Sports
BASEBALL PLAYS FIRST GAME ON NEWLY RENOVATED FIELD WITH MAKEOVER STIL UNDERWAY
by Nels Nelsen
Renovation and construction on the St. John Bosco baseball field are underway and near completion, as Bosco Baseball hosted their first official home game this season.
The baseball field construction project began back in June 2024 on the Monday after the CIF State playoffs with the turf field being worked on first. By the first week of November 2024, the turf field was finished and the baseball team was able to practice on the new field for the first time.
Bosco’s Athletic Director, Vince Brown, has only been at Bosco for two years, but has been an athletic director for 23 years having prior experience at Orange Lutheran High School.
“The first phase was doing the field.” said Mr. Brown “The second phase is doing the dugouts and bullpens, and then hopefully – this summer – we will put in a new scoreboard.”
With a lot of work still to be done, rescheduling was necessary for the first six weeks of the season. The first official home opener was intended to be set for February 18th, but was pushed back to April 1st. Fortunately, the field was ready in time for the home opener against Trinity League opponent Orange Lutheran. FULL STORY
NEW-LOOK BOSCO VOLLEYBALL HOPES FOR A CIF PLAYOFF BID
by Jesus Biag, co-Editor-in-Chief
St. John Bosco’s athletic programs are notorious for featuring some of the most talented, most competitive teams in California. This year’s varsity volleyball team is striving to add to that legacy—holding a 14-2 record halfway through their season.
Last year, Bosco Volleyball held a record of 8-21, with each of those wins coming before Trinity League play—where they ultimately finished 0-10. Coming off such a rough season, a new coaching staff, led by Head Coach Gerald Aquiningoc, came to right the ship.
Before stepping onto Bosco’s campus, Coach Aquiningoc was an assistant coach for Long Beach City College’s Men’s Volleyball team. In his three years as an assistant, the Vikings were three-time Western State Conference Champions. Before that, he led Carson High School’s Varsity Boys Volleyball team to two CIF Los Angeles City Section titles in 2014 and 2019.
In addition to his current position as Bosco’s Head Coach, Coach Aquiningoc also coaches Long Beach Poly’s Varsity Girls Volleyball team in the fall. In 2022-2023—the year before he took the reins—Long Beach Poly finished 11-18. In the two years since he began leading the program, however, his team has amassed a 55-23 record. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASEBALL SWINGS INTO SEASON WITH STRONG PERFORMANCES IN NEVADA
by Simon Wei
The St. John Bosco Braves varsity baseball team traveled to Las Vegas for the Bishop Gorman Invitational last week against elite baseball powerhouses from around the country, playing four games and finishing with a record of 3-1.
Coming into the tournament with a 2-2 record with some close losses, the defending CIF State Regional Champions were destined to show that they are a much better team than what their record shows.
The tournament was a roller coaster to the Brave’s spirit, with an easy win in the first game followed with a demoralizing loss in the second round. However, they bounced back in the third and fourth games with strong pitching and aggressive base running.
Game 1:
St. John Bosco started the tournament with a 9-2 victory against the Liberty Patriots from Henderson, NV. Bosco’s strategy was to take the rhythm from the Patriots from the first pitch. From then on, the Braves took control. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL ENDS SEASON WITH HIGH HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
by Macade Maxwell, Sports Editor
The Braves varsity basketball team wrapped up an impressive 2024-25 season with a 26-7 record, securing a co-Trinity League Championship, making a deep run in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs and making an appearance in CIF State Open Division Playoffs.
Despite falling short of a state championship, the Braves displayed nothing but resilience, determination and elite talent. Their ability to compete against some of the top teams across the country shows where they stand amongst other programs.
Although they didn’t finish the way they wanted, the Braves found themselves ranked 10th in California and securing a number 38 spot nationally, according to MaxPreps.
The Braves started the season off with expectations high coming off winning the CIF Division One championship the previous year. With key players like five-star juniors Brandon McCoy, Jr. and transfer Christian Collins as well as seniors Elzie Harrington and Chris Komin, the Braves were primed to have a successful season.
The Braves wasted no time as they got off to a 14-0 start to their season. These were no average wins, as the Braves would dominate their opponents by 20+ points. In the midst of these games, the Braves would compete in the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament in Illinois and leave as champions of the annual classic. FULL STORY
by Jesus Biag, co-Editor-in-Chief
St. John Bosco’s varsity lacrosse team, a program that finished 2-14 last year, has started the 2025 season 3-0.
The last time Bosco Lacrosse went on a three-game winning streak was two years ago, when the team finished with a 10-8 record and secured a playoff berth.
Jamar Taylor, a four-year varsity lacrosse player and a two-year member of the varsity basketball team, was a sophomore the last time the lacrosse team finished a season above .500.
“My freshman and sophomore years, we had a great team – dynamic,” said Jamar. “That, along with the leadership from upperclassmen, was what allowed us to be great.”
While last year was a struggle, this year, Jamar has seen some similarities between this year’s team and the more successful teams from his freshman and sophomore years. FULL STORY
BOSCO WRESTLING CONTINUES DOMINANCE WITH LEAGUE AND CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS
by Macade Maxwell, Sports Editor
The St. John Bosco Wrestling team has been a dominant program in California high school wrestling for decades, one with a rich history and an impressive record of achievements to their name.
With two CIF State championships, four CIF Masters titles, 13 CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) championships and 22 league titles under their belts, the Braves have created a foundation as one of the most successful wrestling programs in the state. Entering the 2025 season under new leadership, the Braves have still been able to continue their tradition of success.
Despite the departure of former Head Coach, Jeffrey Anderson, the Braves haven’t skipped a beat—employing new Head Coach, Jenaro Santillan. Santillan, a familiar face in the Bosco Wrestling program, has maintained the team’s high standards while applying his own coaching philosophy of hard work and enjoyment while doing so.
His leadership displayed significant success in the early stages of the season with a victory in the Cossarek Classic Team Champions Tournament, securing the win with 342 total team points, 15 finalists and nine champions.
“The guys take it serious. To us, this is business,” said West Point commit, Joseph Antonio. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL HOPING TO KEEP MOMENTUM
by Macade Maxwell, Sports Editor
The Braves are currently rolling with an 18-2 record and hold a firm spot as one of the nation’s best basketball programs.
Their only two losses on the season come from an overtime defeat against MaxPreps’ top-ranked team, the Roosevelt Mustangs (CA) and a three-point loss to the rival “Team in Red.”
The Braves’ current record is a testament to the relentless effort they’ve put in and the chemistry they’ve built all year long. They’ve shown characteristics like resilience in a key win against state-ranked St. Pius Matthias, a close-fought game that ended in an 85-77 victory. They’ve dominated games against Freemont High School (77-13) and Hesperia High School (78-33), as well as Trinity League opponents Orange Lutheran (72-48) and Servite (66-39).
“We’ve had some dominant wins so far, but there are definitely tougher teams ahead in the schedule,” said Coach Matt Dunn. “We have to stay focused and approach the rest of the season day by day. We can’t get too ahead of ourselves.”
Their success has been driven by a few key players. Five-star junior forward Christian Collins averages 16.4 points per game, while four-star USC commit Elzie Harrington averages 18 points and 4.8 assists per game. Senior Chris Komin, a crafty guard who has been balling out of control lately, averages 12.9 points per game. FULL STORY
FACING TOUGH TRINITY LEAGUE PLAY, BOSCO SOCCER STRIVES FOR A PLAYOFF RUN
by Jesus Biag, co-Editor-in-Chief
The Trinity League is one of the toughest leagues in the country, known for its excellence in sports such as basketball and football. But it is just as competitive in soccer.
Consequently, this provides a massive motivational spark for a hungry Bosco soccer team, who began Trinity League play last week. Before league matches, the team competed in preseason games to get in shape and gain synergy.
Mr. Salvador Perez, math instructor and assistant coach, believed that the preseason was a great time for the squad to gain chemistry, something vital if they hope to see success in league play.
“[The point of preseason] is to get the team gelling together. We had a few transfers, so we had to get them adjusted and used to new positions,” said Mr. Perez.
The process of getting transfers adjusted to the team was a difficult one, according to Mr. Perez. A lot of the new players came from club teams in which they played different positions, so a few of them needed to adjust to adapt to new spots on the field to help the team win. FULL STORY
BOSCO ESPORTS SHINES AT THE CAL EXPO TOURNAMENT
by Owen Stelzer, co-Sports Editor, and Simon Wei
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. FULL STORY
ST. JOHN BOSCO BASKETBALL OPENS THE SEASON IN DOMINANT FASHION
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.
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. FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL POSIED FOR REDEMPTION IN PLAYOFF RUN
by Simon Wei
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.”
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.” FULL STORY
FROM UNDERDOGS TO CONTENDERS, BOSCO WATER POLO CLINCHES PLAYOFF BIRTH
by Jet Walls
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.
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. FULL STORY
BOSCO SAILING TEAM CHARTS NEW COURSE WITH SUCCESS AND CHANGE
by Owen Stelzer, co-Sports Editor
The St. John Bosco High School sailing team has been improving and gaining recognition this season, earning top finishes in their last two races.
Currently operating out of the Long Beach Yacht Club, the team recently claimed victory in their latest regatta, with Kaya Marley and Elizabeth Nash finishing first, and team captain Jack Snow and Tanner Swagger coming in a close second.
Preparing for these events requires discipline, determination and a positive outlook.
“I prepare for an event by making sure our boat is ready and that I am mentally and physically ready,” said Snow. “If you go in having a bad mentality, then you will have bad results.”
Jack, who has witnessed the team grow from a humble beginning into a fully-sponsored program, expressed pride in the progress made over the years.
“We first started off as a very low-budget team, and now, we have a bunch of sponsors,” he said. “The team has grown; our results keep improving; and our coaching staff has been improved significantly.” FULL STORY
DODGER DYNASTY? BOYS IN BLUE DOWN YANKEES IN GENTLEMAN’S SWEEP
by Macade Maxwell, co-Sports Editor
The Los Angeles Dodgers, a regular powerhouse in the regular season, left their mark on the 2024 MLB Postseason, finishing as World Series Champions.
From the beginning of the offseason, it was evident that the Dodgers were going to be something special this year, signing two-way superstar free-agent, Shohei Ohtani, and Japanese pitching prodigy, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers finished the regular season with an outstanding 98-64 record and clinched their twelfth consecutive postseason playoff appearance. Backed by a whopping $241 million payroll, it was certain that the Dodgers were going to make some noise in the Fall.
Although the Dodgers were highly favored, they were short-staffed. Key pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller were absent, meaning that their dangerous lineup was going to have to produce runs from batters one through nine.
Their postseason run began with a 2022 National League Division Series (NLDS) rematch against the San Diego Padres. The Padres won the matchup that year, but the Dodgers were going to make sure the outcome was different this year. FULL STORY
ECHOES OF SPIRIT IN HOMECOMING WEEK, DON’T LET CULTURE FADE
by Jet Walls
Imagine standing with your St. John Bosco brothers and St. Joseph sisters under the Friday night lights, singing, dancing and cheering on your Braves going to battle on the field.
The culture of Bosco Football games has evolved significantly throughout the years. Though the game day experience is in many ways unmatched – from the tailgating to the state-of-the-art Panish Family Stadium – the Tribe student section used to be more fervent in its support.
It used to be the place to be on a Friday night: a game defending our home stadium against an opponent in a clash of titans on the field.
Alumnus and theology instructor, Mr. JP Garcia-Esparza, reflects fondly on to his experience as a student coming to games on campus.
Mr. Garcia-Esparza’s favorite game day memory with his Bosco brothers and St. Joseph’s sisters was during his freshman year when the team beat the “Team in Red” at home. The student section rushed the field to celebrate their win with the team and even joined them in prayer on the field. FULL STORY
FRONTIER SELECTS LA/BOSCO HOCKEY DROPS THE PUCK ON INAUGURAL SEASON
by Simon Wei
The Frontier Select LA/St. John Bosco hockey team is kicking off their debut season under the guidance of a familiar face, Head Coach Tomas Kapusta. They have demonstrated potential in a short time with their hard work and team chemistry, as they aim not only to compete in the league but also to create a lasting legacy.
“As a first-year [with the Frontier Selects LA/Bosco] team, we want to be the best we can be, showing everyone the right pathway to becoming a prep school team,” said Coach Kapusta. “We are still working on strengthening the team.”
The team started off their season strong with two wins in the IMD High School League, one of which was a tough overtime victory that really set the tone for the games ahead. They’re feeling confident after these successes but are also aware that there’s more work to do.
In a recent tournament at the Sin City Showdown, Frontier Selects LA/Bosco managed to secure two wins, but also suffered two close losses that emphasized the importance of staying focused in crucial moments.
“So far, we’ve played good games, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” said Coach Kapusta. “Every game is a learning experience, and the boys are starting to understand what it takes to win consistently at this level.” FULL STORY
LONE SENIOR ALEX LEON HELPS COACH MAC LEAD STRONG CORE OF YOUNG RUNNERS
by Macade Maxwell and Owen Stelzer, co-Sports Editors
The St. John Bosco’s historically strong cross country team embarks on another season with high hopes for maintaining the program’s culture of excellence.
As the Cross Country season gets underway, veteran Head Coach Tim McIntosh and his team have made significant strides this year through hard work, dedication and a strong core of young runners.
“Like always, our goal is to win league. Last year we finished third in Trinity League so we hope to perform better this season,” said Coach McIntosh.
The team has already competed in four competitive events: the Seahawks CC Relay in Redondo, the Cumming/Latham Invitational in San Diego where they finished in fourth and fifth, the Woodbridge Invitational in Irvine where they finished in first place and their most recent the Trinity League Preview race where they placed first again.
The team has already proved themselves to be contenders for CIF later in the season, and after a successful showing at the Trinity League Preview, Coach Mac’s squad showed that they are true competitors for a league title.
Alongside Coach McIntosh is assistant Coach Ruben Solorza, a Bosco alumnus and Cross Country CIF Champion back in 2012. FULL STORY
MAKING WAVES, BOSCO WATER POLO STAYS UNDEFEATED AFTER FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN
by Jet Walls
Head Coach Adam Lee, senior team captain Julian Almanza and freshman star Brayden Krakowski feel great after leading the Braves’ water polo team to a 5-0 record to start their season.
Coach Lee has big expectations for and a lot of confidence in his squad. The team has their eyes set on the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs at the end of the season.
“Our main team goals are to create a culture of hard work, discipline and trust,” said Coach Lee.
Playing in the Trinity League, which is one of the most challenging leagues in the country, Bosco has a competitive road ahead.
“A big part of our process is control what you can control, and you always have to keep moving forward. It doesn’t matter how you start the game; it matters how you keep moving forward,” said Coach Lee. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL TAKES A TOUR OF FIVE CHINESE CITIES
by Jesus Biag, co-Editor-in-Chief
The defending CIF Basketball Division One State Champions toured the cities of Chengdu, Hanzhong, Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai from Thursday, August 8th to Sunday, August 25th, in a trip organized and sponsored by Lartin Brothers Education.
This trip wasn’t just a free vacation for the varsity team. In the first two cities that they visited, Chengdu and Hanzhong, they competed in six basketball games against the developmental teams of Chinese professional teams, such as the Shanghai Sharks.
Head Coach Matt Dunn was incredibly impressed by his team’s performance, with the Braves going 6-0 off of some fairly easy victories.
“I thought for [this] time of year, our group was really good together,” said Coach Dunn. “[The team] returned a lot of guys, and I think that all of those returners played extremely well.”
He especially had a great time watching junior big-man, Howie Wu, who was back in his native country. FULL STORY
BRAVES RUN IT UP ON EASTWOOD, TAKE ON SIERRA CANYON ON THE ROAD
by Macade Maxwell, co-Sports Editor
In a California versus Texas high school football matchup, the St. John Bosco Braves came out on top in dominant fashion.
An ongoing debate about who has better football – California or Texas – was settled in this game between the St. John Bosco Braves and the Eastwood Troopers. Eastwood came into this game with high hopes, but ended up leaving with nothing but a beating, with a final score of 71-14.
From kickoff, it was evident that the Braves weren’t going to be challenged, as they scored on their opening drive with a Matai Fuiava 78-yard bomb to junior receiver Madden Williams to find the end-zone for an easy touchdown.
But this was only the start. The Braves would end up scoring 35 points before the end of the first quarter. Their dominant offense tore through the Eastwood defense with ease displaying their ability to put up plenty of points while getting deep in their depth chart.
The almost basketball-like score showed the skill gap between the two schools, as the Eastwood Troopers were willing to travel and take on the challenge, earning applause and respect from high school football fans and the Brave faithful. FULL STORY
ESPN CAMERAS TO CAPTURE BOSCO FOOTBALL’S SATURDAY OPENER AGAINST FLORIDA POWERHOUSE
by Jet Walls
St. John Bosco High School’s varsity football team, ranked number four in the nation, hits the road to take on a formidable opponent, the Chaminade-Madonna Lions from Hollywood, Florida, who are currently ranked ninth in the nation, according to MaxPreps.
The game is slated as the number two game of the week by MaxPreps and will be televised nationally live on ESPN2.
Given that this is the first game of the season and an out-of-state road game, preparation has been intense. Bosco Braves quarterback, junior Matai Fuiava, and linebacker, senior Cole Clifton have confirmed that the groundwork leading up to this game has been fierce with them and their teammates watching hours of video to break down the opponent’s offense and defense.
Matai’s individual training for this game has been specific to Chaminade-Madonna, and he feels that he and his team are ready to take the national stage on ESPN2 and open the year with a signature victory.
Matai said that his plans for the game are to stay mentally positive. Physically he believes that hydration is paramount with the team traveling and being in a new, humid environment. Matai has been working with his coaches, offensive line and God to ensure that he is best prepared for the moment. FULL STORY
BOSCO TRACK AND FIELD FINALISTS READY FOR CIF-SS DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
by Macade Maxwell
As their season comes to a close, the St. John Bosco track and field team gears up for the CIF-SS Divisional Championship Finals on Saturday.
The Braves have displayed an impressive amount of success this season from the athletes in their twelve total meets. With notable achievements across the leaderboard of various events, the Braves are putting their names on the map and displaying their talents.
Out of the 33 runners who competed in the 100m, a whopping 27 have achieved personal records (PRs) so far. Leading the way is junior two-sport athlete Jacob Holmes (10.93 seconds). Holmes also holds the lead for the 200 as well. Seventeen out of 19 athletes reached new PRs in the 400s, as junior Kendal Handy leads in that category (48.40 seconds). Senior Caden Fuller leads in the long jump event, while junior Kijani Dumas leads the 110 and 300 hurdles. Senior Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-commit Aidan Aldana leads in the long-distance events, the 800m, 1600m and 3200m, showcasing his cross country experience. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASEBALL SECURES ITS FIRST PLAYOFF BERTH SINCE 2017
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
The St. John Bosco Braves baseball team is wrapping up their first season with new Head Coach Andy Rojo, who has over 20 years of experience as a coach, with their first CIF Playoff appearance since 2017.
“It’s been a terrific experience coaching a motivated group of players who were excited about a new change in the direction of the program,” said Coach Rojo.
They are currently 17-10 after their first round playoff victory and finishing fourth in the Trinity League. MaxPreps currently has them ranked as the number eight team in California. The team has very impressive wins this year, including victories versus league rivals like Orange Lutheran, who is currently ranked the number one team in the state and seventh in the nation by MaxPreps.
