BIG RED
INSIDE
TEAM DYNASTIES SEVERAL TEAMS CARRY PRODIGIOUS PASTS. HOW DOES HISTORY AFFECT THEIR PLAY?
BY KEILA MCCABE / / P. 6
WOLVERINE ROYALE SIERRA CANYON HIGH SCHOOL HAS ADDED AN ESPORTS PROGRAM. WILL HARVARD-WESTLAKE?
BY LUKE CASOLA AND WILLIAM SEYMOUR / / P. 14
VOLUME XII WINTER 2019
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • VOLUME XII • NO.2
thePLAYBOOK Eugene Wyman: POP CULTURE The favorite songs, shows, athletes, pregame meals, and desert island survival strategies of top fall athletes.
Keila McCabe: TEAM DYNASTIES A look at how team reputation and history changes seasons.
William Seymour: SELFISH PLAYERS How the allure of college scouts changes player mindsets in high school sports.
Luke Casola and William Seymour: E-SPORTS
A look at the recent growth e-sports and how high schools are responding
Eugene Wyman: JOHNNY JUZANG Inside the life of one of high school basketball’s most coveted recruits.
Will Mallory: SPORTS IN LA An in in-depth look at how the sports culture in Los Angeles differs from other cities.
Zack Schwartz: FOOTBALL TRANSFERS What the loss of two key players means for the football program going forward.
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Letter from The Editors
Big Red Editors-in-Chief Ryan Albert and Lucas Gelfond discuss Volume 12 and the contents of the second issue. We are proud to present you our second issue of this year’s volume of Big Red. As we continue to work to improve our reporting, writing and design, we hope that we are able to provide our readers with the coverage that they value. This issue, we are working to incorporate more visuals into the magazine by creating top-notch concepts, graphics and photos to compliment our articles. We hope to couple our increased design focus with more thoughtful and engaging coverage that will spark conversation around campus. This issue features four more pages than our previous issues of Big Red. This is not a coincidence. We have more content we are deeply proud of and are excited to publish it. Big Red contributors wrote more and created more, and we are excited to show them to all of our readers. This issue, we are tracing the team dynasties at HarvardWestlake, covering the effect of college recruitment on athletes and examining the potential of esports. We are proud to present you with the second issue of Volume 12, and we hope you enjoy. If you read an article that inspires you, please feel free to send us a Letter to the Editors at chronicle@hw.com
theSTAFF
Editors-in-Chief Ryan Albert, Lucas Gelfond
Managing Editors Jackie Greenberg, Sophie Haber, Ben Tenzer
2 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
Assistant Editors Salvatore Casola, Will Mallory, Keila McCabe, Zack Schwartz, Will Seymour, Eugene Wyman
Assistant Photo Editors Jay Lassiter, Casey Kim, Spencer Klink, Kyle Reims Adviser Jim Burns
BIG RED is a publication of the Harvard-Westlake Chronicle, the upper school newspaper at Harvard-Westlake School, 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604, produced as a part of Advanced Journalism classes. The school has 1,200 students in grades 9-12. For any questions, to purchase a subscription or to advertise, please contact us at chronicle@hw.com or at (818)487-6512. Copies of BIG RED are distributed free on campus to students and faculty, and are mailed to friends and family by subscription at $15 per year. Letters to the editor can be sent to editors-inchief Ryan Albert (ralbert1@hwemail.com) and Lucas Gelfond (lgelfond1@hwemail.com). BIG RED is a general interest magazine about athletic teams and individual pursuits of Harvard-Westlake students and faculty, as well as health and fitness topics. For seasonal coverage of Wolverine teams, see the Chronicle or www.hwchronicle.com.
Cover images by Ryan Albert
staffPHOTO
popCULTURE Favorite movie
Favorite Actor/Actress
Favorite Musician
Jordan or LeBron
Superpower of choice
Boys Basketball
The Dark Night
Leonardo DiCaprio
Travis Scott
Jordan
Shapeshifting
Emily Hilliard ’19
Pacific Rim
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Joey Purp
Jordan
Mind-reading
Charlie Mendes ’19
Whiplash
Richard Cox
The Beach Boys
Jordan
Super-speed
Ella Price ’20
Big Hero 6
Michael B. Jordan
Miguel
LeBron
Flying
Brase Dottin ’20
Girls Waterpolo
Boys Soccer
Girls Basketball
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 3
KICKIN’ IT Natalie Barnouw ’21 passes the ball during the 1-0 Senior Night win against Notre Dame High School on Jan. 31.
Photo by
Kyle Reims Big Red
GABE THE GREAT
4 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
Midfielder Gabe Palacios ’20 shoots for a goal against Loyola High School on Jan. 11.
Photo by
Ryan Albert Big Red
GNARLY (G)NICK Nick Barnouw ’19 prepares to pass to his teammate in a game against Loyola High School on Jan. 11.
