NorCal Year End Special Issue 190

2020 YEAR END SPECIAL NORCAL EDITION VOL. 11 ISSUE 190

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Better Days Ahead I t’s going to happen. Maybe in February. Maybe in March.

High school athletes will again lace up their cleats or sneakers. They’ll put on the uniform that has their school’s name across the front. They will gather in the wings of the locker room before running out onto the field or court as classmates (undoubtedly masked) cheer cathartically from the bleachers.

Though December was our state’s bleakest month in terms of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the release of the state’s updated guidelines seemed to let in a little bit of light from the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are slowly being rolled out and a change in federal leadership offers hope for a more competent management of our battle with the virus.

Believe. We’re close, sports fans. It’s been quite a year of waiting.

With this 2020 Year End Special, we wanted to strike a balance between showcasing some of the positive stories we worked on (both with games and without them) and looking ahead to the end of that tunnel.

Among the selections we chose to revisit includes our January feature on Valley-Sacramento wrestler Salahdin Farukh, whose family immigrated from Afghanistan just a few years ago — but not before he was an eye witness to a suicide bomber. We’ve also included our writeup on our NorCal Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Dublin’s Anthony Roy, and a late-October feature we wrote about student voters in the presidential election.

One of the most rewarding things we did once the games were halted, was turn the creative process over to athletes and coaches.

We called it the #NeverStop Project and asked for submissions that shared passionate thoughts about sports: Memories, relationships, moments and more. A few of those have been shared again in this issue.

It was in the same spirit that we added our one new element to this issue. We reached out to several coaches and players and asked them to complete two simple prompts: ›› 2020 taught me… ›› 2021 will be…

We hope you enjoy reading through the varied responses. Here are mine, before letting you go.

2020 taught me that the youth of today gives reason for hope in our tomorrow. So much of what kids witnessed and endured during this year will give birth to young leaders determined to keep it from happening again.

2021 will be what we make of it. Wear a mask. Stay vigilant. Keep an eye toward that light.

I’ll be doing my part to be on that sideline when those first two teams leave the locker room. ✪

YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #11, 2020 Year End Special Whole No. 190 is published

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Behind the Clipboard by Clay Kallam

A NOVICE APPROACH I’m going to be a freshman, and my New Year’s resolution is to play sports in high school. I don’t know why, but I’ve never been on a team before. I don’t think I’m a klutz — at least I hope not — but I was really small until I had a growth spurt in eighth grade. So what would be a good sport to try if I don’t have any experience?

J.C., Pleasant Hill First and foremost, do not go out for a team sport if you’re just looking to tick a box on your college application. It is unfair to your coaches and your teammates to take up a spot on a freshman or JV roster just because your parents or adviser say you need to have some kind of athletics on your resume.

If you absolutely insist on playing a high school sport (as opposed to taekwondo or fencing or something else outside of school), go for cross country or swimming, where your level of interest really doesn’t affect the team or coaches as long as you show up for practice and give a basic effort.

Team sports, though, require much more of a commitment, as no matter what the level, coaches and players take things fairly seriously, and if you don’t, you just make things hard for yourself and for them.

That said, starting from ground zero in any sport is going to be difficult, as even the easiest-looking game is much harder than it appears. So first, you have to be prepared for a steep learning curve and a fair amount of frustration.

Beyond that, the sports that rely more on athleticism and strength, and less on acquired skill, make the most sense. Baseball, for example, would be on the bottom of the list because it’s a game that requires lots of different kinds of skills, and a fair amount of practice to master them. (Along with a lot of people, I maintain that hitting a baseball is the most difficult skill in sports.)

Football, on the other hand, rewards speed, size and strength more immediately, though obviously there are plenty of techniques that must be learned — not to mention the playbook. There is, of course, the concussion issue to deal with, and careful consideration should be given before signing up for that most dangerous sport.

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Wrestling is close behind football, but it’s not really a team sport, and it’s definitely not for everyone. It also requires dieting, sometimes severe dieting, and if you like to eat, you might want to pass.

Basketball isn’t a bad choice if you’re tall — the taller the better, naturally.

Though there is plenty of acquired skill involved in shooting and ball handling, getting rebounds and making shots from two feet away are not that difficult, especially if you tower over your classmates. Volleyball also fits in here, and if you don’t like contact, it’s better than basketball. It’s also a more patterned game in many ways, which can make it easier to find a comfort zone.

Soccer does reward speed and stamina, but like baseball, there are lots of skills involved, and experience is vital once you start playing the game.

Without a lot of set plays, success is dependent on a feel for the geometry of the sport, and for most, that takes lots of time to develop. Lacrosse falls into the same category, in many ways, but since a lot of people haven’t played it, it’s likely some newbies might be trying out along with you.

Water polo requires a strong swimming background, which might make that a negative, and other sports such as badminton and field hockey might not be available.

Which leaves the two country club sports, tennis and golf, both of which have the great advantage of being lifetime sports. They are difficult at first, but often there are a few newcomers trying out every year, and coaches at most schools are eager to find new players, so I would probably suggest whichever of those interests you most.

But again, please don’t play a sport just because you think it will help you get into college. Play a sport because it’s fun and rewarding, and everyone will wind up enjoying the experience. ✪ Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and has coached numerous sports at a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area.

This column first ran in January 2020. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at claykallam@gmail.com.

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NorCal Athletes And Coaches Sound Off On What They Learned Over A Difficult Year, And Express Hope As We Start Anew

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From the pandemic to social unrest, 2020 was a tidal wave that hit us all. Especially the world of high school athletics.

Now that the water may be receding, with vaccine rollouts and state youth sports guidelines offering a road map, SportStars wanted to know what was learned — and what came next.