The Braves beat the Lancers 8-2 at home in their last regular season game. The bats were hot that day with sophomore Jaden Jackson scoring two runs and having an RBI. Pitcher Anthony Cosme was throwing heat, making Orange Lutheran’s impressive offense look stale. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL CELEBRATES SCHOOL’S SECOND STATE TITLE, FIRST IN TEN YEARS
by Macade Maxwell
This season was definitely one to remember for the 2023-2024 St. John Bosco High School basketball program. After an emotional rollercoaster of a season, the Braves managed to stay poised and focused, allowing them to achieve their ultimate goal by capping off their season with a CIF Division One State Championship.
The team’s journey to a championship would not have been possible without their setbacks. With a long regular season full of trials and tribulations and following a disappointing run in the Open Division Playoffs, the Braves needed to maintain their edge to make a state playoff run, approaching each game with a fearless mindset and knowing that it was win or go home.
Following a first round bye in the state tournament, the Braves matched up against Windward High School. These two schools previously faced each other earlier in the season, where the Braves blew out Windward in the championship game of the Bosco Winter Classic by 35 points with a final score of 88-53. FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL CONTINUED RICH TRADITION OF CELEBRATING NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
The St. John Bosco Braves have had a successful football program for many years, and nothing has changed. Every year, there is a very large group of football players who can commit to college programs and our school acknowledges the hard work and dedication these student-athletes have exhibited by celebrating on Signing Day.
The Bosco Football program hosted a large Signing Day event in late December at the Mayne Event Center in Downtown Bellflower, where twelve Braves signed to excellent programs: LB Ashtin Kekahuna-Lopes, Utah; RB Cameron Jones, UCLA; RB Chauncey Sylvester Jr., Weber State; DB Frankie Edwards III, Weber State; DB Tamal Johnson, Weber State; DB Jason Mitchell II, San Diego State; LB Jordan Lockhart, Texas A&M; LB Khmori House, Washington; OL King Large, Southern Methodist University; LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame; DB Marcelles Williams, USC; and DB Peyton Woodyard, Alabama.
This was a bitter-sweet moment for all. For many of the athletes, this would be their last time together as Braves because they would begin the Spring semester at their new schools.
The most recent Signing Day was held on campus in February, where four players signed to the school of their choice: QB Caleb Sanchez, Columbia University; DB Dillon Rickenbacker, Yale University; WR Stacy Dobbins, University of California at Davis; and WR Tommy Maher, Colorado State University. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL LAUNCHES INTO DIVISION ONE STATE PLAYOFFS WITH HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
by Macade Maxwell
After an unsuccessful showing in CIF-SS Open Division pool play, the St. John Bosco High School varsity basketball team holds the top seed in the Division One CIF State playoff tournament and, as a result, home court advantage throughout the single elimination southern regional.
Bosco Basketball found themselves placed in arguably the most difficult playoff bracket in the country for the CIF-SS playoffs. The eight teams comprising the two Open Division pools were top teams not only in the state of California, but in the entire nation. The Braves finished third in their pool with a record of 1-2.
The team’s home matchup against Sierra Canyon lived up to all of the hype, as the Trailblazers proved themselves a more than worthy opponent for the Braves. Brandon McCoy Jr., who is the number one nationally ranked sophomore, dropped 21 points and secured five rebounds, while senior Loyola Chicago-commit Jack Turner added 18 points. Juniors Elzie Harrington and and Kade Bonam also scored in double figures with ten points each, but it just wasn’t enough to top the powerhouse Sierra Canyon program, as the Braves fell just short by a score of 72-67.
In their following game against number eight seed Corona Centennial, the Braves welcomed the Huskies with an old fashioned beatdown with a final score of 72-55. The Braves received a great performance from Kade, who had a game-high of 20 points coming off a recent shoulder injury. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL BEGINS OPEN DIVISION PLAYOFF RUN TONIGHT AT THUNDERDOME
by Macade Maxwell
As the CIF Open Division basketball playoffs begin, Head Coach Matt Dunn and his number four seeded Braves gear up for an intense matchup against the number five seeded Sierra Canyon Trailblazers in front of a sold out home crowd tonight at the Thunderdome.
Led by an intimidating starting five that consists of number one nationally ranked sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr., senior Loyola Chicago-commit Jack Turner and two stud juniors in Elzie Harrington and Kade Bonam, the Braves are ready to showcase their talents on the court. These key players, along with the contributions of the rest of the team, have been playing together as a team all season long and now is when the games matter the most.
“It all comes down to this,” said junior Elzie Harrington. “We prepared all year for this moment and [now] it’s time to show what we can do.” FULL STORY
DOMINANCE REIGNS, DEFENDING CIF-SS OPEN DIVISION CHAMPION BRAVES GO BACK-TO-BACK
by Jack Turner
In the world of high school sports, few teams can claim the level of success achieved by the back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Open Division Dual Meet Champion Bosco Wrestling team, stacked with division one talent and nationally ranked wrestlers.
The Braves dominated and came out victorious over Calvary Christian 45-22 last Wednesday, securing another Open Division Dual Meet Championship.
Senior leader and Stanford-commit, Grigor Cholakyan, secured the teams back-to-back championships with his quick pin in about 25 seconds.
“I just wanted to go out there and make a statement by pinning the kid fast so I could secure back-to-back championships for our team,” Grigor said.
This team had another year flooding with success that helped solidify the program’s status as a powerhouse in high school wrestling, as the team also defended the Trinity League Championship. FULL STORY
AFTER A HARD-FOUGHT SEASON, THE FUTURE FOR BOSCO SOCCER LOOKS BRIGHT
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
The St. John Bosco High School soccer team, led by Coach David Sabet, wraps up their 2023-2024 season this afternoon. The Braves had a tough stretch in the Trinity League, but a can’t wait to get to work for next season.
The Brave’s current overall record is 8-12-3, with a Trinity League record of 0-7-2. While the record is different from what the team would like to see, each game has been very competitive, at times down to the final minutes.
The team feels proud of their current season, as they believe they have greatly improved from last season. The future looks bright, and the upperclassmen players on the team want the younger players to keep working hard to reach new heights.
“I tell the younger players to support their teammates because soccer is a team sport, and if they work together, it can help achieve the desired results,” said senior Ivan Moran. “I also encourage them to train during the weekends and offseason. These extra practices are very important.” FULL STORY
WELL-TRAVELED AND BATTLE-TESTED, BOSCO BASKETBALL SETS ITS SIGHTS ON BACK-TO-BACK LEAGUE TITLES
by Macade Maxwell
As the basketball regular season approaches its end, the St. John Bosco Braves still have all their major goals within reach, as they look to live up to the pre-season hype. Sitting at a comfortable 21-4 overall record, the Braves navigated their way to success against a schedule filled with fierce competitive teams each game.
“We knew before the season that our schedule was incredibly difficult, both in terms of the national level teams we were going to play and also the travel,” said Head Coach Matt Dunn.
Not only do the Braves have an impressive overall record, but they also have a respectable 6-1 record in league play, currently standing in a tie atop the Trinity League standings with the “Team in Red.” Despite being in possibly the most competitive league in the state, the Braves have handled their business and showed their ability to compete against any team they face.
The saying “home court advantage” is definitely in effect when the Braves are playing in the Thunderdome with an immaculate record this season of 8-0 when playing in front of a home crowd. In the last three seasons, the Braves have only dropped two games on its home court.
“I feel like there’s an advantage when playing at home because we know this place better than anybody else,” said five–star sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr. FULL STORY
CROSS COUNTRY FINDS SUCCESS THIE SEASON WITH MANY ROOKIE RUNNERS
by Macade Maxwell
After a long season of grit and determination, the youthful St. John Bosco Cross Country team not only faced adversity but ran each race with pride, showing everybody that they have what it takes to compete with anyone. While having only three returning runners, Coach Tim McIntosh and the Braves welcomed nine new runners to the squad, who showcased the future of the program.
Although this may be a young squad, the Braves had their eyes set on winning league. Now this isn’t just an ordinary league; this is the Trinity League, one of the most competitive high school leagues in the country. Filled with fierce competition in each sport, the Braves had high ambitions coming into the season. Even though the Braves didn’t accomplish their season goal of winning league, they still ended the league season with an impressive third place finish.
“Our goal is always to win league, but we ended up finishing third,” said Head Coach Tim McIntosh, who holds a record for winning 17 consecutive league titles in cross country. “Running a lot of freshmen in the Trinity is very tough, but we held our own and made state finals for a third year in a row.” FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL OPENS SEASON WITH SIGHTS ON TOP PRIZES IN THE STATE AND NATION
by Macade Maxwell
The St. John Bosco Braves Basketball team tips off their season tonight with the aspiration of claiming the top spots in the state and nation, as they are destined for a redemption year and come back stronger than ever.
With a lineup full of special talent mixed with new additions and experienced returners along with one of the state’s strongest coaching staffs, the Braves have the secret formula for what it takes to be a great basketball team.
The Braves roster is the definition of a powerhouse. Some standout players include number two nationally ranked sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr., who is an absolute bucket and game-changer whenever he steps foot on the court. Other key players include Loyola University Chicago-commit, senior Jack Turner, senior point guard Amiri Meadows, five-star junior Elzie Harrington, junior Kade Bonam, junior Jaison Joyce, and seven-foot sophomore Howie Wu.
Behind the curtains of every successful program lies a man with the blueprint to success. The Braves are fortunate enough to have a coaching staff with the ability to develop and foster a group of young men and turn them into winners. Head Coach Matt Dunn is gearing his team up and guiding them on the path to Trinity League and CIF Championships.
“It is such an incredible league in every sport, so every time you get to hang a banner it’s pretty amazing and means you have a special team,” said Head Coach Matt Dunn. FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL TAKES ITS NEXT STEP TOWARDS CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH VERSUS THE “TEAM IN RED”
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
The St. John Bosco High School Braves play the Huskies of Corona Centennial tonight in the CIF-SS Semifinals at Panish Family Stadium, as Bosco Football continues its quest to repeat as CIF-SS, State and National Champions.
“The biggest thing is not looking too far ahead, but focusing on the task at hand and coming to practice every week to be better than we were last week,” said senior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, a Notre Dame-commit.
The Centennial Huskies, who are currently ranked 19th in the country by Maxpreps, hope to extend their seven-game winning streak, but the Braves, who are currently ranked third in the nation by MaxPreps, hope to maintain their dominance over the Huskies.
The Huskies are coming off a high-scoring game against Orange Lutheran, winning 63-39. The player of that game was senior running back Cornell Hatcher Jr, who scored five rushing touchdowns in the game.
The Braves will focus their attention to stopping the Huskies rushing attack. Bosco’s run defense in the playoffs thus far has been incredible, only allowing 33 rushing yards in their matchup against San Clemente. The defense was stingy all night, but Kyngstonn led the way with twelve total tackles and two tackles for a loss. FULL STORY
TRINITY LEAGUE CHAMPION BOSCO BRAVES HEAD INTO CIF-SS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
The St. John Bosco Football Braves are Trinity League Champions and ready to start the CIF-SS Playoffs against San Clemente High School in their first step toward winning back-to-back State and National Championships.
Bosco looks to keep their five-game winning streak alive with a win tonight at Panish Family Stadium. The Braves last played two weeks ago against Orange Lutheran and were dominant the whole game in a 44-22 victory.
While the program has much experience in the playoffs, quarterback Caleb Sanchez is making his first playoff start. In the regular season, Caleb recorded 2682 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns. He’s been very efficient thus far and carries strong momentum into his first CIF run.
“We’re taking this game the same way we took the regular season. We don’t believe anyone can stop us as long as we execute,” said Caleb.
The offense has been firing on all cylinders with senior receivers Tommy Maher and Stacy Dobbins, as well as sophomore receiver Daniel Odom, having incredible seasons. FULL STORY
BOSCO DOMINATES THE “TEAM IN RED” TO RECLAIM TOP SPOT IN THE NATION
by Macade Maxwell
In the most highly anticipated high school football game of the year thus far, the St. John Bosco Braves showed who is the best high school football program in California and the country.
The “Team in Red’s” lackluster offense and defense was no match for the Braves, who dominated in all facets of the game and won 28-0. The Brave defense hung a nice-looking donut on the “Team in Red’s” side of the scoreboard at Panish Family Stadium and left their rival in total defeat.
The “Team in Red” came into a game as the number one nationally ranked high school team, but the Braves left with that mantle, now sitting atop the national rankings.
From the very first snap, it was clear that the Braves meant business. The Braves found the end-zone early in the game with a one-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Cameron Jones, a UCLA-commit. This was the spark for the Braves blazing-hot offense. FULL STORY
STAKES ARE HIGH IN POWERHOUSE TRINITY LEAGUE BATTLE AGAINST THE “TEAM IN RED”
by Macade Maxwell
This isn’t just your average high school football game. This is another one for the ages.
The number one nationally ranked “Team in Red” out of Santa Ana goes head-to-head with the number nine ranked St. John Bosco Braves from Bellflower. With tickets selling out in just three seconds, this is said the be the most electrifying and highly anticipated high school game of the year so far.
Tonight the battle of the best will be held at Panish Family Stadium. The game has been the talk of the nation and has been getting a huge amount of attention on all social media platforms.
“The fan support is good for us to build momentum for big games like this,” said senior Khmori House.
With a deep-seated rivalry, the “Team in Red” hold an overall winning record over the Braves, with their last 11 meetings having a 7-4 record. Although they may have won more games, the Braves win the ones that matter most. In last year’s match-up, the Braves took down the Monarchs with a score of 24-22 in the CIF Southern Section Championship at the Rose Bowl.
The “Team in Red” is loaded with a solid squad with multiple NCAA division one caliber players on both sides of the ball and are looking to come for vengeance. FULL STORY
BOSCO CROSS COUNTRY THRIVES WITH SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND FRESHMEN TALENT
by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor
St. John Bosco High School Cross Country, led by Head Coach Tim McIntosh who has coached for nearly 40 years, currently holds third place in the Trinity League and fourth in CIF Division Four while relying on underclassmen contributors.
The Braves have just recently competed in the Clovis Invitational, which they won and look to continue the streak at Mt. Sac, which is their division sweepstakes.
Bosco Cross Country team is very different from previous years, due to the lack of older runners that have experience. This has caused the team to depend on the younger runners to perform well, which they have done thus far.
“This big group of freshmen are important,” said Coach McIntosh. “We need them, and usually they would be brought up a lot later, but we simply need runners.”
This influx of younger athletes has allowed the seniors and juniors to be mentors to them and help the team develop as a whole.
“With these new freshmen coming in, I am happy about how fast they are evolving and I am happy to be there to help them,” said senior Andrew Perez. FULL STORY
BOSCO WATER POLO TAKES PRIDE IN CULTURE OF TOUGHNESS AND DISCIPLINE UNDER NEW HEAD COACH
by Macade Maxwell
With the season coming to a near end, Head Coach Adam Lee and the rest of the St. John Bosco Water Polo team hang their hats on building a culture of toughness and discipline, regardless of the results.
Heading into the final stretch of the season, the Braves find themselves in a situation where every game matters. With a couple of tough games to come, they are fearless of any opponent and won’t let anything inhibit their resolve.
For Bosco Water Polo, it’s not about how you start; it’s about how you finish. Aquatics Director and Head Coach Adam Lee is looking to apply his expertise and experience in collegiate-level coaching and motivate his team to finish off their season on a strong note. Although the team has faced some adversity, Coach Lee is dedicated to his squad and believes in each in every one of them.
“During the games, he is always telling us to keep going no matter what the score is and to use the time spent in the water to always be learning,” said junior Julian Almanza. “Just seeing Coach Lee’s desire to win and desire to make the whole team better has made me want to work even harder to help benefit the team as much as possible.” FULL STORY
BOSCO FLEXES CALIFORNIA FLAIR IN DOMINANT WIN AGAINST ST. FRANCES ACADEMY, TRAVELS TO HAWAII
by Jack Turner
St. Frances Academy dropped its fourth straight game to a topped ranked national opponent last Friday, with the undefeated defending National Champion Braves coming out victorious 37-14.
Senior running back Cameron Jones got the scoring started with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Then it was senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez who went to work, completing 25 of 32 passes for four touchdowns to four different receivers. Caleb had touchdown completions to senior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa for six yards, senior Stacy Dobbins for twelve yards, sophomore Daniel Odom for 47 yards and sophomore Madden Williams for 15 yards.
“I think we’re taking a step forward every game as an offense,” said Caleb. “This offense has all the tools to be the best in the country, but we have to put it all together and operate more cleanly in the future. It will come as the season moves forward.”
With no surprise, Bosco’s defense had another big night. With the best secondary in the nation, the Braves gave St. Frances fits throughout the contest. FULL STORY
BOSCO HOSTS FRIENDSHIP COLLEGIATE ACADEMY, D WITH FIVE PICKS IN DOMINANT WIN
by Jack Turner
Last Friday night, the undefeated St. John Bosco Braves played friendly host and dominant defending national champion to Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C) at Panish Family Stadium, winning 48-12.
The Braves got off to a semi-slow start with the score being 7-6 in favor of the Braves after the first quarter, with the first score being a six-yard touchdown pass from senior Caleb Sanchez to sophomore Daniel Odom.
Bosco picked it up going into the second quarter starting with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Caleb to senior Tommy Maher. With a very deep offensive attack, the Braves were doing solid work with their senior running back crew that showcases Chauncey Sylvester, Cameron Jones and Khalil Warren.
Quarterback Caleb Sanchez had the passing game clicking, completing 14 of 19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Once the Braves offense started flowing there was no stopping them.
“We always say we have to beat ourselves first,” said Caleb. “So if we stay focused on us, it really doesn’t matter who’s in front of us.” FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL EDGES OUT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS IN FLORIDA BATTLE FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS
by Jack Turner
In an early season thriller, the St. John Bosco Braves took the field last Saturday evening in the humidity of Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a nationally televised battle against the number nine team in the nation according to MaxPreps, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Aquinas has won four straight state championships in Florida, but that was inconsequential to the defending CIF State and National Champion Braves. Bosco jumped on Aquinas from the jump and controlled a tight game throughout, ultimately securing a victory by a score of 20-7.
The offense, despite only scoring 20 points, had the passing game clicking on all cylinders, with uncommitted three-star quarterback Caleb Sanchez completing 37/48 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Stacy Dobbins was Caleb’s main target on Saturday with 14 receptions for 125 yards. Big contributions also came from sophomore receivers Madden Williams and Daniel Odom. Madden finished with seven receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown. Daniel had three receptions for 68 yards, which included a 50-yard touchdown grab for the first score of the game.
Senior kicker Marcus Lee, often unsung for his steady consistency and a hero of last year’s CIF-SS Championship game against the “Team in Red,” had a perfect outing, going 2/2 on field goals and 6/6 on PATs for a total of 8 points. FULL STORY
DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION BRAVES DOMINATE IN SEASON OPENER
by Jack Turner
The anticipation for last Friday night’s season opener was contagious, as the defending consensus high school football National Champions, the St. John Bosco Braves, beat Liberty High School (NV) 42-22 at Panish Family Stadium to begin their quest for back-to-back state and national titles.
Bosco Football is playing a national schedule again this year, traveling to Florida and Hawaii and hosting teams from Nevada, Washington D.C. and Maryland. The Braves season started at home with the Liberty High School Patriots, the number two team in Nevada, according to MaxPreps.
As the game kicked off, senior running back Chauncey “Boogie” Sylvester rushed for the first touchdown of the season and the game.
“[It] felt great to get the first touchdown of the season, and [I] can’t wait to get out there next week with my guys in Florida,” said Boogie.
