From November 15th to November 17th, the St. John Bosco Varsity Esports team participated in the Cal Expo Tournament in Sacramento.
Competing against some of the best college and high school teams in the region, Bosco played Valorant and League of Legends at the tournament. Unlike the half-dozen or so esports events that take place around Southern California, this tournament featured dozens of teams from all over the western United States. This was a moment to validate the countless hours of practice that led to their selection for the event.
The Cal Expo venue was buzzing with energy as teams from universities like Boise State, UC San Diego and Arizona State competed alongside top high school programs in a landmark esports event. As one of the few high schools competing in a largely collegiate field, Bosco’s players had the rare opportunity to interact with college teams and learn from their experiences.
St. John Bosco’s team might have been one of the youngest and least experienced, but they didn’t let that hold them back.
“This was their first time doing something like this—traveling, sleeping in a hotel room, playing on a stage. It’s extremely stressful, but I told them to just have fun. This is a learning experience to prepare them for the next time,” said coach and operations managers, Asher Boulton.
Bosco’s Valorant team faced tough opposition, including powerhouse programs like Huntington Beach High School and Long Beach City College. Boulton expressed his amazement at how precise their opponents were.
“Literally everything they were doing was on point—the way they were dodging and [moving]. It was mesmerizing.”
One of the biggest highlights came off the stage. The head coach of Boise State University’s esports program, widely regarded as one of the top collegiate programs, noticed Bosco’s team.
“The Boise State coach came up to talk with us because he loves our program,” Boulton shared. “He told me he wants to recruit players from Bosco’s team in the future.”
Boise State’s esports program is known for full-ride scholarships, a professional coaching staff and robust player support systems. The potential partnership between Bosco and Boise State could open doors for Bosco’s players.
“It’s an insane program,” Boulton said. “This connection could mean a lot for our players’ futures.”
In the end, St. John Bosco knocked on the door of the trophy case, coming up just short of their goal of winning the championship. Instead, they walked away with a valuable lesson that will serve them well in the future: Know your opponent before stepping onto the mat. For Boulton, the tournament was about more than just wins and losses.
“This was their first big tournament, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they handled themselves,” he said. “They’ve got the talent and the drive, and I’m excited to see where they go from here.”
The future team ambitions for upcoming tournaments make the Cal Expo experience with Boise State even more potent. If Bosco’s esports team continues to tap into growth and resilience, its moment in high school esports will continue to cast a long shadow as a vibrant memory.
by Macade Maxwell and Owen Stelzer, co-Sports Editors
After a remarkable 2024 season that saw the St. John Bosco varsity basketball team claim the CIF State Division One Championship, the Braves enter the new season with high expectations. Ranked number five in the nation by MaxPreps and deemed “the team to beat in high school basketball” by Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Sondheimer, the Braves are poised to make another deep run in both state and national competition.
Photo by @BoscoBasketball on X, formerly known as Twitter
Head Coach Matt Dunn has every reason to be confident. The Braves return an elite core of players that rival any in the country. Among them is junior guard Brandon McCoy, the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026, according to On3. Senior guard Elzie Harrington and junior forward Christian Collins join him, forming what Sports Illustrated has titled “arguably the best trio in California.”
The Braves are now off to a promising 7-0 start to begin the season, living up to all the hype thus far. After a dominant 81-40 victory in their season opener against Francis Parker, the Braves headed to Illinois to compete in the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions, which strives to fight against a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma.
The Braves came to play this time around as they dominantly won every game—with final scores of 74-45 against Metamora, 85-38 against Paideia, 77-46 against DeKalb and 72-62 against St. Francis Episcopal to secure the tournament championship. Elzie, Christian and Brandon earned First Team All-Tournament honors with their stellar performances throughout the week. In addition, Elzie won tournament MVP, and Brandon won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
McCoy, who already carries the weight of being the top player in his class, is a clear leader on the team.
“This is a good start to the season, but there’s still a lot of basketball left,” said Brandon. “We just got to keep working, that’s all.”