We reached out to several NorCal coaches and athletes over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to ask them to respond to two prompts: 2020 taught me... and 2021 will be…

Responses ranged from short and to the point, to deeply introspective. Some even added a bit of humor.

Enough of our chatter. If you want to get a read on the mindset of NorCal coaches and athletes as we move into 2021, the following responses are a good place to start.

MAKENA MASTORA ST. JOSEPH NOTRE DAME-ALAMEDA, SR., BASKETBALL ›› 2020 TAUGHT ME so much about myself. A lot of self reflection was done in my time in quarantine, and it made me realize there is so much going on in the world and with myself that sometimes it’s good to take a step back and see everything. 2020 taught me to never take anything for granted, to always talk to the ones I love, and that I eat an insane amount of food. ›› 2021 WILL BE filled with basketball, family, friends and new beginnings. I’m super excited for what’s in store and

CAN’T WAIT TO EXPERIENCE MY FINAL SEMESTER IN HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATION, AND GOING TO COLLEGE!

ANTHONY GRIGSBY COSUMNES OAKS-ELK GROVE, SR., FOOTBALL

›› 2020 TAUGHT ME to be patient. With everything that has been going on, and west coast kids not being able to play and show off the work we’ve put in, we’ve all had to be patient. 2020 has also taught me to just find a way. Find a way to get things done. Find a way to grind.

Find a way to get better. There were times where I would get up at 4:30 a.m. for 5 a.m. workouts so we could work around the covid restrictions. ›› 2021 WILL BE exciting. I believe the work that has been put in will finally show for everyone, not just me. 2020 was filled with a lot of emotions that weren’t able to be expressed. So 2021 will be a year where everyone can finally release, and show what they’re made of.

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MEGAN CODDINGTON CONCORD SOFTBALL COACH

›› 2020 TAUGHT ME , or rather reminded me, that since we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, it is important to live your best life today, and to try not to take things for granted. Since COVID, I have tried very hard not to dwell in all the negatives and things I can’t control. Instead I have focused on my own attitude and outlook, and have tried to remain positive, especially around my own children. I am choosing to look at the amazing things that happened in 2020. For me personally, I became tech savvy with Google Drive, Classroom and Zoom. Once we get back to school, I still plan on using these tools to enhance student learning. I gained a new sister-in-law and a new niece! I learned how to play the guitar, and I spent time with my children teaching them about cooking. Finally, I am grateful that my entire extended family has remained healthy. ›› 2021 WILL BE a year of growth for all of us. We will all need to continue to communicate better, to try new and creative ways of teaching and coaching our students, to compromise, and to work together to find positive solutions to the problems we may face.

BILL MELLIS

SALESIAN-RICHMOND BOYS BASKETBALL COACH ›› 2020 TAUGHT ME to appreciate the things that we have in life. It sounds cliche when it’s said that something can be taken away at any time, but that happened to so many in 2020. 2020 taught me how much I have missed seeing my students, my co-workers, and most importantly, the student-athletes I coach. I have missed them dearly, and missed being able to work with them during the summer as usual.

I’m praying that we get to have some sort of basketball season so I can do what I love the most: coach great young men. Finally, 2020 taught me how important it is to take time for ourselves. So many people were couped up at home for months, and there were many documented and undocumented cases of depression. I found time during the pandemic to exercise daily. I started walking 3-5 miles or biking 10-12 miles per day. I was exercising off and on throughout the summer, but on our first day of school, August 17, I started walking or biking every day and have not missed a day. I have lost around 25-30 pounds during that time, which was much needed. More importantly, it has kept my stress level low during a time that has been extremely stressful for everyone. ›› 2021 WILL BE a way better year than 2020, but that probably goes without saying. My mother, who is 81 years of age, just had shoulder surgery and is recovering very well so far. I imagine her recovery will be better since it’s 2021 than if her recovery took place in 2020. 2021 will be a lesson on how well we, as a nation, can get back to what we perceive to be normal. There are so many questions to be answered.

How many people will be willing to take the vaccine? How many people will be willing to do the things that can help get rid of the virus, such as continuing to wear masks, etc.?

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PROPHET BROWN

MONTEREY TRAIL-ELK GROVE, SR., FOOTBALL ›› 2020 TAUGHT ME that you have to be able to adapt and change ›› 2021 WILL BE a legendary breakout year

OLIVIA WILLIAMS

ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE, SR., BASKETBALL ›› 2020 TAUGHT ME the importance of using our voices. Especially being part of the next generation to make a large impact in the world. Using our voices can bring about change and solutions for current problems that directly affect ourselves and those around us. We saw just how much our voices are capable of by educating ourselves and others as well as highlighting problems that can not, and will not be pushed aside and swept under the rug any longer. ›› 2021 WILL BE the call for action. We have learned what highlighting the problem and figuring out possible solutions has done, but 2021 will be the time to put these plans for change to work. We have talked about it, protested and shared our feelings and desires for remaking a more positive and aware society, but now is the time to make real and permanent change.

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RICKY RODRIGUEZ JAMES LOGAN-UNION CITY FOOTBALL COACH

›› 2020 TAUGHT ME to appreciate the time we spend with the people we love, and also that sometimes it is more important to listen than to react. As tough as 2020 has been on all of us, the positives for me was the time I got to spend being a father and a husband. We as coaches devote so much time to others, that sometimes our families take a backseat. The pandemic really put things into perspective for me, on how important that time is. I have been able to see all the little milestones in the lives of both my 1- and 3-year old. Maybe in a normal year, I would’ve missed them. The social justice issues that have plagued are country for years, have often been swept under the rug. It was a privilege to be able to listen to my African American players, peers and colleagues tell stories of their experiences. This was powerful to me personally, and inspires me to be an advocate for change. ›› 2021 WILL BE a year of growth. I have faith in humanity. I believe we are a resilient group. We will utilize the struggles and adversity we have dealt with, and become a better team of people. Personally, I look forward to putting a bigger emphasis on the three F’s. My family, my faith, and football are the areas I will strive to grow in the upcoming year. Happy New Year everyone!