Photo by
Ryan Albert Big Red
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 5
Photos from
Chronicle Archives
6 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
Water polo photo printed with permission of Kelli McCabe
With the sun beating down on the field, Caroline Sturgeon ’20 crouched in the goal, her heart racing as her eyes focused on a quick Huntington Beach High School midfielder weaving through defenders. The score was tied 1-1. Her job became simple: protect the goal. Not only was the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association championship on the line but so was team’s two season win streak. Sturgeon said the team’s previous success added to her nerves in the game. “I felt pretty nervous before our championship game because there was so much at stake,” Sturgeon said. “There is a little more pressure on our team because of our winning streak so that definitely makes me feel anxious at times, but we are such a close
“It feels
really cool to know that we are a part of the school’s history. We are on the wall of the gym. -Cypress Toomey ’19 team that I know we will support each other no matter what, and that helps with the nerves.” The field hockey team has won 39 consecutive games and taken home two LAFHA championships. The squad has been a force for the past two years but they did not always have a winning history. Prior to 2016, the field hockey team did not have much league or playoffs success, exiting in the first round of playoffs in 2015. As the team became more dominant, center defender Cypress Toomey ’19 said the
team has worked hard to create a winning environment. Toomey said she is proud of the team’s achievements. “It feels really cool to know that we are now part of the school’s history,” Toomey said. “We are on the wall of the gym. I know it is just the beginning of success for the field hockey program and it feels great to know that this team is a part of starting that.” Boys’ water polo has won four CIF championships, one of them being this past season. In 2013 and 2014, the team won back to back Division 1 titles. By winning quickly into his career and maintaining success, program head Brian Flacks established the culture that Ryan Neapole ’19 said is still important for the current water polo team. Neapole said that the program’s history is important for understanding the values of the team. “It feels amazing to be a part of [Harvard-Westlake] water polo and to represent all the amazing players to have come before me,” Neapole said. “All the athletes on the team are expected to have a basic knowledge on the history of our program in order to understand what they have become apart of, and after their first couple practices they realize how much work it takes. When we wear [Harvard-Westlake] water polo gear we understand who came before us and want to represent our predecessors in the best way possible.” Neapole said that despite the reputation the program has, each season is different and they work to create their own legacy. “There is always pressure to win, but it does not come from who came before us,” Neapole said. “The pressure comes from within the team. We are a competitive and always want to win, so when we do not we are disappointed. But when we do win, even if it is a minor victory we celebrate it because we earned it ourselves, not from anyone before us. At the start of every new season we are a different team from the
“We are
not entitled to anything that teams before us have earned, even the reputation.” -Ryan Neapole ’19 last. We are not entitled to anything that teams before us have earned, even the reputation.” Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said that momentum from winning helps to keep a program strong. “There are so many schools out there that are trying to win,” Barnum said. “When you have had some success, you want to do everything you can do as an institution to keep that going. Success begets more success. Keeping the success that we have in some of the programs is on of the priorities that we have as a school and as a department, but at the same time building programs that don’t have that legacy of success is also something we are really interested in.” Barnum also said that while it can be useful, it is difficult to uphold an established legacy when people want to bring you down. “In some ways, building it is easier than maintaining it,” Barnum
“Success
begets success.”
-Terry Barnum BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 7
said. “Maintaining a legacy success, there is typically a target on your back. Night in and night out athletes have to play at a high level in order to continue that success. Whereas, when you are building it, there is a period where you are able to sneak under the radar until people realize how good you are.” The boys’ basketball program, with ten wins under its belt, has won the most CIF championships of any sports program. Victory and several large name players have brought the team attention from scouts and the press. Program head David Rebibo said the rich background that the program has attracted him to the school.
“This
is a very fun and fiery team so we do not feel any pressure. We are confident in what we do.” -Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20
8 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
“Anytime you are a part of something with an incredible history and rich tradition it is always special,” Rebibo said. “It is why HarvardWestlake was so appealing to me in the first place. It is pretty special and something I appreciate and think about every day.” Former boys’ basketball program head Greg Hilliard coached the team for thirty years in which it won nine CIF championships and two state championships. Rebibo became coach in 2015 and in his first season he won a CIF championship. “It is never easy to follow a coach who has had as much success as [Hilliard],” Rebibo said. “However, [Hilliard] was great in supporting the players and coaches as we transitioned into the new regime here at Harvard-Westlake and for that I am appreciative. We are thrilled to have been able to continue the tradition of winning at Harvard-Westlake basketball.” Freshman guard Cameron Thrower ’22 said playing for a winning team feels really special. “It feels great to be a part of a successful program because when the program accomplishes something great like winning a championship, you look back and say that you accomplished something great with my teammates,” Thrower said. Baseball has won one CIF championship but with several of the school’s alumni playing Major League Baseball and players committed to play college baseball, the program is nationally recognized. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 said the team is focused on performing for themselves, rather than reputation.