Bosco’s remaining schedule includes marquee games in Arizona, Massachusetts and, of course, the highly competitive Trinity League, which pits them against top-ranked teams from across the nation.
For the players, these high-profile games are not just opportunities to prove themselves but to grow together as a unit.
“Playing against good teams only helps us out,” said Christian.
While the star players draw much of the spotlight, Coach Dunn emphasizes the importance of the entire roster.
“This team’s depth is what makes us special,” he said. “From the starters to the bench, everyone has a role and everyone contributes.”
That said, carrying some of the top players in the country definitely puts a brighter spotlight on the Braves this season.
“There is certainly more attention (mainly social media attention) on this year’s team than have been in years past,” Coach Dunn said. “That does not add any more pressure, but we certainly are excited about the opportunity of having a great team.”
The Braves beat local rival St. Pius-St. Matthias Academy, ranked #15 in the area according to the Los Angeles Times, by a score of 85-77. As the season continues, Bosco Basketball’s sights are set firmly on a Southern Section and State Open Division Championship, with aspirations of making waves on the national stage.
“Our goal is simple: compete at the highest level,” said Coach Dunn. “We have the talent, we have the experience, and we have the hunger. It’s about putting it all together and seeing where it takes us.”
The team will compete in their very own Braves Varsity Winter Classic this week in the Thunderdome, having won their opening round match up against Fremont by a 64-point margin on Monday. Their next game is tomorrow at 6pm against the winner of Don Bosco Tech and Hesperia.
In a desperate attempt to make some money, famed troublemaker Mr. McGueber challenges Mike Tyson to a boxing match.
Mr. McGueber is no stranger to finding weird ways to try and take over the world. Unfortunately, due to fines issued by The Guild of Non-Heinous Actions (GNHA), his company, Gueber Incorporated, has declared bankruptcy.
Mr. McGueber has expressed his anger at having to go through this experience.
“I didn’t even know that the [GNHA] could give me fines like that,” said Mr. McGueber. “They are literally just there to interfere with my plans.”
Due to this bankruptcy, Mr. McGueber cannot build his infamous gadgets to take over the world.
“Despite my giant loss, I am happy that my sidekick, Squaddle, is still with me,” said Mr. McGueber. “I also don’t pay [Squaddle] at all, why should I?”
With his infinite wisdom, Mr. McGueber has now challenged Mike Tyson to a boxing match. Mr. McGueber has no boxing experience nor boxing training.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years old and weak. My chances of winning have gone up a lot,” said Mr. McGueber.
Netflix has already set up a deal with both participants, in which Mr. McGueber will get $15 million from the match.
“Once I get my $15 million, I won’t even think about saving it. I am going to make bad money decisions,” said Mr. McGueber. “We only live once, baby, I don’t care if I go into debt again.”
Students are confused on how and why Mr. McGueber was able to get a deal to fight Mike Tyson.
“Mr. McGueber can’t fight; he lost to his own shadow! I even have a video of him losing,” said senior Micheal Beaird.
Mike Tyson has made no comment about this whole ordeal. Mr. McGueber has made tons of comments about it.
“This is my redemption arc. This is where I lock in and become a legend in boxing,” said Mr. McGueber.
A lot of people don’t believe that Mr. McGueber can really fight; some even believe that he can’t even fight his own sidekick, Squaddle.
“Look, I know I am supposed to be McGueber’s since day one, but I think he is going to fail miserably,” said Squaddle. “I am currently planning his funeral, ‘cause ain’t no way he is going to survive.”
The fight is happening in the Bosco Quad instead of the Bosco Thunderdome, due to St. John Bosco staff not trusting Mr. McGueber in the gym after the whole “Doomsday Device” fiasco.
The Tyson-McGueber fight will be the final bout of the event. There are other undercard matches, most notably a super heavyweight bout between English teacher, Mr. Vince Vigil, and Vice Principal of Student Conduct, Mr. Bob Linares.