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SHAWN GUTIERREZ MT. DIABLO-CONCORD, SR., BASKETBALL

›› 2020 TAUGHT ME that no matter the circumstances, continue to work hard and the results are endless ›› 2021 WILL BE a year full of growth and perseverance

CALEB CHANCE

DE LA SALLE-CONCORD, SR., BASEBALL ›› 2020 TAUGHT ME to grow up, to persevere through adversity, and appreciate the little things in life. I had to take responsibility for my actions, and keep working when no one was watching. There were many obstacles that became opportunities if you chose to treat them like it. ›› 2021 WILL BE a year of hope. Hope to play and be united with teammates. Hope to spend time with classmates, and hope to return to a more normal life.

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a club tha

F

or a couple years in the late 90s, one of the best kept secrets in club volleyball resided at a single high school in San Diego.

Its co-founders were Byron Shewman, a former Men’s National Team player, and Kim Oden, a former Olympian. But the goal of the small club wasn’t to attract the region’s top talent. Experience wasn’t even among the requirements to join.

Today, Starlings Volleyball has chapters in 21 states, Washington D.C. and even one in Juarez, Mexico. And through the continued support of the Northern California Volleyball Association and Bay Area universities, Starlings continues to expand its NorCal footprint.

The mission of Starlings Volleyball is to provide athletic opportunities along with a place of safety and guidance to young girls from low-income homes and at-risk environments. Shewman was inspired to create the program, which started with just 11 girls at Lincoln High-San Diego in 1996, after volleyball helped him find his own way out of a disadvantaged childhood.

“The vision behind Starlings is to positively impact the lives of at-risk girls through the sport of volleyball,” Starlings Executive Director Lucy Jones said. “We aim to provide quality skills training and competitive opportunity, and we use that platform to support them academically and provide college and career counseling.”

Among the statistics Starlings lists on its website include: ›› Girls who participate in sports are 92 percent less likely to

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at Cares use drugs, 80 percent less likely to become pregnant and three times more likely to graduate high school. ›› Just 15 percent of youth sports participants come from low-income homes due to the rising costs of participation.

“The average cost per player in a regular USA Volleyball club will be about $1,500 for a full season,” Jones said.

“We’re able to reduce that to as low as $500 per kid through a number of corporate partnerships that significantly reduce the overhead costs enough that families can get close to handling it. We also have various funds that allow club directors and players to apply for assistance in fees, gym costs, or whatever.”

Clubs also receive help from sister college and sister clubs. All three Bay Area universities, Stanford, Cal and Saint Mary’s, work as sister colleges to provide skills clinics and other assistance.

There are currently four NorCal Starlings chapters up and running. There is Starlings-Oakland, Starlings-Berkeley, Starlings-Marin (within Marin Juniors VBC) and Starlings-Vision (within Vision Volleyball in Redwood City). Jones said they are currently looking at directors to help start Starlings-San Francisco and Starlings-San Mateo.

Starlings’ outreach in the area is currently stifled by the state’s strict COVID-19 protocols. Typically, communities will learn about the opportunity through school outreach as well as free skills clinics.

“As soon as we can do that, we’ll be doing that in the Bay Area,” Jones said. “Either through the sister colleges, sister clubs, high schools or wherever.”

In the meantime, those who want to learn more about Starlings can visit their website at Starlings. org, or call Jones directly at 760-681-6813. If one is interested in donating to the program, there’s a place on the website for that as well. ✪

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THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN:

ISSUE 174 JANUARY 2020

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Salahdin Farukh is congratulated by teammates after winning a title in the Marty Manges Tournament in December 0f 2019 at Casa Roble High in Orangevale.

story and photos by ike dodson

p

erhaps the only wrestler in CIF history to go 0-3 at the state championship tournament, Valley-Sacramento junior and Afghanistan native Salahdin Farukh is determined to take advantage of the fortuitous opportunities that have opened for him.

Two years before limited mastery of the English language allowed him to wrestle the wrong Clovis wrestler at state — thus getting a second shot at the round that eliminated him — Farukh began his second life in America. Memories of his first one are never far.

“It was a suicide bomb, a little bit far away… about that far,” he said, gesturing to a nearby line of trees following a tournament in late December. “Afghanistan is war, and you don’t know when you are going to die, you just know it’s going to come.

“America is like… so chill.”

Farukh knew he wanted to wrestle when he landed at Valley in 2017, but he barely spoke English.

His first lesson — don’t lock your hands.

They don’t teach folkstyle wrestling in Afghanistan. Weaned on freestyle, Farukh struggled with the new discipline his freshman year, and went 0-2 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Divisional round, missing a Masters qualification. Last year, he was a Division IV champion at 103 pounds, and an unknown name at Masters.

Lacking in his ground game, but dangerous from his feet, Farukh attacked the 32-man

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bracket at Delta College with quick shots and continuous movement. He beat Tracy’s Anthony Nunes 15-2 and stunned Vista del Lago-Folsom’s Ethan Cota 23-12 in a second-round flurry.

After slipping 12-6 to SJS runner-up Dylan Maples (Bella Vista-Fair Oaks), Farukh beat Yuba City’s Keola Abreu 18-9 and stuck Patterson’s Jesse Cota in just over two minutes to guarantee a top-six finish and CIF qualification.

Farukh lost his next match 7-2 to Vacaville stalwart Isaiah Medina, setting the stage for his best match of the tournament, a fifth-place showdown with Union Mine-El Dorado’s Michael Mallot. The bout featured constant scoring over five thrilling minutes, leaving Mallot with a 23-21 win to close the tournament.

