APU Alumnus Dave Canales ’03 Hired as Carolina Panthers Head Coach

This article was originally published on apu.edu.

After an athlete’s playing career wraps up, the pinnacle of professional sports is becoming a head coach at the highest level: the major leagues. Azusa Pacific University alumnus Dave Canales ’03 reached that pinnacle yesterday when he was named the head coach of the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers. David Tepper, the Panthers’ owner, said “Dave's background is rooted in success. He has an innovative mindset and positive energy that connects well with players and staff. We are impressed with his ability to bring out the best in players.”

Canales will be tasked with coaching last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, and guiding the offense of the team that ranked last in the NFL this year to new heights. Canales becomes the only active Hispanic head coach in the league, and only the fifth in NFL history.

"I am extremely proud of David, and happy for him and the entire Canales family,” said APU Athletic Director Gary Pine. “He is an excellent leader, and he'll do a marvelous job of guiding men, both on and off the field."

Canales takes the helm of the Panthers after serving for one season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator. In Tampa Bay, Canales helped with the resurgence of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Before the season, Mayfield went from a former No. 1 overall pick to a perennial backup. Canales was not daunted by the task of reviving Mayfield’s career. Under Canales’ guidance, Mayfield passed for a career high in passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28), enhancing his reputation as a quarterback and likely earning a long- term contract.

Under Canales’ coaching, the Buccaneers offense as a whole improved from 25th in the NFL to 20th overall, seeing a sizable jump even after losing the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady, to retirement. Tampa Bay overachieved expectations, not only reaching the playoffs, but also knocking off the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round before narrowly losing to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

Prior to Tampa Bay, Canales spent most of his coaching career in Seattle under future Hall of Fame head coach Pete Carroll. Canales started as a quality control coach for the Seahawks from 2010-12 before working his way up to assistant quarterbacks coach (2013-14), receivers coach (2015-17), passing game coordinator (2020-21), and quarterbacks coach (2018-19, 2022). During Canales’ tenure in Seattle, the Seahawks made the playoffs 10 times, winning the NFC championship twice (2013-14) and the Super Bowl once (2013).

Canales’ impact on the Seahawks offense and team success cannot be overstated. Former Seahawks star Russell Wilson was a perennial Pro Bowl quarterback with Canales’ coaching, earning nine Pro Bowl selections from 2012-2021 before he was traded to the Denver Broncos, more than any other quarterback in the NFL during that span. Canales also helped revitalize the career of quarterback Geno Smith in 2022. Smith had been relegated to being a backup from 2015-21. But after Wilson was traded, Canales transformed Smith into a Pro Bowl signal caller who achieved career highs in passing yards (4,282) and touchdowns (30) while leading the NFL in completion percentage (69.8).

Before Seattle, Canales served under Carroll for one year as an assistant strength coach and video assistant at the University of Southern California. Earlier, Canales spent three years (2006-08) at El Camino College as tight ends coach, special teams coordinator, and quarterbacks coach. Canales began his coaching career at his alma mater, Carson High School, after graduating from APU in 2003.

Going back to his playing days, Canales was a five-year member of the APU football program (1999-2003), serving as a team captain in 2002 and 2003. During his time at APU, the Cougars posted a 36-15 record and made three playoff appearances. As a wide receiver for the Cougars, Canales caught 27 passes for 298 yards and had a touchdown reception in his senior season. Canales graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business.

Canales and his wife Elizabeth “Lizzy” (Henderson ’05) have two children. Canales’ younger brother, Coba Canales (’06), played baseball and football for the Cougars, serving as a team captain for both programs; he is currently the dean of students at APU.

"The Canales family is extremely proud and excited about this new opportunity for Dave to continue his impact on lives through football as the Head Coach of the Carolina Panthers," Coba Canales said. "He's been blessed with many coaching mentors who have built him into the man he is today. He leads authentically from his faith in Christ and desire to bring out the best in everyone, which has garnered him success in the NFL in Seattle and Tampa. From starting as a volunteer JV coach at Carson High School and grinding it out for years until finally earning a full-time coaching role with the Seattle Seahawks, Dave and Lizzy have prayed their way through lots of ups and downs, victories and uncertainties, and have trusted God in the midst of it all. We're hoping for wins on the field because that's what keeps you there, but we know for sure that lives will be changed for God's glory."

Canales becomes the second APU alumnus to reach the pinnacle as a head coach of a major league team. Stephen Vogt ’07 was named the manager of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians in November.

“To have David leading the Carolina Panthers and his former classmate Stpehen Vogt at the head of the Cleveland Guardians says something about the type of student-athletes who come to Azusa Pacific, and hopefully some of the impact we have on them,” Pine said.

Read more about Canales’ background here.

Best of the decade: The 2010s

This article originally appeared in ZU News.

While some may accuse me of recency bias for saying the 2010s held some of the greatest sports moments ever, the 2010s truly did house a number of the best spectacles American sports fans have ever seen.