“As a team I know that we have bigger expectations for ourselves than any outside source, but that is cause we work so hard,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Last year, a lot of us saw how fast a great season can change so we do not want that again. This is a very fun and fiery team so we do not feel any pressure. We are confident in what we do.” Considering the team has only won one championship, Crow-Armstrong said that the winning drought pushes them harder to compete. “The championship in 2013 has definitely made us feel like it has been too long without one,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We do not talk about it all that much, but it is definitely in
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DAVID MORIARTY
SARAH REINGEWIRTZ/DAILY NEWS
our minds and most definitely motivates us.” Boys’ tennis has won eight CIF championships and twenty-six league championships. It has placed high as a team in addition to having many individual achievements. With winning set as the precedent, Eli Nickoll ’21 said that he initially felt stress to play well. “There is definitely pressure on all of the players because we all have had amazing and impressive wins,” Nickoll said. “For me personally as a
“ It is awesome be-
ing part of such a successful team because we are all striving towards a realistic goal in winning CIF again.” -Eli Nickoll ’21
freshman on the team last year I felt pressure to perform in big matches but I learned to just play my hardest and forget about the work because then the game will come to me.” Since the tennis program has been so successful, Nico Guillen ’20 said recruiting to the school becomes easier. In addition, dedicated coaches with strong programs are able to mold and develop the roster, regardless of recruiting. Guillen said winning drives the team to continue its triumph. “The tennis program has been successful for many years because of great coaching and the ability to recruit the top players in Southern California,” Guillen said. “The program has also been able to maintain its success by nurturing the growth of players who did not come into the program through recruitment.” Nickoll said that winning in the past makes the future seem more attainable, further motivating players and reassuring their objectives. “It is awesome being a part of such a successful team because we are all striving towards a realistic goal in winning CIF again,” Nickoll said. “We have a good chance of getting rings and competing against the best competition in the country.”
BIG RED WINTER 2019 •9
DUPEE OR NOT DUPEE Madeleine Dupee ’20 hits the ball to her opponent in a 15-3 win against Beverly TAKE FLIGHT Hills High School. Johnny Juzang ’20 leaps toward the basket in a 66-61 loss against Loyola on Jan. 11. The Wolverines defeated Loyola 53-44 in the Mission League Champioinships Feb. 1.
10 18 • BIG RED WINTER FALL 2018 2019
UNDER PRESSURE Quarterback Jameson Wang ’20 passes the ball to his teammate in a 28-21 win against St. Anthony High School on Homecoming.
KEILA MCCABE/BIG RED
BIG SWING Skylar Graham ’20 swings for the ball in a 188-268 win against Flintridge SacredPhoto by Heart Academy.
Ryan Albert Big Red
ZACK SCHWARTZ/BIG RED
JAY LASSITER/BIG RED
BIGBIG RED RED WINTER FALL 2018 2019 ••1911
The Impact of College Recruiting on Players’ Mindsets
P
BY WILLIAM SEYMOUR
eople admire sports Wang said. such as soccer, basDespite not personally ketball and football holding this view, basketfor the amount of ball player Johnny Juzang teamwork that is required ’20 said that students hoping for there to be success, but to get into college through often these programs are their athletic performance impeded by their players think that they need to competing as a group of in- have impressive stats and dividuals rather than as an an amazing highlight tape. actual team. Former Wol- These are two things that verine Jameson Wang (Oaks players can’t accomplish by Christian ’20) said passing to their basketball games unguarded teamare often filled with mate for a layup or moments of players throwing the ball to taking contested their receiver runthrees rather than ning the three-yard passing to their slant. Hail Mary open teammate in passes make high’ the paint. lights, methodically Whitney Similarly he moving down the Elson ’19 said, quarterbacks field getting three sometimes throw to the deep yards at a time does not. receiver so they can get more “There have definitely yards rather than throwing been times where I held the to the wide open receiver ball at the end of a half or two yards away. quarter just so I can get the Players focusing on their last shot, or purposely let stats rather than the team other teammates foul so I strategy makes them guilty don’t foul out,” Wang said. of not doing the best thing Basketball program head for the team, Wang said. David Rebibo has also obThese moments happen with served the obsession among high school students in part players and fans of highlight because of college recruiting plays, he said. WHITE S
12 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
“I think with social media there is an obsession with the highlight reel team,” Rebibo said. “But as we are seeing with the likes of University of Virginia and even the Golden State Warriors, there is beauty in simplicity and team. If you really watch those teams play, the ball is moving and guys are playing pretty simple.” Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said he believes that athletes should not be as focused on recruiting when playing sports. “You should be playing sports to have fun quite honestly,” Barnum said. “That’s the thing that gets lost in today’s high school world, is that we lose track of the fun aspect of it. That’s why you should play. If you get recognized for your play or you earn some sort of college recognition for your play, that’s all extra. That’s great and nice, but it shouldn’t be the reason why you do.” Athletes are also faced with making the decision of personal gains in out of school clubs over their school team’s success. High
