by Ian Cook

After not having the season they longed for last year, the St. John Bosco Braves baseball team, led by Head Coach Don Barbara, have started off their 2022 season strong with an overall record of 5-1.

This year, the Braves have a grand total of 18 senior players. This team has already proven to be a strong contender as they were ranked 16th in Southern California by the Los Angeles Times. With this experience, they are hopeful to beat out the very challenging competition and win the prestigious Trinity League Championship.

“We’ve had a great start to this season so far, and since we have a lot of seniors, including myself, I just want to turn a lot of heads and make it big for our team,” said senior third baseman Julian Orozco. 

The Braves will face off against the Jserra Lions and the Orange Lutheran Lancers, two high-level programs that have drawn national attention in the last few years due to their continuous successful seasons. 

The Braves have had to battle through adversity over the course of the last two years due to COVID-19 and an unsuccessful season. Though going into this season, the Braves are excited to get back to a championship-contending team.

“We’ve had a rough two years, our season was cut short due to COVID, and last year we went 6-21. This year we’re finally back to normal and we have a lot of division one talent that we’re ready to display this year,” said senior catcher Dylan Taguiam. 

As of now, the Braves have defeated El Dorado 6-1, Mission Viejo 9-6, Woodbridge 8-1, Newport Harbor 13-1 and San Juan Hills 6-3. The Braves’ only defeat was to a very strong, Tesoro team, losing 4-3 in the championship game of the Newport Elks Tourney. 

The Braves have been able to use their depth to have a successful season thus far and hope to continue this game plan going into a very tough Trinity League stretch. 

“We’ve had a lot of guys this year step up big time and help us make great plays to close out these games. Dylan Lina, and Taguiam, as well as Jake Ellison, are just examples of a few guys that have really helped us close out games these last couple of weeks. We’re going to be counting on them and other guys as well to keep being as consistent as possible,” said senior pitcher Niko Riera. 

With this heavy senior group, comes many commitments, a few to mention are Caleb Brandon, committed to the University of Southern California, Dylan Taguiam, committed to Lipscomb University, Dylan Lina, committed to San Jose State University, Aeden Alexander, committed to Azusa Pacific University and Niko Riera, committed to the University of California Irvine.

Despite the depth in this year’s team, the expectations will even be higher than in previous years. The Braves hope to win the 2022 Trinity League Championship, as well as a CIF Southern Section and State Regional Title. 

The Braves will play an away game against Dana Hills Tuesday, March 8th, at 3 P.M.

by Aydn Morris

Following a disappointing loss at JSerra last week, the Braves are looking towards their first-round matchup with the La Costa Canyon Mavericks in the CIF State Championship tournament.

In an uncharacteristic game from the Braves, they lost 60-44 against JSerra. They struggled heavily to put the ball in the basket. In the first quarter, they only scored six points, and things did not get much better as they only scored ten points in the second quarter. 

“We shot the ball very poorly and allowed that to affect our defense. We have to always defend at a high level,” said head coach Matt Dunn.

According to Max Preps, the Braves average 15.7 points in the first quarter, and average a total of 64.3 points per game. The Braves were not able to hit either of these marks in this game, which led to the loss.

“We weren’t talking and did not communicate enough and get organized. We just weren’t ourselves and we can’t let that happen again. We need to improve by having more energy and the seniors leading more vocally,” said senior point guard D.J. Henry

Even with the loss last week, the Braves still have high hopes and expectations in what seems to be a second chance. The state tournament consists of 32 teams. The Braves earned the tenth seed in the southern side of the bracket, and they go against the seventh seeded Mavericks.

“I honestly feel pretty confident in my brothers that we can get the job done, because losing the game against Jserra was a big blow and it was a tough lesson to learn. I feel we have learnt it and we never want to feel that way again, so I feel really confident that we will take it to whoever we play. Just one game at a time,” said senior Marco Kenz 

The JSerra loss seemed to be a huge blow to the Braves, as any playoff loss should, but all they can focus on now is the next game, staying confident and being resilient. 

