Grand Valley Basketball

(Provided to Lake Mills Leader for a feature in special graduation insert published in the 5/23/2019 edition of the newspaper.) This year Lakeside Lutheran High School theme celebrated “Decades of Faithfulness,” recognizing the completion of 60 years of education. During the summer of 2018, students kept busy. For the 16th year, the girls track team were […]

Juwan Howard going back to coach his alma mater is phenomenal for the University of Michigan’s basketball program, the entire school and college basketball at large. But for the NBA, it’s also disappointing. Howard is the latest African American former player to give up on waiting for an opportunity to be a head coach in the league he once starred in. “Juwan Howard and Jerry Stackhouse could be NBA head coaches as well as college head coaches,” Damon Stoudamire, the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year and current head coach at University of the Pacific, told The Undefeated. “But for whatever reason, we, the players, don’t get credit for having a Ph.D. in basketball. This doesn’t mean success should come with our credentials by any means. But at the same time, lawyers get instant credit for who they learned under. “In this case, Stackhouse was coached by Dean Smith, Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle and more. Juwan Howard was coached by Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. To me, it’s the same thing as with the lawyers.” Howard is more known for being a member of Michigan’s famed “Fab 5,” along with Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. But he was also an NBA All-Star who won two championships with the Miami Heat alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Howard averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 1,208 regular-season games in the NBA. Miami Heat players laugh as they watch highlights of center Chris Bosh (right) on June 24, 2013, during a celebration for season-ticket holders at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Other players from left to right: Shane Battier, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Rashard Lewis. The Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 95-88, in Game 7 to win their second straight NBA championship. Wilfredo Lee/AP The 19-year NBA veteran interviewed for NBA head-coaching jobs, including this offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, who now star James. The Lakers hired former Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel instead. The knock on Howard has been that he has never been a head coach. So instead of waiting on the NBA, the six-year Heat assistant went home to the Wolverines to finally become a head coach. “I talked to Juwan Howard about seven days before he took the job at Michigan,” Arkansas-Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker told The Undefeated. Walker was a former NBA player and head coach as well as a WNBA head coach. “I called him and said, ‘Hey, young fella, you’re probably going to be a head coach in the NBA one day. When is it going to happen? I don’t know. But if Michigan calls, you better listen. “ ‘And if they offer, you better take it before you turn your nose at it. The University of Michigan is an NBA[-caliber] job, in my opinion. You never know how the NBA is going to act or what is going to happen.’ ” Howard joins a growing list of former NBA assistant coaches of African American descent who are now head coaches on the college level. Stoudamire spent time as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies before becoming head coach at Pacific. Patrick Ewing was a longtime NBA assistant before returning to his alma mater, Georgetown University, to become head coach. Stackhouse was an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors — he also coached the G League 905 Raptors to a title in 2017 and was the 2017 G League Coach of the Year — and was an assistant coach with the Grizzlies last season before becoming the head coach at Vanderbilt this year. Others include former NBA assistant Lindsey Hunter (now coaching Mississippi Valley State), former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Aaron McKie (Temple) and former G League Grand Rapids Drive assistant coach George Lynch (Clark Atlanta). “They want to be a head coach because they know they are qualified,” Walker said. “Patrick was qualified. Of course, Juwan Howard is qualified. Of course, Jerry Stackhouse is qualified. It didn’t happen, but these guys have taken some prominent college jobs. If you think about it, Vanderbilt, Georgetown and Michigan are damn good jobs. You get to coach and mentor good players. … Jerry Stackhouse, now head coach at Vanderbilt, was an assistant coach for two NBA teams before taking the college coaching position. “Jerry Stackhouse was one of the hot names out there, and then came along the Vanderbilt job and he couldn’t turn it down. Sometimes as an African American coach, when a job comes available in college and it’s not the NBA, you got to take a strong look at it. And that is what guys are doing.” University of Portland head coach Terry Porter, a former NBA head coach and two-time NBA All-Star, agrees. “Guys are getting good opportunities to be head coaches on the college level,” Porter told The Undefeated. Ewing certainly is the most notable snub among black former NBA assistants who ultimately went the college route. The Hall of Famer paid his dues as an assistant in the league as a former assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. Ewing, however, never landed a job as an NBA head coach after having several interviews. And so, in 2017, Ewing went back to where he starred in college to finally become a head coach at Georgetown. “Patrick did about 15 years as an NBA assistant coach and never got a real shot to be a head coach,” said Walker, who played with Ewing for the Knicks. “That is for front-office people to answer. Does he know the game of basketball as well as these other guys that have been hired? Absolutely. Maybe more. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I’m happy he got the Georgetown job. When that job became open, I was told they might give him a call. I told him he should be ready to accept it because I thought he’d love coaching in college. At that time, I was coaching at Division II Clark Atlanta and was having a ball, and I told him he would have a ball and be good at it.” The NBA currently has seven black head coaches, one Hispanic and one Asian American. There are only three black people who are former players coaching in the NBA right now: the Los Angeles Clippers’ Doc Rivers, the Indiana Pacers’ Nate McMillan and recent Phoenix Suns hire Monty Williams. (Golden State Warriors assistant coach Jarron Collins and Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin are two black former NBA players who have interviewed for the still-vacant Memphis Grizzlies head coach opening.) Inevitably, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it will be up to the teams to make the hires. But National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) executive director Michele Roberts hopes NBA teams will learn the value of hiring more former players as head coaches. “I have often been miffed that players who have made their colleges successful did not appear to be given serious consideration, so seeing guys coaching at their alma maters warms my heart,” Roberts told The Undefeated. “That said, there is certainly more progress necessary in allowing former players to be given opportunities to coach on the NBA level. They know the game as well as anybody, and the desire to transition into a coaching position is strong among a good number of our veteran players.” The NBA and the NBPA both have programs for players interested in becoming coaches after their playing days. The NBPA has also joined forces with such historically black college conferences as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in hopes of getting their former players head-coaching jobs to gain experience. “Frankly, part of the impetus in creating the program was to foster coaching opportunities for players who wished to coach but were seemingly systematically being ignored or passed over by NBA teams and big college programs,” Roberts said. Coaching success in college may ultimately help Ewing, Howard and Stackhouse realize their dream of being NBA head coaches — or it could be the NBA’s loss in the end if these former stars ultimately decide that the elite college that wanted them is a better fit.

By Janet Lorin, Bloomberg One morning in May 2018, two venture capitalists rented a Zipcar in Midtown Manhattan. They picked a 300-Class Mercedes on special for $15 an hour, perfect for the occasion and their tight budget. On a pilgrimage to suburban New Jersey, Aaron Holiday and Nnamdi Okike were heading to the audience of […]

By: Ethan Hennessy This post is wrapping up and looking back at the road trips I went on, the games I saw, arenas I visited, and experiences I had in this 2018-19 college basketball season (my junior year of college). I’m mainly writing this so that I’ll be able to look back and have a […]

The Yucca Valley Town Council awarded its first Spirit of Yucca Valley award at its meeting last night to Kathy DeRouen, a former English teacher at La Contenta Middle School. Council member Merl Abel presented the award to DeRouen, who now helps students with college applications and scholarships and is a certified UC admissions counselor. […]

The 55th Ken Hubbs Awards were handed out Monday night at Grand Terrace High and the event is different than it used to be, but in a good way. Just about everything in the world is different than in 2001. Back then fans and reporters could not research statistics on MaxPreps.com, because the site did not exist, and the Tandy Model 100 was a primitive forerunner to today’s laptops. #gallery-1805827-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1805827-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1805827-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1805827-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ Grand Terrace High’s Alycia Flores was her school’s Hubbs Award winner. (Photo by John Murphy) Cajon High’s Jayden Daniels, who was the overall Ken Hubbs Award winner, poses for a photo with award winner Alondraa Smith. (Photo courtesy of Amador family) Citrus Valley’s Danielle Lilley and Perry Amador II were their school’s winners of the Hubbs awards. (Photo by John Murphy) One of the ways the Hubbs event has improved over the years is inclusion. In 2001 no girls were honored; all of the school winners and the overall winner were boys. At Monday night’s event, there were 25 boys and 25 girls honored and the girls had an overall winner (Grand Terrace’s Alycia Flores), just as the boys did (Cajon’s Jayden Daniels). In fact, two girls walked away with top awards as San Gorgonio High’s Ashley Alvarado earned the new Keith Hubbs Award – honoring Ken’s late brother – that is given to an athlete of high character. Also Pacific High athletic director Carmel Brand was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the Hubbs board of directors for being named the California State Athletic Director’s