The TRIBE - Spring 2012.pdf - St. John Bosco High School

Bosco Alums Return for Career Day
By Reshma Anvekar
More than 35 alumni participated in this year's Career Day, which gives Bosco students an
inside look at a variety of professions and celebrates the success of the school’s graduates.
Students at St. John Bosco High School now
have more thoughtful answers to the
eternal question: “What do you want to be
when you grow up?”
Bosco hosted its annual Career Day on
February 10, 2012. More than 35 alums
came together for this honored tradition to
“give back” to today’s students via insights
into the working world.
The morning kicked off with an engaging
breakfast and conversations as former
classmates became reacquainted and
shared school memories. “I enjoy coming
back and giving back to the school that was
a part of my foundation for life...a place that
not only opened many doors for me, but
also prepared me for walking through those
doors,” said Paulo Morales ’78, a law
enforcement officer.
The gymnasium was buzzing with the entire
SJB student body, dressed in their careerready
finest. Keynote speaker Charles
Mariano ’96, VP/Branch Manager at City
National Bank, offered powerful words to
help prepare students for the success and
challenges ahead of them. “The reason I
thrived as a goalkeeper at Bosco and in my
career today is my ability to work better in
pressure situations,” he said. “A test of
leadership is present when you are faced
with situations that require you to step up
and take it to a different level. I implore you
to embrace and welcome that pressure…
Face it head on without the fear of failure.”
Career presentations were later given in
classrooms on subjects that varied from law
enforcement and firefighting to vocations,
professional sports, investment banking and
more. Tom Henkenius ’97, who recently
started his own television production
company, had kind words of reflection. “I
really appreciate the guidance, direction and
faith in myself that the Salesians – and
Salesian educators – instilled in me,” he said.
“Career Day is such a wonderful opportunity
to return to Bosco and remind today’s
students that they should believe in
themselves, and by having that faith, can
excel in their lives.”
If you would like to participate in next year’s
Career Day, please contact Reshma Anvekar,
Development Manager, ext. 235.
DeRuyter Named Head
Coach of Fresno State
By Nicholas Reiner
Spring 2012
In December,
Fresno State
University named
Tim DeRuyter ‘81
as the 17th head
coach of the
Bulldog football
program. The
position is
DeRuyter’s first as a head coach. He
arrived at Fresno State with 22 years of
college coaching experience, 16 of
which he spent as a defensive
coordinator. After graduating from St.
John Bosco High School, DeRuyter went
on to the Air Force Academy, where he
played football for four years before
graduating. He has coached at Air Force,
Ohio, Navy, and Texas A&M.
We had an opportunity to speak with
him about his new role.
Q: What is it like to be a Division One
football head coach?
It’s been hectic. The opportunity to
implement a vision and develop men on
and off the field is a tremendous one.
Q: What have been your biggest
challenges thus far?
Developing a staff was one of the biggest
challenges, getting guys who believe in
what you want to do for your program
and who will treat the young men like
they treat their own sons. It was a
challenge to build a staff that aligned
with my vision for the program. Also, the
whole time crunch of getting guys in
place, getting guys on the recruiting trail
immediately, was tough.
Continued on Page 5
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Braves Gala to Honor William “Willy” Sonsma ‘76
St. John Bosco High School is pleased to announce that William “Willy” Sonsma ’76 will be honored at the Braves
Gala, to be held April 20 at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach.
Sonsma is the managing director of Wholesale Capital Corpora tion, overseeing its multifamily, commercial, and
SBA platform.
While he was a student at Bosco, Sonsma participated in both basketball and baseball, earning First Team All
League honors in both sports and helping the Braves win three league titles. He also excelled academically,
graduating with honors and a 4.0 his senior year. Sonsma went on to play basketball for Cerritos College and
California State University, Northridge. As a senior at CSUN, he earned First Team All Conference Honors, Co-MVP
and was selected as a First Team Division II All American. He graduated from CSUN in 1980 with a BS in accounting.
