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.

By Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor

After an incredible season, St. John Bosco wrestling now looks to individual tournaments, as the wrestlers prepare for the CIF, masters and the state championship.

After a long and hard season, the Bosco wrestling team came out as Trinity League champions and finished the season with triumph. Though the season for the team may be over, for the individual wrestlers, it is just beginning. Now, each wrestler will turn his focus to the three tournaments that will determine the 2022 state champion for each weight class.

Going into these tournaments, Braves wrestling program looks to make a statement, as many wrestlers are going in well prepared and extremely focused. Each wrestler going into these tournaments wants to win, and they each know exactly how hard they must work in order to accomplish this goal. Though luckily for these wrestlers at St. John Bosco, hard work is a point of emphasis, and all of the wrestlers going into competition will be ready for what’s in store.

One great example of hard work and dedication is demonstrated by senior Oscar Aranda. He worked hard his entire life leading up until this moment, and he now looks to win a state championship. He knows that there is nothing left for him to do but go out there, wrestle and leave it all on the mat.

“I feel as though I have nothing to lose. I plan on letting it fly, as my coach would say, in these next few tournaments,” said Oscar.

Though he and the rest of the wrestling team may have put in all the work necessary to compete well at these tournaments, it does not take away from the fact that the competition they will be facing is some of the toughest in the nation. For these wrestlers, working hard doesn’t stop on the mat, as they have to make changes to their lifestyle away from practice in order to stay on top of their game going into competition.

“I will change my diet and eat healthier foods. I cut out most sugary drinks and drink lots and lots of water. When practicing, I start to slow the flow of the drilling down. Lastly, I focus on one match at a time,” said Oscar.

Going forward, there is nothing but confidence from the team as each wrestler believes that they can accomplish what they want if they put their effort into it. Though the competition is high, the talent in the wrestling program mixed with the incredible amount of preparation that they put in makes it so that Bosco wrestling has a great chance every year of creating state champions.

“I believe that our energy and all the hard work we have been putting in will allow us to be successful in our tournaments to come. I believe that my whole team has the capability of winning a state title,” said Aranda.

Fellow wrestler, junior Nicco Ruiz, also feels that the team is in a great spot to succeed going into these tournaments. Not only does the team already reflect a strong contender, but they are consistently improving as well.

“I believe that the Bosco team is going to do great. We keep getting better every day,” said Nicco.

Though this may be an exciting time for each wrestler, it is also very difficult for many of the seniors who know this will be their last time wrestling for the program. Even though many of them go on to have prestigious college wrestling careers, leaving St. John Bosco is a big step that is hard for many of the athletes. The same is the case for senior wrestler Abraham Galicia.

“Obviously I’m sad that these are my last couple of tournaments for high school, but I am going to continue wrestling in college so I’m excited for that,” said Abraham.

The wrestlers will be competing this weekend, in the CIF tournament where the top five will move onto the masters, and the top nine from masters will then move on to wrestle for a state championship.

by Ian Cook

St. John Bosco adds on to an already impressive year of athletes signing as they have four more young men sign their letter of intent during Winter Signing Day.

After a successful 2021-2022 season, St. John Bosco Football continues to send more of their student athletes to four year insitutions. Here are the four Braves that will be continuing their athletic and academic careers at the next level:

Defensive Lineman, Jairus Satele-San Jose State University

Cornerback, Tayvion Beasley, Jackson State University. 

Wide Receiver, Chedon James, United States Air Force Academy.

Wide Receiver, Colin Chase, University of St. Thomas. 

These four athletes were a part of the winter signing day which was held at eight A.M. in the gym at Bosco.

With many recruiters, press reporters, and scouts continuing to say Satele is overlooked and underrated, Satele was able to accomplish his goals of continuing his career at San Jose State University after recently decommitting from the Naval Academy. 

“I know I had a great senior year, and it sucked having no offers and looks. But, I just kept trusting the process and supporting my team and where they all committed too, and now it’s paying off,” said Satele. 

In addition, Tayvion Beasely, a three star senior cornerback for the Braves is headed to Jackson Mississippi. To play for football legend Deion Sanders and Jackson State University. 

Beasely had many Power Five schools offering him from his sophomore year all the way to his brief junior year. However, his recruiting stalled due to the extra year of eligibility given to the NCAA Student-Athletes after the 2021 collegiate season. 