Even though the main event will probably only last a couple of minutes, there are some random names to show up.
“Look, I am all in to watch Mr. McGueber get beat up, but I don’t want to watch Drew Finklebottom vs Locksmith Jones just to watch the main event,” said senior Ayden Fariester.
The card will have some marquee matches including:
Featherweight: Vin Von Vagner vs Joe “The Pound” Steele
Featherweight: Wesmond “Westside” Shaw (C) vs Stin “The Stench” Stinkerson for CKI Championship
Lightweight: Drew Finklebottom (C) vs Locksmith Jones for PPT Championship
Super middleweight: Mr. Finger vs Red Delicious (Loser leaves The Guild of Non-Heinous Actions)
Super middleweight: Lydia “The Snow” Sherman vs Malia Buckson
Super heavyweight: Vince “The Vigilante” Vigil vs Bob “The Builder” Linares
Main Event: Mike Tyson vs Mr. McGueber
The event will be live and streamed on Netflix. It will begin at 9 p.m. ET on December 19, 2024. Tickets will be sold on GoFan and Ticketmaster.
Understanding neurodiversity is vital to accepting those who are neurodivergent. But what is included within neurodiversity and what does being neurodivergent mean?
Image Provided by Ms. Cathy Roohan
School can be difficult due to students’ many challenges, such as time management, difficulties understanding subjects or dealing with the stress of extracurriculars. While many students regularly deal with these obstacles in school, neurodivergent students may have other challenges that they deal with on a daily basis.
Neurodivergence is difficult to label, rather, it could be called an umbrella term that includes many types of differences within the brain. These include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to name a few.
“The definition of being neurodivergent has changed over the decades. It used to generally include those with [ASD] or Aspergers,” Ms. Roohan said. “In recent decades, it has become more inclusive. Now, it generally means a significant difference in the brain.”
Dr. Francesca Po, Bosco’s Coordinator of Youth Ministry (CYM), notes that neurodivergence isn’t necessarily a disorder, but simply a difference in how the brain works.
“Neurodivergence in the educational field is just learning differences – it’s a little bit more [complicated] than that, but it’s when people learn in a different way,” Dr. Po said. “It’s not necessarily good or bad; it’s when the brain functions in a different way.”
In past decades, the perspective on neurodiversity was treated very differently than it is now. Neurodivergent individuals were treated as inferior and they were often segregated from the public.
“When I was in high school, you would have a special education class. Nowadays, people with learning differences are integrated – they’re not separated anymore. That’s a good step forward [in] removing that stigma,” said Dr. Po.
Neurodivergent students often struggle with certain challenges that neurotypical students do not typically struggle with. This can include difficulties focusing, cognitive flexibility (the ability to switch attention between different topics) or understanding certain concepts.
Mr. Miller, science instructor and neurodivergent individual himself, has personally dealt with similar struggles. In response, he’s decided to integrate it into his teaching.
“I became less rigid on deadlines because I understood that when a student has seven teachers and seven assignments and everything else going on in their life, students need [to make] adjustments and work within their parameters to get things done,” said Mr. Miller.
Mr. Miller understands how this can affect students because he’s dealt with it as well. His experience gives him knowledge of how other students feel because he’s been in the same place since he was a student.
“My biggest [challenge] with ADHD is that it wasn’t something that was known or accepted when I was a student. I had to find ways to compensate,” Mr. Miller said. “If you were to look at my notebooks in junior high or college, the borders are covered with doodles because if I didn’t do something while learning, I would become an irritant to those around me and get in trouble.”
This kind of repetitive behavior – Mr. Miller’s doodling, in this instance – is called stimming. It can include rocking in place or tapping their fingers. It’s generally a method to calm themselves or stay occupied. These behaviors help keep them occupied while doing things.
Unfortunately, some stims, such as tapping against a desk or floor, can be loud, and it may be distracting or a source of annoyance for other students to deal with. But it can be very difficult to stop stimming because some neurodivergent individuals require sensory output like touch and sound.