He began his career at Price Waterhouse as a CPA. Five years later, he moved on as director of corporate accounting at Carnation Company
and, then, to Ross Swiss Dairies as CFO. Sonsma eventually became interested in lending, which he said combined the diversity of being a
CPA with the continuous rewards of helping people fulfill their dream of buying a home or investment property.
In 2000, Sonsma started a company with his sister Marianne that grew to over $1 billion in funded loans. This company was sold in 2007 to
EverBank and later bought back in 2009. The company then merged with Wholesale Capital Corporation and now has three locations, over
100 employees and funds about $400 million annually. Fellow Brave Nick Pantuso ’86 is a partner of the company along with Ed Hoffman
and Marianne Hartshorn.
He and his wife, Melissa, and their two children live in Orange. They enjoy the blessings of being parents, the outdoors and participating in
various charities including Convene, The Pocket Testament League, the Barnabas Group, Salem Lutheran and the Sheepfold. Sonsma also
serves as secretary of the St. John Bosco High School Board of Directors.
BRAVESGala
St.John BoSco high School
Honoring
William Sonsma ’76
Wholesale Capital Corporation
Friday, April 20, 2012
Hyatt Regency Long Beach
200 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California 90802
5:30 pm: Hosted Wine and Cheese Tasting, Silent Auction
Dinner, Live Auction, and Dancing to Follow
Benefitting the Young Men of St. John Bosco High School
To Purchase Tickets, Click Here
Some of the Exciting Auction Items Featured at the Braves Gala:
Exclusive Dinner Party with Celebrity Chef
Fun Flicks Party • Villa Stay in Cortona, Italy
2012 SJBHS Football Helmet Signed by Varsity Football Team
Entrance to Club 33 and Disneyland
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Wrestling Enjoys Unprecedented Season
By Jeffrey Anderson
If you have been following St. John Bosco’s wrestling season, you know just how historic it has
been. The team had its first state champions since Jim Mendoza in 1974. It had been thirty-eight
years, but the Valencia brothers put Bosco on the map in a big, big way. Zahid and Anthony
Valencia capped an amazing season with state titles and became the first brother pair to win it as
freshmen (only the eighth and ninth freshmen to accomplish this in the state’s history). Because
of their heroics at state, St. John Bosco ended in seventh place overall with 63.5 team points and
was awarded the Small School State Championship.
It was a fantastic ending to a season that started with so much expectation. The team started with
a bang at its first tournament and had 10 placers at Westminster's Cossareck Classic. It would be
a sign of things to come as the team broke the scoring record with 262 points. The ball kept
rolling and the Valencia brothers showed just how dominating they could be at the prestigious
Iron Man tournament in Ohio (Zahid placed first, Anthony eighth). The Doc Buchanan
tournament in Clovis and Battle for the Belt in Temecula showed some more of Bosco's firepower
as Johnny Zazueta and Joseph Dominguez, along with the Valencia brothers, placed at these
nationally-ranked tournaments. Continued on Page 5
Braves Basketball Reaches New Heights
By Nicholas Reiner
The Braves basketball team experienced resounding success during coach Derrick Taylor's first
season, going farther in the state playoffs than any other Bosco basketball team in school history.
Led by junior Isaac Hamilton and his brother, sophomore Daniel Hamilton, the Braves ended the
regular season with a 19-6 record and a second place finish in the Trinity League. The 8-2 league
mark was the best for the team since 1993.
After easily winning three CIF Division 3A playoff games, SJB sustained a disappointing loss to Oak
Park, 67-66, in the CIF semifinals. However, because of the Braves' impressive strength of schedule
and overall record, the team was rewarded with an at-large berth to the State playoffs, making its
first appearance since 2003.
In the state tournament, SJB defeated Mission Bay, third-seeded Calabasas, and second-seeded
Pasadena before falling, 62-61, at the buzzer to No. 1-seeded Alemany in the Southern California
Regional final at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.
Continued on Page 5
Braves Soccer Team Places Second
By Nicholas Reiner
Though the St. John Bosco soccer team struggled early this season, a strong late-season run
allowed the Braves to dub the year a successful one.