“Personally, I feel like we have something to prove. I don’t think many people believe we can win this, but our team does. So, we are excited to play,” said sophomore guard Jack Turner.

Fortunately, the Braves did not have to end their season in that fashion because that is not how they want to be defined as a team. The Braves were very resilient throughout their whole season, as they dealt with COVID as well as other adversities, including injuries. 

“We have had a lot of adversity with guys getting injured, and I had to sit out for transfer rules. It took a while for us to finally get in a rhythm together,” said Jack Turner.

These adversities may have benefited the Braves, as it made them play more as a team and play with more toughness, while giving everyone on the team an important role to fill. 

“We need our bench guys to play well. Different guys have stepped up at different times, but Marco Kenz and Christian Lizarraga have been very important,” said Coach Dunn. 

The Braves have many key players that fill their role, such as Jack Turner, Christian Estrada and D.J. Henry. Jack transferred in and became the leading scorer, as well a great defender. Christian is the force in the paint and the leader in both rebounds and blocks per game. D.J. is the leader in both assists per game and steals per game, as well as the senior voice, along with guard Ray King.

The Braves will need to lock in and focus during this game against La Costa Canyon, because they may not score on as much of a high level. The Mavericks have players who can score well, including their leading scorer, junior Christian Brown who is a 6’5″ wing.

The game takes place tonight at 6:00 P.M. at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California.

by Eric Torres, Editor-In-Chief

Braves hockey continued their tradition of excellence, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs following a strong and tough regular season. 

This season, the Braves, participating in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League (ADHSHL), posted a record of 10-5-2. Their 29 points, the third-most in the league, was not only enough to take the second seed in the playoffs, but also clinch a very important first-round bye.

Even more impressively, this was the Braves’ first full season in Division 1 of the ADHSHL. They entered this division following a Division 2 championship in the 2019-2020 season, which was their second in four seasons, with three championship games reached over that four-year span.

Despite earning the second seed, the Braves’ start to the year was rocky at best. The Braves started the season 1-3-0 after tough losses to Santa Margarita, Lutheran (Orange) and the Capistrano Coyotes. A tough schedule and new players, which meant a lack of chemistry at the beginning of the season, played a big role in the slow start. 

“Honestly, we started against the hardest teams, and we had a lot of new guys on the team, so we needed to get it together,” said senior goaltender Kevin Zamazal.

However, the Braves turned the season around. After that 1-3-0 start, the Braves won their next three en route to taking the next six out of seven. In the end, the Braves only lost two more games in regulation for the rest of the season.

“We played our system more, we didn’t just focus on one guy. We made better passes and got more chemistry,” said sophomore forward Patrik Cech.

Furthermore, in that three-game win streak, the Braves got revenge on both Santa Margarita, who currently holds the first seed in the playoffs, in a thrilling overtime win, as well as the Capistrano Coyotes, in a 6-1 blowout. Unlike the Trinity League, the ADHSHL has different divisions, meaning that there was no competition against teams like “The Team in Red” and Servite. Instead, the Braves have rivalries with teams such as these two.

“Santa Margarita is our rival because every time that we play, it is a very physical game, and it is very tight. There’s a lot of energy when we play,” said junior defenseman Tyler Gagnon.

In order for this type of season to take place, especially in a sport like hockey, contributions came from everywhere. Nichollas Nelson, from Downey High School, led the team with 16 points. Elsewhere, the Braves received a push from their underclassmen, with contributions from Patrik Cech, with twelve points, and freshman center Ty Izadi, who added five goals and four assists in only nine games played.

“Everyone played well. Patrik played well, and Ty Izadi played really well and got a good start for his freshman year,” said Kevin. 

Even with a top-three offense in the division, the defense also carried their weight. The Braves surrendered 58 goals in their 17 games played. With the offensive capabilities of the team, this figure is more than good enough for a top seed in the playoffs. Defensemen, such as Tyler Gagnon, stepped up to hold other teams at bay.

Finally, the goaltending completed a well-rounded team performance in the regular season. Kevin Zamazal posted a respectable .885 save percentage and averaged 3.28 goals against per game. 

