A photo posted on San Juan High School’s Facebook page shows its basketball team posing for a photo with the City Council on March 24, 2022.
By Mike Hazlip—
After an historic season that saw the San Juan Spartans boys varsity basketball team win their first league title in a decade, the Citrus Heights City Council recognized each player with a proclamation.
Councilman Bret Daniels, himself a San Juan alumni, read the proclamation to a room full of parents and students during the March 24 City Council meeting, pausing frequently to accommodate spontaneous outbursts of cheers and applause for the players.
“I want you to know that they’re dear to my heart as a San Juan Spartan alumni,” Daniels said. “I’m so extremely excited to see another example of a successful athletic program at the school. I wish more parents would understand that they can send their kids to San Juan High School and find success.”
Each player present at the meeting shook hands with council members as they were called to receive a certificate. Coaches Freddie Bryant and Jermaine Galloway were also recognized by the proclamation and received certificates.
In a previous report by The Sentinel, Junior wing player Sam Silchuck said the most memorable moment was an overtime win during an away game against Vacaville Christian high school.
Galloway previously told The Sentinel the team’s success has rebuilt the San Juan name.
“The season was an absolute success,” Galloway said. “The young men accomplished amazing things winning the 1st league title in 10 years.”
The team lost eight out of their first 12 pre-season games, The Sentinel reported. Despite the rough start, the Spartans finished with a 16-10 overall record and was 11-1 in the league, according to Max Preps, a high school sports division of CBS Sports.
Spirits were high heading into the playoff matchup against Calaveras High School. San Juan was slotted as the 15th seed with Calaveras slotted as the 2nd seed.
From the jump Calaveras came out hot shooting the rock at a high clip. San Juan Shooting Guard Narco Gallon kept the Spartans in the game with multiple three point buckets. Calaveras pulled away going into the second quarter and the Spartans were never able to regain ground, losing 74-52.
“Losing and knowing the season was over was tough, but I took all the positives we had this season and really shed a light on that,” Coach Jermaine Galloway said.
Heading into the locker rooms, the Spartans were visibly defeated, knowing this was the end of the year.
“I am just grateful that our team showed up and tried our best, regardless of the loss,” Junior wing player Ryan Martin said.”At the end of the day we will always be league champions.“
As previously reported, San Juan defeated Casa Roble 69-48 to secure a spot in the playoffs on Feb. 16.
The strong finish boosted the team’s morale after a slow preseason, losing eight out of 12 games. With excellent coaching by Head Coach Freddie Bryant paired with leadership from team captains, the Spartans were able to rally together eight straight league wins ultimately winning their first league championship in 10 years.
“The most memorable moment was the overtime win over Golden Sierra and beating Vacaville Christian in an away game,” Junior Wing Sam Silchuk said.
“I have always believed in scheduling a competitive preseason for the boys because it would always prepare us to deal with league,” said Coach Bryant, describing the rocky start to the season. “Watching the growth of these young men this season was the ultimate pay. I am filled with pride!”
Coach Galloway, who came aboard San Juan’s coaching staff September 2021, said he believed the Spartans rebuilt the San Juan name, an important goal for the San Juan alumni.
“The season was an absolute success,” Coach Galloway said. “The young men accomplished amazing things winning the 1st league title in 10 years.”
*This article was published as part of a new collaborative effort launched by The Sentinel to cover local sports, featuring articles written by student journalists from Citrus Heights high schools.
San Juan High School Spartans. // Photo courtesy, Nanik Tagore
By Nanik Tagore—
Following word of the death of a former teammate, San Juan Spartans won the league championship against Esparto High School on Saturday, with a final score of 76 to 43.
Spartan Shooting Guard Narco Gallon came out hot, stealing the ball and finishing at the rim. Team co-captain Cesar Bejarano, performed on the glass and on defense.
Closing in on the 4th quarter, San Juan had an opportunity to let the younger players finish the game. The Spartans’ starters sat on the bench with the reality setting in that they had just won their first league championship in 10 years.
The buzzer went off and the Spartans descended on the court, cheering and hugging each other.
