Today is not only the feast day of St. John Bosco, but also the birthday of Fr. Arthur Lenti, who was gentle, kind-hearted and a great role model to the school.
Photo by Michael Bartelt
St. John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in Italy. He became a role model for young children and most importantly helped underprivileged children to reach their full potential. This was his moral mission from a young age, and he always looked out for children his entire life.
At the age of eleven, St. John Bosco had a dream that changed the course of his life and many others’. In this dream, he was in a field, with a lot of kids fighting, and he saw Mary, who taught him how he could win the children over and how to guide them. After that dream, he went on to help children and later start an oratory for the underprivileged children of the region.
St. John Bosco High School is of course modeled off of the views and methods of its namesake, St. John Bosco, and the teachers and faculty do everything they can to create the same environment for the students as St. John Bosco did for his children. St. John Bosco High School’s Fr. Ted Montemayor is well-versed on St. John Bosco’s life.
“I do think that St. John Bosco’s spirit is very alive here at Bosco. I think that a lot of teachers have seriously taken to heart the philosophy of St. John Bosco,” said Fr. Montemayor.
However, the value of St. John Bosco High School doesn’t end in the classrooms as the faculty and staff work outside of the classroom to make the students feel at home when they are at school. St. John Bosco felt that if people were treated with love and kindness, then they will feel at home and respected, that is something that Fr. Arthur Lenti exhibited every day to the people around him.
Fr. Lenti spent a large amount of time studying the life of St. John Bosco and trying to take the teachings of St. John Bosco and pass them on to the present-day population. Not only was he able to educate people on St. John Bosco’s teachings, but he also resembled Bosco in his character.
“He was a kind man, and he was a gentleman. When I was in his presence and after I walked away, I always felt very encouraged,” said Fr. Ted.
Fr. Lenti was very important at keeping St. John Bosco’s spirit alive, as well as the traditions and teachings of St. John Bosco. Though he was very kind and a gentleman, what many people did not know was how smart and educated he was.
“He was quite a scholar. People didn’t realize he wrote some books and was very, very knowledgeable. He could speak four languages and he was a very well-rounded man,” said Fr. Ted.
Though Fr. Lenti was not working with young people at a large amount, he kept St. John Bosco alive through his studies. He authored a seven-volume life of St. John Bosco book series where he was able to take St. John Bosco as a human being rather than another saint in heaven. He was able to make St. John Bosco someone who was relatable, and because of this, inspired many people to carry on his teachings.
“I think for the whole world, not just us here in California, he has done a wonderful service of bringing St. John Bosco alive through the written word as someone that’s relatable,” said Fr. Ted.
Both Fr. Lenti and St. John Bosco will be celebrated and remembered for years to come as gentle and kind men who have inspired so many to help make everyone, no matter what their situation is, feel welcome and at home wherever they may be.
By Dominic Ramirez and Eric Torres, Editor-in-Chief
With the 2022 Winter Olympics set to begin next week in Beijing, the United States, along with many other nations around the world, plan a diplomatic boycott of the games due to human rights issues in the host country.
Photo by Getty Images
Other countries participating in this boycott include the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. The issue of boycotting arose due to reports of the genocide of the Uyghur Muslims, an ethnic group of Western China, as well as general human rights violations performed by the Chinese government.
The last time the United States fully boycotted the Olympic games was in the summer in 1980 when it was held in Moscow, where athletes were actually held out of competition. At the time, the U.S. took this action in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
On December 6th, the Biden administration announced that it would diplomatically boycott the Winter Olympics by not sending an official U.S. delegation. However, this decision will not affect U.S. athletes who are still scheduled to compete.
“U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang and we simply can’t do that,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a press conference.
However, to avoid penalizing American athletes who have trained very hard for the Olympics, the United States will still send all those who are to compete but hopes to send a strong and clear message with this diplomatic boycott.
