The St. John Bosco cross country team heads into playoffs following a magnificent showing at Trinity League finals.
The Braves took second place in the Trinity League behind Santa Margarita, led by seniors Chris Chavez, Ian Sanchez and Ethan Beck.
Some Braves’ runners set their best run times, as Chavez finished first in the race and ran one of the best ever times on the course at 14:58.9, earning the Trinity League Championship title. He finished about 20 seconds faster than the next best time.
Although this race may have been dedicated to the seniors for their senior day, sophomores Aiden Aldana and Andrew Perez put on a show as well. Aiden, who has been excellent this year, finished fourth with a time of 15:35.4, while Andrew finished ninth at 15:42.2
Following a long break from competition due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Braves were excited to have a season without much restriction.
“We have enjoyed being able to travel again this year, being able to meet with a lot of runners and going back to invitationals again,” said Ruben Solorza, an assistant coach.
Last season, the Braves were not able to do their normal meets because of the pandemic, instead competing league dual meets, which is racing against one opposing team at a time.
Although the Braves were happy to be back on the regular schedule, they had adjustment issues, as many people nationwide have.
“Keep small problems small, fix them right away and continue to overcome other challenges,” said Coach Solorza, regarding overcoming the obstacles that the season presented.
In the Trinity League Championship race, the runners dealt with a slightly slippery course, which made a couple of the runners fall, including junior Harold Munoz, who still pushed through and finished the race.
Having such a young team be so successful, while also having to fight through adversity, has shown the growth and maturity of the team. The junior and senior runners did an amazing job developing the underclassmen into outstanding team runners.
Although the Braves had many great accomplishments so far throughout the year, they still have one final push towards higher aspirations. They continue their season with CIF preliminaries as their next meet, followed by CIF Finals and then possibly a CIF State Championship appearance.
The season for the Bosco cross country team looks to continue to shine bright, as the season comes to a close. The full focus for them will be on prelims, as they continue to work hard and perform strong.
This year, St. John Bosco welcomes Mr. Tommy Johnson, an accomplished artist and athlete, to the Brave community.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Q. What classes do you teach?
A. I teach art classes and yearbook here at Bosco.
Q. What high school did you attend?
A. I went to Calvert Hall College High School, in Towson Maryland. I received the Princeton award for best high school artist in the country.
Q. Are you from California? If not, where are you from?
A. I am originally from Lutherville, Maryland. I had a fishing pond in my front yard, I miss that.
Q. What college did you attend?
A. I went to Loyola College in Maryland. The mascot is the Greyhounds.
Q. What was your major/minor in college?
A. I majored in arts and teaching. I was the captain of a national championship lacrosse team, and I played professional lacrosse for the Baltimore Thunder. I have been teaching art and coaching lacrosse since I graduated.
Q. Where did you teach before Bosco?
A. Most recently, I taught at Realm Academy.
Q. Why do you want to teach art at Bosco?
A. I love teaching art and it never gets old. I would like to take Bosco’s art program to the next level. I would like for art to not be just a one and done class. I want the students who love art, are passionate about it and have what it takes to put in the hours, time and dedication, to be able to continue into intermediate art onto advanced art programs.
Q. What is your favorite part of teaching art?
A. I tell the boys in my class that this is their class, and that they picked art, so if they waste time, if they don’t work, if they don’t get involved, then they will miss out on an amazing world of art. Art can stimulate, make a statement and inspire others, with no limits. My class offers a bit more freedom, and a place to express yourself, reflect, use your imagination, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, ideas, dreams and your skills, in a visual form.
Q. What is some advice that you have for freshmen who just started at Bosco?
A. I know it can be scary at first, but everyone here at Bosco is here for you, including all the faculty and all of your new brothers, so reach out, join sports, join clubs and get involved. Time goes by too fast, and before you know it you will be a senior and getting ready to start the process all over again, so enjoy every second of every day.
Q. What is some advice that you have for seniors who are leaving Bosco?
A. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, or to help others. Go for it, shoot for the stars, and if you land in the clouds or even the trees, its ok. Do what you love, take a leap of faith and follow your heart. Finally, never forget where you came from, because the most important thing in life is family and friends, so surround yourself with good people.
Q. How are you enjoying Bosco?
A. I really like the students, its a great class and group of young men. I’m excited to join the community and to be part of the Brave Nation.
Q. Do you have any advice for any students trying to pursue a career in art?
A. It is not just paper and pencil with some paints, it’s expressing your ideas and your feelings, and creating a different view of the world.
Q. What kind of music do you listen to?
A. I enjoy classic rock, the Stones, U2, Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Beatles but not so much country. I like Tupac and Drake but not music that has a lot of nasty words, it makes it hard for me to get into. It really isn’t so much who I listen to, but the song itself. I also enjoy Michael Jackson, The WHO, Frank Sinatra and JB.
Q. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
A. I would like to travel back home where most of my family is, or back to Ireland, a place with a lot of land.
Q. Who are some of your favorite artists?
A. My favorite artists include Warhol, Frankenthaler, Posada and Pollack. Also, I like Stan Lee’s imagination, and the true story behind Spiderman. Again, everything starts with pencil, paper and a simple idea.