“Kevin stood on his head the whole year. Everyone did their part and did what they were supposed to do,” said Ty.

In order to succeed in the playoffs, the Braves will need to play at their highest level, while also remembering the adjustments that put them in this spot. Although they hold the second seed, no team is to be overlooked, especially with the amount of time since the last game. Furthermore, a deep run could allow for the return of senior first-line defenseman Donovan Felton, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

“We need to keep playing like a team and play it simple. We beat the good teams by playing simple and doing the easy stuff. We also need to take our chances,” said Kevin. 

This year, the Braves’ chances to win it all are at their highest. Beyond holding the second seed and a first-round bye, the Braves defeated every team that is on their side of the bracket already this year. Furthermore, due to the seeding, the two teams with the highest points in the division, Santa Margarita and St. Mary’s are seeded on the other half of the bracket. This means that the Braves will not face either team until the final, should they make it.

“We have a big chance to win. In the bracket, we are on the right side, and we have already beat all the teams on our side. If we play our system and we play well we should get into the finals,” said Patrik. 

Due to a first-round bye, Braves hockey does not play their first playoff game until March 10 at Anaheim Ice Rink, which will start at 6:30 P.M. They will face the winner of the matchup between Bellarmine Prep and Pacific Ridge School, with a trip to the semi-finals on the line.

by Aydn Morris

Despite the many hardships and adversity faced by the Rams, they overcame it all in dramatic fashion to capture the Super Bowl LVI title on their home field.

The Rams began the game in outstanding fashion, taking a 13-10 lead into halftime. Everything was looking promising for them, until star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a huge non-contact knee injury.

Beckham started the game off with a dominant performance that had the potential to evolve into one that was worthy the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. At the time of the injury, he had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. However, this is not the first time Beckham has dealt with knee injuries in his career, as he suffered an ACL tear last year.

Although the loss of Beckham put a huge strain on the Rams offense, the team bounced back, showing why they deserved to be Super Bowl champions this year. 

With the loss of Beckham, all of the pressure was set on quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and the defense for the Rams in the second half. This injury, combined with the powerhouse offense already suffering many key injuries, such as those to wide receiver Robert woods and tight end Tyler Higbee, the defense was the x-factor for the Rams. 

The second half did not start off great for the Rams on both ends of the ball, as on the first play of the half, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a touchdown to wide receiver Tee Higgins for 75 yards over Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Although it resulted in a touchdown, there was a very controversial no-call on that play, as Tee Higgins pulled Ramsey to the floor to get open.

This resulted in the Bengals gaining a 17-13 lead over the Rams, where it only got worse for the Rams. Ten seconds later, Stafford threw an interception, deflecting of the hands of rookie wide receiver Ben Skowronek, giving the Bengals great field position on the Rams’ 31-yard line.  

It did not seem like any of the receivers for the Rams wanted to step up in the second half besides the Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp. Kupp showed why he deserved the Offensive Player of the Year award, as he had eight receptions for 92 yards and a key carry on a crucial fourth down conversion on the final drive. 

Kupp and Stafford combined for one of the best, if not the best, fourth quarter offensive drives in Super Bowl history. The drive was a total of 15 plays, for 72 yards and left only 1:25 seconds on the clock for the Bengals. Fittingly, the drive ended with Kupp catching a 1-yard touchdown, his second of the game, following a controversial hold on the Bengals. This drive capped off an overall star performance from Kupp, which earned him the Super Bowl MVP.

Although the Bengals still had little over a minute left in the game with two timeouts, the Rams star-studded defense shut down any hope of a game-tying or game-winning drive. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year defensive tackle Aaron Donald made two key plays at the end of the drive. The first, on 3rd & 1 he stopped he stopped the rush, and on fourth down, he forced Burrow into an incompletion, clinching the victory for the Rams.

Aaron Donald may not have been seriously effective during the start of the game, but he will always have some impact at the end of the game, like he did in the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. This playoff run may have cemented Donald’s legacy as one of the greatest defensive players of all time. 