The game was played in honor of former basketball star and teammate Devin Johnson. San Juan High was notified that the 18-year-old Johnson died unexpectedly on Friday. Players on the team were emotional after receiving the news.
“It was very sad; you could just tell by the look on everyone’s face,” Junior Guard Ryan Martin said. “But we didn’t let the loss of our brother get to us on the court, he would have wanted one of us to win league and he was always supportive, even if he didn’t show up sometimes.”
With Saturday’s win, San Juan moves their league record to an impressive 11-1. Following the game, coach Fred Bryant recognized the senior players with a plaque and words of encouragement.
After Saturday’s game, The Spartans defeated Casa Roble 69-48 in a play-in game Wednesday night. The team will next take on Calaveras High School Friday at 7 p.m. in an away game.
*This article was published as part of a new collaborative effort launched by The Sentinel to cover local sports, featuring articles written by student journalists from Citrus Heights high schools.
By Nanik Tagore–
San Juan High School Spartans met Vacaville Christian for their second match up of the season Friday in Vacaville.
San Juan went into the away game number one in league with a 4-0 record. Spartans jumped on Vacaville to open the game with Senior Guard Nanik Tagore going 3-3 from deep in the first quarter, taking a commanding lead.
San Juan’s gritty defense paired with a highly efficient offense led to a strong lead of 26-14 at the half.
Coming out of the half, Vacaville made a pivotal defensive adjustment going into a box-and-one defense, attempting to take Tagore out of the rotation and slow the Spartans offense. Coming out of the third quarter the energy in Vacaville’s gym was through the roof.
Down six going into the fourth, Spartans buckled down with key plays from team Captains Nanik Tagore, Cesar Bejarano, and from wing Sam Silchuk coming off the bench. Spartans emerged victoriously, winning 41 to 36.
Continue to follow the Spartans on their teams’ Instagram account @_sjhsbasketball.
*This article was published as part of a new collaborative effort launched by The Sentinel to cover local sports, featuring articles written by student journalists from Citrus Heights high schools.
Players gathered at Madera Park on Feb. 20 for a final day of little league evaluations. // CH Sentinel
By Rylie Friesen–
The Citrus Heights Little League is moving forward with plans to participate in the upcoming baseball season, unlike last year when the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coach Robert Olivas, president of the little league’s board of directors, told The Sentinel on Saturday that the league has been working hard to provide a season for the player, amid uncertainty.
“For some of these kids, it’s the only thing they love,” said Olivas. “They love baseball, they love their friends– if they don’t have it, they’re just going to sit home and play video games.”
Olivas said the league has made sure to follow all COVID-19 health guidelines. Dugout usage has been banned, and all athletes and viewers are required to maintain six-feet of distance. Players are to bring chairs from home to social distance outside the dugout. Masks are also highly encouraged, but not required outdoors.
Coaches are also hoping to buy gator masks for the players, which are easier to wear for sports. Equipment is not shared between athletes. Olivas said the team is also cleaning the parks every week, but may not be necessary in the future.
“Until they tell us not to, we’re going to keep doing that,” he said.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom released new guidelines allowing youth sports to resume on February 26. Moderate-contact outdoor sports, which includes baseball, are allowed in the Purple Tier COVID-19 classification, if a county drops to 14 or less cases per 100,000 people. Athletes and coaches over age 12 must be tested for COVID every week.
Olivas said the team is not worried about the new rules, as they “prepped and prepared” for the worst-case scenario. The new rules are less-restrictive than what they planned for.
The little league currently has half the registrations as compared to prior years. Olivas said other leagues are also reporting 30-40% registration numbers. Less money is coming in, and the league is spending cautiously. Olivas said the previous board of directors had around 18 members, but since the pandemic began a half-dozen directors have stepped back from active leadership.
“It’s been draining,” said Olivas. “On the families, on the kids. The kids are the most important part.”
What’s next
Evaluations of players began in January and ended Saturday, Feb. 20th. Players will now be assigned to teams, or drafted, next week, and plan to begin practice next Saturday. Teams generally have one practice and two games a week.