It is incredibly hard to pick just one moment from the big four leagues, and since we already wrote about the best NBA Finals and World Series ever, I’m going to choose two other moments for the NBA and MLB.

Here are the best sports moments of the 2010s:

MLB: MadBum is not human (2014)

As a die hard San Francisco Giants fan, this is a biased selection (though I also could have chosen when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost the World Series in 2017, or 2018). However, any baseball enthusiast could tell you that Madison Bumgarner’s postseason performance in 2014 was unparalleled. He did what Barry Bonds could not do in the 2002 World Series — carry his team to victory.

Let’s start off by looking at the stats. During the 2014 postseason, Bumgarner pitched a record-breaking 52.2 innings with a 1.03 ERA. This included a complete game shutout in the wild card round over the Pittsburgh Pirates and three quality starts where he only allowed five earned runs and struck out 18 batters in the NLDS and NLCS. But it was his performance during the 2014 fall classic against the Kansas City Royals that truly made Bumgarner “Mr. October.”

Bumgarner started Game 1, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits and a walk while fanning five. The Giants claimed victory 7-1 and held a 1-0 series lead. Then the Giants dropped Game 2, 7-2, and Game 3, 3-2, before drawing the series even at 2-2 with a 11-4 win in Game 4. Bumgarner started his second contest in Game 5, dominating the Royals with a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out eight. The Giants grabbed a 3-2 series lead, but the Royals crushed San Francisco 11-0 in Game 6, bringing it to a winner-take-all Game 7.

Both starters struggled early, as Tim Hudson only made it 1.2 innings after allowing two runs for the Giants, and Jeremy Guthrie was pulled after allowing three runs in 3.1 innings for the Royals. Jeremey Affeldt pitched 2.1 innings of shutout ball for the Giants, and that’s when the world’s eyes turned to the 6’4” southpaw coming out of the bullpen. 

On just three days of rest after already pitching 16 innings in the series, Bumgarner was coming in. 

It didn’t start out well, as he allowed a single and a sacrifice bunt, leaving a runner-in-scoring-position with no outs. But Bumgarner rallied, getting 13 straight outs before allowing a single which turned into a triple thanks to an error by Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco. With two outs and a man on third, Bumgarner went to work trying to get the final out of the World Series against Salvador Perez. Perez popped up a pitch in foul territory and Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval caught it, ending the series. 

No pitcher has ever had a postseason performance like Bumgarner did in 2014. The Chicago Cubs World Series victory in 2016 was perhaps the biggest moment of the decade, but MadBum’s heroics were more memorable.

NFL: Malcom Butler says goodnight to the Seahawks (2015)

It seems like the New England Patriots own so many of the best moments in the NFL over the 2010s, and while their victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI was the better game, Malcolm Butler’s interception to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX was the better moment.

To give some context, the Seahawks were the best team in the NFL at the time. They had dominated the past two seasons, going a combined 25-7 in the regular season, and destroyed the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the previous Super Bowl. Seattle’s “legion of boom” was perhaps the best defense in the history of the NFL, allowing just 14.25 points and 239.6 yards per game. Led by the NFL’s best cornerback (at the time) Richard Sherman and Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas III, the Seahawks held one of the strongest secondary groups in league history.

However, down 28-22 with less than a minute remaining, the Seahawks were counting on their offense to win the game. Though he’s surely a Hall of Famer now, quarterback Russell Wilson was still young and inexperienced then. But Wilson had ice in his veins, as he completed three passes for 75 yards to get the Seahawks to New England’s five-yard-line with just over a minute remaining. Star running back Marshawn Lynch, also known as “Beast Mode,” charged up the middle on the next play to the one-yard-line. 

The whole world expected Lynch to finish the job on the next play, but head coach Pete Caroll decided to throw the ball (resulting in countless memes), and Wilson was picked off by Butler in the end zone, sealing the victory for New England. It was their first Super Bowl victory in a decade, and they would add two more titles in the next five years, while the Seahawks haven’t even been back to the NFC Championship since then.

NBA: Ray Allen saves Heat on last second three (2013)

Steph Curry’s dominance over the past five years from beyond the arc may make fans forget that he wasn’t always the three-point king. Ray Allen was the original, and still holds a fair amount of records (that Curry will likely break), but none of his triples were more significant than his game saving three-pointer against the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. 

It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals and the Miami Heat were down 3-2 against the Spurs. The Spurs held onto a 10-point lead, 75-65, entering the fourth quarter and did everything they could to shut down the best player in the game, LeBron James. The Spurs were somewhat successful in this, holding James to 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but even they could not contain him forever. 

James rallied the Heat and their defict was at three with under 20 seconds remaining. However, James’ three point attempt in the closing seconds was too strong, but Chris Bosch grabbed the rebound and slung it to Allen in the corner who drilled the three with five seconds remaining, tying the game at 95-95. The Heat would go on to win it in overtime, 103-100, and win the Finals in Game 7 by a score of 95-88, and giving Miami their second consecutive championship.

