’ Athlete of the Year in the coming weeks, but we thought it would be fun for you to make a choice too.
Here are seven remarkable athletes for you to choose from. Read their accolades and then vote for your favorite in the poll at the bottom of this article at desertsun.com.
Whoever has the most votes at noon on Saturday will be the readers’ choice. Will it match The Desert Sun’s choice? We’ll find out.
Here are seven candidates listed in alphabetical order. Happy voting!
Jake Brande, Palm Desert
Sports: Basketball, baseball
Why him: Brande, the 6-foot-7 junior, made a major impact on the Aztecs’ basketball and baseball teams, both of which won DEL titles. On the hardwood, Brande came agonizingly close to averaging in double figures for Palm Desert. He produced 9.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. But it was the diamond where he really starred. He was 8-1 as a starting pitcher with a 1.31 ERA, which included 52 strikeouts and just 14 walks. He had six complete games. He also hit .321 at the plate for an Aztecs team that went 15-0 in Desert Empire League play. He has committed to pitch at Long Beach State.
Jaire Broach, Desert Hot Springs
Sports: Football, basketball
Why him: Broach was a dominating defensive player on the gridiron for the Golden Eagles. He was the Sun Valley League defensive player of the year (an award he won the previous year in the DVL) and finished the season with 137 tackles, including seven for loss for a playoff-bound Desert Hot Springs team. He also caught three TD passes from his tight end spot and made the All-Desert Sun Football team. Broach finished his career with the most tackles in school history with 357. Broach also was a starter on a Golden Eagles basketball team that made history as the school’s first-ever league champion as they went 9-0 in the Sun Valley. He averaged 5.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a post player for the Golden Eagles.
Kobee Finnikin, Rancho Mirage
Sports: Football, baseball
Why him: Finnikin was off to a great start to his junior year on the gridiron. He was among the area leaders in interceptions and receptions and had a game-winning touchdown catch to beat Coachella Valley, but a broken bone in his leg cost him over half of the season. He healed up and was ready for the baseball season, where he really excelled. Finnikin helped lead the Rattlers to the Division 6 semifinal and then into the CIF-SS regional semifinal. He hit .398 and had an on-base percentage of .521 on the season. Most of his singles turned into doubles as he had a remarkable 35 stolen bases and 40 runs scored in 32 games played.
Noah Gannon, Cathedral City
Sports: Football, track
Why him: A two-way starter and first-team all-league performer, Gannon rushed for a valley-high 1,806 yards and 21 touchdowns as an explosive runner for the Lions. He ran for 293 yards against Arroyo Valley and 208 yards and four touchdowns against Indian Springs. In the school’s history, only Royce Boone (1998) and Orlando Wallace (2014) have run for more yards in a single season than Gannon. Gannon then excelled in track and field as well. He was one of only 12 athletes to qualify for the CIF-SS Finals. He qualified in the discus with a toss of 147 feet, 1 inch, good enough for fifth at the CIF-SS Division 3 prelims.
Zach Gibbs, Palm Desert
Sports: Football, baseball
Why him: Gibbs had one of the more impressive two-sport performances this season. He was a monster at linebacker for the Aztecs, leading the league with 133 tackles, 17.5 of which were tackles for loss. He led an Aztecs defense that allowed just 7.2 points per game and they grabbed a share of the DEL title. He was The Desert Sun defensive player of the year on the gridiron. He was just as valuable on the diamond as a starting pitcher for an Aztecs team that went 15-0 in DEL play. On the year, he went 8-1 with a 1.52 ERA, including five complete games. Gibbs had 53 strikeouts on the year. Offensively, he contributed 14 runs and 16 RBIs for the champs.
Jeremiah Johnson, Rancho Mirage
Sports: Football, basketball, track
Why him: Johnson was so impressive as a two-way player for the Rancho Mirage football team that he was a first-team all-league selection on offense and defense as the Rattlers’ go-to receiving option and a shutdown cornerback. He was also an explosive kick returner, and made the All-Desert Sun football team. Johnson was also a member of the Rattlers basketball team that shared a first-ever DEL title, and on the track team he ran the 100 and 200 meters for the Rattlers and was part of the 4-by-100 relay team that took second at the DEL meet.
Michael Ramos, Jr., Yucca Valley
Sport: Football
Why him: Ramos turned in one of the best statistical years of the last decade, becoming the first player since 2011 to throw for more than 2,000 yards (2,041) and rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,149). The dual-threat QB threw for 17 touchdown passes and ran for 20 more in leading the Trojans back to the playoffs. He was named The Desert Sun’s offensive player of the year. For his career, Ramos is just the third area player to throw for 6,000 yards (6,731). Just two area players have thrown for more than his 71 career touchdown passes, and just 10 area players have eclipsed his 41 career rushing scores.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Vote for The Desert Sun’s Boys’ Athlete of the Year: Who was the best of the best?
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