After two months of regular games, the season ends with the Tournament of Champions and All-Stars in June or July. These events happen yearly, where all the leagues in the District 5 area compete, using the best players and teams from each league.
Little leagues generally have clinics, warm-ups, and practices in December, before evaluations in January. However, because of the pandemic, those activities had to be cancelled.
The league is hoping for two teams per division for the Citrus Heights Little League, and some with three or four. Olivas said his league will start playing amongst themselves, but is planning to reach out to other leagues to play games as well.
Olivas called the local league a “work in progress”, saying the board is constantly holding meetings to ensure the league is at the best where it can be.
Board member Courtney McConnell has three kids in the little league, and said she is excited for them to start playing again.
“I’m very excited. I know we have a lot of kids that are waiting to get out there and play,” she said in an interview at Madera Park on Saturday, where the final day of evaluations were taking place.
The “Let Them Play” movement also helped bring change to the youth sports requirements, according to Olivas.
“It was nice to have people advocating for the kids,” he said. “Let Them Play really helped bring things about.”
Coach and Equipment Manager Jerry Garcia also advocated for youth sports, and campaigned for the little league with Let Them Play.
“I’ve had two grandsons come through the league, and I felt like I wanted to give something back,” he said. “I’m glad that we’re getting to play finally, especially for the kids.”
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Demonstrators hold signs in support of reopening youth sports during a Jan. 29 rally outside Sunrise Mall. Similar events were also hosted the same day across the state. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip— More than 100 people gathered at Sunrise Mall on Friday in support of the “Let Them Play” movement, a grassroots effort to reopen California youth sports.
The Jan. 29 event was organized by local coaches, community leaders, and Orangevale Live as part of a statewide effort to bring attention to what organizers claim are negative effects of shutting down youth sports.
Coach Jeff Pitnikoff told The Sentinel in an interview at the event that 30 other communities across California held similar rallies Friday night. Pitnikoff said organizers wanted to send a message to support youth athletes.
“Youth sports is critical to mental health,” Pitnikoff said. “It’s critical to so many aspects of life. Youth sports is the only sector in the state of California that has not been given a chance to open safely since March 2020.”
Sacramento County Board of Supervisor’s Chairwoman Sue Frost spoke at the rally, saying the unintended consequences of the shut down have hurt local communities. Frost said it was reasonable to close down last March, but believes its time to reopen more quickly.
“Since that time, we’ve learned a lot about COVID and we’ve also learned a lot about the unintended consequences to the lockdown policy,” Frost said. “And what we know and what the data is beginning to show is that the unintended consequences of the lockdown could be more deadly than the COVID itself.”
Citrus Heights City Councilman Bret Daniels also attended the event and said he’d like to see Citrus Heights schools reopen.
“Fully open, absolutely,” Daniels told The Sentinel. “Science is telling us there is no reason not to have kids back in school.”
Daniels acknowledged the possibility of transmitting the virus through team sports, but he said the benefits of playing sports outweigh the risks.
“I’m not trying to minimize it; this is a real thing,” Daniels said. “But again, I think that in the big picture that the trade off is we are doing more harm by keeping kids out of school.”
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley addressed what he sees as a lack of transparency in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision-making process regarding COVID-19.
“In English class when you write a paper, you’re told to cite your work, to cite your data, put in footnotes, justify the claims you’ve been making,” Kiley said. “Somehow that lesson seems to have been lost on the people with the most power in our state government right now.”
Kiley added the Let Them Play movement also means “let them learn, let them grow, and let them live.”
The crowd also heard from student athletes, some of whom said they lost college opportunities. Bella Vista High School senior Zelby Rader said playing volleyball was her motivation to apply for Oregon State University. Rader said she lost the opportunity to play for Oregon State because of the shutdown, saying her life “went downhill.”
Another student athlete recounted a friend who he said committed suicide after the shutdown began.
The American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledges the benefits of returning to sports in a COVID-19 Interim Guidance paper published online. The paper says youth sports benefit student’s physical and psychological health, but also cautions policy makers to consider the risk of transmitting the disease to the greater community before reopening events.