Every Super Bowl always leads to emotions for both teams, but this one had a different type of emotional set to it, as players such as Beckham and Stafford won after spending years playing for struggling franchises. Also, players such as Donald, Kupp and Ramsey got their first ring after years of heartbreaking playoff losses. 

There were also many post-game celebrations, such as safety Taylor Rapp proposing to his fiancé during the celebration and wide receiver Van Jefferson rushing to the hospital to celebrate the birth of his second child.

Overall, the season for the Rams, who had gone all-in to win a Super Bowl, was a complete success, and they hope to get many of their injured players back and healthy to try to repeat next season.

by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor

The St. John Bosco basketball team wrapped up their season, and now turn toward the CIF division one playoffs, where they will face off in round one against Culver City High School.

The Braves had yet another great year, finishing off with an overall record of 19-8. This resulted in a third-place finish in Trinity League play with a record of 6-3, getting themselves another opportunity at a CIF Championship.

This year for Bosco wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine; it was filled with highs and lows. There were critical moments this season where it looked like the Braves were one of the best in the state, as well as some games where they struggled to find their footing.

They started off the year hot, winning twelve of their first 14 games. But after that, their first roadblock hit them. Right before Trinity League games began Bosco would go on to lose four in a row including their first league matchup with JSerra.

They then got a glimpse of light as they beat Orange Lutheran, but quickly got knocked off their feet losing a crucial game to Santa Margarita on a game-winning buzzer beater shot in overtime. 

But, like always, the Braves didn’t give up, winning two in a row, though they ended up losing a tough game to their league rival, “Team in Red.” With four games remaining in the year, the playoffs were not guaranteed and they needed something to pick their spirits up. They found a spark after senior forward, Christian Estrada hit a game-clinching half-court hook shot. The Braves would then go on and win the last four games clinching them a spot in the playoffs.

“I am proud of where we are at right now. We definitely had some ups and some downs, but we are playing really well at the end. I’m proud of the guys. It’s our year with COVID and all those kinds of things, and we’ve pushed through a lot of adversity. That says a lot to me about this group of guys,” said Head Basketball Coach Matt Dunn.

In recent years, Bosco basketball has played in the CIF Open Division playoffs. But this year, they scrapped to get a spot and ended up being placed in division one playoffs instead.

“Well, the huge difference with division one is if you lose you’re done. So in the Open Division, you get a little cushion and when it comes down to preparing there isn’t really any difference, but there is that feeling of knowing there is no guarantee,” said Coach Dunn.

This season the Braves have had three great leaders, which led them to victory multiple times. Sophomore guard Jack Turner was a standout taking a big leadership role and leading the team in points per game, averaging an astounding 15.6 points. Turner hit many big shots to give the Braves a chance in every game night in and night out.

Not far behind is the “X-factor” for this Braves team, senior Christian Estrada, who averaged 14.3 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 9.3 boards per game. Estrada has always been known to be one of the top players for the Braves and has always been highly respected.

“For these playoffs, we are going to have to stay mentally focused, paying attention to the little things. For example with communicating and supporting each other,” said Estrada. 

The third player to round up the Braves’ trio of leaders is senior point guard D.J. Henry. Henry led the team in assists per game but got hurt toward the end of the season. He is looking to get healthy to win a ring in his final season.

On Friday the Braves will face off against a solid Culver City team who finished 14-7 and second in their league. This will be no cakewalk for the Braves, so they must bring their best game.

“Heading into this game, we need to continue playing well and doing the things we are good at. We have been rebounding and shooting the ball well so we just need to keep doing that, as well as passing the ball around getting everyone involved,” said Turner.

The Braves had many games this season where they think they should have won, and they feel as though these losses might have been because they didn’t take care of the little things. But when the Braves are at their best, they do all the little things correct like grabbing rebounds and boxing out.

This game for the Braves won’t be looked at any different than their others. Their goal stays the same, come in and win by playing hard nose basketball.

“This game is no different, we have been preparing for this game exactly how we prepared for every other game and that’s what will lead us to success,” said Estrada.

The Bosco Braves will tip off at Culver City High School tonight at 7 p.m.