Despite the narrow loss, Farukh became Valley’s first state qualifier since 1995. A week later he lost three matches by points at state, slipping in a close bout to Clovis wrestler Matt Torrence in his second match, before tourney officials realized Farukh should have toed the line against Noah Arsitio of Clovis North-Fresno. He waited 45 sheepish minutes before wrestling Arsitio, losing just 5-2 to end his season.

DEAR OLD DAD Farukh’s mom, dad, brother and sister are all thriving in Sacramento.

They have dear old dad to thank for it.

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“It was a suicide bomb, a little bit far away… about that far, (gesturing to a nearby line of trees). Afghanistan is war, and you don’t know when you are going to die, you just know it’s going to come. America is like … so chill.”

— Salahdin Farukh Bashir Farukh worked as a translator and contractor for the U.S. Army during the war in Afghanistan. His 12 years of service made his family eligible to receive a Special Immigrant Visa to move to the United States.

Bashir said the opportunity became an urgency after rumors of U.S. withdrawals from Afghanistan forced him to fear for his family’s safety.

One harrowing 2015 day in the Afghanistan capital city, Kabul, he was forced into action.

“Right across the place where we were living, right across the street there was a suicide bombing,” Bashir said. “We saw pieces of human beings fall down in front of our wrestling club.

“I was really concerned with what was going on, even just the kids going to school or the wrestling club. It’s not like here, where I feel safe.”

Soon after the bombing outside the wrestling club operated

by Bashir’s brother, he applied for the Special Immigrant Visa.

Now Bashir gets by as a ride-hail driver for Uber and Lyft. Even though he contracted with the U.S. Army, he said construction opportunities in California are difficult because of expensive and arduous requirements to secure proper licensing.

The dream is to own a construction business and see his sons and daughters achieve success in America. Salahdin wants to be a firefighter after school and wrestling.

“Every father wants the best for their kids, based on their

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unique talents,” Bashir said. “I try my best to provide for them and afford what they want.”

Bashir doesn’t hate his current schedule, which allows him to help coach the Valley wrestling team alongside eight-year head coach, David Caldwell.

“Coach Bashir has really helped, especially with the language barrier, because three of our wrestlers speak Farsi (Persian),” Caldwell said. “Luckily, physicality is the same language anywhere, so I think wrestling has helped them fit in.”

FORTUNE AWAITS

Salahdin’s remarkable improvements have transformed his career on the mat. The wrestler who struggled to win only one match at many of his tournaments in 2018 is ranked No. 4 in Northern California (113) by SportStars and No. 14 in the state by the California Wrestling Newsletter.

His big jump between freshman and sophomore seasons looks like a bunny hop compared to the leap to his junior campaign. As of Jan. 13, Salahdin is 22-1 with three tournament titles. His only defeat was 8-2 against PalmaSalinas’ Zachary Thompson, ranked No. 2 in Nor Cal and No. 8 in California with four CIF wins under his belt in two trips to Bakersfield.

That defeat came in the finals of the prestigious Tim Brown Memorial Classic at Cal Expo Jan. 11.

Three weeks prior, Salahdin won the Marty Manges Tournament at Casa Roble-Orangevale. In the finals he drew

Mallot, who beat him in that 23-21 thriller last year. This time, Salahdin took a 14-4 lead before pinning Mallot with a minute remaining in the bout.

“I showed that I had more improvement than last year,” Salahdin said. “I have been working real hard. He was hella cocky but I didn’t care, I just wanted to go beat him.”

Salahdin will wrestle at the Overfelt Classic in San Jose on Jan. 25.

NorCal No. 1 and state No. 5 Brayden Abell of Oakdale is a heavy favorite to win the SJS title at 113 pounds and a second straight state medal. If Salahdin can capture SJS gold before he graduates, he will be Valley’s first section champion since heavyweight Anthony Cook captured a bracket in 1992. This year, Salahdin wants to win a state medal.

Since Salahdin’s younger siblings also wrestle, Valley should prosper from the blessings of the Farukh family and the urgency of coach Bashir.

A year after the family emigrated, The New York Times reported that 26 wrestlers were killed and another 91 were wounded when the Islamic State bombed another wrestling club in Kabul, home to many of the country’s champion wrestlers.

It’s the kind of fate the Farukhs escaped by moving to America.

The grind of a wrestling season — muscles straining, sweat leaking — seems trivial in comparison, but it’s the kind of suffering the Farukhs embrace. ✪

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THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN:

ISSUE 179 APRIL 2020

P

layer of the Year honors are never decided by one performance. High school basketball seasons stretch four months from conditioning week to the state finals. Season-long consistency and leadership are balanced along with talent and effort.

So while one game won’t lead to a Player of the Year award, it can certainly galvanize a player’s case. Dublin High’s Anthony Roy finalized his Player of the Year credentials in the North Coast Section Open Championship game.

He scored a season-low six points that night. His team lost to Bishop O’Dowd by three.

Roy, who spent his freshman year at O’Dowd before moving to Dublin, was the centerpiece to the Dragons’ defensive game plan. Dogged by double teams, he couldn’t find his shot. So he stopped shooting, and helped elevate his teammates.

Roy led the team with six assists that night, four of which went to Malik Jackson, who scored a career-high 29 that kept the Gaels in the game. Roy, who averaged nearly 18 points a game on the season, took just 10 shots that night.

“He told me after the game, ‘Coach, I just wasn’t feeling it and I knew we’d be better if I helped get others going,’” Dublin coach Tom Costello said.

The maturity that goes with knowing that, and acting on it, is rare for high school standouts. That leadership was the backbone of a Dublin team that thrived, even after its leading scorer from the previous season transferred to an East Bay Athletic League rival.