school soccer players in recent years have been forced to decide either to play club soccer or to play for their school, with many deciding to play for their better club teams because of the increased competition and college prospects, soccer player Whitney Elson ’19 said. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy is a highlevel soccer program that is ideal for high school players looking to get recruited, Elson said. “I played Academy last year for a variety of reasons,” Elson said. “First and foremost, I wanted to get recruited. At the time I was talking to multiple D1 colleges and it seemed like the country was swaying towards Academy for girls soccer. If I wanted to be considered for good programs I had to keep moving up and couldn’t fall behind. All the best teams I had played against for years were going Academy, as well as my club and I wanted to maintain my level of play.” The only caveat to playing for Academy is that any player who is a part of the
Academy is not allowed to high school programs. play for their high school “From a positive standteam, Elson said. Last year point, if a student really the boys’ soccer team had wants to play beyond high one player choose Academy school and they understand over school soccer and the the commitment it takes girls’ team had multiple, soc- then often times that moticer player Henry Sanderson vation of making it to col’20 said. lege makes them more com“Academy soccer in mitted here, and then our Southern California is the programs benefit,” Barnum highest level of play you can said. “The negative is when achieve at the club level and they want to be selfish, when if athletes can compete in they’re only looking out for this pool then they should themselves and not for the take advanteam. That’s kind of the antithesis of what we tage of that are tryopportunity,” Elson said. “Athletes start “I think it is to get cocky or full of not the fault themselves because they know they of the players are gonna play at the next level.” when the high -Jameson Wang ’20 school team loses players ing to do here to Academy. Many Acadin the Athletic Departemy players w o u l d ment.” have loved to play high Another problem that school soccer, so it is just Harvard-Westlake and other unfortunate that the Acad- high schools face is when emy administrators made committed athletes quit this decision for academy their sport once they get to players.” college, Barnum said. The thought of being re“Colleges expect to have cruited to play at the next that athlete on their program level provides high school for a period of time, so when athletes with further mo- that doesn’t happen it reflects tivation to train in the off- poorly on those athletes, but season and hone their skills it also reflects poorly on our outside of their school prac- school that that is the kind tices and lifts. of person we’re sending forBarnum said he believes ward,” Barnum said. “We’re that recruiting can be both sending those kinds of stupositive and negative for dents with those kinds of
ethics, it makes it harder for us to send students to those schools again particularly athletes. So the Athletic Department is constantly talking to parents and kids about how they shouldn’t go to a school for recruitment purposes if they’re not planning on playing there for the long haul.” The prospect of playing at the next level fills the minds of teenage athletes and makes them focus on making the plays that will make them look good, rather than the team look good, Wang said. “A t h l e t e s start to get cocky or full of themselves because they know they are gonna play at the next level,” Wang said. “It’s also a big distraction to the team when high school athletes are always being interviewed or filmed because he or she is being recruited.” However, Rebibo said that highlights are a by-product of skilled teams playing together. “I think everyone wants to perform their best anytime they are able to,” Rebibo said. “With social media and video capabilities, college have access to players anytime they want. I don’t think there is a focus on over performing as much as making the right plays.”
43%
of students think recruitment is positive in a survey of 221
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 13
Wolverine Royale
THE SIERRA CANYON UPPER SCHOOL ADDED AN ESPORTS TEAM TO ITS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AT THE START OF THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR. NOW, OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA ARE LOOKING TO DO THE SAME.
SHOULD HW ADD AN ESPORTS TEAM AND ENTER THIS NEW FRONTIER? BY LUKE CASOLA
AND WILLIAM SEYMOUR
I
Illustration by
Samantha Ko Big Red
t was a Saturday morning and Jake Dalton (Sierra Canyon ’19) woke up mentally prepared for his practice. All he needed to do was walk across his room, sit down in his DXRacer gaming chair and turn on his monitor. Then the “Fortnite” loading screen flashed across the screen and Dalton was ready to game . “Esports is as much of a sport as race car driving or poker is,” Dalton said. “It’s not very physically demanding but it is very strategic and prolonged focus can be mentally straining.” Dalton is a member of the recently added esports team at Sierra Canyon High School which competes in the High School Esports League. The Sierra Canyon team is able to compete in games rated teen or below. Dalton said that he spends the most time playing “Fornite,” but also plays “League of Legends,” “Rocket League” and “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)” less competitively. “Being on the esports team is pret-
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 15
ty cool since it is the inaugural team and the program is only going to expand and become more organized in the following years,” Dalton said. Several stu-
16 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
dents including Dalton organized a “Fortnite” tournament against Twitch streamers in the well-known gaming clan “Faze” in support of the addition of esports in schools Nov. 24. “The addition was organic just
like every sport,” Sierra Canyon Athletic Director Rock Pillsbury said. “I’ve been [at Sierra Canyon] for 11 years and as we’ve added teams or added lacrosse for example or we added a golf team, it was organic. We had several kids that wanted to get an esports team going so we supported it.”