“Because prolonged, close contact with a person infected with SARS-CoV-2 is the main driver of transmission, the sport (number of players, spacing, and frequency and duration of contact) and setting (indoor versus outdoor, size and ventilation of facility) will likely influence risk of infection. Although it is not likely the main form of transmission, it is possible for SARS-CoV-2 to be transmitted on surfaces; therefore, sports with shared equipment, facilities, or common surfaces may pose additional risk,” the paper reads.
A December report by CBS13 said 77 cases of SARS-CoV-2 in Santa Clara County were traced back to Courtside Basketball Center in Rocklin. The basketball center participated in a tournament Nov. 7-8, leading to the outbreak, according to reports.
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A sign in front of San Juan High School announces no school through April 13. The district has since decided to extend the closure through the end of the school year. // CH Sentinel
By Marcus D. Smith– Over the weekend, the California Interscholastic Federation held a scheduled teleconference meeting discussing the future of spring athletics, which has been in limbo amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
With just over two months remaining left in the school year, most districts have announced the end of the school year. The CIF has decided to follow in their footsteps and cancel spring athletic competition.
*Local sports coverage on The Sentinel is made possible by our paid subscribers and generous support from Stones Gambling Hall.*
“[T]he California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) does not see an avenue for the spring sports season to continue,” said CIF Executive Ron Nocetti in a statement on Friday. “As such, in consultation today with the 10 Section Commissioners, the decision has been made to cancel spring Section, Regional, and State Championship events.”
The statement followed an April 1 announcement by the governor regarding school closures and the need for district’s to transition students into “distance-learning” in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, while allowing students to maintain an education.
The San Juan Unified School District also released a statement on April 3, extending school closures to the end of the school year. The district said distance learning will begin after spring break.
SJUSD defines distance learning as instruction in which the student and teacher are in different locations. Class content and activities can be engaged in a variety of formats including the use of computers or other instructional methods or materials depending on the teacher, the assignment and students’ needs.
Governor Newsom also announced a partnership with Google, where mobile hotspots, unlimited high-speed internet, and Chromebooks were donated to rural areas for the remainder of the school year to assist students with the opportunity for the “distance-learning” acclimation.
“While schools might be physically closed, class is still in session,” said Newsom. “This agreement is good news for students and parents, and the announcement means that more California kids will have tools to learn at home during this crisis.”
For schools in the San Juan district, April 6-10 is spring break and there won’t be any virtual office hours, or assignments available. The following week, distance learning is expected to continue through the final day of classes on June 9.
By April 15, distance learning will have been implemented and the
spring school year will resume virtually for those in high school, middle
school, and grades 6-12 at K-8 schools.
By April 20, distance learning implementation for early childhood education and elementary grades, according to the district’s website.
The Sentinel is making its coronavirus coverage available to all readers, with no subscription required. Please consider a digital subscription for just $3.99/mo. to support local news in Citrus Heights.
By Marcus D. Smith– The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) held a meeting over the weekend discussing the future of the spring season for high school athletics around the state determining the fate of schools in the San Juan Unified School District.
Amid concerns of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, spring athletics, along with the school year have been put on hold for the time being.
“The biggest issue is everything is unknown,” said Mesa Verde High School Athletic Director Kevin Anderson. “The only information we have right now is school is closed, practices are cancelled, games are cancelled, team meetings are cancelled, [and] team get togethers.”
The virus that has turned everything into a frenzy has everyone on edge to wonder the same thing: what happens next?
*Local sports coverage on The Sentinel is made possible by our paid subscribers and generous support from Stones Gambling Hall.*
The CIF eventually came together to make a decision to continue to wait the virus out, in hopes that a vaccine will become available soon. This isn’t necessarily what happens everyday, it’s brand new and the health of the kids is far greater than the game itself.
CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti released a statement on March 17, stating:
“While the time may come when we have to cancel post-season events, today is not that day. In anticipation of further guidance and directives issued by federal, state and local government agencies regarding COVID-19, the CIF has not determined the future of spring sports events at this time and intends to reconvene with the 10 Section Commissioners on April 3 to revisit this issue. Pending that time, Sections will continue to confer with their local leadership and the State CIF will continue to monitor any directives and recommendations issued from the above entities.”