After having a great senior season, the Head Coach of Jackson State, Deion Sanders, reached out to Beasely and continued to build a relationship with him which ultimately led him deciding on Jackson State.

“They weren’t even on my list of offers before my season started but put me on the radar. But, the day before signing day Deion Sanders called me and took his chances on me. So, I’m really excited and just thankful to be where I am at,” said Beasely. 

Colin Chase, a two Star wide receiver signed with The University of St. Thomas and was another overlooked athlete similar to Satele. After averaging 32.9 yards per game and three receptions per game, Chase turned the eyes of many scouts and reporters after having to sit out  his first five games due to transfer rules in the fall. 

“I was honestly nervous and surprised about how I was going to perform this season, especially after missing a lot of the games that were against the best teams in the country. But, I just went out there, and did what I could do and was just fortunate to be a part of Bosco football, and am looking forward to St. Thomas in May,” said Chase. 

Last, but certainly not least was wide receiver Chedon James. Chedon in many people’s opinions including his own teammates, coaches, and fans might be the most “underrated player”, they have ever seen. 

Chedon averaged a head turning 68.5 receiving yards per game, and had nine total touchdowns this season. The five foot nine inch senior wide receiver was able to prove many scouts wrong that doubted him because of his size. 

“I think I am one of the better wide receivers in the state. But, at the end of the day I just put the recruiting in God’s hands so that I can make the best decision for myself and I think this was the best route for me and my family,” said James. 

Chedon is headed to Colorado Springs to play for Troy Calhoun and the Air Force Falcons.  

With many St. John Bosco student athletes still uncommitted in a variety of sports, many of them will continue to trust the process and will soon find a place to continue their academic and athletic careers for another four years.

by Ethan Gibbs

Bosco wrestling has continued its dominance with strong individual tournament and team duel showings, which have resulted in a Trinity League dual championship.

On January 22, 2022, Bosco faced off against Orange Lutheran in the JV Trinity League Duels. Bosco came home with the victory with an ending score of 48-33. Giving Bosco the title of Trinity League JV dual champions. 

Shortly after, on January 25th, 2022 Bosco varsity wrestlers faced off against Servite. Junior Nicco Ruiz started a pinning streak which was continued by seniors Oscar Aranda and Abraham Galicia, sophomores Grigor Cholakyan and Mark Ayala and freshmen Joseph Antonio and Nicholas Sahakian. These pins secured another win for Bosco with a score of 48-33. This victory made the Bosco Wrestling program the Trinity League Champions of the 2022 season. 

Though not only has the team as a whole been dominating, as individual wrestlers have been bringing in medals as well. In the Five Countries Invitational, held January 14th-15th, three Bosco wrestlers won titles, Oscar Aranda, Nicco Ruiz and Nicholas Sahakian all placed first in their respective weight classes. These athletes helped Bosco place 2nd as a team at the Invitational. 

These Bosco wrestlers were also crucial in the dual against long-time rival Mater Dei. There was a lot of tension going into this duel but our athletes stepped up to the mat and threw down. The dual ended in a huge victory for Bosco ending in an astonishing 72-6. Going into the match, the Bosco wrestlers were all well prepared and had practiced exactly what they needed to in order to ensure the victory. 

“Nothing really was tough about the dual. We came in prepared and dominated them,” said senior Abraham Galicia.  

Over the break, the Wrestling team worked hard at practice, duels and tournaments. Bosco wrestlers trained hard and consistently during the Winter break in order to stay ready for the upcoming important tournaments and duels. The wrestling team had practice every day and most of the team practiced multiple times a day. They improved conditioning, techniques, takedowns, pinning combinations and were able to find what takedowns work best for each wrestler. 

When facing off against a challenger, Nicco Ruiz reflects on his hard work. He has been wrestling all his life and wants to pursue his wrestling career in college, where he hopes to win an NCAA championship.

“I worked for this. No one can stop me. I put too much time and effort into this,” said junior Nicco Ruiz. 

The wrestlers will now look towards the state championship tournament where they will hope to bring in more prestigious awards to the program.

by Aydn Morris

The Los Angeles Rams took on division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC (National Football Conference) championship Sunday where the winner would head to the Superbowl to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The last matchup of the 2021-2022 season for the two California rivals ended with a victory in favor of the Los Angeles as they finally get a win over the 49ers after being swept this season. In previous season matchups the Rams have struggled with defeating the Niners but finally got over that hump with a victory when they needed it most.