Next week, the Braves will travel across the country to face St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. St. Thomas Aquinas is the number nine ranked team in the nation, according to MaxPreps. FULL STORY
BOSCO ATHLETICS BOASTS ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENCE IN 2022-2023
by Marcelles Williams
This year was another historic year for St. John Bosco’s athletics programs, which featured many highs, accolades and championships. The Braves won a National Championship, a CIF State Championship, Trinity League Championships and are still on the hunt for more.
The Braves Football team was crowned National Champions this year for the third time in ten years and finished the year with their fourth state title. The Braves dominated their regular season schedule this year, but most notably won at the Rose Bowl over the “Team in Red.” The 24-22 victory sealed another well-deserved CIF-SS Championship. To cap off a CIF State title run, Bosco defeated Serra (San Mateo) in dominant fashion with a 49-0 victory.
The Bosco Football 2024 class is looking to make history next year and be the first team to win back-to-back National Championships. With one of the toughest schedules in the nation, including trips to Florida’s St. Thomas Aquinas and Hawaii’s Kahuku, the Braves have a high bar to hit.
”We’re coming for it again next year. We aren’t satisfied yet,” said two year starter and incoming senior safety Peyton Woodyard, who’s committed to the University of Georgia.
The Bosco Wrestling team also boasted a very impressive year with two players winning individual CIF State Championships, Nicco Ruiz and Nicholas Sahakian. Nicco will graduate this Spring with his second state title in a row. They both heavily contributed to the Braves winning the 2022 CIF-SS Team and Masters Championships. All this on top of yet another Trinity League. FULL STORY
VALORANT TEAM WINS LEAGUE, FINISHING UNDEFEATED AND ADVANCING TO NATIONALS
by Carter Daley
Winning is a term that has become familiar term to the St. John Bosco varsity Valorant team. In just three years of having an official Valorant team, Bosco has won two High School Esports League (HSEL) titles.
The team is full of young talent, made up of two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. Captain Max Abrahamson, ranked as the 17th best Valorant player in North America, is only a junior and will get another chance to repeat and become a three-time champion.
“[Winning the HSEL championship] feels like last time: great. But the job isn’t finished. We have to go to Kansas City in May to actually compete for a National Championship,” said Max.
The talent does not just stop at Max, however, as the most highlighted player of the Bosco team is freshman Alex Banyasz, who ranked as the number one player in North America across all Valorant servers in the past month.
“It’s great playing with Alex. I definitely feel like he can go pro,” Max said.
The Braves had the challenging task of bouncing back in their HSEL league after failing to beat Arcadia High School in the same championship game the previous semester. This emphasized the importance of this rematch, as they had that chip weighing on their shoulders. FULL STORY
by Noah Dawson
St. John Bosco Track starts the season with hopes to win big in the Trinity League and CIF this season, earning a spot as one of the best track programs in Southern California.
Excitement is in the air around Bosco Track. The season may be just starting, but the athletes have been working hard all winter to prepare for it, hitting the running drills and practicing their technique. The hard work is starting to pay off, and they are eager to see what they can accomplish on the track.
As the athletes hit the track, the focus is on hard work, dedication, teamwork and faith. They know that the road ahead will be challenging, but they are ready to face those challenges head-on. They are a tight-knit group, and they support each other both on and off the track.
For the seniors on the team, this season holds a special significance. It’s their last chance to compete at the high school level, and they are determined to make it count. Senior Ahrian Mcneil, who is a sprinter on the team, is excited to get back out on the track.
“It’s a really good experience to get back on the track and I’m going put my all into this season,” Ahrian said. “I’ve really just been praying on [the upcoming season] and making sure that not only does God got me but that I have myself. I get that assurance through training.” FULL STORY
HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH SHANE BEATTY LEADS HIS YOUNG SQUAD TO AN IMPRESSIVE START TO THE SEASON
by Carter Daley
A team full of young talent and untapped potential has just recorded one of the best starts to their season in program history. The Braves have started 15-2 with wins over big name teams such as South Torrance, Los Alamitos and Marina.
Although this great start was not expected from all, this early success is not surprising considering the experience of fifth-year Head Volleyball Coach Shane Beatty. Coach Beatty played collegiate volleyball at Hope International University, where he was named Setter of the Year in the GSAC conference.
Coach Beatty then went on to become the assistant coach for the men and women’s volleyball teams at Holy Names University from 2015-2017. From there, he would move to an assistant coaching job at Long Beach City College during their 2017-2018 season.
The experienced coach would then take on the task of trying to transform the Braves program, as he took the head coaching position right before the start of their 2019 season.
Captain Matthew Gallegos has a big role to play this year, as he is the only senior in the starting lineup. This lineup is made up of one freshman, two sophomores, two juniors and Matthew.
“We have a very young team with not a lot of seniors, but our young guys are so talented. We will be extremely competitive for the next few years to come,” said Captain Matthew Gallegos. FULL STORY
BOSCO LACROSSE LOCKED IN ON CHASING CIF GOLD
by Michael Barba
Bosco Lacrosse has made it loud and clear that their number one intention this season is to overpower all opponents in their way to achieve a CIF Championship.
After a successful 2021-2022 season for Bosco Lacrosse, they have continued to make the improvements and adjustments necessary to have an even more successful season in 2022-2023. The Braves have a big advantage over their competition by training since the Winter, making sure to get in all of the time they could before their first home opener game of their season.
The much anticipated lacrosse season will consist of fourteen games, with five of those games being Trinity League opponents and nine other games against non-league opponents. The Braves hosted their first two games of the season against the Santa Monica Vikings and the Downey Vikings.
The first game of the season against the Santa Monica Vikings ended in a hard fought loss for the Braves with a goal being scored by freshman attacker, Milo Watts. The Braves made sure to bounce back in their game last Friday against the Downey Vikings, flipping the script in a 17-1 victory.
“Bosco Lacrosse has put a bunch of effort into our stick stills. We are a super young team and super athletic, but we need to continue to be able to handle tough situations,” said senior midfielder Paxton Allison. “Also, we are continuing to put in work on and off the field by watching and studying teams in order to combat whatever they throw against us.” FULL STORY
TWO BRAVE WRESTLERS BRING HOME GOLD AT CIF STATE FINALS
by Ed Crowe
The wrestling program traveled to Bakersfield, where eleven wrestlers competed for the CIF State Championship in their respective weight classes. Senior Nicco Ruiz and sophomore Nicholas Sahakian emerged as champions.
The elite eleven qualified for their matchups, making them “placers,” as they worked to earn their spot in the CIF State matches. These eleven placers consisted of many underclassmen. Freshmen Sean Willcox, Issac Torres Nathan Carrillo, Zaydrein Hernandez and Tigran Greyan as well as sophomores Nicholas Sahakian and Joseph Antonio all competed at the Bakersfield event. The upperclassmen consisted of Stanford University commit junior Grigor Cholakyan, Arizona State University commit senior Nicco Ruiz, senior Julian Barajas and senior Mark Ayala.
Head Coach Jeff Anderson, who is very proud of all the placers, as well as the other wrestlers, believes that this year was the program’s best year.
“I expect that nationally Bosco will take the number 15 spot. The wrestling program continues to make history, and has very high hopes that next year, the team will reach new heights and take the world by storm,” said Coach Anderson. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL LOOKS TO PICK EACH OTHER UP AFTER HEARTBREAKER IN CIF-SS OPEN DIVISION FINAL
by Marcelles Williams
Last Saturday Bosco Basketball competed inside the Honda Center for the CIF Southern Section Open Division Final. The atmosphere was electric, as the St. John Bosco community cheered on their Braves in a thrilling game.
The Braves rose to the occasion in last week’s title game, jumping out to a quick 10-4 lead over the top seeded Corona Centennial Huskies in the middle of the first. They closed it out and ended the first quarter with a 16-12 lead.
Junior Jack Turner made an early impact on the game, scoring a crowd-pleasing 3-pointer and a couple layups.
“We were coming to play, and we were going to give it our all,” said Jack. “We still have unfinished business.”
Bosco led for almost all of the first half until late into the second quarter. Kade Bonam, Jack Turner and Xinyi Li were on their A-games from the jump ball, and the Braves were adamant that the Huskies wouldn’t walk off the court without a determined fight.
At halftime the score was 28-23, with the Braves trailing by five points. The game was still far from decided and tension continued to mount. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL GEARS UP FOR THE OPEN DIVISION FINAL AT THE HONDA CENTER
by Marcelles Williams
After a strong performance in pool play in the CIF-SS Open Division Playoffs, the Trinity League Champions are set to take on Corona Centennial, the defending Open Champions, on Saturday at 8:00pm at the Honda Center.
The Bosco Braves just knocked off the number eight high school basketball team in the country, according to Maxpreps. The Harvard Westlake Wolverines came into the matchup with only one loss before meeting the Braves last Tuesday night. This crucial win came in a must win game, as Bosco fell to West Ranch in the first round of pool play.
The win came off of a strong performance by five star sophomore Elzie Harrington who led the Braves with 22 points. Other players also played big roles in the win, like senior Xinyi Li who tied the game at 46 in the 4th quarter with just over four minutes to play after the Braves were down for most of the game.
“We know what we got to do and we just got to execute it, and we’ll be champs,” Elzie Harrington said. “We just want to go out there and prove everybody wrong.”
After going down later in the game to the Wolverines, the Braves went on an 8-1 run to seal the win with buckets coming from junior Jack Turner and sixth man, freshman Brandon McCoy. The 62-55 win broke Harvard Westlake’s 13-game win streak. FULL STORY
ST. JOHN BOSCO HOKCEY TEAM ICES COMPETITION, FREEZING OUT FORMER NUMBER ONE TEAM IN CALIFORNIA
by Isaac Mays, Sports Editor
The Bosco Braves Hockey team competed at Honda Center, home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, on Thursday, January 26th, where they dominated Cathedral Catholic High School.
Cathedral Catholic was formerly the leading Division Two team prior to their matchup against Bosco. After their 4-0 victory, the Braves rank near the top the state for Division Three.
The Braves were able to complete this victory in front of their sister school’s very own Saint Joseph’s Cheerleaders.
“I think it’s really cool that both members of the JV and varsity cheer team were given the opportunity to come out to support the hockey team. We haven’t had this opportunity in such a long time. It’s exciting to see the game firsthand,” senior Varsity Cheer Captain Patricia Schroeder said.
The Braves executed their victory with impressive plays by juniors Patrick Cech and Sebastian Pribula as well as freshman Kaden Curry. Cech held down the right wing on offense, putting some impressive shots in on the Don’s goalie. Pribula, the Brave’s goalie, had a total shutout with no goals coming to the back of the net. Finally, Curry played physical on the defensive end of the ice.
The 2022-2023 season has been prosperous for the Braves, as they stand at the top of the state. The success in key games, such as a victory over the Damien Spartans, the Pacific Ridge Puffins and fellow Trinity League foe JSerra Catholic. Through this, the Braves have solidified their hopes for playoffs. They are now in the process of gearing up for the road ahead of them. FULL STORY
by Marcelles Williams
This is the first time the Braves threw on their rugby jerseys since Winter of 2019, in which they made their State Championship run. The squad is eager for their return, as they are no stranger to success on the rugby pitch.
A majority of the Rugby team were a part of this year’s 2022 Football’s National Championship team. Some of these players included sophomore Puka Moe, sophomore Epi Sitanilei and senior Gabriel Burch. This winning mindset has transfered over to the rugby field. Puka thinks that this winning attitude will be a big reason for the success of the team this year.
“Winning is winning, and I expect to do it at everything I do, including rugby and football,” said Puka.
The Braves are a part of the SoCal Interlastic Rugby Federation (SCRIF) league. The competition is fierce, as it includes Servite High School, Warren High School, Mira Costa High School and many more.
The Braves kicked off their season on January 12th at Bosco against the Servite Friars. It was a hard fought game but the Braves were not able to pull off a victory against their Trinity League foe, falling in a 19-12 loss. Even with the Braves coming up short, the team understood that this inaugural game was an indicator to the restart of a great program.
They are currently 2-2 and they believe that by the time the playoffs come, they will be ready to excel at the highest level. As one of the first squads following the pandemic, it is evident to see that the squad is still raw and will need to continue to use its upcoming regular season games to come into form. FULL STORY
THE SERVITE FRIARS FEARED THE SPEAR AT BOSCO WRESTLING’S SENIOR NIGHT
by Ed Crowe
On Tuesday, the Bosco Braves took on the Servite Friars and defeated them in a 71-6 blowout, making them Trinity League Champions. The favored Braves delivered a strong performance, claiming yet another league title.
It was also Senior Night. The seniors that were recognized included Nicco Ruiz, Mark Ayala, Michael Morales, Michael Barba, Julian Barajas and Nathan Boyce.
Nathan, who has only been wrestling for one year, had a great match and contributed a decisive win for the Braves. Though brief, Nate cherished his wrestling experience at Bosco.
“Since my junior year, I have felt welcomed by the other wrestlers as well as coaches and staff. It is a sport I highly recommend for students who want to experience the Bosco brotherhood,” said Nathan.
With yet another accomplishment under the belt of the wrestling program, Head Coach Jeff Anderson, Class of ‘98, believes that the team showed significant improvement, but he also expressed the proverbial coach’s mantra.
“There is still room for improvement,” Anderson said.
The Bosco Wrestling program, which is now ranked fourteen in the nation per MatScouts rankings, performed fantastically in the Five Counties tournament. This tournament was highly competitive, with 84 teams competing for first place. The Bosco wrestling team scored a tournament high of 186.5 points, firmly securing the spot of first place. FULL STORY
2022 CIF STATE AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT
by Christian Angel, Managing Editor
The CIF State and National Champion St. John Bosco Braves continue to excel as the number one team in the nation by MaxPreps, as twelve senior student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent over the Christmas break to compete and study at schools across the nation.
The twelve student-athletes who signed on Wednesday, December 21 were:
DL Vaka Amasio-Hansen, San Jose State University
LB Deven Bryant, University of Washington (Early Enrollee)
QB Pierce Clarkson, University of Louisville (Early Enrollee)
CB Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, Stanford University
OL Sean Haney, Colgate
S RJ Jones, UCLA
S Ty Lee, UCLA
WR Jahlil McClain, University of Louisville
DB Hunter Nowell, San Jose State University
WR Israel Polk, University of Pittsburgh (Early Enrollee)
TE/DE Matayo Uiagalelei, University of Oregon (Early Enrollee)
CB Aaron Mikey Williams, University of Louisville
This signing day was special to Bosco Football, as many of the student-athletes who signed shared how this signing day was very heartfelt and special. Many thanked their parents, family members, coaches, trainers and all those who helped them get to where they are. Many of them shared their personal journeys. FULL STORY
BOSCO BASKETBALL KNOCKS OFF THE “TEAM IN RED” ON THE ROAD IN HISTORIC TRINITY LEAGUE VICTORY
by Brett Baligad, Senior Editor, & Isaac Mays, Sports Editor
After a blowout win against Servite High School, Bosco Basketball managed to hold on to a late game thriller in Santa Ana against the “Team In Red,” giving them a share of the top spot in the Trinity League. The victory marked the first time the Braves knocked off the “Team in Red” on their home floor and the first time the “Team in Red” has lost a league home game since 1998.
Last Friday, the Braves hit the road to Orange County to face Trinity League rival, the “Team In Red.” The much anticipated matchup featured at the time a 15-3 Braves squad coming off two commanding wins against Servite High School and San Ysidro High School. Mater Dei came into the matchup with a 13-2 record and a six game winning streak.
The Braves and the Monarchs have a notorious rivalry across all boys high school sports. The last time the Braves beat the “Team In Red” this year was at the Rose Bowl in the CIF-SS Football Championship, 24-22. With that in mind, the Braves basketball team have had their rivalry matchup circled on their calendars for months.
“We’ve been thinking about that game all year,” said sophomore guard Elzie Harrington. “Everything we did leading up to that game, we just told ourselves that we could beat them, and we thought that it would be an upset if we lost.” FULL STORY
BOSCO WRESTLING, DOMINANT AHEAD OF LEAGUE PLAY, KEEPS A CIF STATE OF MIND
by Ed Crowe
Ranging from the freshman to senior wrestlers, each member of Bosco Wrestling has committed their all this year in hopes of earning team Trinity League and CIF titles, as the Braves have placed in each of their non-league tournaments ahead of Trinity League competition.
One wrestler in particular, senior Nicco Ruiz, has attained great wisdom and a love for the sport since he started wrestling at the age of six. Recently, Nicco took home the Sonora High School Tournament of Champions and Clovis High School Doc Buchanan Wrestling Invitational gold medals in the 160-pound weight class. Nicco was also awarded tournament MVP at both events.
At the Sonora TOC, three more Braves took home gold: freshman Nathan Carrillo in the 120-pound weight class division, sophomore Nicholas Sahakian in the 220-pound weight class and, finally, senior Mark Ayala in the 195-pound weight class.
After winning an individual CIF State title last year and after a couple first place finishes in tournaments this season, Nicco is obsessed with winning state again this year. However, he has many other goals for his team, such as winning CIF State with the Braves’ team as a whole, and despite being committed to wrestle next year at Arizona State University, Nicco is far from complacent.
“This commitment makes me want to be better than I am at the moment,” Nicco said. FULL STORY
THE RUNNING BRAVES RACED TO STATE AS THE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM CONCLUDED ANOTHER GREAT SEASON
by Isaac Mays, Sports Editor
St. John Bosco High School’s Cross Country team just completed another successful season, placing fourth in the Division Four CIF State Finals on November 29th.
Led by Head Coach and alumnus Tim McIntosh ‘79, the coaching staff is proud as the Braves ran their very hardest this year. Coach McIntosh proudly holds 17 consecutive Trinity League Championship titles. The Braves are already excited as they look ahead to next season, as many of the younger members of the varsity team performed exceptionally well during the back half of the season.
A lot of the credit for the great season can given to the coaching staff. The runners reported that not only would Coach McIntosh assist them in all typical duties associated with his position, but he also went above and beyond with time predictions for each individual runner. This process is called “doping-out.” The athletes even stated that his precision was uncannily accurate.
“[Coach McIntosh] is one of the few coaches that will dope-out races for us, and that really helped us,” said senior Harold Munoz. “He predicts this based off previous times and is always right on the dot.”
Assistant Coach Ruben Solorza, an alumnus of the Class of ’13, also dedicated his time by running alongside the boys throughout many of the harder team exercises, which the boys said had a major boost on team morale. FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL RECLAIMS TOP SPOT NATIONALLY AFTER EXACTING REVENGE AGAINST THE “TEAM IN RED”
by Michael Barba
Bosco Football finds itself on the cusp of another national title after winning the Division One CIF Southern Section Championship at the Rose Bowl against their bitter rivals, the Team in Red. The Bosco Braves take on the Northern Section champions, the Serra Padres from San Mateo, at Saddleback College on Saturday in the Division One CIF State Championship, as they look to secure their third national championship in ten years.
Bosco’s CIF-SS Championship match-up against the Team in Red was one of the most anticipated, if not the most anticipated, game of the season of the high school football season with nearly 16,000 fans in attendance.
The last time both titans met was on October 7th in Trinity League play, which ended in a close 17-7 loss for the Braves. The loss motivated the Braves to brush the dust off their shoulders and come back even stronger by the time the opportunity of the rematch came.