After starting 1-4 in the Trinity League, SJB reeled off 4 wins in 5 games to finish the season in
second place. Because of the late charge and overall strength of schedule, the Braves were
rewarded with an at-large berth to the CIF playoffs. In the playoffs, led by senior Derek Vogel, SJB
defeated Los Osos and third-seeded Palos Verdes before falling to Loyola in the quarterfinals.
It was SJB's fourth straight appearance in the CIF Division I playoffs and the team finished 15-13
overall.
A recent selection to the United States Men's Under-20 National Team, Vogel was named MVP of
the Trinity League for the second consecutive year.
Anthony Valencia
Isaac Hamilton
Derek Vogel
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SJB Hosts National Signing Day Event By Nicholas Reiner
Pictured left to right: President Paul Escala, Bryce Treggs, Charles Redd,
Justin Johnson, Beau Boyster, Shane Baumann, Principal Patrick Lee,
Dalis Bruce, Coach Jason Negro, Director Fr. Joe Nguyen.
On February 1, St. John Bosco High School held its first
National Signing Day, an event that was well-attended by
members of the media as well as students, family members,
teammates, coaches, faculty and staff. An unprecedented
number of Braves – five total – signed National Letters of
Intent and announced their college of choice as recipients of
full-ride athletic scholarships for the 2012-13 school year.
The signees included offensive lineman Beau Boyster
(University of Arizona), wide-receiver Justin Johnson (Fresno
State), wide receiver/defensive back Charles Redd (Eastern
Washington), wide receiver/defensive back Dalis Bruce
(Eastern Washington), and strong safety Shane Baumann
(Western New Mexico). Wide receiver Bryce Treggs
participated and spoke at the event, but chose to announce
his decision later that day on a live television broadcast on
Fox Sports West. During the broadcast, Treggs announced
that he will be attending University of California, Berkeley.
“Each of these student-athletes was instrumental to the overall success of our football program this past season,” said head coach Jason
Negro. “Their on-the-field play and, more importantly, efforts in the classroom have allowed them the tremendous opportunity to obtain
these scholarships so they can continue their educations at the college level. The Bosco community is very proud of their achievements.”
Each of the student-athletes gave a speech during the ceremony, thanking family members, coaches, and the school community for their
guidance and support. The event was held in the school’s gymnasium.
The first Wednesday in February is traditionally known as National Signing Day, as it is the first day a student-athlete can sign a binding
agreement to play college football for an NCAA school.
Bosco Forms New Robotics Club By Nicholas Reiner
The St. John Bosco High School Robotics Club is a new addition to the school and the program is already
engaged in an exciting initiative.
Conceived at the beginning of the school year by faculty member Brian Hunt ‘02, the Robotics Club was
created in association with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting and recognizing science technology among elementary and high school
students. Three schools are represented in SJB’s robotics program: St. John Bosco High School, Saint Joseph's
High School, and Valley Christian High School.
After the school was invited to a robotics conference last September, Hunt started the process of building a
partnership with Boeing to get the club on its feet. With robotic systems burgeoning in schools nationwide,
Hunt believed the program was a natural and necessary opportunity for growth outside of the general
curriculum.
“Through the club, students have a chance to enjoy building in an engineering process, apply their math and science skills in a real-world
setting, and get a sense of the business side of the engineering process through marketing and accounting,” he said. “On top of that, club
members get to work with professional engineers and build relationships with members of the industry.”
The central focus for the club this year was competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Students had six weeks to build a robot capable
of shooting mini basketballs into hoops set at different heights and balancing on a teetering bridge.
After preparation and production of their robot, the team competed in mid-March at the 2012 Rebound Rumble Los Angeles Regional.
Their robot was named “The Brave Crusading Jester” in honor of the mascots of the three schools involved in the program. Known as the
BOM Bots (Beta Omicron Mu), the team placed 23rd out of 66 teams in the event and finished 4th out of 17 rookie teams.