“Standing up for human rights is in the DNA of Americans. We have a fundamental commitment to promoting human rights and we feel strongly in our position, and we will continue to take actions to advance human rights in China and beyond,” said Press Secretary Psaki.
The reported unlawful killing of the Uyghur people in China is a huge issue for a lot of countries. The Uyghurs are a Turkish ethnic group who live in east and central Asia. Since 2014, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has placed the Uyghur people in internment camps without any legal processes.
The prisoners in these camps face cruel punishments such as forced labor, sterilization, forced abortion, organ harvesting, beatings, suspension of religious practices and even death. However, the Chinese government has denied all of these claims and does its best to cover up any evidence.
Obviously, the Chinese dispute these claims and are not in support of United States and others on this issue, as a Chinese spokesperson called the United States’ diplomatic boycott of the games a “self-directed political farce.” However, as the topic is censored on Chinese social media, and it is only a diplomatic boycott, the majority view in China is to dismiss the action as unimportant, as athletes from boycotting nations are still competing.
“No-one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to be successfully held,” said Chinese spokesman Liu Pengyu, as quoted by Reuters.
Another layer to the cause of this Olympic boycott is the suspicious disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. Shuai disappeared in November shortly after accusing former high ranking CCP official Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.
A few weeks after her disappearance, the Chinese state media relaced a screenshot of an email they claimed was written by Shuai. The email stated that she was fine and that her previous accusation was false, but it is widely believed that this email was fake.
However, she reappeared and spoke publicly a month later, again denying her previous accusations in a news interview, which raised public concern.
Furthermore, with the current tense international environment, including the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is important to ensure the safety of all involved. The debate of whether the U.S. and others are doing too much, or not enough, will continue for a long time.
Many call for a complete withdrawal from the games, while others view it as casting stones. However, the overall questions of money, fairness and standing up for human rights are tough issues, which will require solutions that are beyond the Olympic games.
Although a number of countries are boycotting the Olympics, some are not sending over government officials simply due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
On January 8th, Brave standouts Rayshon Luke and Earnest Greene III announced their college commitments at NBC’s annual All-American Bowl game.
Photo via Instagram (@_doughboyspeedy)
This All-American Bowl game, held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, showcases the top 100 high school football players from across the country. While at the game, many of the top players in the country, who didn’t already decide, got the chance to announce their commitment. St. John Bosco, being a national football powerhouse, had two players attend and announce their futures: Rayshon Luke and Earnest Greene.
Coming off of a great year, Greene was ranked one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He had scholarship offers from almost every school. He took his time to make his decision by starting off with a top ten, top four, then finally making his decision at the bowl game.
Earnest’s top four consisted of the University of Georgia, University of Alabama, University of Texas and Ohio State which were all ranked in the top 25 the previous year.
Greene declared that he will attend the University of Georgia before the game began, where he had a fantastic outing where he made holes and opportunities for his running backs, such as his fellow Brave, Rayshon.
“I want to go to a school that can go and compete year in and year out for a national title. All my top schools are ones that can do that and are led by the best coaches in the country. But ultimately, it came down to where I felt most comfortable and able to help, and for me that was Georgia,” said Greene.
Rayshon Luke was the star of the show that night in Texas, where not only did he announce his commitment, but he also had one of the best performances of his career.
Rayshon was one of Bosco’s playmakers, someone who they looked to during big moments, and almost always delivered. He was unstoppable and helped lead the team to a deep playoff run, where they fell short to Servite.
Before arriving in Texas, Luke had announced his top four in University of Arizona, University of Louisville, UCLA and San Jose State. “Speedy” announced he would be furthering his academic and athletic career at the University of Arizona, home of the Wildcats.
Rayshon Luke destroyed the East Coast’s defense, ripping off multiple runs for more than 50 yards and scoring multiple touchdowns. He was awarded one of the greatest honors: the All-American Bowl Most Valuable Player.