“After we lost to Mater Dei the first time, we changed our mindset and put full focus on winning the championship. Our focus every day leading up to the championship game has remained the same,” said defensive backs coach, Darnell Lacy. FULL STORY
BOSCO FOOTBALL TAKES ON MISSION VIEJO DIABLOS IN CIF SEMI-FINALS
by Michael Barba
The St. John Bosco Braves are prepared to take on the Mission Viejo Diablos on the road and propel themselves to CIF Southern Section Finals.
The Braves are only two games away from being CIF-SS Champions, but Bosco Football is staying focused on the task ahead of them, as Mission Viejo is ranked number 25 in the nation.
Heading into this contest, both semi-finalists have a record of 10-1. The Braves are currently riding a four game winning-streak, while the Diablos are on a eight game winning streak. So without a doubt, both teams are going into this game riding high with confidence.
“Everybody has been locked in. Our coaches have done a great job with helping us prepare for the playoffs, and this week is no different,” said senior wide receiver DeAndre Moore.
This is going to be one competitive game, and both teams are going to be seeing familiar faces heading into this matchup, as the Braves took on the Diablos in a seven-on-seven match over the Summer. The match ended in a loss for the Braves, but they’re now itching to face the Diablos in pads, where it counts most. FULL STORY
by Michael Barba
The Braves are in hot pursuit of another victory against their next Trinity League opponent, the Santa Margarita Eagles, in their last game of the 22-23 regular season before heading into the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, where they will likely meet familiar foes such as The Mater Dei Monarchs. However, the 8-1 Braves have preserved their lethal and hardworking mindset for the 6-3 Eagles, and plan to make a statement against the Eagles prior to beginning the post season.
Within the history of the Bosco Braves vs Santa Margarita Eagles, the Braves have been the perennial favorite, usually coming out on top, often in dominant fashion. The Eagles have always played with house money, using relentlessness and trickery to try and shock the Braves – but in recent years, that has yielded lopsided loses and dominant wins for the Braves. Both teams have faced nothing less than the toughest competition, but with the hard work Bosco Football has put in this season, there is no doubt the Braves will come out on top.
“It’s the preparation, every week the team comes out ready to play and the coaches come out ready with a great game plan. We prepare all week by putting in the work and it is going to show on Friday night so I just feel like it’s just gonna be one of those nights which it has been for the last times we have played them,” said Senior Quarterback Pierce Clarkson. “The thing that has been different was that our energy has been higher as a team and I really feel like it is going to elevate our play tomorrow night.”
The last contest held between both teams ended in a 41-16 win for the Braves, but both teams have upgraded their game since then. As the 22-23 season concludes, the stats both teams have put up this season are proof of the advances made in offense and defense. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Dominates JSerra In Homecoming Game, Takes On Orange Lutheran At Home Tonight
by Michael Barba
The Braves pulled off an impressive 31-0 win against JeSerra to move to 2-1 in Trinity League play, and look to put on another show for the fans tonight against the Orange Lutheran Lancers.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Last Friday, the Braves added a seventh win to their collection in the Homecoming game against the JSerra Lions. This imposing win places the Braves second in the Trinity League, second in California and fourth in the nation, with their only loss coming to the “Team in Red.”
Entering the contest, the Braves were confident considering all of the work that went into this match up. Defensively, the Braves were dominant with 84 tackles in total, and senior defensive back Jshawn Frausto-Ramos secured two interceptions – one he returned for a touchdown.
“Heading into game day I was very confident because it was our Homecoming game,” said Jshawn. “The reason our defense was so on point was because of our defensive coordinators getting us ready for the game.” FULL STORY
Bosco Football Faces Off Against The “Team In Red”
by Michael Barba
The Braves completed their sixth straight dominant performance of the season with a 49-3 win against the Servite Friars, and will continue on to the Santa Ana Bowl to take on the “Team in Red” in the most anticipated match-up of the year so far.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Bosco Football retains their title as number one high school football team in America and seek to defend their mantle and win streak against the second best high school football team in the country in the “Team in Red.”
The anticipation for this game is like no other, with the last game against the “Team in Red” drawing a total of 6,000 strong at Panish Family Stadium last season. Due to the talent on both ends of this rivalry, the Braves have been putting every ounce of effort and focus in preparation for gameday.
The last match-up between the two ended in a 42-21 loss for the Braves, but it is looking more competitive than ever with both teams holding on to a 6-0 record heading into this year’s contest. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Opens Trinity league Season Against Servite
by Michael Barba
After an unmerciful 65-0 win against the Central Catholic Raiders, the Braves head into Trinity League play undefeated against their long time rivals, Servite High School Friars.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The Braves have yet to disappoint with an impressive 5-0 win streak against some of the fiercest competition in the country. The title of the number one high school football team in the nation currently is awarded to the Braves, but the 33rd ranked high school football team of Southern California, the Friars, looks to knock them from that mantle.
The Friars were the last football team to beat the Braves, ending their run for CIF gold last season. Due to this, Bosco Football looks to be stronger than ever by the time they step onto the field to seek revenge.
“What we have been doing over the past five weeks is to prepare for the entire Trinity League, not just Servite. We’re trying to get better as a football team and improve on some of the areas from week-to-week that we feel we’ve been deficient in,” Head Coach Jason Negro said. “Servite is a talented team. They ended our season last year, so we are motivated.” FULL STORY
New Sailing Team Hopes To Show They’re Worth Their Salt
By Isaac Mays, Sports Editor
St. John Bosco High School Athletics hoisted the sails this Summer, introducing a new seafaring team, adding to the already impressive range of sports to join.
Photo by Jacksnowwwwww via Instagram
Bosco Sailing plans to embark on a fulfilling and competitive journey, with hopes of gifting a passion for a world of seafaring to many students. This program is largely student-led, with co-captains Jack Snow and Samuel Mohinani helping to direct the team. The prospect of students being partially at the helm makes the environment more approachable and friendly for the Braves who are just getting into sailing.
The team currently sails in the Los Alamitos Bay in Long Beach at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC). Their season has just started, although any students interested still have time to join. The team already plans to participate in a few sailing competitions, known as regattas, throughout the season, and the program is ramping up to be an exciting new opportunity for the Bosco community.
While the team is still in their preparation phase, they are nonetheless excited to unveil their talents and skills at the approaching regattas. Skippers sophomore Jack Snow and junior Samuel Mohinani both have prior sailing experience and are able to help aid in the learning process for new sailors. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Defeats Kahuku, Takes On The Central Catholic Raiders From Northern California
by Christian Angel, Managing Editor
After defeating the Kahuku Red Raiders last week in their home opener, the St. John Bosco Braves look to continue their winning streak and national title run against the Central Catholic High School Raiders from Modesto at Panish Family Stadium tonight.
Photo By Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Head Coach Jason Negro and the Braves represented in the The Trinity League vs. USA Showcase last week against the Aloha State’s best, the Kahuku High School Red Raiders, claiming a gritty 34-7 victory.
While fans are looking ahead to the Braves entering Trinity League play and eventually taking on the nation’s second-ranked “Team in Red” on October 7, the Braves’ main focus is to dominate their last non-league game against Central Catholic.
Bosco Football comes into this week again as the consensus number one high school football team in the nation after going 4-0 in the past four weeks, defeating their first four opponents by a combined score of 177-28. FULL STORY
Bosco Water Polo Has Its Sights Set On CIF Playoffs
By Marcelles Williams
Head Coach Jeff Powers is encouraged by an experienced squad featuring a strong core of senior leadership, who he hopes will use their experience to leave their final mark on Brave Aquatics.
Photo by Robert Visty III, Photo Editor
This team presents a lot of strong talent, and who better to coach them than Coach Powers? Coach Powers first found the sport in 1994 and became a two time Olympian who played a major factor in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Team USA brought home a Silver Medal. He scored a late goal in the medal game to secure the win for his team and nation. In addition, Coach Powers was inducted into the prestigious Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2019.
He strives to bring the Olympian lifestyle and work ethic to his players in and outside of the water.
“I try to bring some of the things I learned as an Olympian in my coaching, like dedication, hard work and accountability,” Coach Powers said. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Returns For Home Opener Against Hawaii’s Kahuku Red Raiders
By Christian Angel, Managing Editor
After defeating the Central Catholic Rams last week in Eugene, Oregon, the St. John Bosco Braves face another out-of-state opponent, the Kahuku High School Red Raiders, as the Braves continue their national championship quest in their first home game of the season at Panish Family Stadium Saturday night.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Head Coach Jason Negro and Bosco Football secured a big win against the number one team in Oregon, the Central Catholic High School Rams, in a huge 49-0 blowout. They now look ahead to the 2021 Hawaiian Open Division Champion in the Red Raiders, who are ranked 34 in the nation by MaxPreps and are the second strongest football team in Hawaii.
Bosco continues their show-stopping national tour, looking to earn another win against the Aloha State’s best at home.
Kahuku will attempt to knock the Braves from the their throne as the consensus number one high school football team in the nation, as the Braves are currently undefeated in the opening three weeks, defeating Allen 52-14 in week one, defeating Bishop Amat 42-7 in week two and a statement performance defeating Central Catholic 49-0 last Friday. FULL STORY
Bosco Football On The Road Again To Face Oregon Powerhouse Central Catholic
By Christian Angel, Managing Editor
After defeating the Allen Eagles and the Bishop Amat Lancers the last two weeks, the St. John Bosco Braves travel out of state again to continue their national championship quest against the Central Catholic High School Rams at Oregon University’s Autzen Stadium, one of the most notable college football venues in the country.
Head Coach Jason Negro and Bosco Football took the show on the road once again Thursday morning to begin preparation to face Central Catholic, who are ranked number one in the state of Oregon by MaxPreps and won the Class 6A State Championship in 2021.
Bosco looks to earn another show-stopping, out-of-state win against the Beaver State’s best.
Bosco comes into Eugene, Ore. continuing their reign as MaxPreps number one high school football team in the nation after the going 2-0 in the past two weeks, defeating Allen 52-14 in week one and crushing Bishop Amat 42-7 last Friday night. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Silences Bishop Amat’s Kiefer Stadium Crowd
By Michael Barba
St. John Bosco Football gave the Bishop Amat Lancer’s raucous crowd little to cheer about with a casual 42-7 win, as they look ahead to tomorrow night’s game against Central Catholic High School in the Beaver State of Oregon at Autzen Stadium.
Last Friday, Bosco Football was able to retain their title as the number one ranked high school football team in the entire country. The anticipation for this game had thousands of people in attendance at Amat’s classic Kiefer Stadium to support these storied high school programs despite the 90 degree nighttime weather.
The Braves didn’t waste any time jumping on the Lancers. Within the first seven minutes of the game, junior running back Cameron Jones scored a touchdown. With four minutes left in the first quarter, senior quarterback Pierce Clarkson completed a 90-yard pass touchdown to senior running back and wide receiver Eric Denham. The Braves added another touchdown to their first quarter total with about a minute left, as Jones was able to secure his touchdown of the night.
After going up 21-0 in the first, the Braves didn’t look back. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Brings The Thunder To Allen, Texas, Faces Bishop Amat Tonight On The Road
By: Isaac Mays, Sports Editor
After a beat down of the Allen Eagles last Friday, tonight the Bosco Braves return to Southern California to continue their reign as the number one high school football team in America.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Bosco Football comes back to their home state to face off against the ninth strongest football team in California, the Bishop Amat Lancers. The Lancers hold a 2-0 record, with dominant wins against Valencia (29-6) and La Habra (42-7) under their belt this season.
Saint John Bosco is coming off a 52-14 blowout victory against Allen High School in Texas on a significant stage. The game against the Lancers has players and coaches alike fired up to return to California and prove how strong the Bosco Football team currently is.
This return continues Bosco’s journey to take the National Title for the 2022 year. There is a major factor of not having to play a game halfway across the country, the players no longer have to stay away at hotels and not be able to access the same comforts typical to preparation. FULL STORY
Bosco Football Sets Its Sights on the Lone Star State’s Allen Eagles
by Christian Angel, Managing Editor
Everything is bigger in Texas, including high school football, and the town of Allen, home of the Allen High School Eagles, has an $60 million 18,000 seat stadium to prove it. Though the state’s natives tell others not to mess with Texas, the St. John Bosco Braves look to prove that warning does not apply to the number one ranked football team in the nation.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Head Coach Jason Negro and Bosco Football left for Texas Wednesday morning to begin preparation for the Eagles, who are ranked number 46 in the nation by MaxPreps and won the 2017 Texas Class 6A Division I Football Championship.
“Allen is a tradition-rich Texas program that takes a lot of pride in their football program. Brave Nation can expect our team to represent the school, league and state well,” said Offensive Coordinator Stephen Lo. “You will see some hungry Braves flying around the field making plays. Our players have been working for a long time in preparation for this moment, and the game should not disappoint.”
All eyes will be on the players who make Bosco America’s top team coming into the 2022 season. Ms. Melody Mohebbi, Head Athletic Trainer, takes seriously the responsibility of moving Bosco’s athletic training operations to Allen to ensure the players receive top-tier treatment so they can compete at the highest level. FULL STORY
Spring Football Is Back As Preparations For Next Season Begin
by Ian Cook
After a great 2021 season, the St. John Bosco football team has opened up their 2022 season with Spring football, college showcases and barbeques.
This is the first normal Spring football season for the Braves in over two years. Spring football workouts started in February giving the Braves a very short off-season. Now in May, the team is in full swing, getting new playbooks, watching films from previous seasons and practicing without pads.
“Once the season ended we pretty much started working out right away. There really is no offseason for us, we might get a couple days to rest here and there but with 7v7 tournaments and showcases, it’s pretty much year-round,” said junior quarterback Pierce Clarkson.
With Spring football picking up, so has the college recruitment for the Braves as well. On May 11, the Braves hosted their annual Spring Football College Showcase and Barbeque. FULL STORY
After A Hard-Fought Season Bosco Baseball Narrowly Miss CIF Playoffs
by Aydn Morris
After having a winning record and an incredible improvement over last season Bosco baseball was snubbed out of the CIF playoffs.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The Braves had an outstanding season even with falling short of playoff expectations.
The Braves baseball team, led by coach Don Barbra, finished with an overall record of 16-12 and a Trinity League record of 6-9 which was good enough for fifth in the Trinity League.
The Trinity League is regarded as one of the toughest leagues in high school baseball, similar to its reputation in many other sports. Even with the fifth spot finish for the Braves, they still had a chance of making the CIF playoffs, as the other four teams ahead of them made it to the playoffs.
If the Braves were to have won one or two more of their Trinity League matches, it would have changed the outcome of their season. As the fourth-seeded team, Santa Margarita won six games in the league as well, and was able to make the playoffs. FULL STORY
Golfer Matthew Ingram Finishes Second In Trinity League, Best Individual Finish In 16 Years
by Ian Cook
With only 20 days left until summer, the spring sports of St. John Bosco have been able to keep their focus on their athletic season and not be distracted by the excitement of the 2021-2022 school year coming to a close.
The 2022 St. The John Bosco golf team is an example of one of the many spring sports that has been able to have a strong season thus far.
Recently, the Braves finished 2nd out of 16 teams in the Ontario Christian Tournament. Senior and Drew University commit, Matthew Ingram, was one of the key performers for the Braves during the tournament as well as in Trinity League play.
“Matthew Ingram took 2nd place in the Trinity League Individual Tournament, which is the highest finish a Bosco golfer has had in that tournament in 16 years,” said Head Coach Jack Hastert. FULL STORY
St. John Bosco Lacrosse On The Rise, Sets Sights On A CIF Title
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
This week, Braves lacrosse finished the regular season strong with a win over Oak Park on senior day, leading them into Division 2 CIF Playoffs ranked third in the section.
by Aeden Alexander
After the Major League Baseball Lockout has ended the season is right underway as both local Los Angeles teams the Angels and Dodgers look to make a run for it all this year.
Expectations are high in Southern California after an amazing offseason from both local clubs. The two teams went with different routes that would fit what they were looking for and both have improved significantly heading into the season.
The Dodgers are the 2022 favorites to win the World Series and that’s not by coincidence. Not only did the Dodgers manage to bring back many of their core players but as well brought on some new guys.
The biggest move however for them would be the addition of 2021 World Series MVP Freddy Freeman. Freeman was the first baseman for the Braves and will continue to hold down his position in Los Angeles. FULL STORY
Braves’ Track And Field Team Starts Off Season Right
by Ian Cook
The St. John Bosco track and field team has started their season on the right foot after recently performing well at the Quad Meet at Mater Dei, as they lead into their Trinity League matches.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The 2022 St. John Bosco track team has made many top marks in the state and national marks as well. With many key performers this year, Head Coach Tim McIntosh and the Braves are working hard to have a successful season and turn many heads this Spring.
“A lot of seniors have been key performers this year, Jaden Smith, Camryn O’bannon, Rayshon Luke, Jackson Harley, Jabari Bates, Tayvion Beasley and Chris Chavez to name a few,” said Coach McIntosh.
The Braves have performed very well on the track as they are ranked number two in the state in the 4×2 relay. Camryn O’bannon is ranked number one in the state in the long jump, number three in the state in the triple jump and also number three in the nation in the Triple Jump. FULL STORY
Students Weigh In On Grass VS. Turf
by Aydn Morris
Each year more and more sports fields change from natural grass to artificial grass in order to improve the cost and looks of their complex. Though it may be more dangerous for the athletes to play on turf rather than well-maintained grass.
Artificial grass (turf) holds many benefits to athletes, as it can be easily maintained and can allow the athlete to perform better. Although turf may have many benefits, it also has strong negatives as it is significantly harder on the body than grass is.
Turf fields have been highly preferred by Bosco athletes to play on due to how badly grass fields may be maintained. Artificial grass has been installed more in high school and college-level sports due to how much cheaper it is to maintain over time compared to natural grass.
Turf fields have not had the greatest history when it comes to injuries, as many athletes like to play on turf fields, in a long-term decision grass is more recommended to play on to prevent injury. FULL STORY
Braves Swimming Dives Into The Season In Style
by Ethan Gibbs
The St. John Bosco swim team is looking forward to the remainder of their season, as they are off to a hot start with one of the most talented rosters they have had in years.
Bosco’s swim team has begun their season with a great start, as they have two wins and only one loss overall. On February 24th, Bosco started their season against West Torrence, which ended up being a loss with a score of 53-117. Despite the loss, it pushed the Bosco swimmers to train even harder.
“Winning easy meets is a result of our hard work put into our training. When we do lose it motivates us to learn from our mistakes and to get better and faster,” said co-captain senior swimmer Joshua Joson.
The next meet was against Warren, and Bosco came out on top securing them the first win for the swimming season 115-55. Senior athlete and co-captain Joson placed first in the 200 meters and the 100-meter breast. Another senior and co-captain Jack Woodson placed first in 100 meters back and 100 meters free. FULL STORY
Bosco Lacrosse With Big Goals For The 2022 Season
by Ian Cook
The St. John Bosco lacrosse team, led by coaches, Chris Jewett and Tommy Johnson, are excited to kick off their long-awaited 2022 Season with the addition of a few new players.
After a brief, and covid affected season last year with an overall record of 4-6, the Braves are looking forward to finally having a normal 2022 season. After the 2020 Season was canceled, followed by an unexpected 2021 Season, the Braves’ goals have not changed and are still striving for a 2022 Trinity League Championship.
“I’m really excited going into this season. We have a few new guys and we’re ready to just be able to have a normal season and an even shot to win,” said senior Joel Embray.