Hunt has begun charting the club’s next steps. “We want to start now promoting our club and raising money for next year. After seeing
sponsorships other local teams had (Walt Disney Imagineering, Google, JPL, NASA, Raytheon, Albertson’s, JCPenny, etc.), we would like
to add other sponsors of our club in addition to Boeing.” He also noted that there are many scholarship opportunities for students involved
in FIRST. Over 664 schools/organizations offer upwards of a combined $14 million in scholarship money.
Hunt said the response from the students has been tremendous. “Students have been exposed to programming, building, and marketing
with the robotics program and have been energetic through the entire process. I have young men and women who will play a vital role in
making this program grow at the school.”
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DeRuyter Named Head Coach of Fresno State, continued from page 1
Q: Any surprises?
The biggest was realizing as a head football coach how little control you have
over your time. There are just so many constituencies that you must address.
As an assistant, it’s your side of the ball and recruiting. There are just so many
more things going on. It’s not just about football. In fact, it’s often like an
administrator position.
Q: You’re known in college football circles as guy who can drastically
improve a team’s defense. Are you looking forward to the challenge of
turning around the defense at Fresno State?
Absolutely. Fresno State has had such a great tradition. This is an ideal job to
come into. However, in the last couple years, we haven’t played great defense.
We hired Nick Toth as our defensive coordinator. He’s been with me since we
were at Ohio University. He knows our package as well as anyone in the
country. So to get him to come be our defensive coordinator, he knows the
challenge that we have here. He relishes it. We have some pieces in place where
we can play really good defense. Our defensive package is based on a pressure
concept very similar to what the Pittsburgh Steelers use, and I learned a lot of
our base concepts from Dick LeBeau, the defensive coordinator of the Steelers.
Hopefully we’ll be able to do the same thing here.
Q: One of your frst commits was Justin Johnson, a current SJB studentathlete.
Are you looking forward to having a fellow Bosco Brave on the
team?
Definitely. There’s been a heck of a tradition of Bosco Braves coming onto
Fresno State, and having great success here. For Justin to be in that line and to
have guys that understand that life’s not just about football, that academics,
character, and service are all part of it, it’s big. Having a guy that comes from
Bosco like Justin is going to be great for our program.
Q: How has the transition to Fresno been, both professionally and
logistically (family, moving, etc.)?
It’s been difficult. I’ve got a daughter who’s a junior in high school. The
toughest part of this has been the strain on her and my wife, Kara, who by the
way is a St. Joseph’s graduate. She’s been a coach’s daughter her whole life and
unfortunately this is going to be her fourth high school in four years. We
started around the Air Force Academy. Then we moved to College Station.
Fortunately or unfortunately, she developed a lot of great friends there so it’s
been a tough move on her. She’s looking forward to getting back here to
California, closer to family and developing new relationships at San Joaquin
Memorial, the Catholic school here in Fresno.
Q: Was your goal to become a head coach?
Yes, I think most everybody who gets into coaching ultimately has the goal of
becoming a head coach, running your own program, being able to put your
spin on things, and see how well you can develop players both on and off the
field—to see if you can get them to win championships and be championship
husbands and fathers. Obviously, I wanted to do that, but if you want to coach
college football, there are only 120 D-1 jobs in the country. It’s difficult to get
one and you have to be in the right place at the right time. I feel very blessed
and fortunate to have this opportunity to coach here at Fresno State, because
it’s a great place to live, back in my home state.
Wrestling, continued from page 3
With such strong showings at some of the
toughest tournaments in the nation, it is no wonder
Bosco had its best season in a while. Along the way,
the team regained the Trinity League Title by
beating Servite at their home 48-24 and qualified
for the CIF Team Championships. At the duals,
Bosco took second with an impressive showing
by all the wrestlers, but lost to Northview in the
finals. Thirteen wrestlers qualified to postseason
CIF Individual Championships where Bosco
took second overall. The team was led by Zahid
Valencia (1st, 108lbs), Johnny Zazueta (2nd, 122lbs),
Anthony Valencia (1st, 128lbs), Cody Warr (6th,
134lbs), Ryan Jackson (3rd, 140lbs), Michael Caan
(6th, 148lbs), and Daniel Lukehart (5th, 154lbs)...
seven CIF placers with six returning for next
year. Rest assured we will be working hard in
the off-season and looking for the CIF, Masters,
and State Championship next year! Go Braves!