“It was a great honor to be named All-American Bowl MVP. There’s a lot of great guys and talent out here, so for me to take the trophy is mind blowing. I’ve worked my butt off for this and deserve this. All glory to God, because without him I wouldn’t be able to do any of this,” said Luke.
Earnest and Rayshon helped lead the West squad to win the game in dominant fashion, by a score of 34-14, again demonstrating why the west coast is the best region for youth football.
Earnest and Rayshon head different ways, as Greene graduated early from Bosco to get on campus in Georgia, while Luke will finish off his final semester at Bosco before starting his journey in Arizona.
Furthermore, at the National Signing Day on December 15, Braves who officially signed their Letters of Intent include Nate Burrell (University of California, Berkeley), quarterback Katin Houser (Michigan State University), Logan Booher (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Jalen Woods (University of California, Los Angeles), Tyson Molio’o (Boise State University), Elias Archie (Brown University), Sione Hala (Boston College), Maicah Talavou (Army West Point) and Malachi Finau (University of Hawaii).
The Braves hope to get back in the victory column at home tonight against JSerra after having a tough start to the Trinity League season, including a heartbreaking loss to the “Team in Red” last Friday.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Sports Editor
Head Coach Matt Dunn is confident in his team’s ability to persist and play their best basketball moving forward. He believes that every team is very evenly matched in Trinity League. Thus, it is extremely competitive. For the Braves, every week is going to be a battle to be able to come up on top.
The “Team in Red” is off to a strong start, ranked 1st in the Trinity League, Bosco being ranked 4th. The Braves are coming off a tough loss to the “Team in Red”, 61-59.
This season the Braves have had players in and out of games from both injuries and COVID-19. The team has struggled to maintain consistency due to factors out of their control, though their players are all coming back to form and should all be playing together again soon.
“It’s been a challenge with all that’s going on, with COVID and everything. I’m really proud of our group. We’re really plugging away. We’re going to play some really good basketball, and I’m excited for the rest of the year,” said Coach Dunn.
Injuries played a very big part in the team’s most recent loss against the “Team in Red.” Two of their biggest contributors in Elzie Harrington and Jack Turner missing due to a foot injury and a concussion, respectively.
“With injuries, everything is so inconsistent. The flow breaks, and it just messes up our game,” said senior Marco Kenz.
It’s also been a struggle to synergize for the team, being that it’s created from a mix of a lot of seniors and freshmen.
“We have a young team – three freshmen – and everyone is still trying to figure each other out,” said Kenz.
The team has many great players, including their freshmen. Their leading scorers are Jack Turner, Christian Estrada, Elzie Harrington and Kade Bonam. With the exception of Estrada, they’re all underclassmen, with Turner being a sophomore, giving the Braves a strong young core for the future.
It’s not just the underclassmen who play a big role, seniors Marco Kenz and DJ Henry are important leaders to the Braves’ team. They help anchor the Braves stout defense, which they frequently play to as a strength.
“We’ve got a really good defensive team, and if we shoot the ball a little bit better, I think we have a really good chance,” said Coach Dunn.
The players have high hopes for the remainder of the season and are confident in their potential to reset after this rough start to Trinity League play. They’re looking forward and are confident in their abilities to win out from here on out.
The Braves’ tip off against JSerra on tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bosco, and will face Orange Lutheran at home again Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
The 2021-2022 St. John Bosco Soccer Team led by David Sabet will be concluding their regular season with only five games left to play and looking to get hot to make a run at making the playoffs and winning another CIF championship.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The Braves hold a current overall record of 9-10-2, with a Trinity League record of 0-4-1. Bosco was only able to play 11 games last year and have a brief season due to Covid-19. However, this year they have been able to play 21 games thus far and will continue to play more by following the healthy and safety protocols ordered by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“We went 1-8-2 last year and were only able to play Trinity League teams, this year we are on the verge of making the playoffs and hopefully being able to get to where we were in 2019 and bring it home (a championship),” said senior goalkeeper Jacob Rivera.