Association Athletic Director of the Year. As for the rest of the event, much was the same. Hubbs chief honcho Ron Doty was cracking wise, extended Hubbs family members reminisced about Ken, and the “Glimpse of Greatness” documentary that was shown illustrated what a tremendous athlete and human being the late Ken Hubbs was. “He was a great man on and off the field,” said Cajon’s Daniels. “He’s a person to model yourself after.” Moffat earns high praise The finish of the school year also ends the outstanding high school athletic career of Los Osos’ Hanna Moffatt. Like Taylor Jackson of Eisenhower High, who won the Hubbs award for her school, Moffitt was a female kicker on the school’s football team. She made 27 of 33 extra points and 3 of 5 field goals, contributing to Los Osos’ four victories. She also starred on the girls soccer team and in February signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Southeastern Louisiana University. “I didn’t know her super well, but the coolest thing about Hanna is that she full on lifted with the football team,” said Los Osos offensive coordinator Vinny Fazio. “I’ve had a few girl kickers, but none that ever did the weight room. She did the weight workout every single day, including the summer, and was stronger than a lot of guys. She’s a stud.” She was also the homecoming queen. Big impression Cajon’s Daniels has impressed more than just Inland Empire fans with his ability and smarts. Clovis High defensive coordinator Chris Vasseur is regarded by many as a defensive savant and it was his task two years ago at San Mateo Serra High to stop Daniels when the Padres played Cajon for the CIF-State Division II-AA title. Serra won 37-14 but Daniels accounted for both Cowboy scores and kept Vasseur up late at night fretting about him. “Amazing kid. I still have nightmares about him,” tweeted Vasseur after reading Daniels had won the Hubbs Award. Good genes Danielle Lilley and Perry Amador II were Citrus Valley High’s Hubbs school recipients. Amador’s grandfather, Danny Amador, played sports with Ken Hubbs in high school. Perry II’s father, also named Perry, played in the Ken Hubbs Little League before starring at San Gorgonio High and in college and becoming a baseball coach and Summit High teacher. Miller’s bounce-back year A Fontana baseball team that flew under the radar this season was A.B. Miller High, which quietly managed an impressive bounce-back season under new coach Antonio Alvarado, a Redlands resident. The Rebels went 14-8 overall and 14-6 in the Mountain Valley League a year after going 3-22 and 3-11 in 2018. That’s a dramatic turnaround, though the Rebels benefited from moving from the stronger Citrus Belt League to the MVL. “We put in a lot of hard work and I’m glad it paid off,” Alvarado said. Miller’s 4-3 victory against Cathedral City on May 2 was its first home playoff win since 2007 when Frank Martinez was the coach. Miller lost in the second round to Carpinteria 4-3, ending its season. “The program had gone downhill and I was asked to step in and help since I’m sort of a popular teacher (auto shop) on campus,” Alvarado said. “My son Matthew was playing his senior year at Arrowhead Christian Academy, and so it was tough to miss a lot of his last year, but I decided to go for it.” Miller had a tiny roster in 2018 and had to disband its junior varsity to bulk up the varsity, said Alvarado who was a Miller assistant coach last year. This year Alvarado combed the hallways for athletes and coaxed about 100 players to try out, partially accounting for the program’s success. Among the standouts were pitcher/first baseman Adam Islas, shortstop Hector Dominguez and third baseman Caleb Armenta. “I think he will be the stability we need with him being on campus,” Martinez said of Alvarado. Knowlton new Serrano athletic director Joe Knowlton has been appointed to replace Ray Maholchic as the Serrano High athletic director, beginning in June, Knowlton said. Maholchic has accepted a financial buyout from the district and is retiring after about 10 years as athletic director. He was also the football coach for 25 years before retiring from that post in 2017. Knowlton, 52, was appointed as AD on Friday, selected from an in-district field of two. “I’m excited and will try to just keep the program going in the right direction and support all of the programs we have,” Knowlton said. Knowlton has coached football, girls basketball and baseball at Serrano. The Highland native and Aquinas High grad led Serrano to section baseball titles in 2005 and 2015. He was also an assistant when the football team won the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division title in 2004. His baseball team went 14-10-1 this season and he has resigned from the position. No successor has been named. Correction Last week I incorrectly identified Kaiser High’s football motto. It is #WeNotMe. My apologies to the Cats. Briefly Yucaipa pitcher and big-league prospect Tyson Heaton last week earned the Marty Rouse Award – exemplifying character and on-field excellence – at the Thunderbirds baseball awards night … Cajon football players DeJuan Moom and Rodney Robinson picked up scholarship offers last week from Southern Mississippi and Oregon State, respectively … Redlands High grad Jacob Nottingham got recalled to the major leagues by the Milwaukee Brewers last week and on Friday night hit his first career home run … Jeff Vanover is the new Victor Valley High football coach, said Jackrabbit athletic director Ryan Jensen on Tuesday night. John Murphy may be reached at berdooman@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @PrepCat.