The Braves have welcomed new players such as senior Logan Booher, a former St. John Bosco Football Wide Receiver, and is accompanied by Noah Citek, George Bratton and Evan Stout, three very talented players who transferred from Millikan High School. FULL STORY
MLB Lockout Keeps Baseball Fans And Players Waiting
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
Major League Baseball announces that the 2022 regular season will have games canceled much to the anguish of players and fans, as players and owners can’t agree to a deal that would end their lockout.
With the original start of Spring Training being on February 26th, the MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) are way past their deadline of getting a new labor deal finalized. This will not only delay and cancel Spring Training games, but it will now also cause the cancellation of the beginning of the regular season.
After the 2021 season, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expired, leaving another deal to be made. However, the MLBPA did not agree with the terms of the last deal and believed that it was too unfair for the players in many different aspects.
One of the players’ main concerns is about how poorly Minor League players are treated, as they get less pay than minimum wage in some states, as well as subpar housing in some situations. There were many other aspects of the deal that caused the lockout, including greedy owners and representatives of Major League Baseball. FULL STORY
Bosco Baseball Starts Season Off Strong
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.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Basketball Sets Sights On State Title
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.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
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. FULL STORY
Boscos Hockey Team Secures Second Seed In The Playoffs
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. FULL STORY
Rams Capture Elusive Second Super Bowl In Thrilling 23 20 Victory Over The Cincinnati Bengals
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Basketball Rolling Into CIF Playoffs
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.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Wrestling Sets Sights On State Title After Dominant Season
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.
Photo by Bosco Wrestling (@SJBwrestling)/Twitter
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Continues To Have Students Sign To Colleges During Winter Signing Session
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.
Photo via Bosco Football Instagram
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Wrestling Wins Trinity League Championship
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. FULL STORY
Rams Beat Division Rival, The 49ers In NFC Championship To Head To Super Bowl 56
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.
Photo by Rams Wire
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. FULL STORY
Bosco Football’s Legacy Of Top-Tier Talent Continues As Multiple Braves Announce Commitments
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.
Photo via Instagram (@_doughboyspeedy)
This All-American Bowl game, held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, showcases the top 100 high school football players from across the country. While at the game, many of the top players in the country, who didn’t already decide, got the chance to announce their commitment. St. John Bosco, being a national football powerhouse, had two players attend and announce their futures: Rayshon Luke and Earnest Greene.
Coming off of a great year, Greene was ranked one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He had scholarship offers from almost every school. He took his time to make his decision by starting off with a top ten, top four, then finally making his decision at the bowl game.
Earnest’s top four consisted of the University of Georgia, University of Alabama, University of Texas and Ohio State which were all ranked in the top 25 the previous year.
Greene declared that he will attend the University of Georgia before the game began, where he had a fantastic outing where he made holes and opportunities for his running backs, such as his fellow Brave, Rayshon. FULL STORY
Bosco Basketball Looks To Overcome Adversity
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.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Sports Editor
Head Coach Matt Dunn is confident in his team’s ability to persist and play their best basketball moving forward. He believes that every team is very evenly matched in Trinity League. Thus, it is extremely competitive. For the Braves, every week is going to be a battle to be able to come up on top.
The “Team in Red” is off to a strong start, ranked 1st in the Trinity League, Bosco being ranked 4th. The Braves are coming off a tough loss to the “Team in Red”, 61-59.
This season the Braves have had players in and out of games from both injuries and COVID-19. The team has struggled to maintain consistency due to factors out of their control, though their players are all coming back to form and should all be playing together again soon.
“It’s been a challenge with all that’s going on, with COVID and everything. I’m really proud of our group. We’re really plugging away. We’re going to play some really good basketball, and I’m excited for the rest of the year,” said Coach Dunn. FULL STORY
Bosco Soccer Seeks To Finish Season Strong After Slow Start
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.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The Braves hold a current overall record of 9-10-2, with a Trinity League record of 0-4-1. Bosco was only able to play 11 games last year and have a brief season due to Covid-19. However, this year they have been able to play 21 games thus far and will continue to play more by following the healthy and safety protocols ordered by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
“We went 1-8-2 last year and were only able to play Trinity League teams, this year we are on the verge of making the playoffs and hopefully being able to get to where we were in 2019 and bring it home (a championship),” said senior goalkeeper Jacob Rivera.
The Braves ended up tying against the “Team in Red” 1-1, and were beaten on the road against JSerra, Santa Margarita, and Orange Lutheran. They were also defeated by a nationally ranked Servite. FULL STORY
Braves Basketball Bounces Back at Illinois Tournament
by Jeremiah Davis
Coming off of two blowout wins to start the season, the St. John Bosco basketball team traveled to Illinois to compete in the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions.
Bosco Basketball continued their good form following a 76-40 win over Long Beach Jordan and a 74-49 win over Hesperia as they ventured to Washington, Illinois to compete in the Washington Invitational Tournament.
The Braves narrowly dropped their first game, 55-50, partly due to a quick turnaround as they arrived at their hotel in Chicago at around midnight the previous night, with the game scheduled in the morning.
However, this mishap only motivated the Braves as they rebounded from their close loss to go undefeated for the remainder of the tournament. They won the last three games rather comfortably, with a 50-43 win over Metamora High School, a 76-33 demolition of Tinley Park and a defeat of the hosts Washington 52-44 to finish the tournament. FULL STORY
St. John Bosco Football Takes on Servite in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Semi-Final
by Ian Cook
After a high-scoring game against Los Alamitos High School, the Braves manage to defeat the griffins with a final score of 63-38. With that being said, the Braves will once again this season take on the Servite Friars, this time, in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Semi-final.
In their first meeting, the Braves wound up defeating the Friars 24-10. Both teams will be going through rigorous preparations, as the entire season will be on the line in this game.
Led by four-star wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, the Servite Friars are coming into this match as the underdogs. In addition, the Friars came off a dominating playoff victory last week defeating fellow Trinity League opponent, the Santa Margherita Eagles, with a final score of 34-3.
The Braves will look to send the Friars home after rushing for 588 yards as a team against Los Alamitos. Rayshon Luke led the team with 249 yards on 10 carries resulting in 3 touchdowns. Jabari Bates rushed for 194 yards on 16 carries, resulting in 2 touchdowns, and Michael Hayes rushed for 140 yards on 11 carries, resulting in 1 touchdown. FULL STORY
Bosco Basketball Looks to Continue Successful Run After CIF State Regional Title
by Jeremiah Davis
Coming off an undoubtedly successful season that resulted in a CIF Division 1-AA State Regional Championship, the St. John Bosco basketball team looks to keep it rolling this year with an assortment of new faces who have embraced their roles.
With all the uncertainty last year surrounding the high school basketball season, Bosco basketball embraced the challenge and the team, led by a huge veteran presence, won a CIF championship against Ribet Academy.
However, following the loss of key seniors and transfers, the Braves have revamped their roster with the addition of new transfers, highly-touted freshmen and returners who are looking to increase their role on the team. Despite such heavy losses, the team remains optimistic that they can challenge for a Trinity League title following a couple years of coming up just short.
“I feel like in league, we should be able to win the Trinity League championship, but it won’t be easy at all. We have to take film very seriously and know player personnel, so that we can be really good when the time comes to play,” said senior forward Christian Estrada. FULL STORY
SPORTS: ST. JOHN BOSCO FOOTBALL TAKES ON LOS ALAMITOS TO BEGIN CIF SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
After a fantastic year for the St. John Bosco Football team, this Friday night, they match up against high-ranked Los Alamitos in round one of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section playoffs.
Playoffs are back at Panish Family Stadium this Friday for the first time since 2019 and the expectations are at an all-time high for the Braves. After a great year finishing 9-1 overall and 4-1 in Trinity play, the Braves look to make a splash in the playoffs.
The Braves finished the season being ranked fourth nationally this year after what many doubters seemed to make it a down year for Bosco. Led by quarterbacks Katin Houser and Pierce Clarkson, they look to continue their great performances and now seek to add yet another National Championship.
They will face off against the Los Alamitos Griffins who finished 9-1 as well while winning the Sunset League and finishing league play undefeated. Led by five-star junior quarterback Malachi Nelson, the Griffins come in as the underdogs in this matchup.
Both Braves quarterbacks will look to continue their hot streak after an amazing year with Katin Houser throwing for 1,366 yards and twelve touchdowns. As well Pierce Clarkson finished the year having thrown 1,296 yards and 15 touchdowns.
This game won’t be easy for the Braves, as Los Alamitos will have a chip on their shoulder trying to knock off the nationally-ranked Bosco Braves.
“Yeah it’s a big game, it’s going to take a lot of mid-game adjustments and the entire team just needs to be ready to ball. Obviously, with it being one game elimination in playoffs we have to play our best, we can’t worry about who they have or how many stars their players got, we just have to play our game and when we do that I think we are one of, if not the best team in the country,” said Senior Katin Houser. FULL STORY
SPORTS: ST. JOHN BOSCO E-SPORTS CONTINUES TO IMPRESS ON ALL FRONTS
by Ian Cook
The Bosco E-sports team is in the midst of a very successful season as they seek to compete in the national championships.
After concluding a match that was held a few days ago, the gaming teams in the E-sports program are on track to compete in the national championships in Arlington, Texas. The Director of E-sports, Mr. Gabe Giangualano, expressed his desire for his program to be consistent in hopes of the program having the best season yet.
As of now, the Rainbow Six Siege team has a record of 3-1. The Valorant Team is undefeated thus far, recently beating Clayton Valley High School in Concord, California, while the Overwatch team has a record of 4-2 and is well ahead of the game.
In addition, the Rocket League team has turned many heads during the last few months, being currently undefeated and ranked number one in the state. They hope to be ranked number one in the nation after the High School E-sports League (HCEL) decides where the Braves stand.
“The reason we stand out so much is because we have so many talented players. Our Fortnite team has two phenomenal players, Gabriel Lopez and Isaiah Munoz who have been key factors that have made their team have a lot of success,” said Coach Gabe Giangualano. FULL STORY
SPORTS: YOUNG RUNNING BRAVES TAKE LONG STRIDES IN AN OUTSTANDING SEASON
by Aydn Morris
The St. John Bosco cross country team heads into playoffs following a magnificent showing at Trinity League finals.
The Braves took second place in the Trinity League behind Santa Margarita, led by seniors Chris Chavez, Ian Sanchez and Ethan Beck.
Some Braves’ runners set their best run times, as Chavez finished first in the race and ran one of the best ever times on the course at 14:58.9, earning the Trinity League Championship title. He finished about 20 seconds faster than the next best time.
Although this race may have been dedicated to the seniors for their senior day, sophomores Aiden Aldana and Andrew Perez put on a show as well. Aiden, who has been excellent this year, finished fourth with a time of 15:35.4, while Andrew finished ninth at 15:42.2
Following a long break from competition due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Braves were excited to have a season without much restriction.
“We have enjoyed being able to travel again this year, being able to meet with a lot of runners and going back to invitationals again,” said Ruben Solorza, an assistant coach.
Last season, the Braves were not able to do their normal meets because of the pandemic, instead competing league dual meets, which is racing against one opposing team at a time. FULL STORY
SPORTS: THE BRAVES FACE NATIONALLY-RANKED FRIARS IN A SEASON-DEFINING MATCHUP
by Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor
Following a brilliant performance last week, St. John Bosco enters one of the toughest contests of the year against Servite, with national rankings, pride and second place on the line.
This game will prove to be important for playoff seeding, as both teams are looking for an easier route to the state championship. Both teams are coming into the matchup 8-1 overall and 3-1 in League Play. This matchup will most certainly be a nail-biter as both teams have looked extremely sharp coming into this game. Servite is currently ranked second in California and fifth nationally according to MaxPreps, with Bosco being ranked third and fourth respectively.
Bosco has had continuous success with both of their quarterbacks this season, and will once again look to lean on them for support. Both quarterbacks put up impressive stat lines last game, as Katin Houser completed seven of twelve. including a touchdown, while Pierce Clarkson completed nine of eleven, providing two touchdowns. With that in mind, it seems as though both quarterbacks are finding their rhythm, and will both need to be playing at their highest level in order to top Servite.
This will be a make-or-break game for both teams, as both teams are in desperate need of a victory in this matchup in order to be set up for a solid playoff run. Furthermore, the losing team will drop to third place in the Trinity League, where Bosco has not finished since 2011. Though this will not be an easy game for either team, as it seems both teams are playing the best football they have all season.
Servite is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to “The Team in Red,” with the final score being 46-37, and will look to bounce back from that loss with a vital win against the Braves. After playing extremely well last game, it appears that Servite is playing some of the best football they have played in years. FULL STORY
SPORTS: BRAVES WATER POLO CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AFTER FINISHING ANOTHER GREAT YEAR
by Ian Cook
Although they weren’t able to get the outcome they wanted, the Water Polo team has worked extremely hard in order to build up their program over this past season and have set the program up for future success for many seasons to come.
The Braves Varsity water polo Team, led by Coach Powers, concluded their 2020-2021 Season with an overall record of 9-17 and an 0-5 record in Trinity League play. Due to COVID-19 Bosco water polo didn’t get to play many games last year.
“We played six games last year, and although we didn’t have the best season it was just a blessing to be able to go out and have fun with my brothers,” said Joshua Jason, a senior set and three.
The Braves have had a very diverse team consisting of a fair number of players ranging from Seniors all the to Freshmen.
“What made our team so special this year is that we had a mix of players from a variety of different grade levels which is going to help out our team in the long run so that we can know what to expect for seasons to come,” said Matthew Casas, a junior utility.
Playing top competition in the state gave the Braves great experience even finishing with a sub .500 record, and although the Braves were not satisfied with their performance this season, they were glad they could play against these elite teams that ended up becoming key factors into their development.
“We played a lot of good teams this year, and playing in the Trinity League is tough, Orange Lutheran, JSerra, and Mater Dei are all ranked Top 10 in the State, but iron sharpens iron,” said Anthony Best, a senior two. FULL STORY
Sports: The NBA is Back With the New-Look Lakers Looking to Challenge Eastern Conference Favorites
by Aydn Morris
The NBA kicked off its regular season Tuesday night headlined by the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks facing the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Golden State Warriors in a thrilling first night of basketball.
The atmosphere was at an all time high in Milwaukee where the defending champs held their ring ceremony just moments before taking on ESPN’s top ranked team, the Brooklyn Nets.
The Milwaukee Bucks stunned NBA fans by beating the Nets 127-104 in a dominant matchup. From the tip-off, the Bucks maintained control the entire game starting with last year’s finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, having a stellar game scoring 32 points, securing 14 rebounds and dishing out seven assists with two blocked shots. Behind him was all-star teammate Kris Middleton who scored 20 points and recorded nine rebounds.
What made this game special to the team is not only the ring ceremony, but also seeing Giannis improve so much in his shooting. Last season Giannis struggled from the free throw line and had the longest free throw routine in the league. He shot a free throw percentage of 69% on 9.5 attempts per game and his routine was regularly at or over the allotted ten seconds.
He may not have shot perfectly from the free throw line in the season opener, but he showed great improvements from last year. FULL STORY
Sports: Rams and Chargers Both Look Like Super Bowl Contenders
by Jeremiah Davis
With the NFL season already underway, Los Angeles’ two newest teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, prove to be potential Super Bowl contenders.
The 2021 NFL season has brought along many exciting, challenging and hard to believe moments. From Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs being “figured out” by the league to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens putting on a show seemingly every game, the league has astonished its many fans.
However, the story of the season for many homers starts in the City of Angels. Although the season is still in its early stages, the Rams and Chargers have both shown that they are serious contenders.
The Rams, are coming off a dominant win against the New York Giants and boast a great record on the season so far at 5-1, currently holding the 2nd place seed in the NFC West behind the Arizona Cardinals. The Chargers, who recently had a disappointing loss to the Ravens and another heartbreaker earlier in the season to the NFC powerhouse Dallas Cowboys, are still in a good place in the standings with a 4-2 record, which is tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for first place, though due to the head to head record, they have the advantage in seeding if the season were to end today. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Braves Look to Continue League Success Against Orange Lutheran
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
The Bosco Braves take on the red hot Orange Lutheran Lancers in their third week of Trinity league play, coming off a fabulous performance against JSerra.
This Friday, the Braves will be taking on another top league opponent, and are now officially hitting the halfway mark of their league play.
Bosco comes into this game with an impressive 6-1 overall record as well being 1-1 in league. The Lancers come in with a solid record of 5-2, but are 0-2 in league play.
This will be an important deciding week for both programs, as it will most likely boost the Braves morale heading into the back half of their season as they seek to get revenge on the “Team in Red” in the playoffs.
For Orange Lutheran this game possibly means everything. After a tough start to their Trinity League play, this game is a must win and will be far from easy. FULL STORY
Sports: Dodgers Advance to the NLCS After Dramatic Finish in Deciding Game
by Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor
In a nail-biting game with both team’s pitching in full effect, the Los Angeles Dodgers edged out the San Francisco Giants in the final game of a five-game series, winning 2-1 and moving them onto the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
Being one of the most well known rivalries in baseball, and even all of sports, the Dodgers-Giants first ever postseason series was one to remember. With both teams claiming one-sided games throughout the series, it was only right for the series to end in a nail-biting one-run game that came down to the very last pitch.
The Dodgers in a last minute, game time decision started relief pitcher Corey Knebel on Thursday evening at Oracle Park in place of Julio Urias for strategic purposes that would seem to benefit them in the end. The Dodgers would end up using their bullpen to the max this game, creating more favorable matchups for their players and allowing for each pitcher to stay fresh.
Julio Urias would take over for the Dodgers pitching in the third inning out of the bullpen, going on to pitch four innings allowing one run on a solo homer with three hits and 5 strikeouts.
This would prove to be enough to get the Dodgers the win, as the small ball would pay off with standout Mookie Betts going 4 for 4 with four singles and a run scored. FULL STORY
Sports: The Los Angeles Dodgers Take on the San Francisco Giants in a NLDS Series for the Ages
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
After two thrilling games, the Dodgers are midway through their National League Divisional Series (NLDS) run against National League West division champion and rival the San Francisco Giants.
It’s not every year that a team like the Dodgers win 106 games and only come second in their division needing to play a Wild Card game, but that was the case this year as the Giants would win 107 and go on to secure a playoff spot and the division title.
The Dodgers and Giants rivalry has been one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. The two teams have met thousands of times and no matter how much better one team is compared to the other, they figure out ways to make the games close and competitive.
But, even with all the regular season battles, this year is the first time the Dodgers and Giants have met in the postseason. The amazing part about this matchup is the fact that the two teams are polar opposites.
The Dodgers have a team full of stars with the highest payroll in all of baseball. Meanwhile, the Giants have a much younger core with a few veterans leading the charge.
The NLDS is a five game series, and the pair have already competed twice thus far. It’s safe to say both games were action-packed and high scoring, as the run total of just two games has come to a staggering 15 runs. FULL STORY
Sports: Braves Look to Regroup Against JSerra
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
The Bosco Braves look to bounce back coming off a hard fought loss to the “Team in Red,” traveling to San Juan Capistrano this Friday to take on the JSerra Lions in week two of Trinity League play.
League play will continue this Friday for the Braves in what will prove to be an important game for them. The opponent might not be the best, but they need to win big this week to get back on their feet after a 42-21 loss last Friday.
The Braves senior leadership will be put on the spot to help get the team back in check and make necessary adjustments.
“This week is all about us. The only team that could beat us is ourselves. We believe with the guys we have when we play our game there is nobody in the country that can beat us. So this week we just got to bounce back strong and show why we have the talent to win another CIF Championship as well as National championship,” said Earnest Greene, senior offensive linemen.