The Braves ended up tying against the “Team in Red” 1-1, and were beaten on the road against JSerra, Santa Margarita, and Orange Lutheran. They were also defeated by a nationally ranked Servite.
Although the Braves have not had the upperhand to start Trinity League play with the majority of their games being on the road, they still have been able to use some of their key players, who are veterans of the team and able to make a major impact.
“Christopher Morales and Felipe Moreno have been able to make us a force on offense and with Issac Bercerra as our leader. Ivan Orozco as one of our better defenders, I think our season will have a good ending,” said senior defender Andres Zepeda.
Within the next few weeks, there will be many key home games for the Braves, including JSerra, Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita. These games will be a huge factor in determining whether the Braves will make the playoffs, and if so, where they will be seeded.
“These games won’t be easy, especially since we lost to all three of those teams on the road. I think they’re going to have more momentum thinking they can come in here and beat us. But, I know our guys have a chip on their shoulder and still have a lot to prove,” said sophomore Ignacio Fonseca.
Bosco soccer has had a very successful season in their eyes, regardless of what the critics think.
“Of course our goal is to win every match, but we still want to continue to build young men and have future players come through this program knowing they grew physically and mentally,” said coach Christian Quintero.
The Braves have been able to defeat Pomona High School, Woodrow Wilson, La Habra, St. Anthony, San Juan Hills, Fountain Valley, Trabuco Hills and Laguna Hills thus far.
Coming off a 4-0 loss to Servite, the Braves next game is against the Team in Red, at Mater Dei High School, on Friday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m.
St. John Bosco welcomes the students back on campus after a three-week vacation, looking to finish off the 2021-22 school year strong with new policies and rules.
This new policy officially started January 10th, the day students returned to class, and is in full effect with rules and consequences should the policy be violated.
The new policy states that all students must keep their cell phones in their backpack the entire school day, and must not be used unless in the case of an immediate emergency. If a student chooses to go against the policy, their phone will be taken away and the student will be given a Saturday detention.
For many months teachers have had issues with students having their cell phones out, and often talked about what it would be like with a policy like this in place.
“This policy has really always been on the table. For a while, we as a staff have always talked about bringing it into fruition. In our meetings, especially, it has been brought up, but with the mistakes that occurred last semester, we had to do it,” said Mr. Jon-Paul Masciel, the Dean of Students at Bosco.
One of the main concerns with the phone policy is the consequences, which were based on the Salesian preventive swystem, which consists of learning from your mistakes but at the same time having consequences like Saturday school.
Last semester the policy was announced through a video sent out by Principal Dr. Anderson stated what the policy was and when it would become in effect. There was never any announcement on if it was permanent or could be changed
“Many students ask me if this policy will end, and the real answer is that this policy will be enforced until further notice. It’s not to punish kids, but to help and even boost socialization,” Mr. Masciel said.
This policy is meant to be treated just like uniforms, where there should be no question of following it. There are many policies at Bosco that students follow and never think about.
“Just like any other policy, it can be changed or amended. It’s the same with uniforms. Possibly down the road we maybe can make it where it’s only certain days, but we don’t know, so for right now it’s in full effect,” said Mr. Masciel.
After one week of the policy being enforced, there have been many disagreements with the policy, but the school has dealt with them using respect and integrity throughout the school.
The phone policy is only in effect during the school hours, from 8 a.m. to the dismissal bell. All use of phones before and after those times are completely fine, and students will not get into trouble.
The lack of phones also requires students to now provide a legitimate device for school work, and using their phone for school is no longer allowed during the day.
Last week, the Brave community lost Mr. Monty McDermott, class of 1986, who most notably served as the Director of Athletics, but to many, was far more than that.
For 29 wonderful years, Mr. McDermott was a pillar of St. John Bosco. Since taking over as Athletic Director in 2002, St. John Bosco enjoyed the most successful athletic department run in the school’s history. Including a move into the elite Trinity League, Mr. McDermott is responsible for many of the changes that led to the successes that the school and its community have been accustomed to for quite some time now.