Ron Nocetti, CIF executive director
The “directives and recommendations” mentioned consisted of many things forbidding contact with one another as a prevention tactic for the virus that has led to a global pandemic.
“Coaches are not supposed to have the kids anywhere on campus. They’re not [supposed] to get together at the park, or the bowling alley, or anywhere else until further notice,” said Anderson.
They can still provide tutorial videos, workouts, film they can watch in order to keep their minds sharp on the game during this hiatus.
For the kids at Mesa Verde High School particularly, they will still be able to stay atop of their studies, as the teachers will be available for questions about any work that they may need to complete.
“Teachers are going to have four hours a day of online remote office hours. So [from] 8:30 to 10:30 and 12:30 to 2:30, they’re supposed to be available if a kid needs to contact us and get information about schoolwork,” said Anderson.
Anderson says he expects a lot of “trial and error,” as this is the first time they’ve ever done this before.
Adding insult to injury, the district has not informed when classes will return. They are to be on standby for the moment. It won’t be until at least April 13 before they get an update on the remainder of the school year.
Schools will not soon return to classes, and more than likely the school year will just disperse.
The CIF has also postponed their original April 3 meeting, stating that they would reschedule the meeting no earlier than May 8, meaning that they intend to speak at any point after the specified date. That meeting will be held via teleconference.
As nearby cities in California begin to quarantine, health officials remind residents to stay home when possible and cover mouths when sneezing or coughing.
The excerpt below is from CDC.gov, with recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Clean
your hands often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20
seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your
nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand
sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands
and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed
hands.
Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
Cover
coughs and sneezes
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
Throw used tissues in the trash.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least
20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with
a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Wear
a facemask if you are sick
If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are
around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a
healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for
example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to
cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a
facemask if they enter your room.
If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a facemask
unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a
facemask). Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for
caregivers.
Clean
and disinfect
Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
By Marcus D. Smith– Greg Roeszler, known as “Coach Roz,” is the executive director of Playmakers, a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk kids and children with special needs through youth football and the foundation of sports.
Roeszler is partnering up with Mesa Verde varsity football head coach, Lenny Casillas, to help bring the Playmakers program to Citrus Heights.
“This is free youth football for 100 kids and 100 families. All completely provided their grades are acceptable and that the teachers tell us that their character is acceptable,” said Coach Roz.
*Local sports coverage on The Sentinel is made possible by our paid subscribers and generous support from Stones Gambling Hall.*
In approximately, two weeks Playmakers will be
accepting applications and will look to sign up to 100 kids and families to
begin their “Playmaker” process immediately.
Part of the process is beginning to grade-check and behavior-check the students, maintaining their goal of increasing students’ academic performance, increasing their attendance, and improving their behavior and character.
“They have to be decent kids, and if they’re not then
we’re going to use football as the leverage to help guide them in the proper
direction,” he continued.
Playmakers began to make a difference in the community when the program was first established in 2010. The nonprofit’s mission is to invoke values within the next generation of not just athletes, but citizens.
Coach Roz and Playmakers help in the community by providing support for both at-risk kids, as well as special needs kids. Through peer-to-peer mentoring, they can create relationships and develop bonds with the families throughout the year.
“We started in the summer with football camps…where we get the
kids and the families together and we ‘firehose’ them with character and old
school values,” said Roeszler.
The youth football program accepts boys and girls of all ages. They are also looking to expand to a sports league, in the near future.
Last Saturday, Feb. 29, Playmakers worked with Sacramento State student athletes to host Unified Basketball, a basketball tournament for special needs kids. It was the first time most of the kids had a chance to play basketball other than with themselves.
“That’s the third one of those that we’ve done and we’re actually
starting a [sports] league for kids with special needs,” said Roeszler.
Roeszler, is a Sacramento native. He graduated from Encina High School, where he was a standout athlete in football. Coach Roz went on to attend and play football at University of Minnesota, Cosumnes River College and San Diego State.
He had a short stint with the Oakland Raiders as a camp
quarterback in 1979.