A common misconception surrounding neurodiversity is that some neurodivergent individuals are incapable of learning or are unintelligent. This is largely untrue, as many of history’s great minds have been neurodivergent, according to counselor Ms. Cathy Roohan.
“For example, if you look at some of the geniuses of our history – Mozart or Einstein – those individuals are neurodivergent because of their extremely high intelligence – the significant difference in their brain,” said Ms. Roohan.
Neurodivergent brains develop differently to neurotypical brains. Often, the difference in development causes the neurodivergent individual to have difficulties understanding social cues and body language.
Unfortunately, because of the developmental issues with neurodivergence, they may be the target of harassment. The main reason for the bullying and harassment is the lack of understanding from the bullies, who tend to be neurotypical.
Neurodivergent individuals may become a target of harassment due to their neurodivergence. According to Ms. Roohan, this can be avoided if individuals were to be aware of neurodiversity.
“Sometimes when we don’t understand something, we tend to have misconceptions about their neurodivergent behavior. But if we understand a person’s diverse mind, then we’re more likely to understand and help each other,” said Ms. Roohan. “A lot of the name calling and teasing and bullying is really because we don’t understand each other.”
The growing awareness surrounding neurodiversity has helped the life of neurodivergent individuals and made them feel accepted.
“At first, day-to-day life may seem strange, especially if you’re a little older and just finding out. It may seem odd at first, like you’re sticking out in a crowd, and I found it uncomfortable to talk to my friends, scared of if they would judge me or make fun of me, but now I feel normal because of the people I was able to talk to,” said Ms. Roohan.
Neurodivergence is a convoluted subject, and Ms. Roohan, who’s also the Learning Specialist at Bosco, is happy to share more about it. She’s located in the counseling office on the first floor of the 200 building.
St. John Bosco’s annual Culture Fair, which took place November 8th, allowed the student body to showcase and explore the world’s various cultures.
Photo by Nels Nelsen
At the fair, multiple tables were arranged, all selling various foods and drinks. English teacher and Junior Board Moderator, Mrs. Michelle Tracy, was running her board’s table for the Culture Fair, where chips, soda and water were being sold. Additionally, she hails from Mexican descent and takes great pride in her Mexican-American culture.
“I think [I’ve] just always found the traditions interesting,” Mrs. Tracy said.
Her family eats tamales at Christmas time, often getting together to make them.
Mrs. Tracy thinks the Culture Fair is important because it helps students and faculty connect with not just their cultures, but other cultures as well. With as diverse of a population as Bosco’s, students are definitely able to do that.
“I just think that having a connection to a culture can enrich your life,” said Mrs. Tracy.
Several students also helped share their culture by selling food, drinks and desserts. For example, the Filipino Club sold traditional entrees, such as lumpia. Additionally, Bosco’s Black Student Union sold a plate with ribs, macaroni and cheese and baked beans. Another student who participated in selling food was senior Noah Wayner, who was running the shaved ice table with his mother.
He sees and does things with his mother’s side of the family more, which makes him deem family as a majorly important aspect of culture.
“The concept of [how] family and food [connect is what’s most important to me],” Noah said.
Noah always wishes to build strong family bonds in things he is involved in. He did so when he played football, and he currently builds these bonds as a part of Bosco’s theater program.
Photo by Nels Nelsen
Noah believes that consuming other culture’s foods is the physical way of bringing culture to yourself.
“I think [the Culture Fair] is important because we get to see a lot of different cultures [and] how they celebrate. [That’s [primarily shown through] what their food is like because they are very food-oriented,” said Noah.
Junior Adrian Irannejad was working a table for the Speech and Debate Club he started. Like Mrs. Tracy, he aligns himself with Mexican culture and sees food as one of its biggest parts.
“In our culture, food brings us together after a funeral or during a party,” Adrian said.
This is extremely important because food is often a huge source of happiness that allows us to bond with others. He also thinks it is important that, as a human race, understand each other.