Roy was named the EBAL’s Most Valuable Player after leading the way both on and off the floor for a team that went 24-7. Dublin reached the NorCal Open semifinals before falling to Sheldon-Sacramento by one point.

“Anthony is an incredible young man,” Bishop O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said in the moments after the NCS final. “He was at O’Dowd as a freshman, and Tom (Costello) and I have had many conversations about him and his maturation. And I couldn’t be happier for a better kid to go to Dublin and turn out the way he’s turned out. He’s probably the Bay Area Player of the Year. Hats off to his parents.”

Roy averaged 17.8 points per game, close to doubling his scoring average from his junior season. He added 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.

“His length was a problem, and he could just score in different ways,” Salesian coach Bill Mellis said. His team lost to the Gaels 66-61 in the final of the Gridley Invitational. Roy was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. “He was really good going to the basket but could also knock down some shots. Toward the end of the game, they went to a 1-3-1 zone defense and put him at the top. I know he made at least three or four plays that led to steals that sealed the game.”

From the moment Dublin’s open gyms started in the fall, Costello saw a different player in his 6-foot-4 senior.

gaels Senior stepped up

when needed the most

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“He embraced his chance to lead,” the coach said. “He’s just a natural, magnetic personality. Guys sort of gravitate toward him. He’s just a likable kid. His work ethic changed. I’m just super, super proud of him. Taking on that role and owning it. He made us so much better.”

Part of making the team better sometimes meant making the coaches better.

“His basketball IQ is off the charts,” Costello said. “He made suggestions that sometimes the coaching staff didn’t even notice. I’m OK admitting that! Oftentimes he’d come over and say ‘Coach, let’s get Devon the ball here,’ or ‘Malik has this guy on him, we should go to him.’

Nine times out of 10, he was right.”

Roy had multiple offers from mid-major programs and eventually chose to sign with USF. Dublin played Roy at nearly every position and Costello expects he’ll play as a combo guard in college. The coach knows wherever he lands will be a steal for that program.

“He just makes the other players around him better,” Costello said. “Teachers love him, the administration loves him. Everybody loves him.” ✪ — Chace Bryson

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THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN:

ISSUE 182 JUNE 2020

WHAT A RIDE

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sion for quite some time now. In the end, I didn’t ometimes it’s crazy to think about all that has transpired since I sat down to write my very think it needed to be any more complicated than first column for this magazine. showcasing several of our favorite images and havView our entire I didn’t have any kids at the time, though I knew ing our staff members share some of their favorite 10th Anniversary issue one was on the way. Now I have two. memories. by clicking HERE! I firmly believed my beloved Chicago Cubs Of course, we did spice things up a little bit would never even reach the World Series. Then by building a list of the top 10 male and female they won it all in 2016. More of you probably care athletes of the era. We have no doubt they will spark about the Giants winning three titles, though. Which is OK, I guess. some debate. Which we welcome.

The Warriors were a seemingly doomed NBA franchise constantly But in the end, it’s the shared stories and memories from our writrepeating mistakes of their past. Now they have three NBA titles. ers and photographers that best encapsulate our first decade. I took A lot can happen over 10 years. But here’s one thing that didn’t that first shot, but I definitely wasn’t able to do it alone. We actually change: the caliber of athletes that compete for Northern California needed two pages of this issue to get in all of our acknowledgements. high schools, and the men and women of character who coach them.

But there’s another set of Thank Yous that need to go out. Thank My first column was built around the motivational quote, “You you to the athletes that continue to amaze us with their work ethic, miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” drive and talents. Without you, the anniversary issue would be about Leaving the newspaper business (speaking of changes, the news62 pages smaller. Thank you to the coaches for your support of those room building I left is now a mega sportsplex) to manage a start-up athletes, and your constant support of us. publication on teen sports was definitely not a slam dunk. It was a Finally, the loudest Thank You goes to all who’ve read and shared jumper from Steph Curry distance. But much like Steph, it was a us throughout the years. The way we bring you our stories may shot I was taking with confidence. change as the publishing world continues to move into an uncertain There’s a passion that courses through high school sports. And if future, but our passion for telling those stories will still burn bright. you can find writers and photographers who are equally passionate Here’s hoping we have another great decade of content to share 10 about covering them, then good things happen. years from now.

For SportStars, 10 years happened.

And a couple more titles for the Cubs while we’re at it. ✪ We’ve been thinking about how we wanted to celebrate the occa-

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THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN:

ISSUE 180 MAY 2020

Vince Bianchini (above) paid tribute to his best friend and teammate of four years, Charles McAdoo (right) 24

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Back in April, when it became obvious that all sports (not just high school) were going to be on hold indefinitely, SportStars wanted to find a way for NorCal’s players and coaches to vent.

Writing has always been a therapeutic process for many of us at the magazine, and we wanted to offer that to others.

That was the idea that spawned the #NeverStop Series. We called it #NeverStop (full naming credit to our designer, Mike DeCicco) because sports teaches us the lesson of never giving up. Keep pushing. Find a way. Overcome adversity.

It was obvious pretty quickly that COVID-19 would be just another test of resolve for coaches and athletes.

We offered writing prompts, but didn’t require their use. Mainly, we just wanted players and coaches to share passionate thoughts about sports: Memories, relationships, moments and more.

We published 14 contributions in our May issue. They ranged from a basketball team manager for St. Francis-Sacramento, to the starting quarterback for the University of Notre Dame football team, to the commissioner of the North Coast Section. Every single contributor thanked us for the opportunity, many citing how much they enjoyed connecting with that sports world they missed so dearly.

We chose three to share in this retrospective. To view the rest CLICK HERE! — Chace Bryson, Editor

Vince Bianchina Has Shared Football And Baseball Field, Weight Room And Classroom With Charles McAdoo — And He Knows He’s Better For It

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hroughout my four years at De La Salle, I have built many relationships with coaches, teammates and friends that will last forever. And there have been plenty of ups and downs that have taught me how to perform on and off the field.