Q. What do you do in your free time?
A. I spend time with family, watch sports, go fishing and watch movies.
Q. Do you follow any sports or sports teams?
A. Yes, I like the Baltimore Ravens.
Q. What is your favorite holiday?
A. My favorite holiday is Christmas because I believe in Santa. I also love doing the tree, with all the trimmings.
Q. What is your favorite color and why?
A. My favorite color is aqua blue. I’ve spent a lot of time on the ocean and love the water.
Q. Red Vines or Twizzlers?
A. I like Sweet-Tarts, Swedish Fish and gummy anything, hold the red vines and the Twizzlers.
Last Friday, the Bosco Braves played their final football game of the regular season against Trinity League rivals, the Servite Friars, as both Bosco and St. Joseph’s High School celebrated their first homecoming since 2019.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The weekend started under Friday night lights, with Bosco taking on another nationally ranked league opponent in Servite. Both sides played a magnificent game, though the Braves edge out the Friars in the end by a final score 24-10.
The homecoming court was brought out during halftime and consisted of junior princesses Nicole Milliman and Valerie Moreno as well as senior princesses Judy Uyanne, Brianna Golini and Amy Rincon. During halftime, they would also announce the Homecoming Queen along with a spectacular firework show.
After the court was brought out, it was time to announce the Queen, with the entire stadium rumbling as Judy Uyanne was announced. She was given the coveted tiara as the fireworks were set off capping off an unforgettable night.
“It caught me by surprise. I was not expecting to win. There [were] so many beautiful girls up [there] alongside me, and I was just so happy to even be [there]. But, it was an honor to be named as Homecoming Queen and feel so blessed,” said Homecoming Queen Judy Uyanne.
The following night was the Homecoming dance, which began at 8:00 PM at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The venue overlooked the storied horse racing track that has been home to many big races in the past.
When kids got off of their party busses or out of their cars, they had to stand in line waiting to get in. Once they got in the first thing they would do is take an elevator to the dance floor, which had many flashing lights and a loud DJ playing music. But that was not all they had. There were various tables that consisted of an assortment of snacks and drinks.
On either side of the venue, there were outside seating areas which allowed you to have the chance to take a break from all the dancing and talk to your friends for a while before heading back in.
Or if dancing was not your thing, the venue also had an area that consisted of a bunch of different games that were very popular the entire night. These games were mega Connect Four, mega Jenga, corn hole and even foosball.
The entire night these games were occupied with students full of joy, in addition to people having a blast on the dance floor. The dance lasted all the way until 11:00 PM, and the students took full advantage of it, dancing the night away.
“It was really just a fun overall past two nights. I had an amazing night watching Bosco football get the win as well as spending my Saturday night dancing at homecoming,” said Queen Judy.
Once the dance ended, all students were dismissed to leave and were then ready to begin their next adventure of Halloween the following night.
From St. John Bosco High School to the United States Air Force to the Middle East, nobody knows more than alumnusBruce Horvat, ‘59, about what it means to be a Brave.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Horvat
Mr. Horvat was born just prior to World War II in Ohio. Being the oldest child in a lower to middle-class family with four siblings, his family moved out to California due to the better opportunities that the war industry presented. Although his family settled down in Long Beach, Mr. Horvat did not go to school there. Like many students find today, public school just wasn’t the right fit, which is why he ended up at St. John Bosco.
“Public school was extremely easy for me, and so I would get into trouble. For example, I would create my own hall passes,” said Mr. Horvat.
The St. John Bosco campus that Mr. Horvat attended is drastically different from what is known to the Braves’ students today. At that time, the only resemblance to today’s campus was the football field and the pool.
At St. John Bosco, Mr. Horvat found people who were just like him. He fit in well to the Bosco community, as he played football, involved himself with the library and was even a member of the student newspaper. This allowed Mr. Horvat to take a lot away from his experience at St. John Bosco.
“When I left, I didn’t realize how much I took away from Bosco. I was taking away getting over the fear of making mistakes, which took me some time to get over. Also, I had problems getting along with people originally, but at Bosco, everybody was my peer, and I didn’t have any problems,” said Mr. Horvat.
Following high school, Mr. Horvat did not go straight into the military. Rather, he wanted to get a degree in retail sales. However, Mr. Horvat found that the courses did not interest him and the college route was not for him.
Following his dissatisfaction with college, Mr. Horvat enlisted in the military. With the knowledge that a draft was looming, Mr. Horvat decided that he wanted a larger say in his military involvement, so as to avoid being drafted into ground troops in the Army.
Mr. Horvat finally found what he was looking for in the United States Air Force. The regimentation and focus demanded in the military is what Mr. Horvat needed.
Although he went through the same required basic training as everyone else, due to his high test scores, he served in the IT department and worked with the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), a project that was a turning point in the use of computers and IT for warfare and defense. He also obtained the opportunity to study at the IBM School in Kingston, New York.