“I think the Culture Fair here is important because we have students from all sorts of [places], we have [Pacific] Islanders, Mexicans [and] Asians. [Students come] from all over the world,” said Adrian.
It’s important that students learn where their brothers come from because it teaches them to be more receptive toward people who aren’t the same as them. Bosco’s annual Culture Fair allows them to do that.
St. John Bosco and St. Joseph’s Academic Decathlon team has never failed to put forward some great teams to compete on the local, national and international stage. But for the past couple of years, some surmised that the program was in decline.
Photo courtesy of Josue Sanchez, co-Editor-in-Chief
For years, Mr. Edgar Salmingo, former Vice Principal of Academic Affairs, served as the decathlon team’s coach. After he left St. John Bosco at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, however, a period of high coaching turnover ensued.
This was no more apparent than in this current year, where the Bosco Academic Decathlon team has seen multiple coaches in the same season—something unheard of for the program in years past.
Ms. Drea Sanchez, a former teacher at St. Joseph’s, handled the program from the beginning of last school year to just about Spring break. She departed from the team over Spring break after coming to the difficult decision to switch careers and pursue nursing, a move that hurt the team.
“[Something] that was truly detrimental to the team was the lack of a stable teacher. [When Ms. Sanchez left] in the middle of our season, we kind of had to pilot ourselves for a while,” said senior decathlete Ben Garza.
While the coaching changes have been hard, Ben believes that it’s brought the team closer together.
“Because our team hasn’t had a permanent teacher in a few years, we have all sort of grown closer together. We realized that being cold to one another wouldn’t do us any good, especially if we would have to collaborate with one another to compete,” Ben said. “[We’ve] started to grow closer [because] most of us were returning competitors. This has helped our team chemistry tremendously. Almost all of us have gotten to interact and compete with one another, [which has led] to more synergy in our group.”
Ben believes this synergy will help the team tremendously, as they face off against the best the world has to offer.
Ms. Sanchez’s departure was the first coaching change of the year, and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. When she left, the team was preparing for the regional round of the World Scholars Cup, which was set to take place in Pasadena. Luckily for the decathlon team, they were able to find an extremely capable coach to take Ms. Sanchez’s place.
Ms. Nicole Scalas stepped into the role of Head Decathlon Coach post-Spring break last school year. In addition to being the team’s new coach, she also served as St. Joseph’s Theology Department Chair, an English teacher and a child development teacher.
Ms. Scalas guided Bosco and St. Joseph’s decathletes through the regional and international rounds. While dozens of Braves and Jesters compete during the regional round, numbers tend to shrink during the second round. This year, eight students from Bosco and St. Joseph’s competed in Stockholm, Sweden over Summer break. There, the team faced students from many other countries, such as Turkey, China and Kenya.
Outside of the competition, one of Ms. Scalas’ favorite moments from the trip was touring Stockholm, which was very beautiful and green in the summertime. Although the team did their fair share of exploring, they came to Sweden to handle business—which they did.
The team, prepared by Summer months of studying and practicing, were able to secure several individual and team medals. Seniors Josue Sanchez and Ben Garza were two Braves that Ms. Scalas noted as top performers.
One of the biggest things that the team learned from the quick staff turnover during the Spring and Summer months was a Japanese term called kintsugi.
“[Kintsugi] means “to repair”—but by using gold to seal the cracks. [It makes] the ‘broken; item more beautiful,” said Ms. Scalas. “This team has been through quite a lot—with changes in coaching, teams being moved around, teams lacking all the members and a very difficult curriculum. But look what [they’ve] made!”
The team has truly made something beautiful with their strong teamwork, competitiveness and success. But with the final round, the Tournament of Champions, ahead, the team once again had to deal with coaching turnover.
This year, Ms. Scalas stepped into a bigger role as St. Joseph’s Director of Integration and Student Success, which meant she could no longer continue her role as Head Coach.
Despite this, she still maintains a strong support for the team. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that her daughter, Julia, a junior at St. Joseph’s, is a member of the team.