During his time as Athletic Director, St. John Bosco won a remarkable 52 varsity league titles, 79 CIF titles, 26 state championships and 11 national championships.
“They (Mr. McDermott and former principal Pat Lee) made an institutional commitment to compete with the teams in the Trinity League,” said instructor of Religious Studies Mr. Joe Griffin, class of 1975.
Although all of Bosco’s athletic teams have seen vast improvements since the beginning of his tenure, Mr. McDermott’s transformation of Bosco football into a powerhouse on the national level was one of, if not his most incredible accomplishment. Bosco football’s success began roughly a decade ago, with league titles in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018, state championships in 2013, 2016, and 2019, with those 2013 and 2019 campaigns ending with the Braves as National Champions.
“His guidance and belief in our vision were two primary reasons we are where we are today,” wrote Braves football head coach Jason Negro, class of 1991, in a statement released last Saturday morning.
Furthermore, part of the success can be attributed to the loyalty and support that he showed all coaches and athletic programs. He was a regular sight at sporting events, whether it was football, baseball or basketball.
“His legacy is ensuring that a Salesian education doesn’t just stop in the classroom, but it extends beyond to all aspects of our school,” said Principal Dr. Kris Anderson, class of 2004.
Being a practicing Catholic, God was very important to Mr. McDermott, so it is no surprise that he understood how to extend that Salesian education into athletics. He greatly valued success in the classroom in addition to success on the field or court.
“Scholar-athletes was something we didn’t use to do, and he thought that it was very important to honor the students who were getting a 3.0 and playing a varsity sport,” said Mrs. Jeanne Pantuso, who worked alongside Mr. McDermott in the athletics office for decades.
Mr. McDermott himself was a spectacular athlete. While attending Bosco, he served as captain of both the football and baseball teams, and was also an All-League athlete in both sports. Incredibly, McDermott set a national high school record, and still holds the state record, for most runs batted in (RBIs) for one baseball game with 14, in a game where he hit three home runs, two being grand slams, against Don Bosco Tech. Mr. McDermott also went on to play college baseball at the University of La Verne.
Due to his incredible athletic abilities, Mr. McDermott was a well-known member of the athletic community, especially in the Southern California region.
Although he is most well-known for being Bosco’s Athletic Director, Mr. McDermott also served Bosco as a dean, baseball coach, football coach, math teacher, physical education teacher and assistant Athletic Director. He also served as the CIF representative for the Trinity League.
“I think he leaves too big of a legacy to even express. He has been so involved with so many things over the years. I think he will never be forgotten,” said Mrs. Pantuso.
As a coach, he was very loved by those who had the privilege and opportunity to play for him. His style of coaching, being strict and meticulous while also coaching with positivity, really had an impact on many who played on his athletic teams. One such athlete who had the pleasure of playing for Mr. McDermott is current social studies instructor and former varsity baseball coach Mr. Mario Cordero, class of 1997.
“He was a positive coach. He wasn’t negative; he didn’t speak down to us. He was tough, but he was understanding, and I really looked up to him as a freshman,” said Mr. Cordero.
Beyond all of this, however, there were several qualities held by Mr. McDermott that made him not only special, but also a model man of faith.
One of these qualities was his immense love for St. John Bosco. After his four years here as a student of the class of 1986, Monty’s love for the school drew him back for what ended up being nearly another 30 years. Because of the many positions he held, Mr. McDermott impacted many who have either worked or attended St. John Bosco and gave an unrivaled demonstration of what the model Salesian educator looks like.
“He was passionate about Bosco. He loved Bosco, and he named his golden retriever Bosco. You’d see Monty, and he was always wearing Bosco gear,” said Mr. Cordero.