The Lions come into this game at 3-3 after an embarrassing loss to another Trinity League opponent, Santa Margarita. This will be a great test to both teams as there should be plenty of adjustments made after coming off of a rough week from both sides.
“We just got to play better, got to execute way better. And we also had a couple of drives in the red zone where we didn’t take advantage of, and that just can’t happen. So we just got to tighten up. We are not worried we will see them [the Team in Red] again,” said Greene. FULL STORY
by Aeden Aelexander, Sports Editor
Everything is on the line tonight in Los Angeles, as the hometown Dodgers face hated postseason rival the St. Louis Cardinals in a battle of the aces.
Both the Cardinals and the Dodgers are coming off impressive seasons, despite both narrowly losing their division. Being a Wild Card game, the loser tonight will go home, and the winner will go on to face the best team in baseball, the San Francisco Giants, in the National League Division Series (NLDS).
The first pitch is scheduled to take place at 5:10 P.M. PT at Dodger Stadium. Both teams will be rolling out their best pitchers, with the Dodgers starting trade deadline acquisition Max Scherzer against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. However, the Dodgers will be without power-hitting first baseman and MVP candidate Max Muncy, who injured his elbow in a collision at first base on Sunday.
As of right now, the Dodgers are -219 favorites according to Caesar Sportsbook. Although the Blue Crew have to play in the Wild Card game, the Dodgers had the second best record in the MLB at 106-56, second only to their divisional rivals, the Giants.
Despite the Dodgers having 16 more wins than their opponent, the Cardinals, who looked hopeless throughout much of July and August, they are not to be taken lightly. The Cardinals posted a 23-10 record in the last month of the season, winning a franchise record 17 games in a row at one point. Therefore, with both aces on the mound, and two offenses that have proven that they can score runs, the match up promises to be one not to miss.
Although they are the underdogs, the Cardinals have a talent-filled roster that consists of a mix of veterans and young players. Future Hall-of-Famers, like catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright (who will be on the bump tonight for the Cardinals), have stepped up and led this group to the playoffs. FULL STORY
Sports: The Braves Take On The “Team in Red” at Panish Family Stadium In Epic Match-Up
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
St. John Bosco football opens up league play tonight at Panish Family Stadium against their biggest rival, the “Team in Red,” as the Braves look to continue their perfect season.
The Braves come in ranked third in the nation, coming off dominating performances against five highly ranked teams throughout the state and country in Miami Central (FL), Bishop Alemany, Bishop Amat, East St. Louis (IL), and flying to Virginia to take on Oscar Smith.
Tonight will open league play for the Braves in the most highly anticipated Trinity League opener in recent memory. The Braves will then play three consecutive away games at JSerra, Orange Lutheran, and Santa Margarita before they will return home for their final league game against Servite, which is another contest with a ton of hype.
This will be the first meeting with the Team in Red this year, and the match-up has proven to be one of the biggest and best rivalries in all of high school sports. Last year, the two teams met at the end of their seasons where the Team in Red were victorious over our Braves to close out Trinity League competition in an abridged season absent of any CIF playoffs. This year, the Braves seek vengeance.
The excitement is at an all time high coming off the COVID-19 season, and this game will most likely decide seeding for this year’s upcoming CIF playoffs. If there was any doubt about the anticipation surrounding this match-up, tickets for the game sold out in just four minutes on the GoFan website.
Per usual, both teams come in evenhanded, which have made for instant classics in years past. The Team in Red comes in as the nation’s top ranked team, according to MaxPreps, but Coach Jason Negro’s squad looks to make its case as top dog. FULL STORY
Sports: Is Shohei Ohtani’s Record-Breaking Year Enough to Bring the MVP Trophy Back to Anaheim?
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
The Angels’ two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani of Japan, leads the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race following a historic year on the mound and in the batter’s box, establishing himself as a modern-day Babe Ruth.
With the baseball season coming to an end, baseball fans look to the MVP race, which is shaping to be one for the ages. The Angels’ Ohtani, who has made history numerous times this year as both a pitcher and a hitter, is the frontrunner in a tight race against prodigy son Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Angels, coming off yet another disappointing year filled with injuries and much more, had light in the performance of Ohtani, as Shohei became “Shotime.” There’s no doubt that Ohtani is doing something that has never been seen before, but does it do enough to overtake Guerrero’s extremely impressive season?
The simple answer is yes, as the name of the award is Most Valuable Player, and even with Toronto being a team that is still fighting for a playoff spot, Shohei Ohtani is much more important to his team.
Even with Guerrero’s offensive stats being higher than Ohtani’s, he doesn’t provide enough as a hitter only to help his team win as many games. Shohei is coming off a 9-2 season on the bump, with many of his 23 starts being quality starts that ended in no decisions.
Ohtani also had an astonishing 3.18 earned run average (ERA) and went undefeated in his starts at home. He became almost unhittable towards the end of the season, fixing his command issue and making batters swing and miss more frequently. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Water Polo Set Sights On CIF Playoff Berth
by Aydn Morris
Although they don’t have the experience of many other teams, Bosco water polo is working hard to reach the top of their division.
The young and inexperienced Bosco water polo team has had a hot start to their new season – their first full season since the start of the pandemic. The Braves have been excited for this season, given their last season was continuously delayed.
“Last year water polo was getting dragged on forever for the initial start of their season, from being told they would start in October to December all the way back to March. And their ended up being not much hype to the season,” said Head Coach Jeff Powers.
The push back of the season made it tough for the Braves to be consistently prepared as well as motivated for their season. This push back also remarkably shortened the season with water polo only being able to play 6 games in the two-to-three week schedule.
They went 2-4 overall in those six games that they played, but so far this year the Braves are 7-8 after winning their last game against Sage Hill by a score of 13-5.
With the 7-8 record start for the Braves, they are still in contention for CIF playoffs hopes. As of now they are in Division Five, and if they are able to make it to the playoffs, they will work on a deep playoff run that would hopefully lead to a championship. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Student-Athletes And Coaches “On Board” With CIF Regulations
By Ian Cook
After a chaotic year of athletics, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) released updated COVID-19 protocols so that high school athletes in California can return to the field as safely and with as much normality as possible.
In the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on many activities in California, one of them being high school sports. Since March 2021, a year after the initial shutdown, the CIF has been able to give all California high schools the opportunity to play sports, as long as they follow certain procedures and requirements. However, the CIF just released an updated set of protocols that schools must follow. These protocols and requirements have caused a dramatic change in the lives of many athletes and coaches at St. John Bosco High School.
“We’re social distancing when we can, following the COVID guidelines and keeping our mask on as much as we can,” said senior Ryan Tuaolo, a defensive end and outside linebacker on the football team.
In addition, the CIF, particularly Executive Director Ron Nocetti, put into place mandatory COVID-19 testing for all unvaccinated athletes that play an outdoor sport. They also require mandatory testing for all athletes, vaccinated or not, who play an indoor sport, which starts this week.
In the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on many activities in California, one of them being high school sports. Since March 2021, a year after the initial shutdown, the CIF has been able to give all California high schools the opportunity to play sports, as long as they follow certain procedures and requirements. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Caps Non-League Stretch With A Shutout In Virginia
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
After traveling to Virginia, St. John Bosco football obliterated Oscar Smith High School 49-0 for their final game before the start of league play.
The notorious Bosco Braves got to travel to the East Coast to match up for their first road game of the year against Oscar Smith, a top ranked program in the state of Virginia. This was a great opportunity for the Braves as it was a chance to show their talent nationwide. The players, coaches, staff and cheerleaders all flew out in hopes to continue the perfect season.
The game began with Oscar Smith starting with the ball, this was their first taste of what would be a long and disheartening night for their offense. They began with a solid drive down field, but ended up fumbling just before the end zone resulting in the Braves getting the ball.
Bosco wasted no time, scoring a 70-yard rushing touchdown from senior Rayshon “Speedy” Luke. Oscar Smith was then pressured again on offense and resorted to handing the Braves back the ball.
Michigan State commit Katin Houser came into the game at quarterback and quickly found his targets while moving up the field.
Michigan State commit Katin Houser came into the game at quarterback and quickly found his targets while moving up the field. The drive ended in a quick pass to junior Matayo Uiagalelei for his first of several touchdowns on the night. FULL STORY
Braves Win Fourth Straight In front Of NBA Superstar Zion Williamson
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
In a high-scoring battle between St. John Bosco Braves and East St. Louis High School Flyers, the Braves steamrolled another national competitor to keep their perfect season going.
The St. John Bosco Braves continued to shine in their final home game before the start of league play against the nationally-ranked Flyers from Illinois. The Braves are now 4-0 and continue to show improvement every week they step on the field.
Such a marquee match-up even attracted the attention of NBA and New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson, as he was in attendance for the game.
To start the game, East St. Louis was given the ball and quickly showed they were not backing down from the Braves’ stacked defense. Their first drive did not result in a score, but was the best start for any team so far against Bosco.
But, just like their offense, their defense came to play as well. Despite the Flyers giving up two big plays to start, the Braves were forced to give back the ball. The rest of the first would be a defensive battle with neither team scoring, but that would quickly change in the second quarter.
The Braves would start by scoring the first touchdown of the game on a long run by the quarterback Pierce Clarkson, giving Bosco a 7-0 lead. The Braves defense would continue to shine, giving the ball back to the offense, allowing them to make a drive down the field, which resulted in another touchdown. FULL STORY
Nationally Ranked St. John Bosco Braves Steamroll Bishop Amat Lancers 47-7
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
The Braves continue to stay hot, establishing dominance en route to an easy win over Bishop Amat, as they still await their first true test of the season.
The game began with Bishop Amat starting with the ball, but Bosco’s defense continued to put on a show, quickly forcing a Lancer punt.
The Brave’s offense quickly made an impact, as Michigan State commit Katin Houser led the charge at quarterback. The Braves swiftly moved down the field, ending the drive on a rushing touchdown from Houser.
The Lancers offense came out looking to fire back with a score of their own, but the Braves defense proved too strong, intercepting a deep pass and proceeding to get the ball all the way to the 45 yard line. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Football Dominant In Victory Over Alemany
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
The Bosco Braves cruise to an easy victory over top-ranked in-state power Alemany, as they continue their national title run while making headlines along the way.
St. John Bosco came off a hot first win over nationally ranked Miami Central in their previous game and looked to win another game against a top-ranked school in California. Bosco’s opponent this time was Alemany, who was ranked very highly and looked forward to putting on a show on the big stage.
Alemany was given the first opportunity to score, meanwhile Bosco’s defense was not slowing down. They were coming off a dominant performance in the previous game and continued to show Alemany how defense wins games and, ultimately, championships.
Bosco quickly gained possession of the football and sought to score and start the game with a bang. But that didn’t scare Alemany, as they were able to somewhat contain the Braves’ offense, limiting them to just a field goal in their first drive. FULL STORY
Sports: Was this the Craziest NBA OFFSEASON in the past decade?
by Jeremiah Davis
As the NBA season is getting ready to start back up, the offseason has brought about some major trades and signings that have had people on the edge of their seats waiting to see what team makes the next move.
Several NBA teams have benefited from the NBA offseason such as the Lakers, Heat and Bulls. The headliner of free agency came with the recent signing of L.A. native Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The team, however, lost some key pieces from their 2020 playoff run, with Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being traded to the Washington Wizards and Alex Caruso signing with the Chicago Bulls.
With the Lakers’ first round exit in the previous year, the signing of Westbrook ultimately will help the Lakers reach the pinnacle of their true potential as they did in the 2020 season.
The Miami Heat have also headlined the NBA offseason, as well. The Heat were able to trade away their six-year veteran point guard Goran Dragic for six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry. Alongside that, the Heat were able to resign some key players which is a bonus to their team. Five-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler was able to re-sign a deal for four years and $184 million. FULL STORY
Sports: The Braves Are Back With A Dominant Win Over Nationally Ranked Miami Central
by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor
In an East versus West coast battle, St. John Bosco cruised to an easy victory over Miami Central in a match-up of nationally ranked powers, winning 35-12.
Friday night lights are back in Bellflower, as this was Bosco’s first full capacity football game since the pandemic began. The atmosphere in Panish Family Stadium was at an all time high.
Not only did these two highly ranked teams match up, but both are big name high school football programs for Nike. Both teams are coming off successful seasons for their programs, as they both seek to continue making headlines. This is especially the case for the Braves, who are yet again a favorite to win the National Title.
To start the game captains from both teams met at the center of the field for the coin flip. Bosco started with an edge over their opponent, as they won the toss and chose to kickoff.
Right away the Braves showed how prepared they were by forcing a fumble off the kickoff, which they recovered around twenty yards away from the end zone. Starting quarterback for the game, junior Pierce Clarkson, quickly figured out Miami’s defensive plan and started off the drive by running the ball straight into the end zone for senior Jabari Bates’ first touchdown of the game. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Looks To Stay Hot As They Take On Orange Lutheran Saturday Evening
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
The Braves look to head into Santa Ana next weekend with momentum as they look to stay undefeated in 2021.
Last Saturday afternoon, the home crowd was treated to a show as the Braves took yet another big step toward the season with a clinical 66-14 rout of the visiting JSerra.
Bosco (4-0, 3-0 Trinity) scored touchdowns on its first, third, seventh, 11th, 19th, 21st and 25th offensive plays, rolling up a 35-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter, pushing that to 49-0 after seven possessions and to 59-7 by halftime.
The Braves rolled up 419 total yards in the first half, 491 for the game and missed the end zone just twice all afternoon, settling for a Andre Meono field goal near the end of the first half and, with mostly reserves on the field, forced to punt in the third quarter.
They scored in special teams thanks to Rayshon Luke’s 85-yard punt return at the end of the first half and on defense after Zion Austin’s had a school-record 96-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter.
“We played really well, cleaned up a lot of the mistakes,” “We had just two penalties, we had no miss-tackles, and we executed. All the balls we threw were on time, we made our blocks, and we got so far ahead of them that we just overwhelmed them” Negro said in an interview with the Long Beach Press Telegram. FULL STORY
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
Despite only leading by one at halftime, Bosco rolled over Santa Margarita in the second half and is now ready to take on Servite tonight.
The high school football spring season in California enters its third week of action with one of the biggest games of the year on tap, as the 2019 MaxPreps National Champion St. John Bosco Braves host the Servite Friars at Panish Family Stadium.
The Friars are 2-0 and ranked No. 2 in the Orange County top 25, behind only Mater Dei. The last two Friar victories have been against Damien, which ended 42-6 and Orange Lutheran, which ended 69-13.
The Friars will take on the current CIF Southern Section Division 1 and CIF State Open Division champions from last year in the Bosco Braves, who are currently 2-0 with wins of 42-21 over Sierra Canyon and 65-28 over Santa Margarita and are ranked No. 1 in the CalHiSports.com state rankings.
St. John Bosco showed why they are the reigning national champions, as they erupted for 37 points in the second half to defeat Santa Margarita 65-28 on Saturday in their Trinity League opener. FULL STORY
Sports: The Braves Soccer Team Has High Expectations For The Upcoming Season
by: Ryan Tavera
Despite minor setbacks the Brave’s soccer team has set big goals for this year and are training their hardest to make them a reality.
In 2020, the Braves soccer team found much success becoming state and CIF finalists. The team hopes to repeat the success they had last year and go beyond what is expected from the team with the help of Head Coach David Sabet.
“High expectations for this year, they really developed a lot in soccer and this year our goals are to finish top three in the trinity league,” said Coach Sabet.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions minor setbacks have plagued the team and the late notice of their upcoming season has hindered the team’s abilities.
“Our expectations are always going to be high; it’s just the reality of where we are at. The thirteen years that I’ve been here we’ve always had a good four or five months to prepare. It’s been difficult, so in reality we can’t really prepare too much, we just have to maintain health,” said Coach Sabet. FULL STORY
Sports: Targeting Potential Laker Trade Deadline Moves Ahead Of Thursday’s Deadline
by: Ryan Dwyer
After a series of injuries, the Lakers must think bold ahead of Thursday’s deadline in order to compete against teams like the Jazz, 76ers, Clippers and Nets.
Trade Away
Marc Gasol:
Marc Gasol is a player the Lakers were very high on coming into the season. Javale McGee, a player who for the past two years had provided very valuable shot blocking to the team was traded away in a move to allow cap space for the Gasol signing. However more than halfway into the season Marc has not shown up in the ways the lakers had been hoping for, he’s put out a very lackluster performance on the offensive side, and considering who the lakers traded away in order to acquire Gasol, his performance is well below the standards he should be meeting. The Lakers need a much better big man who can contribute more of a shot blocking presence and more of an inside threat then Gasol has proven to show this year. Had the Lakers decided to keep Javale instead of pursuing Gasol, they would be in a much better spot for their center position.
Kyle Kuzma:
Kyle Kuzma has shown an ability to shine when given the opportunity, especially with Anthony Davis out for an extended period of time. With Davis out of the lineup Kuzma has had the ability to play an extended amount of minutes at the forward position, contributing some very efficient defense, and giving some very solid shooting splits just as he did years prior. The problem however is that Kuzma should be the third option but while Davis has been healthy has not shown that he can put up that kind of a production on a consistent basis, he showed a lot of potential and a very wide set of skills in his first few Years on the team, but as time has passed has regressed somewhat. Whilst not putting up very impressive numbers consistently, he is still a very young and skilled player who could be a very valuable part of another teams future, should the Lakers trade him, they could receive a very solid batch of wither players of Picks in return. He could even be a large part of a trade package for a star player should the Lakers be looking to make a big move before the trade deadline. FULL STORY
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
After a statement win over Sierra Canyon last Saturday, St. John Bosco looks to make it two in a row as they take on Santa Margarita this Saturday in Orange County.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
It had been 455 days since defending MaxPreps National Champion St. John Bosco took the field in a high school football game that counted. It proved to not be a problem at all as the Braves cruised to a 42-21 win Saturday night over Sierra Canyon to begin the 2021 spring season.
Bosco sophomore Pierce Clarkson and junior Katin Houser were the ones responsible for filling the void DJ Uiagalelei left under center and they both did a great job alternating possessions. Replacing DJ Uiagalelei at quarterback was never going to be an easy job, but both showed why FBS offers are starting to pile up.
“We’re going to see some very good quarterback play,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said.
The second half would prove to be a stroll as St. John Bosco dominated the second half thanks to the help of running back Rayshon Luke as he rushed for a 67-yard score on the opening possession. Setting up the play was a connection between Clarkson and sophomore standout Matayo Uiagalelei came through clutch on a third-down conversion. DJ’s younger brother stood out on both sides of the ball and showed why he’s the fifth-rated recruit in California from the Class of 2023. FULL STORY
Sports: After Having Last Season Cancelled Due To Covid-19, Bosco Braves Baseball Is Back
by Aydn Morris
The Bosco Braves varsity baseball team is looking forward to starting their season on the right track in their opener against Dana Hills High School today at home at 3pm.
Bosco Baseball is more than ready to start their season after las season was cut short due to the ongoing pandemic. Even though they didn’t play, last season still had an effect on the Braves, with many of the players not being able to showcase their talents to college scouts. Since then, the Braves have been counting down the minutes until the first pitch this afternoon.
The previous season should have the Braves fired up with finally having the opportunity to truly showcase their talents. The team is junior-heavy with 12 out of 25 players being juniors, while also having some committed seniors, such as Caleb Brandon, who is a transfer from Millikan High School committed to USC, Anthony Thomas, committed to Colorado Christian, and Dylan Lina who previously won a gold medal for Team USA at an international tournament in Mexico.
