McKay High School is located in the northeast side of Salem, Oregon. The area is very diverse which brings many ethnicities with their cultures into the school enrollment of roughly 2000 students, give or take a few hundred - grades nine through twelve. There are Islanders, Asians, Latinos, and Blacks (pardon my political incorrectness, I mean, African Americans). The Whites are the minority at this school. Pretty much the entire student body is on the free-lunch program.
Sports programs outside of the school are simply not heard of due to many families struggling financially or just simply being in dysfunctional situations. I've supported the basketball program there for the last five years in several ways. The McKay area has some pretty amazing people that do the best they can during the off season -- whether it be mentoring or training young athletes that show up. There are a few athletes that put in work in the summer because of the passion they have for the sport. Other schools in the area are blessed with more finances and parents that are more involved. These kids will always have the edge on McKay-bound kids. Other schools in the area develop their young athletes at a younger age in most cases. When they finally enter high school their skill sets are more mastered than a lot of the McKay kids.
McKay's facilities cannot compete with most of the Salem schools, or other schools in the Greater Valley Conference -- McKay's league. The dressing rooms are old and need updating. The hallways are crowded. At every game, visitors that come into the small bathrooms that badly need an uplift, aren't too impressed with the facilities. Half of the time there aren't paper towels available. The weight room is small and the equipment is old. They don't even have a stationary bike in there. Outside of the school, on the walkway, the concrete is falling apart with potholes everywhere. I almost took a spill walking through there one night -- there's not much light through the back door of the gym.
I've given you a small taste of what it's like at McKay High School. Some athletes have left McKay High School for better opportunities with other schools. That's right, we've had some pretty tall kids with talent that have transferred out of McKay to seek winning teams and a chance to make it to the state tournament. I've also seen many kids walking the hallways that are athletically built, but for some reason they don't go out for sports.
My son, Coach Noza, started coaching at McKay six years ago. He is the assistant varsity coach. Dean Sanderson is the head coach. I support my son in his coaching adventures and I usually adopt the team and support them in anyway I can. This year there are sixteen amazing kids on the varsity basketball team -- including a few kids that swing from JV. I have gotten to know each one of those kids by hanging out at the practices, attending the games, and driving to watch the away tournaments -- summer league or regular season. I observe many situations, and the past few years I have witnessed how all of these kids have worked so hard. The sacrifices and sweat, the beating they have taken from schools like South Medford, South Salem, West Salem, Sprague, McMinnville, and many more, has been tough. It has also been tough on the coaching staff.
2016-2017 McKay Boys Varsity Team and Coaches.
This year the team is loaded with juniors that have gained solid experience in their sophomore years, Drioji Joel; David Kovalinko; Andre Tovar; Khyler Beach; Damian Rios; Israel Garza; Ryan Bangs, and Levi Beaty. There are four seniors this year that are solid and have mastered several skill sets throughout the years, Shaton Daniels; Noah Tavera; Josiah Castillo; and Hayden Hull. The tallest player on the McKay roster is Jordan Sampson, a junior who is working hard earning his way into the line up. Another junior added to the roster is Pharoah Williams, a hard worker that can hold his own ground.
I have seen Ryan Bangs dunk the ball. I have seen Jordan Sampson dunk the ball. I have seen Israel Garza dunk the ball. I have seen Shaton Daniels almost dunk the ball. I have seen David Kovalinko dunk the ball. I have see Khyler Beach almost dunk the ball. These kids aren't very tall, but they have mad hops. They are all very athletic -- that's what will help them compete in the GVC this year. I really feel that their heart will pull them through a successful season in 2016-2017.
Seniors: Hayden Hull, Josiah Castillo, Shaton Daniels (Bam), Noah Tavera, and manager Bailey.
This season will be fun to watch, just like it was last season. When you come watch McKay basketball, you won't be disappointed. They are a running team and play a fast-pace game that will leave you entertained by the time the game ends.