Jeffrey Anderson ’98 publishes the “Wrestling
Takedown Report” three times during the season,
providing updates on the team’s progress. Send an
email to boscowrestling@gmail.com to join the
distribution list.
Basketball, continued from page 3
One of the highlights of the season was a trip to
New Orleans in mid-January, where the Braves took
a break from league play to compete against some
of the nation’s top teams. Though the Braves
finished 1-2 on the trip, it gave them valuable
experience for the rest of the league season down
the stretch.
SJB’s overall record, including postseason games,
was 25-8.
The Hamilton brothers made the All-CIF team and
were recognized as First Team All-Trinity League.
5

The Tribe Spring 2012
The Tribe is the quarterly
alumni newsletter for
St. John Bosco High School.
It is distributed electronically.
If you would like to add your
name to our distribution list,
please contact Christa
Chavez, External Affairs
Coordinator, at
cchavez@bosco.org.
We welcome your news
and announcements
for future issues.
EDITOR
Christa Chavez
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Nicholas Reiner, ’06
Reshma Anvekar
Jeffrey Anderson, ’98
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Curtis Hill, Art Direction Services
Rick Conway
13640 Bellflower Blvd. • Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 920-1734
In Memoria m
Please keep the families of our
recently deceased Braves
in your prayers.
Steve Hashey ‘69
Robert Edwards Camire ‘72
David R. Avila ‘72
Stephen Noriega ‘75
UPCOMiNG EvENTS
Braves Gala and Auction
Friday, April 20
Please support our biggest fundraiser of
the year at the Hyatt Regency, Long
Beach. For more information, please click
here.
Graduation Day, Class of 2012
Saturday, May 26
Football Tailgates Return!
Join us in the quad for dinner, drinks and
Braves fellowship before each home
game. Ticket purchase information will be
provided in the next issue of the Tribe.
■ Friday, Aug. 24 vs. Dominguez
■ Friday, Aug. 31 vs. Lakewood
■ Friday, Sept. 14 vs. Loyola
■ Friday, Oct. 12 vs. J Serra
(Homecoming)
■ Friday, Nov. 2 vs. Santa Margarita
Annual Alumni Golf Tournament
Monday, October 15
Los Coyotes Country Club, Buena Park
Proceeds benefit SJB athletic programs.
Annual Alumni Memorial Mass
Sunday, October 14
St. John Bosco High School Chapel
For more information about these events,
please contact Reshma Anvekar, ext 235.
Class of 1992,
20-Year Reunion
To be held November 2012 at the Flynn
Center, Saint Joseph’s High School. Date
is undetermined. For more information,
please contact Doris Maroto Davis at
562-965-2319 or dydavis25@verizon.net
Classes of 1984-86,
Multi-Class Reunion
John Bowles ’85 is planning another
alumni gathering this July at
Spaghettini’s in Seal Beach. Date is
undetermined. For more information,
contact him at (562) 743-1045 or
johnpbowles@yahoo.com. You can also
find John on Facebook.
Class of 1962,
50-Year Reunion
Friday, October 12 through Monday,
October 15
Multiple events are being planned in
the Long Beach area, as well as on the
SJB campus, for this special milestone.
For more information, please contact
Timothy Craig at (305) 230-0570 or
Timothy-L-Craig@att.net. A tentative
agenda for the reunion may be viewed
on the school’s website, www.bosco.org;
see Class Reunions under the Alumni
menu.
President Paul Escala Welcomes Baby Boy
Noel Escala, wife of SJB President Paul Escala, gave birth to their first
child on February 13, 2012 at 4:35 a.m. William Paul Escala weighed
8 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 21.5 inches in length.
“It’s truly a blessing to be a father,” said Mr. Escala. “While Noel and I
will never sleep the same way again, we thank God for the miracle of life he’s bestowed on
us. William is already being fitted for his Bosco uniform!”
The St. John Bosco High School community congratulates the Escalas and wishes their
family health and happiness.
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