In his first assignment, Mr. Horvat worked in the Chicago Air Defense Sector, and he was stationed at Truax Field, on the edge of Madison, Wisconsin. Working with Air Defense Command, the primary purpose was the protection of Chicago and the surrounding areas. Within the military’s IT department, this meant tracking on some days over 350 aircraft at a time.
Mr. Horvat’s service as a U.S. Air Force SAGE Digital Computer Repairman allowed him to work on many different projects. Of chief interest was his work repairing what is considered the first digital computer ever created, which was manufactured by IBM for the military.
From Wisconsin, Mr. Horvat moved on to become an advisor for the Air Force’s SAGE department in Portland, Oregon. This was a similar working environment, this time with the Air Defense Command in Oregon. However, another twist of fate in Mr. Horvat’s life came as the Air Force closed down the SAGE project in 1968, causing him to leave the military for the rest of his life.
“I am grateful for my time with the military. It made me a better person, and I came out with something positive. I recommend the military to all young men, because you learn to become self-sufficient,” said Mr. Horvat.
The next chapter in Mr. Horvat’s life came in Pocatello, Idaho, as he worked in the computer center at Idaho State University as a Senior Program Developer. Due to his strong military background and education, Mr. Horvat found that although his work kept him busy, it was quite easy.
As a result of his fluency in multiple computer programs, he was given “special projects.” He later served as Acting Computer Department Director at Idaho State University.
Following his time at Idaho State University, Mr. Horvat transitioned to being a Computer Manager for a State Auditor’s Office in Boise, Idaho. However, this would only last for a short while.
At this point, Mr. Horvat made a pivotal decision, one that began his life in work abroad. After discovering that Lockheed Martin, an aircraft industry projects company in California, was working on a project in Iran, Mr. Horvat became a Systems Designer. At the time, Lockheed Martin was working on a maintenance facility for jumbo jets.
Although his home base was located just outside of Ontario, California, Mr. Horvat spent a lot of time in Iran, foreshadowing future work in the Middle East, giving presentations. In what seemed to be destiny, Mr. Horvat also met his wife, Guity, in Iran.
“When I went to Iran, it was lovely. The people were very nice; I tried to follow the customs as much as I could. I tried to learn as much as possible about their customs,” said Mr. Horvat.
However, Mr. Horvat’s time in Iran was short lived, as Lockheed Martin’s project was canceled in Iran due to the change in regimes, with Ayatollah Khomeini establishing an anti-Western Islamic republic in the country.
The change in Iran’s government forced yet another transition of jobs for Mr. Horvat. This time, for a short period, he worked as Computer Manager for a film development company.
After receiving a job offer in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Horvat, who now had a family to take care of, came to the decision to move the family out to Saudi Arabia. He now had a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Dena.
Mr. Horvat cited valuable lessons he learned from Bosco that aided him during fatherhood.
“I learned to be honest with my kids, especially my son, and to always try to be understanding, but firm,” said Mr. Horvat.
Prior to the move abroad, Mr. Horvat worked with the local soccer association due to his son’s interest in playing soccer. However, with the move to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Horvat’s children went to an American school in Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, Mr. Horvat again observed the customs and culture of the people, even drawing some insight into the Islamic world.
“People, deep down inside, are mostly the same. Their customs may vary, but a lot of people have the same beliefs that we do. The religion of Islam worships the same God that Catholics and Christians do,” said Mr. Horvat.
In Saudi Arabia, where he spent about the next 30 years of his life, Mr. Horvat again transitioned between a few jobs. He first worked as a Database Manager for a Saudi customs agency. His first job was in the port city of Jeddah, as well as the capital city Riyadh, where he helped collect taxes on imports and made sure no undesired people entered the country.
Mr. Horvat then went on to work at a Saudi bank, which was the last place that he worked. There, he served as a Software Business Analyst and Developer. Basically, he wrote programs to help the new machines to be as efficient as possible. At the same Saudi bank, he became the Project Manager. In this job, he had to convince management of the importance of security, which at the time was a relatively new idea.
Finally, Mr. Horvat worked as the Head of Information Security for the Saudi bank up until his eventual retirement in 2011. Since then, he has gotten back into some old hobbies that he had as a child, such as building model airplanes, trains and boats.
But Mr. Horvat most enjoys traveling with his wife. They have a summer home on the Mediterranean coast in Turkey and have been lucky to travel all over the world.
“Be polite and respectful, do not compare everything to the U.S. because it is not respectful. Try and speak the local language if you can, most people will be happy you tried, so do your best,” said Mr. Horvat.
Throughout his life, Mr. Horvat held many different memberships and was a part of many associations. Chief among those was the Certified Information Systems Security Professionals, which was the toughest one to obtain. In order to become a member, Mr. Horvat had to demonstrate a wide knowledge of the potential threats to a computer’s integrity.
Nowadays, Mr. Horvat resides in Arizona with his wife, and is actually writing about his experiences in the United States Air Force. Through his lessons, experiences and personality Mr. Horvat demonstrates the gold standard for all Bosco Braves.
The Brave News 