Pillsbury said that he believes esports is considered a normal sport at Sierra Canyon. “The [National Federation of State High School Associations] is like our governing body in the CIF and they sanctioned sports,” Pillsbury said. “Once they sanctioned it, it was easy for me to follow up on it. If is a part of the NFHS, it is a sport, so it was kind of easy for me to get it going.” The squad at Sierra Canyon practices after school and is overseen by STEM field coaches, Julie Ahring and Bruce Buenaventura, along with IT Department staff members Ryan Chapman and Julian Evjen. “I wouldn’t say the team is coached,” Pillsbury said. “In all my other sports, I feel that my coaches know more than my players. I suspect that with esports, some of the players know more than the coach and it’s more of like a chaperone to make sure everything goes well.” Many of the players practice in their free time outside of school as well. “It’s a craft, it’s like your golf game, you don’t really need to be at school to practice but the only difference is that at school we use PCs and some students at home use [Microsoft’s] Xbox or [Sony’s] PS4, which has a different system than the PCs so by playing at school I think it’s more efficient,” Pillsbury said. In addition to expanding esports programs in schools, the competitive professional gaming industry continues to become increasingly popular under the umbrella of gaming clans such as “Faze,” “TSM,” “Liquid” and “Optic.” Last year, Twitch tallied an average of 1,069,194 viewers compared to 746,000 average viewers in 2017 according to TwitchTracker. Epic Games, the developing company of “Fortnite,” said that over $100 million in prizes will be given out at events for
“RIGHT NOW IT’S NOTHING MORE THAN A CLUB. I THINK IT WILL PROBABLY STAY THAT WAY. EVEN IF IT WERE TO BECOME SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THAT, IM NOT 100 PERCENT CONVINCED THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT. IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF ATHLETICS LIKE ROBOTICS IS, THEY COMPETE AND THEY’RE NOT A PART OF THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.” -HARVARD-WESTLAKE HEAD OF AHTLETICS TERRY BARNUM the 2018-19 season, which is the largest amount in esports history. “It might be hard to be recruited to college for esports but I do realize how popular and how much money the professional gamers make,” frequent “FIFA 19” gamer Neema Mansouri ’20 said. “However, it’s probably pretty hard to become a professional and not all games are as popular as ‘Fortnite’ or have as big of a competitive scene.” The increasing popularity and growth of esports around the Los Angeles area, at both local high schools colleges such as the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles, has raised discussion at Harvard-Westlake in whether or not sports should be added to the athletics department Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said. “I know that [Middle School math teacher Michael] Grier has had some kids that he has been working with gaming, but right now it’s nothing more than a club,” Barnum said. “I think it will probably stay that way. Even if it were to become something bigger than that, I’m not 100 percent convinced that it would be in the athletic department. It might just be a club, it might be something outside of athletics like Robotics is, they compete and they’re not a part of the athletic department. Mock trial, Model U.N., debate are examples of what esports could potentially be.” Esports have become more prominent in high schools either as a sports team or club ,Barnum said.
“I know that we have had kids joining, but I don’t think we’ve done it as a school on a real serious basis,” Barnum said. “In the future it very well may be though, I was at the State Federated Council Meeting last week and it was a huge part of the conversation, so it’s a big thing and it’s becoming a bigger thing in sports.” In 2016, the Call of Duty World League (CWL) was created, open to both console gamers and PC gamers. The CWL Pro League, returning this month for its fifth season has increased its prize pool to $6 million, which is the largest prize yet in CWL history. Similar to clubs, the esports team could meet in any classroom after school to practice or even hold matches and tournaments, Mansouri said. Unlike any other athletics program, the esports team would not necessarily need to travel to compete in matches or tournaments as games can be played remotely. “All the games could be played online through the game’s servers,” “League of Legends” player Cristian
Illustrations by
Samantha Ko Big Red
Pang ’20 said. “For the most part, the teams competing in the event would just have to contact each other and then invite each to the game lobby and then use party chat on the Xbox or discord on computers.” Although a few students said they would like to see an esports team be added, others said that they feel different due to other extracurriculars. “I do not think an esports team would be practical to add to Harvard-Westlake because lots of students already have other time commitments, however, I am all for it if that’s a possibility and I think it would be a lot of fun,” Mansouri said. So far, Barnum is not sure how an esports team would be incorporated into the athletics program, he said. “If it became something in athletics then we’d be really happy with it and it wouldn’t be a problem,” Barnum said. “If it was tied to computer programming and they created an esports team off of that, then it would make sense for it to not be in the athletic department. I think a lot of it depends on how it grows and who’s a part of it.” Several students stressed that being on an esports team could get in the way of academics whereas others said that they believe staying after school for a soccer practice would be just the same as playing video games for that same amount of time. Pillsbury said that he believes parents could react differently than the students.
”I WOULD THINK THAT PARENTS COULD POSSIBLY THINK THAT PLAYING ON AN ESPORTS WOULD AFFECT GRADES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT NAIVE IF THE [STUDENTS] ARE PROBABLY ALREADY PLAYING THE GAMES ANYWAY.” -SIERRA CANYON ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ROCK PILLSBURY
“I could think that parents could possibly think that playing on an esports would affect grades, but I think it would be somewhat naive if the [students] are probably already playing the games anyway,” Pillsbury said. One drawback of legitimizing gaming as a sport at Harvard-Westlake is the validation it gives students who game during school Daniel Mikhail ’20 said. Mikhail said that he believes gaming, which was once used as a distraction during class, could now be part of a student’s extracurriculars as a large time commitment . “I sometimes do play games on my phone during free periods when I could be studying or getting ahead on homework,” Mikhail said. “Over the past few weeks, some of my friends have been bringing a [Nintendo] Switch to the library and people have been playing ‘Super Smash Bros. Brawl.’” Several Harvard-Westlake students said that they believe being on an esports team would most likely increase the amount of students who game during class time, distracting them from their work. Illustrations by “Well, once you start playing Samantha Ko
18 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
Big Red
video games, you can sit down for like three hours and lose track of time and then realize that you have work to do either while at school or when you get home,” Twitch streamer Dean Barkin ’20 said. Despite video games acting a distraction for students, Barnum said that he believes an esports team would be one of the best in the Los Angeles area. “I think that [many students] already spend a decent amount of time playing [video games]. If I were a betting person I would say that no, it wouldn’t affect grades in a significant way,” Barnum said. “I think that like most things at Harvard-Westlake we would strive to do it at our best and be excellent at it.”