The Braves will once again be led by varsity head coach Don Barbara, who played college baseball at Long Beach State and in the minor leagues for eight years. Despite nearly over two decades of coaching experience, this year has been unlike any other for the manager. FULL STORY
Sports: Bosco Cross Country Season Comes To A Close As Seniors Reminisce
by Joseph Theisen
In the midst of a pandemic, St. John Bosco looked forward to an impressive final season for many seniors, and a bright future for the underclassmen. While abnormal, the season was memorable for seniors and upperclassmen alike.
Bosco Cross Country has recently wrapped up its season, being the final one for many notable seniors and Coach Mac could not be any prouder. Coach Mac has addressed the differences between what a regular season used to be and how the most recent season was during the pandemic. The restrictions have reminded him of the type of competition he had when he himself was a runner.
“The races are like they were twenty years ago, where you run dual meets. We’re allowed to run against only one team at a time in our league. That’s how it was years ago, and what we’ve been doing in the past twenty years is called cluster meets, which is everybody in the league runs against everybody, all at once, and then you score it separately, but it’s kinda cool,” said Coach Mac.
While the rules of the new season were different for the runners themselves, Coach Mac clearly had experience with dual meets, which is a large reason why he was able to adapt to it so easily from a coaching standpoint. Additionally, it also gave Coach Mac and his runners a bit of a break, as it allowed them to focus on one team at time rather than multiple at once. FULL STORY
Sports: Braves Return To The Field To Defend Their Throne
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
After a long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bosco Football is back, as the Braves are set to take on Sierra Canyon at Panish Family Stadium tomorrow. Despite some new names and younger players leading the team this year, the Braves are still overwhelmingly favored to defend their championship throne.
The last time St. John Bosco played in an official game wearing its school uniforms, it was while beating De La Salle High School in the 2019 state championship that also crowned the Braves the undisputed National Champions. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, St. John Bosco were originally scheduled to kick off their season with an opening game against the same Northern California powerhouse De La Salle, but that game was canceled as the pandemic forced the state to shove football back several times.
St. John Bosco will now instead host reigning CIF-SS Division 2 champion Sierra Canyon this Saturday on their home turf looking to show the world they haven’t missed a beat. Last Saturday, St. John Bosco and Damien High School got together at Damien for a scrimmage before both team’s upcoming season openers.
While they spent the first half hour working on special teams and scrimmaged just two quarters, it was worth it for both teams to finally feel what it’s like to trade paint again. It won’t be a full season, but for St. John Bosco High School Head Coach Jason Negro, it’s something to celebrate.
“It was just exhilaration and excitement and I was just so happy for all of the student athletes in California to have an opportunity to get back on to the playing field and to do something they loved,” said Negro in an interview with Spectrum News. “That’s something to really shout about and I’m looking forward to coming out of that tunnel and watching these kids compete.” FULL STORY
Sports: The City Of Stars Continues To Grow As Both L.A. Area MLB Teams Make Splashes In Free Agency
by Aeden Alexander
Now that we are almost half way through Spring Training, it’s a perfect time to look at how both the Angels and Dodgers made improvements to their teams and how well they’ll play out.
For starters, the LA Dodgers shocked the world with the major signing of last year’s Cy Young Winner Trevor Bauer. Considering LA’s already loaded rotation which includes the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, this only added more firepower despite the price the Dodgers payed for Bauer.
In just a few innings of work this spring, Trevor Bauer has shown no signs of slowing down from last years Cy Young campaign as all of his pitches seem to be almost even better than last year. The doubters have been at an all time high, claiming Bauer was only good last season because of the division he played in, which left him matched up against lower skilled players.
This season, though, it will be the ultimate test for him and his Dodger teammates as they have to deal with a young San Diego Padres team that was already good but had one of the greatest offseasons in major league history, picking up former Cy Young winner Blake Snell and star pitcher Yu Darvish, amongst other moves.
The defending champs are indeed looking to go back to back this year and a major player who helped them win was Justin Turner. After seeing how much money it would take for him to re-sign, many fans believed that he was long gone as he was a free agent. However, LA managed to pull off re-signing Turner on top of signing Bauer in hopes his impact will be as major as it was in the previous years. FULL STORY
Sports: High School Football In Socal Is Pushed Back Once Again Thanks To COVID-19
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
In what was supposed to soon be the grand reopening for De La Salle and St. John Bosco, kicking off the high school football season in California will have to be delayed once again due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The rematch of last season’s Open Division state championship game, won by Bosco nearly 12 months ago, was scheduled to unfold in Southern California on January 8th.
The announcement last Tuesday has determined that high school football practice in California won’t start until state health officials provide guidelines for youth sports, presumably once COVID-19 cases are flattened once again, thus the De La Salle-Bosco game won’t happen in early January.
De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said Tuesday that it could, noting that in conversations he’s had with coaches, including Bosco’s Jason Negro, everybody is on the same page.
“Let’s get games in for our kids,” Alumbaugh said. “We’re obviously not playing Bosco on January 8th. There is no way to dive into that type of thing. Obviously, dates are going to have to be shuffled.” FULL STORY
by Aeden Alexander
Sports are not just for entertainment but also a business needing to bring in money in which fans sometimes forget that and only believe they are for viewing purposes only.
After fans complained about the favoritism in the NFL about how the Ravens vs Steelers game was able to be postponed because of COVID cases while the league decided to force the Broncos to play Sunday with ZERO quarterbacks available.This led many fans to understand that the NFL and all sports leagues in general is overall just a business.
This decision was very controversial because people believe the decision was unfair and only a “money move” for the NFL as the Ravens and Steelers game was the most important and attention grabber to people. While the Broncos Vs Saints game was not nearly as important and wouldn’t bring in as much revenue.
These occurrences haven’t only happened in the NFL but in all the professional sports around us. The term “favoritism” is a word that is tossed around a lot in all professional sports because there are many occurrences of certain teams getting more opportunities or chances because they are more popular or the matchup between teams are more important which bring in more attention and money. FULL STORY
Sports: A Fun Night Ends With A Sour Ending As Tyson And Jones Fight To A Draw
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. gave boxing a throwback party on Saturday night, with a bout headlining a pay-per-view event that was heavy on spectacle and light on serious competition.
In what was ultimately a sporting event as bizarre as the year it capped off, boxing legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. returned to the ring in a battle of 50-year-old former champions Saturday night.
The pair of former champions, with a combined age of 105, gave fight fans every bit of nostalgia they could have asked for over eight, two-minute rounds inside the Staples Center. Though the fight ended in an unofficial split draw on the WBC-appointed judges scorecards, the bigger and better result was that neither man was badly hurt in the bout
While Jones’ return to the ring was his first since 2018, it was Tyson’s first time back in 15 years. But the man who established himself as one of the most dominant heavyweights in the game back in his prime showed glimpses of the form that made him an undisputed champion decades ago.
“The body shots definitely took a toll,” said Jones post-fight about Tyson’s attack. “It’s something to take the punches that Mike throws. I’m cool with a draw. Maybe we can do it again.” FULL STORY
Sports: Diego Maradona, One Of Soccer’s Greatest Players, Is Dead At 60
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
Very few people in any generation possess the power to make the world hold its breath. Maradona, who died last Wednesday at the age of 60, was one of them.
Diego Maradona, the Argentine who became a national hero as one of soccer’s greatest players, performing with a roguish cunning and extravagant control while pursuing a personal life rife with drug and alcohol abuse and health problems, died on Wednesday in Tigre, Argentina, in Buenos Aires Province.
The news fell like a hammer blow to a nation beaten down by months of economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, but one where football is seen as a remedy for all ills.
His spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said the cause was a heart attack. Maradona had undergone brain surgery several weeks ago.
Devoted fans around the world paid tribute to soccer legend Diego Maradona last Wednesday from his home country of Argentina, to his adopted home in Italy, where he led football club Napoli to their first ever Italian league title in 1987. FULL STORY
by: Andrew Fierro
It looks like we are seeing the best version of Aaron Pico!
Going into this fight Aaron Pico was 6-3 and was coming off of two of his best performances he has had. He started off his Bellator career with a 4-1 record before having two disappointing losses. Despite having a rocky start he seemed to be a changed fighter and looks to be better than he ever has.
The fighter he was facing in this fight named John de Jesus was also coming off of a win with a unanimous decision over Vladyslav Parubchenko where he was dominant the entire fight. The fighter used his wide range of different striking techniques to keep his opponent always on his back foot keeping the fight where he wanted. Though with Pico this didn’t work.
About midway through the first round, Pico was able to take John de Jesus to the ground and out wrestle him the rest of the round. It was a dominant round win for Pico and it seemed to be a good start to the fight for him. After this going into the second round he looked to do the same with an early takedown being landed.
After this take-down was landed they were on the ground for a little while though John de Jesus was able to get back to his feet. While on the feet Aaron Pico had John de Jesus up against the fence with Pico controlling the standing exchange. This is when Jesus went to throw a right knee but Pico was ready and combatted his knee with a right overhand that put Jesus to sleep. FULL STORY
Sports: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Free-agent Wishlist
by Aeden Alexander
As the MLB offseason is rapidly approaching, the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have a plethora of options going forward. Despite winning the championship with relative ease, the Dodgers still have ways they’d like to improve, and have the luxury of affording some of the top free agents of the 2020 Free Agency Class.
The Defending World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers look to make moves this offseason, bring back players, as well as add some new players to the roster.
The Dodgers have a big decision to make this offseason in bringing back major role players or going all out to hopefully sign major players to hopefully bring back-to-back titles to the city of Los Angeles. These are the top ten free-agents the Dodgers may target.
(1.) Trevor Bauer RHP
| WAR | Wins | Loss | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | SO | WHIP | |
| 2020 | 2.7 | 5 | 4 | 1.73 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 73 | 100 | 0.795 |
| Career | 17.5 | 75 | 64 | 3.90 | 205 | 195 | 1 | 1190 | 1279 | 1.265 |
Trevor Bauer is the number one pitcher coming off the 2020 season with an impressive year winning NL Cy Young and leading his Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs. Bauer’s been a successful pitcher his entire career and continues to dominate. He would fit very well into the Dodgers Organization as he went to UCLA and the Dodgers need pitching.
(2.) Justin Turner 3B
| WAR | AB | H | HR | BA | R | RBI | SB | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | |
| 2020 | 1.3 | 150 | 46 | 4 | .307 | 26 | 23 | 1 | .400 | .460 | .860 | 135 |
| Career | 29.3 | 3521 | 1029 | 124 | .292 | 504 | 495 | 35 | .369 | .469 | .838 | 128 |
The Dodgers veteran third basemen reached the end of his contract with LA this year, and even though he might not have had a MVP type year, he still showed up in the playoffs and played a major role in helping the Dodgers win the World Series. For the Dodgers to have the chance to win again this year they need to keep their offense together and this was a big battery to that lineup. FULL STORY
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
The best High School Football team in the nation will open up the season at home on January 8th against Northern California Powerhouse De La Salle.
When it was announced this week that De La Salle High will travel to Bellflower on Jan. 8 to open its unusual season against the St. John Bosco Braves, it was just the latest unique aspect to the 2020 high school football season, which won’t take place until 2021.
The national high school football powerhouses made the announcement Wednesday, about 10 months after they met for the state’s Open Division title, which resulted in a St. John Bosco victory.
The two all-boys parochial schools met in the CIF State Open Division championship game last December, when Bosco won its third state title game win over the Spartans since 2013. This will be the first time two teams who met in a CIF Championship Football Final had a rematch in the opening game of the following season.
Currently, the CIF has set up one weekend of games (April 17) after section championships in order to presumably play regional title games, but not for state championships. That would eliminate the possibility of De La Salle and Bosco playing later in the season. FULL STORY
Sports: Former Brave Aaron Pico Competes Thursday Night Against John De Jesus
by: Andrew Fierro
Aaron Pico who is currently 6-3 and on a two-fight win streak fights on Thursday Night for the Bellator organization in the featherweight weight class.
Aaron Pico started off his Bellator career with a 4-1 record finishing all of his fights inside one round using his high level striking and wrestling.
Though his hot streak came to a halt when he crossed paths with Henry Corrales who finished him in the first round. The fight started off well for Pico as he dropped him with a punch at the beginning of the fight, though instead of taking it to the ground he let him back up which proved costly in the end.
After that loss, he faced criticism for not using his high-level wrestling enough in the fight and many believed he would have won the fight had he chose to use it more. After that fight, he was matched up against Adam Borics where he would lose in the second round. After not using wrestling at all in his previous fight, he seemed to use the wrestling too much which became a disadvantage and led to a TKO loss in the second round. FULL STORY
Sports: Controversy Arises As Disagreements On The Nba’s Return Date Continue
by Ryan Dwyer
Despite the 2019-2020 NBA season having just ended on October 11th after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the NBA Championship, Commissioner Adam Silver and league officials have released a tentative start date of December 22nd for the 2020-2021 NBA Season, sparking disagreements amongst players over the condensed offseason.
After the conclusion of the 2019-2020 NBA Season, the league immediately sought out to find a date for the start of the new season. Although it may seem logical to wait until the start of 2021 to begin the new season, the NBA is still a business and the longer they wait is the more money they lose. So far it is widely known that the league plans on restarting between December 22nd and December 25th.
Although it has not been said directly by big name players in the league, there is certainly a very big possibility that players such as LeBron James may sit out for the first month of play.
Many players and fans alike believe that merely two and a half months break in between the conclusion of the season and the beginning of a new season is too little of time to give the players for rest and preparedness.
Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat especially will need extended periods of time to prepare for the new season as they were the last two teams participating in the playoffs as they were competing for the championship. FULL STORY
by Aeden Alexander
After Justin Turner’s COVID-19 fiasco during Game 6 of the World Series, many are beginning to speculate whether the MLB’s “bubble” atmosphere was even a safe “bubble” to begin with.
On October 27th, the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series in thirty-two years, and was it a wild one. After a negative COVID-19 test, Dodgers Third Baseman Justin Turner was pulled out of the game just an inning before the Dodgers won due to a positive test.
The whole situation had many different opinions on whether it was the MLB’s fault, Turner’s, or just an unforeseen situation. Turner was a major part of the Dodgers World Series, as he had a red hot bat and was making stellar defensive plays at third. Despite being pulled from the game, he was still able to make it out to the field to celebrate with his teammates.
But as seen in many pictures, Turner was spotted not wearing a mask when interacting with teammates. MLB and its commissioner were feeling no remorse for Turner, as they quickly sent out a statement about a potential fine and an investigation into the situation which can lead to a suspension next season. FULL STORY
by: Andrew Fierro
Juan Archuletta, a bantamweight fighter in the Bellator organization, and a role model to Bosco’s varsity wrestling team acquires the bantamweight championship with a win over Patchy Mix on September 12.
Almost exactly one year after losing his first title fight against featherweight Patrico Freire, Juan Archuletta challenges for a title once again and this time gets a unanimous decision to take home the championship. His record is now 25-2 and he has only lost one time in the past 5 years.
Archuletta’s great ground defense became a pivotal role in his win, with him being taken to the ground early in the first round and having to defend off many submission attempts from his opponent Patchy Mix. Though once he was able to get back to his feet it was obvious that he was in control of the fight with his superior boxing. FULL STORY
by Eric Torres
A 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night saw the talented, fan favorite Los Angeles Dodgers end a 32-year World Series drought.
A fantastic effort from the Dodgers’ pitching staff led the way. Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw seemingly exorcised his postseason demons, allowing only three earned runs combined through two starts. He pitched 11.2 total innings, striking out 14. In addition, young phenom Walker Buehler, who was scheduled to start both games three and seven (if necessary), gave a quality start, allowing one earned run through six innings, and struck out 10.
Meanwhile, the Dodger bullpen anchored down these electric starts. In Games one, three, and five, the bullpen held onto leads without much trouble, only giving up three runs total. In game six, a scheduled bullpen game, seven different Dodger pitchers combined to allow only one run on four hits, and struck out 16, with Julio Urias slamming the door on any potential comeback. The only blemish on a wonderful bullpen performance was a disastrous game 4 ninth inning, where a fundamental error would lead to a blown save and a Rays win.
To complement an electric pitching performance, the Dodgers’ dynamic offense, led by MVP Corey Seager and Mookie Betts, provided enough run support. Although the offense struggled at times, they always seemed to come up with clutch hits, scoring 18 runs throughout the series with two outs. Nine different Dodgers hit home runs in the series, with Justin Turner, Mookie Betts, and Corey Seager each homering twice. In a crucial turn of events in Game 6, the Dodgers jumped on a controversial decision by Rays manager Kevin Cash to pull ace Blake Snell, as Mookie Betts set up a momentum swinging inning with a double, leading to what would prove to be the game winning RBI from Corey Seager. FULL STORY
COVID Strikes Again, College Scholarships Harder To Come By
by Aydn Morris
High school student athletes are now panicking as college scholarships won’t be any easy to come by this year thanks to the ongoing pandemic.
St. John Bosco High School Athletic Director Monty McDermott, like many student-athletes and parents, is concerned about the matter. Around 500,000 students end up becoming a student athlete in college and from those 500,000 only 150,000 are under an athletic scholarship, according to Mr. McDermott.
“Now it is even tougher to get a scholarship because the number of high school students are rising but the number of scholarships are decreasing,” said Mr. McDermott.
Prior to the outbreak only 2% of student athletes were given a scholarship which resorted to only 15,000 students receiving one. It is no secret that it was already tremendously hard to get an athletic scholarship in general, and now it is going to reach a level of toughness we have never seen before. FULL STORY.
SPORTS: THE TOP TEN UFC KNOCKOUTS OF ALL TIME
by Zach Gardiner
Everyone loves a good knockout, and the UFC has a history of giving fans the joy of watching people ending up flat on the canvas. The best thing about a fight is that it can change in the blink of an eye. One punch, kick, elbow, or knee can change history forever.
#10 Dan Henderson vs. Micheal Bisping
Michael Bisping was no stranger to trash talk, but leading up to UFC 100, Bisping seemed determined to get inside Dan Henderson’s head. In the second round, Dan Henderson delivered his “H-Bomb”, (Henderson’s signature right overhand), and put Bisping to sleep. This was arguably the best moment of Henderson’s career.
#9 Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
Edson Barboza’s Victory over Terry Etim at UFC 142 had made history, becoming the first ever knockout by way of spinning heel kick. Barboza was climbing the ranks of the lightweight division, and this knockout solidified him as a top contender. The kick seemed to come out of nowhere, and ended Etim’s night rather quickly.
#8 Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo
Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo were the interim Featherweight Champions in 2015. The two best fighters in the UFC. UFC 194 was marketed as the fight of the decade. A ruthless show of determination, heart, and skill – right? Nope. The entire fight lasted thirteen seconds. Aldo pushes forward, and Conor sits him down. Conor is the new unified featherweight champion of the world and becomes the best pound for pound fighter in the UFC.
by Aeden Alexander
After failed execution in consecutive games, the Dodgers found themselves in a 3-1 hole. However, the team came back to advance to their third World Series in four years.
Just one week after the Lakers have won their 17th championship, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a historic comeback against the Atlanta Braves, bringing them to their third World Series appearance in the last 4 years. The NLCS left many fans in awe as it was filled with spectacular plays, massive home runs, and games going down to the wire.
The Dodgers faced the Braves in a seven game series in the “MLB Bubble”, where all games were played in Texas to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks. This entire season has been played with zero fans in every stadium and for the first time since last year the MLB allowed fans to enter the Rangers stadium to watch the Braves and Dodgers battle out a tough series.