Yet there is one person especially who has helped me become the player and friend I am today — and that is Charles McAdoo.

I would not have been able to balance the workload of football and baseball without him.

We have been by each other’s side since freshman year. Charles and I shared the same position in football and we both play on the left side of the infield in baseball.

We would always help motivate each other to work, like making up a lift, watching film, running extra routes or getting extra swings in the cage.

McAdoo’s work ethic and commitment inspired me in many ways. He lives 45 minutes away from school and still manages to show up 30 minutes early to everything. Every practice and game he would make sure to give his full effort on every rep. While he’s not much of a talker, he makes sure to hold his teammates accountable. He leads by example.

McAdoo is a great leader not only because of his work ethic, but also because of the way he treats others. No matter how he plays, he always treats his teammates the same.

Whenever myself or others were on the field, we could always hear McAdoo’s positive energy from the sideline or dugout. If someone, including myself, was having a bad game, he would help us focus on the positive side of the situation. He is always willing to do something as long as it helps the team win. No matter what the role is, he will do his best to execute it.

I am devastated that our final baseball season together got cut short. But that is not going to stop us from getting after it together. I will always have his back, and I know he will always have mine.

He is the best teammate I could ask for, and an even better friend.

The ups and downs we have gone through are memories that I will never forget. I can not wait to see him succeed at San Jose State. Although Northwestern (my next stop) already swept San Jose in a three-game series in 2019, I hope we get another chance to do it when McAdoo is on the team. ✪

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Don Lippi, left, has shaped several young men in his illustrious coaching career — including Mark DeLuca, who’s experienced more than two decades of his own coaching success.

Valley Christian-San Jose Basketball Coach Mark DeLuca Shares About The Impact Of His Own High School Basketball Coach — NorCal Legend, Don Lippi

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s a kid growing up in Indiana, I was like every other Hoosier in the state. I loved basketball. Well — let me make a correction — I absolutely worshipped Bobby Knight. He and Pete Rose were hands down my first heroes.

From the time I can remember my days were filled playing football, basketball and baseball. However, Knight, Bobby “Slick” Leonard, Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird made me love the game of basketball. It’s in my Hoosier DNA. Therefore, in 1979, I became very concerned when we moved out of the Midwest to Vallejo, CA. I asked myself if the schools and coaches out west love basketball the way I did? Would the players sleep, eat and breath basketball? It was that year that I was enrolled at St. Patrick High (which became St. PatrickSt. Vincent in 1983). The head coach was Danny Dion, a Vallejo legend, and I was asked to meet him in July before my freshman year.

In the gym that day was Dion and his mentor Neil McCarthy (Weber State,

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New Mexico State). I immediately thought I was lucky just to be around Dion and McCarthy. I played varsity basketball that year in the Catholic Athletic League. The best Catholic schools were in the league and Tony Jackson (Bishop O’Dowd High, DePaul University) was the league MVP. Things seemed to be going well.

I got my lunch handed to me as a freshman in the CAL, but we had a good team. Suddenly out of nowhere, Dion left in the middle of the spring to coach in college for McCarthy. I was devastated. Who was going to get the job? Who would be my high school basketball coach?

That following July, a funny looking guy with high top converse walked into the gym. He was our new coach. Further, he was my new coach. His name was Don Lippi.

We started playing open gym and Lippi — a lefty — was pretty darn good.

I remember thinking I wanted to test him early so I fouled him. It was an 80’s

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Mark DeLuca has coached in the Bay Area for more than two decades.

His stops have included Pinole Valley, De Anza, Salesian (not as a coach), Berkeley and currently Valley Christian-San Jose. He has a 1-1 career record vs.

Don Lippi.

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Celtics-Lakers type of foul. Lippi just laughed and kept making jumpers all day.

After open gym he said, “You’re DeLuca. I want you as my T.A. second period.” For the next three years I was his teacher assistant and we talked everyday. Every single day for three years.

Lippi knew I had it rough growing up. Real rough. He knew I was raised by a single mom in the south side of Beech Grove. He was the first coach to show a genuine interest about me aside from athletics. That year I scored a few touchdowns against Moreau Catholic one night. After each TD I was showboating, dancing and acting like an immature idiot (I was well ahead of my time in terms of showboating).

The following Monday, Lippi ripped into me like there was no tomorrow. Full throttle. He said I embarrassed myself, the school, and him because I was like his son. He was the first male in my life to actually care about me. From that moment on I knew I was playing for a great man — not just a great basketball coach. Then it hit me, I wanted to be a coach, a basketball coach like Don Lippi.

Playing for Lippi was like playing for a comedian, teacher, coach and activist all in one. You’d never know what he was going to do or say next.

He’d take charges with us, then lecture us on Vietnam and then tell us wild stories. He is to this day the best — bar none — storyteller on the planet.

Legendary stories about growing up, umpiring, teaching, coaching, driving a bus, anything really. He missed his calling: He should have been a comedian. I watched him closely and I wanted to be him.

After high school and college, I naturally got into coaching. Early on Lippi called me after big wins, or called to tell me to stop screaming at the refs or players so much. As the years went by I started to cherish our conversations. After competing against so many dedicated and talented high school coaches, I started to truly understand just how good Lippi was all those years. As a player, he was a father figure to me. As a young coach, he was a mentor. Now, as a veteran coach I can see he’s in the elite class of high school coaches regardless of the sport.

Frank Allocco and Mike Phelps were easily the best in the business, and in a one-big-shot-to-win moment, I’d pick either of them. However, when it comes to shaping the lives of so many students, athletes and coaches; Don Lippi is far and away the best.