IN A BIG RED POLL OF 221 HARVARD-WESTLAKE STUDENTS
64%
SAID THEY KNOW WHAT ESPORTS ARE
48%
WOULD CONSIDER JOINING AN ESPORTS TEAM
16%
THINK VIDEO GAMES NEGATIVELY AFFECT THEIR GRADES
BILLY THE GOAT Billy Johnson ’22 wraps up his opponent in the Wolverines’ match against Crespi Carmelite High School on Dec. 5.
Photo by
Ryan Albert Big Red
20 • BIG RED WINTER 2019
LUPE DOESN’T LOSE Lupe Lucero ’20 squares up opposite his challenger in a match against Crespi Carmelite High School on Dec. 5.
Photo by
Zack Scwhartz Big Red
BIG RED WINTER 2019 • 21
Photo by
Keila McCabe
Big Red
Photo illustration
Kyle Reims Big Red
Inside the life of one of high school basketball’s most coveted recruits By Eugene Wyman It’s 6:30 a.m. The average Harvard-Westlake student is in bed, hearing the sound of their alarm clock go off. Johnny Juzang ’20 has grown accustomed to hearing the “swish of a net” and a basketball bounce on the hardwood at this hour. In the early hours before school, one can consistently find Juzang putting in work either on the basketball court or in the weight room. His busy schedule continues throughout the school day. He spends free periods with the trainers, and after the school day is over he usually lifts with his team, followed by practice. Juzang’s work ethic has lead him to be the 19th ranked player in the 2020 class, and a five-star recruit according to ESPN. Juzang said he started playing basketball because of his older brother, Christian. Christian Juzang graduated from the Viewpoint School in 2015 and is now a key member of the Harvard University basketball team starting in 21 games last year at point guard, according to Harvard Athletics. “I started [playing basketball] when I was like four,” Juzang said. “We [Christian Juzang and Johnny Juzang] had a basketball hoop in my front yard so we’d just go out and play for fun.” Although Johnny Juzang has been on the court playing basketball for years, he did not always watch basketball. “I didn’t really watch a lot of basketball growing up, until the last like year or two,” Johnny Juzang said, “I always looked up to players like Kobe [Bryant] and Steve Nash.” Johnny Juzang said he has tried to emulate these players on the court. In his three-year high school career so far, he has averaged 19.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game, according to MaxPreps. Teammate and forward Brase Dottin ’20 said Johnny Juzang is a game changer when playing on the court. “[Johnny Juzang is] very talented,” Dottin said. “He can shoot the ball wherever, he can get his own shot at all times, that’s what makes it easy for us when we need a bucket late.” Johnny Juzang also said he still holds himself to a high standard in the classroom. “I pay attention in class, try and get as much done during the school day as I can,” Johnny
Juzang said. “I manage my time well, so I don’t really end up doing too much work at home.” Johnny Juzang’s work ethic on and off the court is part of the reason he currently holds 15 Division I basketball offers. His list of offers include schools such as the University of Kansas Jayhawks, and the third ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers, yet he said he feels unphased by the pressure that comes with the recruiting process. “I’m taking my time with [the recruiting process],” Johnny Juzang said. “I want to find a place that really feels right, and has a coaching staff with people that I really like and trust. Also a place that can help with my goals and what I wanna do.” Although college basketball is important to him, Johnny Juzang said he has higher goals. “To keep it real I want to be in college for a year, have a great year, learn a lot, have a great experience,” Johnny Juzang said. “Then my goal is to go pro.” Over the past two years, high school basketball has gained a much larger following nationally due to social media. Players such as Zion Williamson (now playing at Duke University) and LaMelo Ball (Spire Institute) became household names due to their play and their social media presencewhile still in high school. While Johnny Juzang admits that social media and basketball are intertwined, said he prefers to let his play on the court do the talking. “I don’t really worry about social media too much,” Johnny Juzang said. “The biggest thing for me is focusing on becoming a better player. There’s a lot of players that have great highlight reels but aren’t great basketball players. At the end of the day that’s great. You get a lot of followers but you don’t really translate to being a good basketball player and hopefully playing pro one day. I’ve learned how to like keep myself relevant [on social media], but it’s not my priority.” Johnny Juzang said that for the rest of the season the team is focused on working hard in order to achieve success in the playoffs. “Our goals for the team [is] just for everybody to strive to get better everyday, and learn something new everyday,” Johnny Juzang said.
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TRIPLE THREAT Emily Hilliard ’19 (top left), Meera Burghardt ’20 (bottom left) and Alex Button ’21 (right) shoot during a 21-6 win against Notre Dame High School.