The 55th Ken Hubbs Awards were handed out Monday night at Grand Terrace High and the event is different than it used to be, but in a good way. Just about everything in the world is different than in 2001. Back then fans and reporters could not research statistics on MaxPreps.com, because the site did not exist, and the Tandy Model 100 was a primitive forerunner to today’s laptops. #gallery-1883190-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1883190-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1883190-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1883190-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ Grand Terrace High’s Alycia Flores was her school’s Hubbs Award winner. (Photo by John Murphy) Cajon High’s Jayden Daniels, who was the overall Ken Hubbs Award winner, poses for a photo with award winner Alondraa Smith. (Photo courtesy of Amador family) Citrus Valley’s Danielle Lilley and Perry Amador II were their school’s winners of the Hubbs awards. (Photo by John Murphy) One of the ways the Hubbs event has improved over the years is inclusion. In 2001 no girls were honored; all of the school winners and the overall winner were boys. At Monday night’s event, there were 25 boys and 25 girls honored and the girls had an overall winner (Grand Terrace’s Alycia Flores), just as the boys did (Cajon’s Jayden Daniels). In fact, two girls walked away with top awards as San Gorgonio High’s Ashley Alvarado earned the new Keith Hubbs Award – honoring Ken’s late brother – that is given to an athlete of high character. Also Pacific High athletic director Carmel Brand was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the Hubbs board of directors for being named the California State Athletic Director’s Association Athletic Director of the Year. As for the rest of the event, much was the same. Hubbs chief honcho Ron Doty was cracking wise, extended Hubbs family members reminisced about Ken, and the “Glimpse of Greatness” documentary that was shown illustrated what a tremendous athlete and human being the late Ken Hubbs was. “He was a great man on and off the field,” said Cajon’s Daniels. “He’s a person to model yourself after.” Moffat earns high praise The finish of the school year also ends the outstanding high school athletic career of Los Osos’ Hanna Moffatt. Like Taylor Jackson of Eisenhower High, who won the Hubbs award for her school, Moffitt was a female kicker on the school’s football team. She made 27 of 33 extra points and 3 of 5 field goals, contributing to Los Osos’ four victories. She also starred on the girls soccer team and in February signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Southeastern Louisiana University. “I didn’t know her super well, but the coolest thing about Hanna is that she full on lifted with the football team,” said Los Osos offensive coordinator Vinny Fazio. “I’ve had a few girl kickers, but none that ever did the weight room. She did the weight workout every single day, including the summer, and was stronger than a lot of guys. She’s a stud.” She was also the homecoming queen. Big impression Cajon’s Daniels has impressed more than just Inland Empire fans with his ability and smarts. Clovis High defensive coordinator Chris Vasseur is regarded by many as a defensive savant and it was his task two years ago at San Mateo Serra High to stop Daniels when the Padres played Cajon for the CIF-State Division II-AA title. Serra won 37-14 but Daniels accounted for both Cowboy scores and kept Vasseur up late at night fretting about him. “Amazing kid. I still have nightmares about him,” tweeted Vasseur after reading Daniels had won the Hubbs Award. Good genes Danielle Lilley and Perry Amador II were Citrus Valley High’s Hubbs school recipients. Amador’s grandfather, Danny Amador, played sports with Ken Hubbs in high school. Perry II’s father, also named Perry, played in the Ken Hubbs Little League before starring at San Gorgonio High and in college and becoming a baseball coach and Summit High teacher. Miller’s bounce-back year A Fontana baseball team that flew under the radar this season was A.B. Miller High, which quietly managed an impressive bounce-back season under new coach Antonio Alvarado, a Redlands resident. The Rebels went 14-8 overall and 14-6 in the Mountain Valley League a year after going 3-22 and 3-11 in 2018. That’s a dramatic turnaround, though the Rebels benefited from moving from the stronger Citrus Belt League to the MVL. “We put in a lot of hard work and I’m glad it paid off,” Alvarado said. Miller’s 4-3 victory against Cathedral City on May 2 was its first home playoff win since 2007 when Frank Martinez was the coach. Miller lost in the second round to Carpinteria 4-3, ending its season. “The program had gone downhill and I was asked to step in and help since I’m sort of a popular teacher (auto shop) on campus,” Alvarado said. “My son Matthew was playing his senior year at Arrowhead Christian Academy, and so it was tough to miss a lot of his last year, but I decided to go for it.” Miller had a tiny roster in 2018 and had to disband its junior varsity to bulk up the varsity, said Alvarado who was a Miller assistant coach last year. This year Alvarado combed the hallways for athletes and coaxed about 100 players