The quarterback for the Rams, Matthew Stafford, had a great performance and did an amazing job limiting his turnovers while only throwing one interception in the game which happened on the first drive. He had 337 passing yards on 31 of 45 completions with two touchdowns. This performance may not seem the greatest but there were a lot of miscues in the game with a few dropped passes and one that was a wide open touchdown pass to Ben Skowronek. 

In the week 18 game Stafford didn’t perform as well, he threw for three touchdowns, 232 yards but with two key interceptions including one to seal the game for the 49ers. Stafford has had this target on his back on whether or not he can be a quarterback for a championship caliber team ever since he got to Los Angeles.

Stafford has now silenced the doubters recently with this game and his previous playoff game against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Where he threw two touchdown passes for 366 yards and led the Rams on a 63 yard game winning drive with only 42 seconds on the clock resulting with a Matt Gay field goal.

 This was one of Staffords most historic performances because not only did he eliminate Tom Brady and have a game winning drive, he seemed to have played flawlessly throughout the whole game and didn’t cause any turnovers. This is what Rams fans were hoping to get from Stafford again in the NFC championship and they got it.

Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., was the key determining X factor for the Rams. He had 113 yards on nine receptions and although he had no touchdowns he made countless big plays for the Rams on third downs averaging 12.6 yards per reception. Which was second highest for the Rams behind Cooper Kupp’s 12.9. Kupp had 142 yards on eleven receptions and got the Rams two touchdowns. 

In the Niners perspective their determining X-factor varied through many players as it has for most of the season whether it was the usual Deebo Samuel and George Kittle show, the big run game offence or just a pure defensive game for them. 

“When the Niners play the Rams they focus on the run game, so Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell will have a good game, but our X- factor will be Brandon Aiyuk,” said lifelong 49er fan Nathan Corkhill. 

Mr. Corkhill said the X factor would be Aiyuk due to Deebo limited by Rams cornerback, Jalen Ramsey. Kittle has to block Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd etc, which then leaves them with the third receiver Aiyuk to have the breakout game. 

Aiyuk may not have had a breakout game but he certainly did show up for the Niners with four receptions for 69 yards. Although Aiyuk had a good game, Deebo Samuel was still the dominant receiver in the game with four receptions for 72 yards.

Not only did Deebo have a good receiving performance but he also led the niners in rushing yards with seven carries for 26 yards and behind him is Elijah Mitchell with eleven carries for only 20 yards. The Niners had a poor run performance which they were somewhat expecting but it was a key factor to the result of the game.

Since the run game never showed up, all eyes were on Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. “Jimmy G” has not been the best quarterback in the playoffs, but he still held a big role for the Niners, as does every NFL quarterback does for their team. Garoppolo needed to focus on not turning the ball over against the Rams defense and this was one of Jimmy’s biggest tests this season while having to face the pressure of the Ram’s powerhouse defensive line it may have been what he needed to shut the haters up, but he was on the wrong side of the biggest plays of the game.

Even though the stakes were high for both teams the Niners fan base was just happy to have simply been in a deep playoff run after just barely making it in with the big week 18 win over the Rams which made this game even more special than it already was. 

Niners fans viewed this season as an overall success so far after dealing with their many key injuries but still would have wished to have finished it off with a Superbowl appearance.

The build up to the matchup was filled with conflict due to the new policies that had been rescinded that would limit the attendance to residents of Los Angeles to go to Sofi Stadium. This policy was originally set because there was an astonishing amount of Niner fans at Sofi in their last regular season game meeting in week 18, while the Rams supposedly were to have home field advantage. 

“The Niners had more fans in attendance because they still hold one of the top Los Angeles football fan bases with the Raiders, because of their team’s history here,” said senior Rams fan Isaac Aguilar.

Although the Niners may have packed Sofi Stadium with their fans, Rams fans still felt confident and ended up getting the win.

The Rams however view this season as a ring or bust season, after they just traded away maybe their whole future for five seasons all into this one season, there will be no better way to end it than with a championship.

by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor

On January 8th, Brave standouts Rayshon Luke and Earnest Greene III announced their college commitments at NBC’s annual All-American Bowl game.

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).

by Matthew Parsons

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.

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.

by Ian Cook

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.

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.