Photos by
Kyle Reims Big Red
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Why Los Angeles is a “bad” Sports City OPINION: As one of the largest cities in America, Los Angeles is home to eleven professional sports organizations. With all of the attractions the city has to offer, finding unity among fans is no easy task. By WILL MALLORY
R
ed, white and blue confetti decorated Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the clock struck zero Feb. 3. The New England Patriots were Super Bowl champions, sending the Los Angeles Rams back home for the offseason. But where is home for the Rams? Inglewood? The Coliseum? Hollywood? As the Rams players adjust to their new location, the city is struggling to support them; and it’s taking a toll on the franchise. At 13-3, the Rams posted its best season since 2001, just two years after going 4-12 and firing their head coach. This season, under second-year coach Sean McVay, the Rams outshined expectations, booking a ticket to the Super Bowl for 2002 rematch against Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady. But something was missing. Rams quarterback Jared Goff struggled to get signals from McVay, receivers suffered from miscommunication, and the offensive line couldn’t hear their own snap count. Atlanta was filled with New England fans, overpowering the Rams’ fans and essentially making the Super Bowl a home game, leading the Patriots’ to a 13-3 victory. Los Angeles didn’t show up in Atlanta when the Rams needed them most. Los Angeles is one of the largest
cities in the country. From the streets of Downtown to the beaches of Malibu, the city stretches across nearly 470 square miles and is filled with just over four million people, according to World Population’s most recent census. So why couldn’t they show up at the Super Bowl? Los Angeles will always be known as the entertainment capital of the world. There are simply too many teams and distractions to find enough support for a single franchise. Fans would rather sit on the beach and watch the sunset at a local friend’s Super Bowl Party than head to Atlanta and support their team; and who can blame them? Consider LeBron James’ departure from Cleveland last year. The 34 year-old star left the Cavaliers after bringing them a championship and leading them to four straight NBA Finals, sending both their city and their team into panic mode and ending an era in the Eastern Conference. Normally, when an athlete leaves their city, fans usually react in one of the following ways: toss jerseys into the fire pits, post hostile tweets or try and convince the player that they didn’t need him or her anyway. James’ departure from Cleveland last summer was different. It is one thing to lose a franchise player; but how could anyone prepare for the loss of their captain, their
leader, their city’s unifying influence? In short, they can’t. James’ move not only broke the hearts of thousands of Ohio natives but also impacted the city’s economy. According to ESPN, hundreds of jobs were lost due to the significant drop in attendance, performance, and business profits. Many fans, though, were more concerned with the loss of their “King” than their unemployment. Instead of burning his jersey or flooding his Instagram with comments, people in Cleveland wrote extensive, heartfelt letters to James, thanking him for four years of Finals appearances and all that he has contributed to the city. Cleveland loved LeBron. Cleveland still loves LeBron. The same cannot be said about Los Angeles. No fanbase in Los Angeles will ever see a player’s departure significantly impact their economy or send the whole city into mourning. Why? Because the average fan has too many options, and if their star player leaves, the fans can simply jump onto the bandwagon of another LA sports team.
Los Angeles has the Lakers, Clippers, Rams, Chargers, Dodgers, Kings, Sparks and Galaxy —just to name a few. Cleveland? Only two or three. Los Angeles still has great fans. Anyone who has been to a sporting event has seen the die-hards in face paint and wigs. But as a whole, the city can’t find its identity - there are simply too many teams. This isn’t the city’s fault; in fact, it makes perfect sense why they want to bring in more teams. New teams increase revenue, draw attention, and create new jobs for its expanding population. But that’s precisely the problem: Los Angeles is way too big to ever be considered a good sports town. Organizers potentially created Staples Center to solve this issue. As the home of the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings, Staples Center had the intention to bring fans together to watch some of Los Angeles’s top teams compete. Unfortunately, it has done the opposite. Tension between Lakers and Clippers fans have actually separated the fans instead of uniting them. This trend continues in the NFL and MLB, with the Chargers, Rams, Angels and Dodgers all competing for the No.1 spot in Los Angeles. No team can carry all of the Los Angeles fans with them like LeBron did with Cleveland. Nobody can seem to unite under one team. The fact that Los Angeles is also the center of the entertainment industry doesn’t help either.
The tickets to games are overwhelmingly expensive and the front row seats in games, which should be occupied with Los Angeles’ most enthusiastic fans, are instead bought by wealthy celebrities who merely want to promote their image. Beyond the events, there are too many distractions in Los Angeles, including the beach, Hollywood and countless museums and shops. If fans aren’t entertained by their sports teams, they can turn to these outlets to entertain them. One can’t do that in Cleveland. The market also provides the athletes with an outlet after sports to build their entertainment brand. This causes the athletes to be less focused on the game itself and more concerned with their own personal promotion in the movie industry. LeBron said it himself: his decision is bigger than basketball, and he sees a future in Hollywood. So what makes a good sports city? Take a look at Chicago. Fans have nothing to do on a cold November night other than watch the Bears, Bulls or Cubs. Every bar is packed with fans huddled around a television on gameday. Every seat at Soldier Field is filled with a die-hard fan. Every house hangs a team flag all year long. The city is connected through sports. In fact, Chicago isn’t just a sports city; it is a sports community. Los Angeles isn’t quite there. With concerts, museums, and amusement parks, the city draws attention from thousands of artists and tourists, weakening the reliance on sports. The year-round sunshine convinces people that there is something better to do than watch a sporting event; and they may be right.