Despite his return to Sacramento, he did not envision himself
ever coaching. It would be a position as a volunteer coach that changed the
path he walked on.
“I got roped into volunteer coaching in the inner city here in
Sacramento and very quickly we saw that there were kids that we were coaching
that were living in cars and living in hotels,” said Roeszler.
Many of the kids they are working with often don’t have a mother or father both at home. According to Fatherhood.org, approximately one-in-four children in America live without a father in the home.
Roeszler knew a change had to made after he was made aware that his players would only eat one meal a day, that being the free lunch meal provided at school.
In attempts to raise money for the kids, Roeszler will be holding different events, which can be signed up for at www.theplaymakers.org. On April 16, Playmakers will be partnering with Heisman Trophy winner, and NFL Hall of Famer, Tim Brown for the Playmakers-Tim Brown Camp at the Highway Patrol Academy for kids with special needs and at-risk kids.
On April 25, they will be hosting a Fund-a-Need dinner at Divine Savior Catholic Church, with former 49er Otis Amey as a guest speaker.
Roeszler has organizations in Buffalo, New York and Omaha, Nebraska, thanks to Buffalo Bills defensive tackle, Harrison Phillips. Phillips is a Playmaker and with his help, they host camps in Buffalo at Buffalo Stadium. They also hold camps in Omaha and Sacramento.
Another Playmaker is Jordan Richard of the Baltimore Ravens. Roeszler prides on those two individuals being people of character and good role models for youth.
“We know that if we do that with football, then they are going to be a better student, they’re going to be a better player when they get to Mesa [Verde],” said Roeszler. “We want this to be a model that certainly the Bills are looking at and that the NFL begins to look at.”
Playmaker is also looking for those interested in giving back their time in various ways, including volunteer opportunities or becoming a Playmaker coach or mentor.
Playmakers goal is to raise $25,000 to provide 100 kids with a free youth football season. Additional information can be found at www.theplaymakers.org.
File photo. Coach Mark Toscano in the huddle making team adjustments with Mesa Verde Mavericks girls varsity. // Marcus D. Smith
By Marcus D. Smith– After a long season that was filled with ups and downs, it finally all comes to a close for Mesa Verde girls varsity basketball, and Head Coach Mark Toscano.
This was a season to remember for Toscano who coached the Mavericks girls varsity program to their best record in 15 years. In the process, he saw the growth of budding talents Maleena Ridore and Vanessa Flores, junior forwards, as they were selected to All-League in the Golden Empire League.
*Local sports coverage on The Sentinel is made possible by our paid subscribers and generous support from Stones Gambling Hall.*
With so many things to be proud of this season, you can add “Coach of the Year” to the list of accomplishments for the Mavericks, as Toscano was named the 2020 Golden Empire League Coach of the Year.
“I was shocked when I was announced as the winner at the All-League meeting,” said Toscano, who was humble in accepting the award from the Golden Empire League, voted by his peers.
The Golden Empire League consists of six high schools: Dixon, Pioneer, Woodland, Mira Loma, Casa Roble, and Mesa Verde. Dixon finished atop the standings going undefeated, 10-0, during GEL play. Pioneer and Woodland were right behind them. They had similar records at 7-3, but Pioneer maintained a better overall record, 22-7.
“I was surprised, there are a lot of good coaches in this league. Woodland and Pioneer did very well. I just didn’t expect to win it with our league and how well the other teams did,” said Toscano.
In this ground-breaking season, there was a sense of confidence that was developed by this team. Somewhere along the journey, there was a switch that flipped and the girls really started playing fundamentally sound basketball.
Chemistry can be a boring subject if you’re not a fan of science, but in sports, chemistry becomes an integral part of what makes up the function of a team.
For Toscano and the Mavericks, they were able to remain solid through tribulations of an up-and-down basketball season. There was blood, sweat, and tears shed this season.
This was a huge stepping stone for Mesa Verde, as Toscano has worked diligently for the past four years to put forth a competitive team to represent the “Verde and orange.”
When it was all said and done, Toscano could only refer back to his team, crediting them for being coachable, eager to learn, and quick to respond.
“I feel great. I feel like my girls well-deserved it.”