The transition from coach to fan hasn’t really been too difficult for Ms. Scalas. The decathletes are all extremely capable, passionate and enthusiastic, so it made her job easy as a coach. She knows that the qualities they possess will make them incredibly successful during the Tournament of Champions—strongly believing that at least one of the teams will place in the top five.
While Ms. Scalas cheers on the Braves and Jesters from the sideline, new Bosco English teacher and alumnus of the Class of 2021, Mr. Joshua Hernandez, has stepped up to guide the team through the Tournament of Champions and beyond.
The transition into his new coaching job was a little shaky at first. But he attributes Principal Mr. Ernest Antonelli, Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs Mr. Derrick Fernando, Dean of Academics Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt, Spiritual Director Father Mike Gergen and Assistant Coach Ms. Fatima Gutierrez-Castaneda for helping him make his adjustment.
Mr. Hernandez has been especially grateful for senior Josue Sanchez, who’s helped maintain stability and become someone that Mr. Hernandez has built a connection with—keeping him in the know with recruiting new scholars and future plans.
But Mr. Hernandez is extremely qualified for his new position because of his experience, which he believes will help him as a coach going forward. As a student, he competed in Academic Decathlon. In 2019, he received seven gold and three silver medals, notably placing 45th overall in Manila, where the global round was held in 2019, for writing and being in the top 45% of overall scholars.
At his own Tournament of Champions, Mr. Hernandez placed 155th overall in the debate and 415th in writing. This is incredibly impressive considering that roughly 2,500 scholars compete in this final round of the World Scholars Cup.
Mr. Hernandez wants the decathletes to approach this final round as their championship game. But no matter the end result, Mr. Hernandez is proud of all the team has accomplished.
Above all, he sees this as the first step of restoring Academic Decathlon’s glory.
“I am working really hard to make sure we can get this program back to where it was and really make it a staple on campus in the way Bosco Football is or extracurriculars like ASB and Ambassadors are,” said Mr. Hernandez.
A strong performance in the Tournament of Champions—which began yesterday and ends on November 20th at Yale University—will definitely help that goal.
St. John Bosco Football, ranked eighth in the nation, is heading into the playoffs with high expectations after a 9-1 regular season record and the memory of a tough Trinity League loss to the “Team in Red.”
Playoff Ready! Friday, Nov. 15 at Panish Family Stadium your Bosco Braves will take on the Santa Margarita Eagles in the CIS-SS D1 Playoffs. Be there! #DestinationBoscopic.twitter.com/9X37dlvMrR
Bosco has shown resilience and growth throughout the season, with their main focus on building a stronger offense while maintaining the high standard of their defense. They are preparing the first playoff game on Friday with the desire for redemption and the chance to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
Bosco’s defense, led by a disciplined secondary and powerful line, has been a force.
“Some specific improvements I’ve seen in the secondary over the past few games would be just our confidence has been going up, and we’ve been doing really good together and everyone’s picking up on the little things,” said safety Jacob Holmes. “Going to the playoffs is just attention to detail because you know now the play is one and done and just making sure we get our scheme right for each team.”
Bosco will play a familiar Trinity League opponent in the Santa Margarita Eagles.
“The defensive line worked on strategies to disrupt Santa Margarita’s offense by containing the quarterback,” said linebacker Cole Clifton.
Bosco’s offense has also been well rounded with a balanced mix of passing and running that makes it difficult for defenses to predict, positioning them as strong championship contenders.
The prospect of facing the “Team in Red” again is a compelling challenge that looms over Bosco’s playoff journey. The regular season matchup resulted in a painful 59-14 loss for Bosco, a setback that has fueled the team’s motivation to reach the finals and face them once more.
“The biggest motivation factor going to playoffs, especially after a huge loss like that [against the “Team in Red”], is the chance that we get to have the possibility to compete against [the “Team in Red”] again, and with a possibility of winning a ring and another national title,” Cole said.