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Sam Ko Big Red
But many believe that the Rams are changing the culture. After the season, there is reason to believe that this team will be very successful over the next couple of years. In fact, with their young core and dynamic offense, ESPN ranks them as favorites to win Super Bowl LIV. However, success isn’t what brings the city together. Los Angeles is one of the most successful cities in the country when it comes to sports, with 16 NBA Championships coming from the Lakers alone. But in order be a good sports city, there needs to be unrelenting support behind one team in every sport. At Rams’ games, one could still find one fan who likes the Lakers and Dodgers, another who supports the Clippers and Angels, and a third who follows the Lakers and Angels. The combinations are endless. While the Rams are finding success, the Chargers, who moved one year later, are, economically, a complete mess. Despite a 12-4 finish and Divisional Round exit, the Chargers fail to draw 15,000 fans in their small stadium every Sunday. The result is embarrassing: the opponent’s fans often outweigh the Chargers’ fans, and every “home” game essentially becomes a road game. Clearly, there simply aren’t enough sports fans to support all of these teams. When it boils down, Los Angeles’s best characteristics actually bring it down in the sports world. Its size, market and attractions distracts fans from establishing their unwavering support, causing a lack of unity and pride. Sure, the city has incredible success in sports, but until the fans can unify together under one franchise, it will solely be known as the entertainment capital of the world.
SOARING SPENCER Spencer Hubbard ’20 shoots a three pointer in a 66-61 loss to Loyola High School on Jan. 11.
Photo by
Keila Mccabe Big Red
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KIKI’S KILLIN IT Kiki Iriafen ’21 goes up for a layup against Pacific Palisades High School on Nov. 27.
Photo by
Will Mallory Big Red
GOOD GAME, GIRLS Girls’ basketball players come together during their win against Pacific Palisades High School 71-43.
Photo by
Will Mallory Big Red
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END OF AN ERA By Zack Schwartz
The story behind the transfer of a star quarterback and wide receiver
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hen students walked into school for their first day back from winter break, two students were noticeably missing. Former football players Jameson Wang (Oaks Christian ’20) and Terrell Long (Sierra Canyon ’21) had announced to their friends and the school that they would no longer attend Harvard-Westlake. “I’m sorry that Harvard-Westlake did not turn out to be the fit for them that they and we would have hoped,” Head of School Rick Commons said. “I wish them only the best at their new schools.” This is not the first time the school has abruptly lost talent; boys’ basketball forward Terren Frank (Sierra Canyon ’20), guard L Simpson and shooting guard Cassius Stanley (both Sierra Canyon ’19), who was ranked fifth nationally by ESPN all left for Sierra Canyon in 2017. Wang saw his statistics decrease significantly, as the new offensive game plan was centered largely around running the ball, contrasting former Head Coach Scot Ruggles’ ‘west coast offense.’ Wang totaled 2,584 yards in the air and 924 yards from the ground with a combined 48 touchdowns as a sophomore but 1,690 yards passing, 250 yards on the ground and a total of 18 touchdowns in his junior season. Wang transitioned from league Offensive MVP as a sophomore to league First Team All Offense this past season. Teammate Sultan Daniels ‘19 was named Offensive MVP this season. The team struggled heavily aswell, the team record went from 8-3 to 6-5. The team also saw offensive production decrease drastically having 4,919 yards the previous year and 3,680 this year in the new league. Wang said the decision to leave
was not an easy one. “Of course the decision is hard,” Wang said. “It’s never easy to leave a school behind and start a new one. I am very thankful for my family and the sacrifices they have made with me. Leaving the friends I’ve made and the teachers I’ve built bonds with is going to be tough, but at the same time, I’m excited to do what’s best for my family and me.” Long said that a major push factor in his decision to leave was finding a school with a more serious football program. “I didn’t have much frustration with [the school], I just didn’t like the lack of importance football had and how it had such small value to the school,” Long said. “I disliked the parting of certain coaches and the style of play we had last season.” Team member Tyler* voiced his frustration with the current coaching staff and the direction the program is headed. “Throughout the year, I was extremely frustrated, not only for me but my teammates,” Tyler said. “A lot was promised with little delivered, and to be honest, by the end of it, not many people felt any sort of satisfaction with the direction the program was heading. Everyone who is serious about the sport has thought of leaving. People are fed up, key players are quitting and things are going to be much more difficult next year.” Teammate Chase Harleston ’21 said it was possible that the play calling may have played a larger role in the decision than Wang would have liked fans to believe. “[Long] and [Wang] left because they are chasing bright futures as football players, and their full potential would not be realized under our coaching and offensive scheme,”
Harleston said. “I most definitely share those frustrations sometimes and worry what kind of future I have, but I love my friends here and also believe that there is hope and opportunity for me in this program.” Moving forward, backup quarterback Marshall Howe ’21 said he doesn’t believe their transfer will change much. “I was planning on having the same mindset and attitude whether they were to stay or leave.” Howe said. “Obviously, as a friend, I don’t want to see them go, but, in terms of football, it does not really change my perception of the future moving forward. I think we would have had a great season with them as well, but we still have a ton of talent and a lot of our core guys coming back next year. It’s that kind of next-man-up mentality that is really important for all great teams, and that’s no different for us.” Head of Athletics Terry Barnum is disappointed in their transfer but understanding of the current climate of high school sports. “Transferring from schools is a growing trend in high school sports, and Harvard-Westlake is not immune to that.” Barnum said, “And so the fact that players transferred out for athletic reasons, while disappointing, we understand that’s part of the business of high school sports today. We hope that kids come to our school because they want the overall education that Harvard-Westlake has to offer, which in my opinion is second to none.” Head coach Michael Burnett declined to comment and said he wanted to keep his attention on the athletes still in the program. *Names have been changed.
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