He was, and still is my father figure. He is the reason why I chose to coach and more importantly help kids. He’s everything to me.

My blessing’s started the day he became my coach and continues to this very day because he’s influenced everything I am as a coach, father, husband and educator. ✪ EDITOR’S NOTE: After his 2019-20 St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda team won 23 games, Don Lippi holds 895 career wins. He is NorCal’s winningest high school boys basketball coach. His teams have won 16 section championships and four state titles.

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Nothing Was Going To Keep Hannah Malek Away From The Game Of Basketball — And The St. Francis-Sacramento Program Was Made Richer Because Of It

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f you’d told me I was going to be a varsity athlete when I was a kid, my family and I, my grandparents, my dog, and anyone in the general vicinity would have looked at you like you had five heads. Not that gangly, awkward kid who’d just finished treatment at Shriners’ Hospital and couldn’t tie her own shoes or hold her pencil without help.

Every year, my mom would ask me if I wanted to try a sport: volleyball, soccer, swimming, absolutely anything that would get me moving and trying something new besides hiding behind a book. The answer, of course, was always no. Then one of the boys in my middle school class spent a couple of recesses teaching me how to shoot a free throw — which, let me tell you, took some patience — and I decided to give this basketball thing a shot. Make no mistake, I was the worst player on the team, and I don’t say that self-deprecatingly.

When your first basket is celebrated with balloons and cupcakes, you

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most likely aren’t going to be the next Breanna Stewart, and that’s OK. But I couldn’t believe how much I loved the sport.

Even as my middle school career progressed and my minutes shortened, I loved the sport as much as breathing.

However much time I got on that court would be worth the pain and tears later when I had to treat my already tight muscles and the silver dollar-sized bruises on my arms and legs. There were moments when I wanted to cry because I still couldn’t tell my right from my left, let alone remember that one set of footwork I’d been trying for a week.

However, every hour of frustration in practice was worth the single second of joy when I would finally get it right. I am still grateful for my coaches who were willing to stay with me and walk me through the same drill over and over again — and even more for my teammates. They supported me even when it meant having to learn a second version of a set of plays to help me out, or nudged me in the right

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Hannah Malek is a 2020 graduate of St. Francis High in Sacramento where she was girls basketball player-manager for four years. Hannah’s love for hoops has helped her endure through a variety of physical ailments that include Idiopathic Toe-walking stemming from overly-tight muscles, Femoral Anteversion which causes an irregular gait, and Gross and Fine Motor Delays which can result in delayed reactions and low spatial awareness. She attends Saint Mary’s College as an English major.

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direction during a game.

I knew that I wasn’t going to play in high school, though.

There’s a bit of a tip-off when you’re 17th off the bench in the summer try-out season. When my coach told me I was being cut, she teared up. Even though I knew it was coming, I did too.

However, I’d talked to my mom and I was prepared. I wasn’t going to lose something I loved without a fight. So, I asked her if the team had ever had a team manager, and if I could be one.

I was nervous and had no experience managing — so I couldn’t believe it when she said yes. I walked out of the meeting and immediately looked up how to do basketball stats. I read articles, checked different charts, and put together a kit.

During the jersey ceremony, I received a coaching jacket, and I would wear it to every game (until coach told me to get a jersey). Then I wore that, even when I knew I wasn’t going to play. I was still the manager, but now I was a player-manager.

My number was 25, and I wore it with pride. I had earned it, even if it wasn’t in the same way everyone else did. For the rest of my freshman and JV season, I was last off the bench, playing approximately 15 to 60 seconds each time.

Listening to my teammates on the bench when I got to go in, one would think an all-star had gone to the scorer’s table.

Their reaction to any of my awkward two-pointers sounded like I’d made a buzzer-beating shot. They never tore me down, and that is something I will always look back on with wonder.

Going into my varsity season, I knew I wasn’t going to get a jersey, and I was OK with that. My freshman coach, the same one who had started me on this journey of statistics, was going to be my coach again. I still had my teammates and the manager job that kept me with the game I loved. While I knew that the statisticians for varsity teams didn’t get varsity letters, I still felt like an important part of the team.

That’s why I couldn’t believe it when my coach handed me one at the end of the season. For my 17th birthday, I got my letterman jacket, proudly embroidered with “Manager” where my teammates put their jersey numbers. I was ready for one last season doing my job, whatever challenges lay ahead — and there were challenges, but the team rallied together.

The team was a family, and I loved it. It didn’t matter if I had the occasional late night trying to evaluate the stats of another team, writing up a game breakdown, or updating my team’s Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

stats. This was how I earned my letter, and I wasn’t going to let my coach down. That varsity jacket was more than a piece of clothing: It was a promise to my team, my superhero cape, and a gift that I never thought I’d get. I couldn’t let it go to waste.

When my senior season started, I couldn’t believe that there was anything that could make it better. I loved the team and I loved my work. So, when my coach asked me to come in and work an extra shift at the tournament my high school was hosting, I put on my varsity jacket and got ready for work.

When I got there, my whole team was in the locker room for an impromptu team meeting. I sat down to listen with them.

My coach told them that we needed a refresher on what a good teammate was. I wondered what they’d done in the practice I missed to earn a lecture about that. She said a good teammate was committed, devoted, selfless, passionate, supportive, had an incredibly high basketball IQ, and “a massive amount of heart to overcome anything that comes their way.” She said something had been missing from our team, and that she and our assistant coach had decided that there was one piece missing that would make our team whole: Having me in a jersey.

I couldn’t believe what she had said. I truly thought I was still dreaming in my bed until I was holding my jersey (No. 20), sobbing, and hugging my coach and teammates. I made my varsity debut on Senior Night that following Monday. The time on the court was, obviously, very brief.