Los Angeles got off to a slow start in the series, as they were quickly down two games to zero as the Braves pitching was making the Dodgers offense look foolish. Kike Hernandez had a hot start for LA blasting his first homerun of the series to be the Dodgers only run in the first game.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was supposed to be on the bump for game two of the series, but was ruled out due to back spasms and was scheduled to throw the next game. The offense of LA continued to struggle till the end of game two where they rallied in the ninth inning, scoring four runs, and although they came up short, they began showing glimpses of what Dodgers fans saw all year. FULL STORY
SPORTS: NFL COVID 19 OUTBREAKS BECOMING PREVALENT AS STAFF IRRESPONSIBILITY SPREADS
by: Pedro Ochoa
The Titans began the Saga and now the Panthers fall victim – is there a bubble coming?
This NFL season has really been the most exhausting season in history. Every morning brings fresh news of positive COVID-19 tests, amended protocols, schedule delays, and questions that bring even more questions. This pandemic, and all of the positive tests is not an easy task for the NFL to overcome. As of now, the NFL season is not on the brink of collapse–yet. The league has been discussing possible scenarios on how they can prevent a bigger outbreak, but as of now, the best they are doing is shutting down facilities when someone is feeling ill or has symptomes of the virus, which is not as efficient.
The past few weeks in the NFL has been very unusual, which is something usual for 2020. We are not only living history in 2020, but now living history when following the NFL. Every morning there is something new around the league that causes worry among NFL fanatics.
COVID-19 not only changed the normality of everyone’s life, but also changed sports in ways that no one was able to imagine. The NBA had to put their season in a hiatus and had to finish their season in a bubble, while the MLB endured outbreaks once the season began, and now the outbreak in the NFL.
The NFL was the last of the bunch to start their season. They were able to see what each league was doing and see what was working and what wasn’t. Even though the NFL was the only league to start on schedule and were able to see what works and what doesn’t regarding COVID-19, they are starting to have issues around the league that is worrying for the NFL and the players.
The league started off on the right foot, going two weeks with no issues regarding COVID-19. Week three came along and there was a team outbreak within the Tennessee Titans that resulted in the postponement of the first game of the season which was against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was an easy fix as the league gave the Titans and the Steelers a Week 4 bye, and brought the Ravens bye week from week 8 to week 7. FULL STORY
SPORTS: FOR KOBE!
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in game six on Sunday night to capture the franchises 17th NBA Championship – tied for most in the league’s history.
When the clock ticked to 0.0, there was confetti and jubilance everywhere in the mostly empty arena in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Lakers’ bench circled LeBron James, joyously hugging him on the court while Anthony Davis sat down on the scorers table, in disbelief as the emotions rushed over him.
The Los Angeles Lakers were NBA champions for the 17th time in their history after a ten-year finals drought, and on January 26th, the season for the Lakers took on a whole new meaning after the tragic death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others who passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers all throughout the remainder of the season and finally got the job done in their 106-93 win. James had a triple-double, ending the night with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on his way to being named Finals MVP – his 4th time winning the award to go along with his fourth championship.
The win caps one of the most challenging seasons in franchise history. Following several years of missing out on the playoffs, the Lakers entered the season as one of the front runners to win after Davis was paired up with James. In his first year with the Lakers, Davis proved to be a difference maker and played big when the Lakers needed him the most during the finals.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was thrown into uncertainty. Racial unrest in the country also threatened the season from finishing but at last on the 356th day of the 74th NBA season, the Lakers franchise claimed its 17th championship. FULL STORY
SPORTS: HIGH-FLYING DODGERS ROLL ONTO NLCS WITH 3 GAME SWEEP OVER THE SAN DIEGO PADRES
by Eric Torres
A 12-3 rout of the San Diego Padres on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas clinched a spot in the NLCS for the Dodgers for an astounding 4th time in the last 5 years, where the mighty boys in blue will battle for a spot in the World Series against the up and coming Atlanta Braves.
Game 1 saw an electric combined start from ace Walker Buehler and rookie Dustin May, giving up only 1 run through 6 innings. In a rather quiet game, which only saw 7 hits overall, the Dodgers would draw 10 walks in the first 7 innings, as Padres ace Mike Clevinger would exit the game after the first inning. The Dodgers offense, though quiet for most of the game, broke it open in the 6th inning with 4 runs, led by a Mookie Betts double. Victor Gonzalez, Blake Treinen, and Kenley Jansen shut the door on the Padres in the late innings, only allowing one hit through the last 3 innings.
In game 2, the Dodgers’ offense came alive early, scoring 4 runs in the first 4 innings, canceling out an early run given up by starter Clayton Kershaw. However, Kershaw’s postseason demons came back to haunt him in the sixth, giving up back to back home runs to Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado. Things got a little too close for comfort for the Dodgers in the top of the 7th inning, but Cody Bellinger made the play of the day, robbing a go-ahead 2-run home run by Fernando Tatis Jr. The Dodgers seemingly would close it out in the bottom of the 7th, with Turner and Muncy driving in runs. However, the Padres mounted a comeback in the 9th, which saw Kenley Jansen knocked out of the game, and Joe Kelly recording the final out with the bases loaded, holding on to win 6-5.
With all the momentum in their favor, the Dodgers took game 3 in a blowout 12-3 win. After finding themselves down 2-1 after 2 innings, the Dodgers would score 7 runs in the next 3 innings, with six different Dodgers contributing RBIs. Although the Padres showed signs of life in the 6th, reliever Julio Urias would limit the damage to only 1 run. The Padres would not score again, as Blake Treinen, Pedro Baez, and Dylan Floro made quick work of the remaining Padres, and the Dodgers tacked on 4 more in the 9th for good measure, with Will Smith and Cody Bellinger getting 2 RBIs a piece. 11 different pitchers would throw for the Padres in game 3, with only a single one pitching more than an inning.
The underdog Padres were going to have a tough task of defeating the Dodgers anyway, but two of their top starters, Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet, left the Padres with a depleted pitching staff. This was apparent, as the Padres changed pitchers 22 times throughout the 3 game set, with only one pitcher lasting more than 2 innings. FULL STORY
SPORTS: DODGERS ENTER PLAYOFFS ONCE AGAIN AS TITLE FAVORITES. WILL THEY ESCAPE DEMONS OF WORLDS SERIES’ PAST?
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season with a 43-17 record, the best record in the majors, and will take on a Milwaukee Brewers team that never spent a single day over .500 all season in the first round of the 2020 MLB playoffs. It begs the question – can they finally win it all?
Dodgers fans always have high expectations for their team when the season starts, but since 2016, they have considered their season World Series-or-Bust, and this year surely isn’t any different.
The Dodgers ended their 2016 season losing the National League Championship Series 2-4 against the New York Mets. Then, they ended 2017 in heartbreaking fashion losing to the Houston Astros in 7 games in the World Series. After that, 2018 ended with a World Series lost against the Boston Red Sox in 5 games. In 2019, the heartbreak continued, as they lost the Divisional Round 2-3 against the eventual World Series Champion Washington Nationals.
The Dodgers are a team built to win now and for years to come. They boast a strong farm system and some of the best young talent in the majors, while also having Mookie Betts under contract for the next 12 years.
It is notable to point out they may not have a lot of familiar faces on the team next year as Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Pedro Báez and Kiké Hernández are among the players hitting free agency this winter. Even more notably, players such as Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen and Corey Seager are scheduled to hit free agency after next season. Is time running out for this group to win?
Despite the speculation and talk, the Dodgers dominated the 2020 season and only lost one series all year!
After winning their eighth consecutive division title and posting the highest winning percentage of any MLB team since 1906, the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-17, .711) earned the National League’s top seed and the right to host the No. 8 seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card round. FULL STORY
SPORTS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ENTERING NFL WEEK 3
by Pedro Ochoa
NFL Week 3 is making us all question whether or not we are really here and watching football in 2020, as the league’s two most high-octane quarterbacks headline Monday Night Football.
If you are debating whether to start or sit Lamar Jackson from the Ravens, then you should really think again, because Lamar is a must start for Sunday. Yes, he will be playing a tough defense in the Chiefs and their own QB Patrick Mahomes but he’s Lamar Jackson, the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Another great start for the week is Dak Prescott from the Dallas Cowboys. He has averaged 28.7 fantasy points in the first two weeks, and he looks to continue that against a Seattle secondary that struggled against Cam Newton in Week 2. As for his Running Back, Ezekiel Elliott, he is also a must start. You drafted him to lead your team, and he will do that this week again.
One of my favorite starts this week at the Running Back position are Austin Ekeler and Josh Kelley. The Panthers have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs since 2019. Ekeler and Kelley will be getting a lot of touches and targets and put up some big numbers for your team.
Kenyan Drake has really been quiet this season. Averaging 13 points this season, he is not looking like the RB1 that you drafted him to be. However, he faces the Detroit Lions this week. This should be a big week for him and the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray and Deandre Hopkins will also have a big game. Put them into your starting lineups!
Dwayne Haskins has found his favorite wide receiver in Scary Terry McLaurin. Terry McLaurin has had a great two weeks and this week he has a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns. FULL STORY
SPORTS: WEEK TWO OF THE NFL SEASON FEATURES SLEW OF INJURIES
by Pedro Ochoa
After a multitude of injuries around the NFL during week two, Fantasy Football managers entered panic mode, as we saw big names suffer serious injuries, including the likes of Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey.
Due to the preseason being cancelled due to COVID-19, as well as a shortened offseason, the athlete’s bodies may not have had adequate time to ease back into the rigors of football, causing their bodies to tire easily, ultimately resulting in injuries.
The NFL’s Week Two kicked off on Thursday Night Football between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, where there were no serious injuries. On Sunday, we saw 14 games played throughout the day. The Saints and Raiders capped off the second week at the Raiders’ first game in their new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday Night Football.
Thursday Night Football was surprisingly a good game between the Bengals and the Browns. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt had a combined 50+ points to lead the Browns to their first victory of the season against the Bengals with a score of 35-30. Odell Beckham Jr. is starting to look like 2018 Odell again, putting up over 17 Fantasy points. On the other side of the ball, the first overall pick, Joe Burrow, put up almost 25 fantasy points.
Tom Brady has been showing his age lately, but still picked up his first win in a Buccaneers uniform. Despite not having a great performance without his best wide receiver in Chris Godwin, the Bucs still pulled in the win against the Panthers with a score of 31-17. Christian McCaffrey was among the top players who were injured, leaving the game due to a high ankle injury, crushing his team and Fantasy owners everywhere.
The Steelers moved to 2-0 on the season with a close win over the Broncos, at a score of 26-21. James Connor had a bounce-back performance as he ran for 106 yards, a touchdown, as well as 20 fantasy points. Juju Smith-Schuster disappointed fantasy managers this week. Denver’s Drew Lock and Courtland Sutton suffered injuries, which led to Melvin Gordon getting more carries in the backfield. FULL STORY
SPORTS: LOS ANGELES. ONE CITY. ONE GOAL. TWO OUTCOMES… LAKERS POISED FOR TITLE RUN AS CLIPPERS IMPLODE
by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor
Los Angeles, a city in which high expectations are simply the norm. But when it comes to professional athletics, despite the Angelino fanbase being demanding of every team, they are no strangers to coming up short.
The Clippers curse is real. Fans surely had flashbacks from the 2015 Clippers coming into game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals, and they were in for a treat that will leave a sour taste in their mouth for weeks, maybe even months.
The Nuggets came back from being down 3–1 for the second straight series to make the Western Conference finals for just the fourth time in their 53 year franchise history. This upcoming conference finals appearance marks the first since 2009 which ironically was also against the Lakers. They took game seven by a margin of 104-89, resulting in the Clippers losing once again in the second round.
Denver was led by its dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Murray led all scorers with 40 points and went 6-of-13 in 3-point shooting, while Jokic finished the night with 16 points, 22 rebounds and 13 assists. Montrezl Harrell led the Clippers with 20 points off the bench, with the Clipper’s superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combining for just 24 points on 10-for-38 shooting. FULL STORY
SPORTS: UFC 249 PREVIEW, PREDICTIONS, AND PRECAUTIONS
by Aharon Colon, Arts and Entertainment Editor
Although there is almost nothing to watch in the sports world right now, the UFC lives on with an exciting card on Saturday including two world title fights with a mixture of veteran and young fighters.
You might think that since this card is taking place at such a time that it would be boring with fighters no one really knows about, but you would be totally wrong. It is actually the exact opposite. The UFC packed this card with fighters crazy enough to take this chance at giving the people what they want.
Starting at the bottom, the early prelims are filled with young exciting talent looking to make a name for themselves. There is no better time to get your name out there because every MMA fan will be watching this from start to finish. The fight to look out for here is 13th ranked welterweight in the world Vicente Luque taking on Niko Price. Here Vicente is looking to move up the rankings, so he can eventually earn a title shot.
The prelims are a whole different story. Resembling a main card quality lineup, its main bout is between 15th ranked welterweight in the world Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and 6th ranked Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Both fighters have great resumes, a great recond, huge fanbases, and are exciting to watch so expect sparks to fly when they meet in the cage. Other notable fighters on this card are veteran Fabricio Werdum, former world champion Carla Esparza, and Uriah Hall, all looking for upcoming title bouts. FULL STORY
SPORTS: THE NFL “DISTANCE” DRAFT
by Lucas Garrison, Sports Editor
With a ton of build-up, the first-ever online NFL draft proved to be nothing short of interesting. The first ten picks in the draft went off without a single trade, then out of nowhere the Tampa Bay Buccaneers flipped spots with the San Francisco 49ers and selected Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. The presumptive number one pick, Joe Burrow, went number one to the Cincinnati Bengals.
As a matter of fact, the first three picks of the draft ended up exactly how all draft experts saw the selections going: number one overall former-LSU QB and national champion Joe Burrow (Bengals), number two overall DE Chase Young (Washington Redskins), Number three CB Jeff Okudah (Detroit Lions). The team with the most picks in this year’s NFL draft, the Dolphins, selected Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa will more than likely spend the majority of the season, if not all of the season, from the sidelines. Tagovailoa will be sidelined due to hip surgery, the result of a season ending injury that was the final chapter Tagovailoa’s storied career with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Several teams seem to have more questions than answers post-first round. The New Orleans Saints selected C Cesar Ruiz (Michigan) whose projection for most experts was not until the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Arguably the biggest lock of the draft being S/LB Isaiah Simmons (Clemson), is now an Arizona Cardinal. No one in their right mind anticipated that happening.
Personally, I cannot believe the New York Giants end up selecting OT Andrew Thomas. Night one proved to be a success. Friday night at rounds 2-3 will begin at 4 P.M. PST. Be on the lookout for teams such as the Steelers and Texans to make a splash, both did not have a first-round pick. FULL STORY
SPORTS: FROM THE NBA TO THE OLYMPICS, COVID-19 WILL MAKE FANS WAIT FOR THEIR SPORTS EVENTS
by Hunter Richardson
COVID-19 has halted the regular lives of almost everyone in this country, especially when normally sports fills a void in times of crisis, this virus has ruined the best time of the year for sports fans across the country.
Sports came to a halt when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus and sent a shockwave through the sports world as every league postponed play for an undetermined amount of time. These developments couldn’t have come at a worse time for sports fans with notable events such as March Madness, Opening Day, the Olympics, NBA, and NHL playoffs, and much more being postponed or canceled.
College sports fans are taking the biggest hit amongst other fans during this pandemic as all college sports are canceled for the rest of the year. This included the highly anticipated March Madness tournament which had several great teams, potentially making for an outstanding tournament. This abruptly ended the college careers of several players such as Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, and arguably the greatest female college basketball player of all time, Sabrina Ionescu. FULL STORY
SPORTS: SOCCER CAPS OFF HISTORIC CIF-SS AND STATE PLAYOFF RUN
by Che Womack, Contributing Writer
In the history of sports at St. John Bosco, the school has known to be competitive regardless of what sport is playing or who the Braves are playing against. In the recent years, the Bosco soccer program has struggled but nonetheless has tried to find its stride in the ranks of Bosco athletics.
In 2016, the Braves made the playoffs and found some success. However, in the last two years, the Braves have missed the playoffs and edged out at the bottom of the Trinity League. In 2017, the Braves went 6-14-3 (2-6-1 in league) and missed the playoffs; last year, the Braves went 12-12-2 (3-6-1 in league) and missed the postseason again. The team came together and decided that this year had to be different.
“I would say the difference was the chemistry of the team,” senior defender Christian Brueggeman said. “We were in unison all year, and we had the talent to contribute to the overall team. Chemistry definitely was a difference maker.”
This year, the Braves took off guns blazing. They started the year 11-2-1 before entering league play, with wins over Arizona powerhouses: Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.) and Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix, Ariz.).
When the Trinity League schedule began, the Braves started off with a 3-0-2 record. However, the Braves lost their mark, dropped four of the last five league games, and finished fifth in league.
Despite the rocky finish to the regular season, the Braves would receive an at-large bid in the Division 2 CIF-SS Playoffs. FULL STORY
SPORTS : BOSCO BASKETBALL LOOKS TO TAKE STATE TITLE AS NUMBER ONE SEED
by Che Womack, Contributing Writer
The 2020 CIF Division 1 State Playoff Bracket is one of the most competitive playoff brackets in state history. The bracket features teams venturing from the Trinity League, to the Los Angeles City Section, all the way south to the San Diego Section. All 32 teams are looking to get hot right now as a state championship is on the line.
The St. John Bosco Braves received the No. 8 seed in the CIF Southern Section Open Division Playoffs — the third season in a row the Braves earned this seeding. Bosco struggled in its portion of the bracket, as it went 1-2 in pool play with the two defeats being greater than 20 points. However, the Braves managed to pull out a four-point victory against cross-town rival St. Anthony.
The Braves did have some bright spots, however, while playing in the Open Division. In their first game against the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers, Jeremiah Nyarko scored 13 points while grabbing two rebounds and a steal.
In the second game of pool play, Bosco faced the Etiwanda Eagles, and junior Lamaj Lewis and senior Josh Camper both scored in double figures. Camper made two 3-pointers en route to 11 points, while Lewis had 10 points along with seven rebounds and four assists. FULL STORY
SPORTS: BOSCO SOCCER TAKES SECOND CRACK AT HISTORIC TITLE
by Matthew Ruiz
History is in the making for our Bosco soccer team, who has been steamrolling in playoffs on their way to being CIF-SS Finalists. The Braves now set their sights on a CIF-State Title run.
A three-year playoff drought has been lifted with the 2019-2020 Braves soccer team smoking everyone on the road. The Braves first made playoffs by going 16-6-4, and tied fourth in the Trinity League, the Braves made the playoffs as an “at large” team, which is the result of a winning record, defeating teams who are nationally ranked in a tournament in Arizona and having one of the hardest schedules in CIF.
This team has been led by senior captains Diego Camacho, Diego Galvan, Christian Brueggeman and David Veloz. Even in CIF playoffs, the Braves have been successful on the road, traveling to Oxnard and Santa Barbara to get to the championship on Saturday. The Braves went on the road to defeat Hueneme 2-1, Tesoro 3-0, Dos Pueblos 3-1 and Pacifica in the semi-finals 1-0 before finally facing Channel Islands in the CIF-SS championship match, where they fell short by a score of 2-1 in a “Golden Goal” overtime period.
The Braves competed tough on Saturday, knowing this would be the hardest challenge yet. Channel Islands had also been defeating teams left and right and have been averaging over 3 goals a game. One thing that the Braves and Channel Island have in common is that Channel Islands head coach is a Bosco alumni. FULL STORY
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