to try out, partially accounting for the program’s success. Among the standouts were pitcher/first baseman Adam Islas, shortstop Hector Dominguez and third baseman Caleb Armenta. “I think he will be the stability we need with him being on campus,” Martinez said of Alvarado. Knowlton new Serrano athletic director Joe Knowlton has been appointed to replace Ray Maholchic as the Serrano High athletic director, beginning in June, Knowlton said. Maholchic has accepted a financial buyout from the district and is retiring after about 10 years as athletic director. He was also the football coach for 25 years before retiring from that post in 2017. Knowlton, 52, was appointed as AD on Friday, selected from an in-district field of two. “I’m excited and will try to just keep the program going in the right direction and support all of the programs we have,” Knowlton said. Knowlton has coached football, girls basketball and baseball at Serrano. The Highland native and Aquinas High grad led Serrano to section baseball titles in 2005 and 2015. He was also an assistant when the football team won the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division title in 2004. His baseball team went 14-10-1 this season and he has resigned from the position. No successor has been named. Correction Last week I incorrectly identified Kaiser High’s football motto. It is #WeNotMe. My apologies to the Cats. Briefly Yucaipa pitcher and big-league prospect Tyson Heaton last week earned the Marty Rouse Award – exemplifying character and on-field excellence – at the Thunderbirds baseball awards night … Cajon football players DeJuan Moom and Rodney Robinson picked up scholarship offers last week from Southern Mississippi and Oregon State, respectively … Redlands High grad Jacob Nottingham got recalled to the major leagues by the Milwaukee Brewers last week and on Friday night hit his first career home run … Jeff Vanover is the new Victor Valley High football coach, said Jackrabbit athletic director Ryan Jensen on Tuesday night. John Murphy may be reached at berdooman@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @PrepCat.

Random thoughts while trying to keep my sanity and personal items while making a move, wondering whatever happened to Tyson Lingenfelter, a three-time CIF Southern Section shot put champion and 1993 state champion with an effort of 56 feet, 6 1/2 inches, out of Upland High School. While it’s improbable Upland will win the CIF State track championship this weekend in Clovis, the Scots can make an major impact in the boys section with five entries. Namir Hemphill and Caleb Roberson are entered in two individual events and Upland’s boys 4×100 relay team also advanced. Prelims are set for Friday and the finals on Saturday. There are many track fans who consider the state meet to be the best in the country, although you could get a good argument from those in Texas and Oklahoma. But don’t judge the meet by the number of spectators as the Texas meet is traditionally held at Memorial-Royal Stadium in Austin on the University of Texas campus. Both Hemphill and Roberson will compete in the 300-meter hurdles, and they were separated by a half-second at the Southern Section Masters Meet. Hemphill will be in the triple jump field and Roberson in the 100. The area has a total of eight individuals and one relay team in the meet. … Our congratulations to the 2019 winners of the Ken and Keith Hubbs awards, three of the area’s finest  high school athletes. Cajon’s Jayden Daniels and Alycia Flores of Grand Terrace were the winners of the Ken Hubbs Award while Ashley Alvarado of San Gorgonio was presented the inaugural Keith Hubbs Award, reflective of an athlete “of high character.” This marks the 55th year the award has been presented, a great testament to Keith in remembering his late brother, and the city to a great family. Both Daniels and Flores posted eye-popping numbers. A quarterback for four years, Daniels finished as the Southern Section’s all-time leading passer (14.007 yards and 170 touchdowns). He also led the Cowboys to the 2017 State Division II-AA title game. Flores, an all-Sunkist League selection for four years as part of the title-winning team, batted .468 as a senior and scored 46 runs. It was the work behind the scene that led Alvarado to win the Keith Hubbs award. He, too, worked away from the spotlight to honor his brother. Alvarado, who will be the San Gorgonio salutatorian with a 4.81 grade point average, was a standout in swimming and water polo and a four-year quality scholar-athlete. … Tom Burleson plans to step down as cross country coach, and track and field, at Cal State San Bernardino at the end of the season. However, thankfully, he will remain on the school’s staff as he will continue to teach in the kinesiology department after 43 years aiding athletes. He was selected the school’s cross country coach in 1984, but the sport was dropped after the 1990 season. Chaffey College wasted little time securing his duties as the track and field coach for the ’90 season. Five years after winning a conference title in 1993, Burleson headed east when CSSB resurrected cross country. In 2014, with Burleson out front, the Coyotes started their track and field program. His 29 years at CSSB