I can't say enough about Dean Sanderson and his coaching staff. What they've done with these kids is pretty remarkable. Over the years I have seen my son, Coach Noza, take a group of kids to the state tournament at the Moda Center. I guess the district is making it tough for the coaches to continue this for insurance purposes or something like that. Last year was the first time we didn't take players to watch games at the state tournament in Portland. Some of these kids had never seen the Moda Center. They received that opportunity a couple of years ago, it encouraged them for the following year. I think Ryan Bangs was a freshman the last time we went to the Moda Center. The OSAA 6A State Tournament is now held at the University of Portland.
Head Coach Dean Sanderson has a full-time job outside of coaching that keeps him busy. Despite that I've always seen him around the gym even during the summer. He's always involved in whatever is happening, it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, he'll come by and do whatever he can to help or to give pointers. Coach Noza works with two players at a time during the off season -- he puts in a lot of volunteer hours for these kids to improve and to teach them skill sets and good human-being values -- to be decent people when they leave high school. I really admire these two guys, what an example they are setting for these kids.
This season, Assistant Coach Jack Martino is joining the team. With his experience and successful history, he will help the team even more. We are rooting for all the coaches to set a positive example for their team and to stay healthy on this long grind -- it's definitely tons of work for some of you that don't have an idea of what coaches go through every season.
The McKay Royal Scots will surprise a lot of people this year. With no real height underneath the basket, they will have what most teams don't. They will have great depth, we're talking ten solid players that have become hungry competitors, I mean, look at Shaton Daniels. This kid dribbles the ball at lightening speed and finishes lay-ins, or hits a big three-pointer. Or Josiah Castillo, don't leave him open at NBA range because he'll knock it down. The defensive effort of Hayden Hull, Israel Garza, and Andre Tovar will bother the opponent so much that a turnover will magically appear. It just goes on and on. I definitely feel that this McKay team has a legit shot at making the playoffs this year. That's right, I said, they have a decent chance to play in post season.
We can sit here and talk about facilities, money, and lower income people living in the Northeast Salem area all we want. That fact is that we are witnessing a group of juniors and seniors that refuse to allow anything to get in their way. They are out on a mission and I see that in their eyes and feel it just watching their practices.
They have started the season with a 2 -1 record losing to powerhouse South Medford by 4 points. This close match has given them a large quantity of confidence. I'm so excited to see this team compete, and the most important thing, to see them have fun playing one of the best sports ever invented.
If McKay basketball has future expectations to rise at the level that other schools are at, the community has to get involved. Assistant Varsity Coach Noza (Matt Espinoza) has taken that first step. He is the executive director and founder of Salem Hoops Project. I am the director of operations and Jordan Carter is the treasurer. This program is a non-profit business and is growing every year with attendance.
Salem Hoops Project is a program that provides free basketball skill-set training to any kid in the Salem area and surrounding areas. Geared toward the NE side of Salem, we welcome any kid that wants to learn basketball skills in a fun and non-pressure environment. The volunteers that help us with this program are amazing! They have a passion for basketball and they are good with kids. We normally ask the high school varsity players from the girls' team or the boys' team. Coach Noza also has former college athletes help at Salem Hoops Project. The point is that our volunteers have a passion for the game and know it well. Who better to learn from? Powerade drinks are provided for kids and sometimes we raffle prizes. So far the kids and parents have loved this idea and many youngsters that couldn't even dribble a basketball are now shooting the basketball and scoring a basket.
The basketball clinics are normally for kindergarten and middle school, and certain series are for high school -- depending on the schedule. For more information on Salem Hoops Project go to www.salemhoopsproject.org ... register your child and receive an email for upcoming free clinics.
We truly need more programs like Salem Hoops Project for these kids that cannot afford fifty-dollar an hour lessons, or three-hundred-dollar basketball camps. They deserve a chance to get the proper skill-set training despite the financial lacking.
I'm really touched by some of the parents that have been walking their kids to Salem Hoops Project clinics when the weather is cold outside. They enjoy it that much and they want their kids to learn the skills.
Come out and support McKay basketball, make it a fun evening for the entire family and friends. And I'm rooting for the McKay Boys' Basketball Team to have a fun and productive season.