With the team’s motto being “control what you can control,” senior leaders encourage focus and resilience. The team’s journey through the season has been defined by both hard work and unity, with each player dedicated to the collective goal.
“Staying mentally prepared for potentially playing the “Team in Red” in the finals is definitely crucial in the season,” Jacob said. “[Some] say we should forget about what happened, but definitely going to the game again and the finals, we’re gonna be ready ’cause all the jitters should be out after the first game.”
Bosco’s first playoff game is set to bring some real energy with fans, students and alumni all buzzing to see if the team can make a deep run. For the players, every game is a chance to show the grit and toughness they’ve built over the season.
This isn’t just about chasing a championship, but to prove the growth, discipline and heart that define Bosco Football and Brave Nation. When they step on the field Friday night, these guys are ready to lay it all out there, putting their dedication and hard work on display one play at a time. Kickoff is at 7pm.
St. John Bosco High School junior and Frontier Selects LA/Bosco ice hockey goaltender, Logan Owens-Scott, got his Detroit Red Wings jersey signed by San Jose Sharks and former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman at an Anaheim Ducks game, a moment he shared with his Bosco brothers that circulated on social media.
Jake Walman is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Sharks in the National Hockey League. Walman spent the last three seasons in Detroit with the Red Wings. This season the Red Wings front office made the decision to let Walman go and traded him to San Jose.
This left Detroit fans stunned and angry to be losing a fan favorite. At the time, Walman described the trade as “heartbreaking” as he had no plan to leave Detroit, affectionately referred to as “Hockey Town” by NHL fans.
“My heart was there, you know? I wanted to bring that success and passion to Detroit. It was my first time, like I’ve said to you before, that I felt like I was in a place that loved me, and I loved that place,” said Walman, according to The Hockey News.
In a matchup between the Ducks and the Sharks on October 22nd, Logan made sure to take his Jake Walman jersey and go right up to the glass during warmups to put himself right in the eyeline of Walman.
Walman skated a few times shooting some smiles at Logan. Eventually tapping on the glass and waving him over towards the bench. Logan and his Frontier Selects/Bosco teammates walked their way over to the bench, and the training staff took his jersey and laid it out on a table for Walman to sign.
After warmups, Walman walked off the ice and personally signed the jersey with a written “Atta boy” on the top of the jersey number. The NHL media team wasted no time in catching this moment of a lifetime, and the Sharks posted it on their social media. The post’s video currently has almost 300,000 views.
“It was so cool to have my favorite hockey player, who was traded away from my home state and favorite team, recognize me and treat me the way he did – who had just released a statement about how much he missed the [Red Wings], then still showed support to his fans. [He is a] class act and [I] hope he will come back to Detroit,” said Logan.
Logan and his teammates want all Bosco and St. Joseph’s students to come out and support Frontier Selects/Bosco hockey. On Thursday, Frontier Selects/Bosco takes on Santa Margarita at the Honda Center, the home of the Anaheim Ducks, at 7:00pm.
They will take on Santa Margarita again on Saturday at 4:00pm at Great Park Ice in Irvine. Frontier Selects/Bosco is currently 11-5-0 in their inaugural season. Admission to all game is free.
St. John Bosco High School students Martin and Oliver Shiekh are hosting a volleyball tournament this weekend in order to raise money to help those affected by the rampage of Hurricane Helene in late September.
The event, called the “Hit Hard And Rally 4 Relief,” has given an example of the generous and altruistic activities carried out by Bosco students—both inside and outside the campus.
The initial idea for the event started shortly after the category four hurricane slammed into the Big Bend region in Northern Florida on September 26th. After making landfall, the storm moved north, flooding entire parts of the southern United States including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
One of the people affected by the hurricane was Ms. Lori Vinskus, a Social Science and Latin instructor in Bosco’s online program, SJB Global. She resides in North Carolina, which was severely impacted by the flooding from the hurricane. Upon seeing this happen, Martin and Oliver decided to begin this project to help all those in need.