have produced All-CCAA, All-West Region selections and All-Americans. In 2016, Laura Aceves became the sixth dual All-American and Academic All-American in the same season. … From the e-mail box, several notes about the conditions surrounding the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Summit High School. The event was held on the football/soccer field and track on campus. “The complex was in very poor condition. In a word, it was ugly. Plus, there were no permanent bleachers on either side of the field. While the runners didn’t need a seat, how about those who came to cheer them on? “The grass on the field was not green, mostly brown, with weeds growing in the artificial surfaces at both ends, The track (dirt) was hard as a rock with rivets or grooves in the surface and whatever cinders that may have been on the track apparently were blown away by the winds. “It was a poor example of how the Fontana district showcases its school. How do some districts have high schools with all-weather field and track facilities and only three in the Fontana district have it? High schools should be the center of community events. “Relay for Life is an outstanding local level, conducted all across the country. This wasn’t one of the better ones.” — T.B., Highland. There had to be a good reason the local ACS chose Summit and why lots of folks attended the event. We applaud their efforts … Hubbs, part 2: Not nearly enough credit is given to the individuals who comprise the committee that selects the winner of the Ken Hubbs Award, and new this year, the Keith Hubbs Award. At first the group was comprised mostly of Colton High School graduates, led by Keith as they wanted to remember Ken. Soon, other San Bernardino area schools were added to the point that the committee selected a boys and girls winner from 29 schools in addition to the new award in Keith’s honor. There are more than 30 people on the committee. Yes, many have ties to Colton but that does not play a factor in who is honored. To their credit, they have selected worthy individuals throughout the years. It is truly a labor of love. Ron Dody, who attended Colton High School so many years ago with Keith, is the hard-working chairman of the committee. I have often wondered what would have transpired in the city if he had ever run for mayor. Their work will continue and although many of us won’t be around, the award will one day celebrate 100 years. … Memorial Day Sunday is the biggest racing day of the year with two events with a combined distance of 1,100 miles. On-site attendance has slipped in Indianapolis and Charlotte, but the television numbers are as big as ever. As usual, I’ll be in front of the TV set. Look for Josef Newgarden to give Roger Penske another Indianapolis 500 victory while Jimmie Johnson returns to the winner’s circle after the Coca-Cola 600. … Cassandra Renno has been selected by Cal State San Bernardino athletic director Shawn Farrill as the head women’s basketball coach. She’s quite familiar with the area, having graduating from Apple Valley High School and having assisted at the University of La Verne and Cal State Fullerton. She’ll replace Susan Crebbin, who resigned after the season to end a four-year tenure. “She has been a part of multiple women’s basketball programs that have built strong foundations to compete annually for championships,” said Farrill. “She does it by recruiting quality young women who excel on the court and in the classroom. “Being from the area, she understands CSSB and we are tremendously excited to support Casandra in building a championship women’s basketball program.” While at Apple Valley, Renno (Reeves at the time) was a three-time All-Mojave River League Most Valuable Player and two-time All-CIF. She was a four-year point guard at UC Riverside, where she was the all-time leader in assists and 3-pointers, earning first team All-Big West Conference honors in 2003 and 2004. … The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will return to Fox Raceway in Pala on Saturday afternoon, bypassing Glen Helen Raceway as the Southern California stop for the series after seven years. The last such event in Riverside County was in 2011. This will mark the second round of the 2019 season following the opener last weekend at Hangtown, outside Sacramento. Practice starts at 8 a.m. with the first of two motos for the 450 cc bikes set for 1 p.m. Tickets start at $50 for adults and $30 for kids. … The California Interscholastic Federation Executive Committee recently selected Ron Nocetti as executive director to replace the retiring Roger Blake. Nocetti is currently associate executive director of the CIF and will be the federation’s ninth leader. … Dual honors, part 2: In addition to Aceves, there have been five other female CSSB athletes who have made both the College Sports Information Directors of America and All-America. The list includes Anne Cordaro (1990, softball), Amy Pope (2001, volleyball); Sabrina Marquez (2008, water polo); Chelsey Jones ( 2013, soccer) and Alexandra Torline (2015, volleyball). Taryn Harp (2003, water polo) and Andrea Brandt (2007, cross country) also earned both honors, but not in the same season. Louis Brewster can be reached at brewsterl1949@gmail.com.