Of the many lasting impacts that Mr. McDermott leaves, which began when he first set foot on campus as a Brave in 1982, is the belief that he had in St. John Bosco. His belief in the school is what enabled him to bring the energy and love that touched everyone he met. His demonstration of what it means to show up every day and give all he has to give and work hard for an institution is the legacy that he leaves behind at Bosco.
“[His impact is] his loyalty to the school, his love for the school, and his willingness to work hard every day for the advancement of the athletes and the school itself,” said Mr. Griffin.
Another quality held by Mr. McDermott that was admired by all those who met him was his positive attitude and humor. His friendliness and happiness were very endearing aspects of his character, and made him someone that everyone wanted to be around.
“He was completely caring. We’ve all had those days where we don’t want to talk to people, but I don’t think he ever did, or at least showed that. He always made sure that the people he was with were in a good place,” said Dr. Anderson.
His love for St. John Bosco, however, was second only to one thing: his family. Mr. McDermott is survived by his wife, Delores McDermott and his son, Monty McDermott Jr., the loves of his life. His love for Bosco and his family were connected as he greatly involved his family into Bosco affairs.
“Monty involved his family, and I think that really illuminates the reality that Bosco was family for Monty. The McDermott family was always around Bosco, and I think that is a testament to who he was not only as a family man, but a Bosco family man too,” said Mr. Cordero.
His family truly was a Brave family. With him being an alumnus, and his parents being very involved in the community and his sisters attending St. Joseph High School, there was not much more possible involvement for Mr. McDermott. Through and through, Mr. McDermott was a Brave in his heart and a prime example of what it means to be a Brave.
The Brave community is currently awaiting more information concerning services for Mr. McDermott. However, if there are any tributes, quotes, or memories that one desires to share, contact socialmedia@bosco.org.
As the new Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly across the nation, colleges across the state are beginning to return to online learning. However, St. John Bosco has taken preventive measures in order to stay in person as initially planned.
Photo by County of Los Angeles Public Health
The first detected case of the variant in the United States occurred on December 1st in California. Since then, the variant has spread rapidly across the state and as well as the country. This variant has proven to be more contagious than the prior variants and has caused turmoil everywhere it has spread.
Since the first arrival of the variant, cases of COVID-19 have risen to record high numbers, with the average number of cases per week being more than double than that of a year prior, according to data released January 5th.
Though there has been an astronomical increase in the number of cases, the amount of hospitalizations are very low compared to the amount of contracted cases. The chances of someone being hospitalized due to the variant is only 2% with only a 5% chance of being admitted to the emergency room.
Even with this low hospitalization rate, this variant has caused a number of schools across the country to transition back to online learning for the time being. Though for Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD), the main priority is to make sure that this is not the case. Although many colleges and universities in the state have already made the announcement that they will be returning to online learning, K-12 schools in the LAUSD are doing everything possible to avoid this situation.
The LAUSD prepared in many different ways to remain on campus for the remainder of the school year to ready themselves for many possible scenarios that may affect the way schools conduct class. For example, the district has set up more than enough resources in the case of staff shortages in order to assure that the students continue to receive education while remaining on campus.
In a similar situation, Bosco has also decided that the benefits of staying on campus are too high to return to online learning, if it can be avoided safely. Due to this, the school has been working to make sure that everything that is possible is done to keep the students safe and on campus.
To ensure that the students would be able to return to campus safely, the school conducted a mandatory COVID-19 test on Friday, January 7th for all students and faculty. In order to return to school, students and faculty must have tested negative no more than 72 hours before Monday, January 10th, the day school resumed.
Following this test, Bosco will continue to administer weekly tests to all faculty and staff, as well as student athletes. Bosco’s Principal, Dr. Kris Anderson, was pleased to see that the number of students testing positive for COVID-19 was significantly lower than that of other schools in the area.
“We are at about 7%, tremendously lower than a lot of our public school counterparts are,” said Dr. Anderson.