Teaming up with the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a non-profit organization based in Florida, the two will be sending all the funds to the GEM Hurricane Helene relief project.
In some way, they already had some experience with these types of events, having previously made one for the series of fires in the state of Hawaii in 2023.
“We’ve done similar tournaments for fire damage in Maui,” said Martin. “So, we decided to jump into action [this time around] with a tournament-style fundraiser.”
This tournament, however, will be different from the one held earlier. At this event, Martin and Oliver plan to increase engagement and participation among the Bosco youth by holding more than just a simple volleyball tournament.
Members from local high schools like Bosco and St. Joseph’s are involved in this event, as well as various volleyball clubs. These include the Pulse Volleyball Club, based in Anaheim.
Aside from the volleyball events themselves, the two highlight the other events that will occur, including events featuring AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) professionals and, of course, food.
Many external companies are also involved in the effort, including the company Slunks, known for its production of volleyball shorts and gear, and Shiekh, a reputable shoe store. Both companies are planning to give away select merchandise at the event.
The two were able to secure these sponsors and connections by simply asking around in the local community, as well as in some volleyball clubs.
“It’s just asking a lot of questions, basically,” said Martin.
They asked a large number of people, including reputable leaders at Bosco, in order to make this event more well-known and increase their outreach.
They believe it is possible for anyone to make these types of fundraiser events and that it’s a matter of getting all the work done while establishing connections with people in local communities.
“People want to help you, so just don’t be afraid to ask,” said Martin.
“Have a plan before you go into anything,” Oliver added. “Map everything out and try to get a list of all the steps you need to do to create an effective fundraiser.”
The event is open to anyone—students, adults and more—with no required level of experience in the sport. The two are hoping for an increase in turnout in order to achieve their $5,000 goal.
“It’s often easy to get people to say ‘yes,’” said Martin. “But, it’s a different thing to actually get them to come to the event.”
The event will be held this weekend on Sunday, November 10th at the Long Beach City College Sand Courts, south of Bosco in north Long Beach. Events will last from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and will include a variety of other activities and giveaways to those in attendance.
St. John Bosco High School’s water polo team was a force to be reckoned with from their electric start to their historic playoff birth.
Photo by Edwin Bray
The team started the season with high expectations and an intense hunger for success. Starting off incredibly hot with a series of victories, they moved their way up the rankings.
Freshman star Brayden Krakowski had a very successful season as a young leader for his squad, vying to win every game possible with a high-intensity and focused demeanor.
“I [saw myself evolve] into more of a leader, as that [was] needed to help keep the team locked in for this postseason,” said Brayden.
The team had a big momentum swing when they faced the “Team In Red,” who were ranked number eight in the nation. Bosco refused to be underestimated by their rivals, competing well through all four quarters before going down 8-4.
As a result of their stellar regular season, Bosco Water Polo made a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoff appearance for the first time in eight years.
Senior captain Julian Almanza was extremely happy with his experience with his team this season. Julian had a great time going to work with his Bosco brothers every single day.
He wanted to be a good role model for the underclassmen and help them perform to their very best. Julian is proud of his team’s technical advancement this season.
“I think the freshman on our team have surprised me the most. They’ve been able to keep up with our intense practice schedule and their hard work did translate to the games “ said Julian
Julian and his team gave it there all this season by dialing in every single game and maintaining 100% focus. The team’s motto this year was “control what you can control,” and this motto helped them to always maintain focus when they were hit with any kind of adversity. Bosco was a gritty and fierce team that battled to the very end.
Bosco Water Polo finished out the year with a 16-10 record losing to Capistrano Valley by a score of 18-11 to end their season. While playing in the Trinity League this season Bosco competed with several high class teams and gave them a run for there money, as Bosco shocked the water polo community with their stellar and fierce playing. Bosco Water Polo aims to keep climbing the ranks and developing for an even more remarkable season next year.
Bosco Water Polo starts in late September next year. Bosco students, staff and alumni are highly encouraged to come out to Bellflower Aquatic Center to support the young men next season in the pool.
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