Random thoughts while trying to keep my sanity and personal items while making a move, wondering whatever happened to Tyson Lingenfelter, a three-time CIF Southern Section shot put champion and 1993 state champion with an effort of 56 feet, 6 1/2 inches, out of Upland High School. While it’s improbable Upland will win the CIF State track championship this weekend in Clovis, the Scots can make an major impact in the boys section with five entries. Namir Hemphill and Caleb Roberson are entered in two individual events and Upland’s boys 4×100 relay team also advanced. Prelims are set for Friday and the finals on Saturday. There are many track fans who consider the state meet to be the best in the country, although you could get a good argument from those in Texas and Oklahoma. But don’t judge the meet by the number of spectators as the Texas meet is traditionally held at Memorial-Royal Stadium in Austin on the University of Texas campus. Both Hemphill and Roberson will compete in the 300-meter hurdles, and they were separated by a half-second at the Southern Section Masters Meet. Hemphill will be in the triple jump field and Roberson in the 100. The area has a total of eight individuals and one relay team in the meet. … Our congratulations to the 2019 winners of the Ken and Keith Hubbs awards, three of the area’s finest  high school athletes. Cajon’s Jayden Daniels and Alycia Flores of Grand Terrace were the winners of the Ken Hubbs Award while Ashley Alvarado of San Gorgonio was presented the inaugural Keith Hubbs Award, reflective of an athlete “of high character.” This marks the 55th year the award has been presented, a great testament to Keith in remembering his late brother, and the city to a great family. Both Daniels and Flores posted eye-popping numbers. A quarterback for four years, Daniels finished as the Southern Section’s all-time leading passer (14.007 yards and 170 touchdowns). He also led the Cowboys to the 2017 State Division II-AA title game. Flores, an all-Sunkist League selection for four years as part of the title-winning team, batted .468 as a senior and scored 46 runs. It was the work behind the scene that led Alvarado to win the Keith Hubbs award. He, too, worked away from the spotlight to honor his brother. Alvarado, who will be the San Gorgonio salutatorian with a 4.81 grade point average, was a standout in swimming and water polo and a four-year quality scholar-athlete. … Tom Burleson plans to step down as cross country coach, and track and field, at Cal State San Bernardino at the end of the season. However, thankfully, he will remain on the school’s staff as he will continue to teach in the kinesiology department after 43 years aiding athletes. He was selected the school’s cross country coach in 1984, but the sport was dropped after the 1990 season. Chaffey College wasted little time securing his duties as the track and field coach for the ’90 season. Five years after winning a conference title in 1993, Burleson headed east when CSSB resurrected cross country. In 2014, with Burleson out front, the Coyotes started their track and field program. His 29 years at CSSB have produced All-CCAA, All-West Region selections and All-Americans. In 2016, Laura Aceves became the sixth dual All-American and Academic All-American in the same season. … From the e-mail box, several notes about the conditions surrounding the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Summit High School. The event was held on the football/soccer field and track on campus. “The complex was in very poor condition. In a word, it was ugly. Plus, there were no permanent bleachers on either side of the field. While the runners didn’t need a seat, how about those who came to cheer them on? “The grass on the field was not green, mostly brown, with weeds growing in the artificial surfaces at both ends, The track (dirt) was hard as a rock with rivets or grooves in the surface and whatever cinders that may have been on the track apparently were blown away by the winds. “It was a poor example of how the Fontana district showcases its school. How do some districts have high schools with all-weather field and track facilities and only three in the Fontana district have it? High schools should be the center of community events. “Relay for Life is an outstanding local level, conducted all across the country. This wasn’t one of the better ones.” — T.B., Highland. There had to be a good reason the local ACS chose Summit and why lots of folks attended the event. We applaud their efforts … Hubbs, part 2: Not nearly enough credit is given to the individuals who comprise the committee that selects the winner of the Ken Hubbs Award, and new this year, the Keith Hubbs Award. At first the group was comprised mostly of Colton High School graduates, led by Keith as they wanted to remember Ken. Soon, other San Bernardino area schools were added to