This figure has a lot to do with how St. John Bosco will conduct on-campus learning and the safety measures that they have put in place. Dr. Anderson feels that this is very much to the credit of the students and families of the Bosco community.
“Our families are doing a really good job. If people weren’t taking it seriously, our number would have been a lot higher. I am really proud of our community for taking it seriously so that we were able to stay on campus,” said Dr. Anderson.
Being online is something that many students will remember as being a difficult adjustment, and it was not nearly as beneficial as being on campus. Many of Bosco’s teachers feel the same way, and Dr. Anderson wants all students to continue to learn on campus so that they can get the most out of their education.
“It wasn’t fun for any of us. Being a teacher in a classroom when you are trying to teach everyone, or when half of your class is at home, it’s even worse. Our goal set back in August was to have 180 days of instruction on campus, and to this point, everybody is holding up their end of the bargain,” said Dr. Anderson.
With all the steps that Bosco is taking and through the commitment of the community, the hope is that the remainder of the year will be able to be held entirely on campus. As both the students and the teachers are enjoying on-campus instruction, neither would be thrilled with a transition back to online learning.
Joseph Michael Griffin first stepped foot on the St. John Bosco campus 50 years ago in 1971, where he found a home within the Brave community.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
After working as a teacher for ten years, Mr. Griffin, or to many on campus, Coach Griffin, returned to campus in order to teach religious studies and to coach football in August of 1990. He joined the Bosco teaching staff together with Mr. Linares and Mr. Antonelli. Mr. Griffin is the religious department lead and is also a part of the freshman football coaching staff. In his 32 years as Bosco he has also served as vice-principal, CYM twice. He was the varsity football offensive coordinator for three years and the head freshmen football coach for several years.
Mr. Griffin always felt welcomed at Bosco and felt as if it was a second home. He was a quieter kid in high school and while not excelling in academics and sports, still felt very welcomed at Bosco. Though a lot of the campus has changed, for Mr. Griffin, the environment of the school has remained the same.
“There really are not many differences. We always had a diverse student community in those days,” said Mr. Griffin.
One of the only differences that Mr. Griffin has witnessed that the number of Salesians, priests and brothers that were on campus was much greater back then. Not only were there more salesians, priests and brothers, but there were no female teachers as well.
Though Mr. Griffin’s original plans were not to be a teacher, his aspirations to teach came much later. Though it may not have been in his initial plans, Mr. Griffin has proven to be an excellent teacher and a key piece to the Bosco community. He was able to achieve his goals through some of what Bosco was able to provide for him while he was in high school.
“Bosco gave me a nurturing place to grow up as an adolescent to feel welcomed and supported,” said Mr. Griffin.
A new familiar face on campus is Bosco’s Principal, Dr. Kris Anderson. Dr. Anderson attended Bosco from 2000 to 2004. He was involved in the prestigious Bosco football program, where he was coached by Mr. Griffin during his time on the freshman football team. Dr. Anderson was able to prosper in the football program as he began as a backup offensive line man on the Gold team, until he became a starter his senior year winning league and earning himself a scholarship to the University of Idaho.
“With his mentorship and continuing to push me to be better, by the time I was a sophomore, I started on the sophomore team and was a two year starter,” said Dr. Anderson.
Dr. Anderson feels that Mr. Griffin’s qualities as a mentor for football and teaching are what helped him grow as a football player and person overall.
“His example of commitment and drive had a big impact on me,” said Dr. Anderson.
Mr. Griffin coached Dr. Anderson his freshman year and mentioned that he was a very hard worker and very dependable. Mr. Griffin was also his teacher mentor in 2009 and is now his fellow colleague. Dr. Anderson accredits Mr. Griffin for how his relationship changed from coach and athlete to colleague. This is due to Mr. Griffin’s experience in the teaching realm, in the sense that he has seen it all.
Mr. Griffin gives this advice to current Bosco Braves and that is to start taking academics seriously during your “high school days.”
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