I was out of shape and, I admit, more than a little lost, but I got one last chance to step onto a court in uniform. That meant the world. Even more than that, I got one last chance to share the court with my teammates, one of whom I’d known since I was three years old. When our season finally ended, I didn’t want to take that jersey off. I’m not sure why. Maybe some part of me felt that if I kept it on, nothing would end.

But, as I’ve realized in my life, the end isn’t always the end.

Sometimes it just means starting a new chapter. I’m most likely not going to play on a court again, but my passion for the game isn’t going anywhere. It’s a part of me, just like these memories and lessons are — all of which were worth the struggle.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my teammates, my coaches and the game that brought me to them. I cannot believe how far I’ve come. I know I can’t wait to see where basketball takes me next. ✪ Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

2020 Year End Special

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THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN:

ISSUE 187 NOVEMBER 2020

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Campolindo-Moraga football and basketball player Maxwell Weaver (also pictured right) points to his official ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

Student Athletes Have Spent Much Of A Tumultuous 2020 Stuck In Their Homes, Feeling Frustrated And Following The News Closer Than Ever — Now Some Get To Fill Out A Ballot

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t was close to two years ago when Dorian Sanchez first registered to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles on the day he received his driver’s permit.

“They asked me if I wanted to register and I realized I’d be eligible for the next presidential election,” said Sanchez, now a Dublin High senior who plays basketball and runs track. “I thought that it would be super cool.”

A lot has transpired since then.

Sanchez will turn 18 on Nov. 2 — the day before one of the largest and momentous presidential elections in history.

It’s safe to say that Sanchez values his opportunity now even more than he thought he would back on that day at the DMV. “Honestly, I love it,” he said. “I’ve had to watch decisions be made while thinking, ‘Oh my God!’ But now I can be part of that decision-making, and not just at the presidential level but on down to the city level, too.”

Maxwell Weaver knows about watching those decisions also.

Last March as COVID-19 began its assault on America, he and his Campolindo-Moraga basketball teammates had to cope with a decision that led to the cancellation of the CIF Div. I State Championship game they were scheduled to play in. Then he and those teammates — and nearly every other young athlete in California — spent the next several months without sports at all.

“I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands,” Weaver said. “I began paying a lot more attention to the news. I started reading New York Times and Washington Post articles, and began getting a feel for just how polarized our nation had become. It really made me take interest in some different things.”

Weaver’s path to collegiate sports is likely through football. The receiver and defensive back already holds one offer from Davidson College. He now says he hopes to study political science at whatever campus he eventually lands on.

Student athletes, and young voters in general, definitely found the time to pay attention during their months of quarantine. And they have some questions.

“The questions I’m getting in class are just crazy,” said Moreau Catholic boys basketball coach Frank Knight, who also teaches government on campus. “Stuff like ‘How many presidents have served longer than eight years?’ Or ‘What happened to Nixon?’ Or ‘What’s going on with the Supreme Court?’

Dorian Sanchez “They’re asking questions they NEVER used to care about.”

According to an Oct. 28 story in the L.A. Times, early voting data from across the nation had shown that more than 6.8 million people from the 18 to 29 age group have already cast ballots for this elec-

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Archbishop Mitty-San Jose senior Olivia Williams, right, poses alongside her mom, Kate, at a Black Lives Matter protest in San Francisco this summer. tion. That was nearly 2.5 times more than were cast at the same point in the 2016 presidential election.

“I’ve taught government for 20 years,” Knight said. “Every year, the first thing I do with a class is to try and get them registered. Typically I get the resigned answer of ‘OK, Coach. I’ll do it for the four points.’

“This year it’s different. They’re all emailing me their registration confirmations. I think a lot of it is social media-driven and also seeing NBA players and other athletes speak out about using their voice. But I think it’s also because we have nothing to do. For student athletes, if there were sports for them right now, a lot of this stuff would make noise but then move on.

Now, it’s tough.”

Like Weaver, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose senior Olivia Williams also missed out on a chance to play for a state basketball title last March. But unlike Weaver, the UC Irvine-committed wing can’t vote in this election. She won’t turn 18 until January.

But that hasn’t stopped her from using her voice.

Williams took part in a handful of Black Lives Matter protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

“I think for me personally over the last nine months, I’ve realized how important your voice really is,” Williams said. “I’d been interested in social justice and advocacy before, but didn’t realize how valuable my voice was. I want young student athlete voters to know what our voice can do for our generation, but also the impact it can leave for the next generation after us.”

Mahda Fallay plays wing for Knight’s Moreau Catholic team. Like Williams, he won’t be old enough to vote but has actively sought to make sure others in his immediate circle were registered.

“I’m just making sure that I’m talking to everyone who’s eligible to vote,” Fallay said. “Family, friends, neighbors. I want to make sure their voices can be heard.”

And just what’s the messaging he’s using when urging these people to vote? It’s the same he would share with anyone eligible to cast a ballot.

“My message would be don’t vote because people are telling you to vote,” he said. “Do your research. Learn candidates policies and be informed. And then let YOUR voice be heard, not someone else’s” Malia Mastora was one of those athletes who found herself becoming much more informed during quarantine life. The 2020 St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda graduate came from a family that stressed the importance of voting, but time at home without basketball brought about a revelation.

“It became more apparent than ever that the leadership in our country can directly affect everyone,” said Mastora, who now attends and hoops for Seattle Pacific University. “I think overall everyone in this country has been affected somehow over the last nine months.

“Seeing that direct affect made me think, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I was already educating myself beforehand but now I wanted to take a deeper look.”

Mastora cast her ballot by mail and admitted that she was quite thorough.

“I spent a whole day,” she said with a touch of nervous laughter. “After I’d done all of my studying, I filled it all out and thought ‘Whew! That was a lot.’ But I did feel really accomplished.

“I knew I’d done something meaningful that day.” ✪ 32

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