the point that the committee selected a boys and girls winner from 29 schools in addition to the new award in Keith’s honor. There are more than 30 people on the committee. Yes, many have ties to Colton but that does not play a factor in who is honored. To their credit, they have selected worthy individuals throughout the years. It is truly a labor of love. Ron Dody, who attended Colton High School so many years ago with Keith, is the hard-working chairman of the committee. I have often wondered what would have transpired in the city if he had ever run for mayor. Their work will continue and although many of us won’t be around, the award will one day celebrate 100 years. … Memorial Day Sunday is the biggest racing day of the year with two events with a combined distance of 1,100 miles. On-site attendance has slipped in Indianapolis and Charlotte, but the television numbers are as big as ever. As usual, I’ll be in front of the TV set. Look for Josef Newgarden to give Roger Penske another Indianapolis 500 victory while Jimmie Johnson returns to the winner’s circle after the Coca-Cola 600. … Cassandra Renno has been selected by Cal State San Bernardino athletic director Shawn Farrill as the head women’s basketball coach. She’s quite familiar with the area, having graduating from Apple Valley High School and having assisted at the University of La Verne and Cal State Fullerton. She’ll replace Susan Crebbin, who resigned after the season to end a four-year tenure. “She has been a part of multiple women’s basketball programs that have built strong foundations to compete annually for championships,” said Farrill. “She does it by recruiting quality young women who excel on the court and in the classroom. “Being from the area, she understands CSSB and we are tremendously excited to support Casandra in building a championship women’s basketball program.” While at Apple Valley, Renno (Reeves at the time) was a three-time All-Mojave River League Most Valuable Player and two-time All-CIF. She was a four-year point guard at UC Riverside, where she was the all-time leader in assists and 3-pointers, earning first team All-Big West Conference honors in 2003 and 2004. … The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will return to Fox Raceway in Pala on Saturday afternoon, bypassing Glen Helen Raceway as the Southern California stop for the series after seven years. The last such event in Riverside County was in 2011. This will mark the second round of the 2019 season following the opener last weekend at Hangtown, outside Sacramento. Practice starts at 8 a.m. with the first of two motos for the 450 cc bikes set for 1 p.m. Tickets start at $50 for adults and $30 for kids. … The California Interscholastic Federation Executive Committee recently selected Ron Nocetti as executive director to replace the retiring Roger Blake. Nocetti is currently associate executive director of the CIF and will be the federation’s ninth leader. … Dual honors, part 2: In addition to Aceves, there have been five other female CSSB athletes who have made both the College Sports Information Directors of America and All-America. The list includes Anne Cordaro (1990, softball), Amy Pope (2001, volleyball); Sabrina Marquez (2008, water polo); Chelsey Jones ( 2013, soccer) and Alexandra Torline (2015, volleyball). Taryn Harp (2003, water polo) and Andrea Brandt (2007, cross country) also earned both honors, but not in the same season. Louis Brewster can be reached at brewsterl1949@gmail.com.

Ian Stewart thinks Mark Dantonio is putting something special together at Michigan State and compared himself to Cody White.

No place like home. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love home! I love seeing family and friends that I haven’t seen in obscene amounts of years, I love waking up to siblings and momma, I love driving past places that instantly give me rushes of nostalgia and the rejuvenating feeling […]

Transitioning from New Mexico to Arizona was not a huge change. Arizona seems to have more mountains and the rocks seem redder than the grey scale of New Mexico.   We drove from the border town of New Mexico, Columbus to the border town of Arizona, Douglas. This took a little under two hours. We […]

May 18, 1980, the lateral eruption of Mount St. Helens, is the largest volcanic eruption in the modern history of North America. May 18 is Cascadia Day in recognition of this historic eruption. Cascadia is the distinct region of the Pacific Northwest that spans across the Canada-United States International border, the majority of Cascadia is […]

May 19– May 19–Men’s golf teams from NCAA Division II were afforded the opportunity last fall to play the Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs. The purpose, of course, was to give the golfers a feel for the course that will host this week’s DII national tournament. One of the men who was […]