NHL: Patrick Kane ends Blackhawks title drought (2010)

So what if this happened in the opening year of the decade? It was still a part of the 2010s. I was tempted to go with the Las Vegas Knights’ spectacular inaugural season, or with the St. Louis Blues’ first title in 2019, but this was the best moment of the decade. 

The Chicago Blackhawks hadn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1961, a drought only trumped by the Cubs 108-year stretch between winning the World Series, at least in Chicago fans’ eyes. The Blackhawks put together a strong 2009-10 season, going 52-22-8 during the regular season, winning the Central Division and securing the second seed in the Western Conference. Then Chicago took out the Nashville Predators in the quarterfinals (4-2), then the Vancouver Canucks in the semifinals (4-2), and swept the San Jose Sharks (4-0) in the Western Conference Finals.

The Blackhawks squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers weren’t as strong of a squad, but they still had a respectable 41-35-6 regular season record, before taking out the New Jersey Devils (4-1) in the quarterfinals, the Boston Bruins (4-3) in the semifinals—in which the Flyers came back from a 0-3 series deficit making them the third team in NHL history to do so—, and the Montreal Canadiens (4-1) in the Conference Finals. 

The Blackhawks claimed Game 1 (6-5) and Game 2 (2-1), but dropped Game 3 (4-3) and Game 4 (5-3). Chicago rallied for a 7-4 victory in Game 5, setting the stage to end the 49-year-drought in Game 6. The Blackhawks struck first, scoring on a goal from Dustin Byfuglien, but Philadelphia tied it up. 

In the second period, the Flyers grabbed the lead on a goal by Daniel Briere, but the Blackhawks tied it up and then grabbed the lead again on goals by Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd. The Flyers tied it up once more before the end of regulation. 

Then, in overtime, winger Patrick Kane took a short angle shot and started celebrating. Kane was the only one cheering at first, since the puck got lost and no one knew if it was a goal, but then the entire team joined him when it was confirmed. Kane brought Chicago it’s first Stanley Cup in nearly half a century, and helped them win it again just two years later and again in 2015 making the Blackhawks the NHL dynasty of the 2010s.

Best of the decade: The 1980s

This article originally appeared in ZU News.

As we continue to wait for sports to come back, hopefully soon, we are continuing our series of looking into the past and analyzing the best sports moments of every decade. After sharing the best moments across the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL in the 1970s last week, here are the best moments of the 1980s.

MLB: Kirk Gibson’s home run

As a die hard San Francisco Giants fan, it’s hard for me to admit that the best moment in professional baseball of the 80s belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it’s true. This pain is eased by the fact that the Dodgers haven’t won the World Series since 1988. It was during that very same fall classic that outfielder Kirk Gibson made history with an infamous walk-off home run.

Gibson had just signed with the Dodgers earlier that year after nearly a decade with the Detroit Tigers. He was always a good player and had even helped the Tigers win the World Series in 1984. However, it wasn’t until he came to LA that Gibson reached his peak. During 1988, Gibson had his best season ever, hitting .290 with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs, while stealing 31 bases and scoring 106 times. These numbers netted Gibson his first and only MVP award. 

However, even with his tremendous year, the Dodgers were still heavy underdogs against the Oakland A’s. The A’s won 104 games that year and swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Led by the Bash Brothers, José Canseco and Mark McGwire, the A’s had better than 2-1 odds to win the series. Canseco was the AL MVP that year, after slugging 42 home runs and  124 RBIs along with 40 stolen bases. McGwire wasn’t far behind with 32 homers and 99 RBIs. The A’s also had three top tier starting pitchers and the game’s best closer in Dennis Eckersley, who had notched 45 saves that year.

Fittingly, Eckersley was the man on the mound when Gibson came up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1. Eckersley had gotten two outs, with one man on first when Gibson came up to bat. It was all down to him. 

Oh yeah, there’s one more thing, Gibson was injured. He had suffered a severely pulled hamstring in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Mets. Gibson wasn’t even supposed to play at all that night. But with just one out remaining, Gibson went in and prayed for a miracle. 

After a couple foul balls and a few taken pitches, Gibson was staring at a full count from the game’s best closer with all of Dodger Stadium on their feet. Eckersley made a mistake down the middle and Gibson used all the power he had in his arms to crush the ball over the left field wall. As the crowd roared and his dugout emptied, Gibson jogged, limping the whole way, around the bases. He was the hero of the game and the Dodgers would go on to win their first World Series since 1981.

NBA: Magic Johnson comes in clutch 

The greatest franchise in the history of the NBA is, without a doubt, the Los Angeles Lakers. The greatest dynasty of the NBA is, arguably, the Lakers during the 80s (Bulls fans will fight you on this since they had six championships in the 90s, but the Lakers won five championships and had two more finals appearances). The greatest moment of the Lakers dynasty came in the opening year of the decade. 

The Lakers had established a 3-2 lead in the 1980 NBA Finals over the Philadelphia 76ers. However, in Game 5, Lakers superstar and reigning MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33.4 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in the finals, had sprained his ankle and was out for Game 6. This put all the pressure in the world on rookie sensation Earvin “Magic” Johnson. 

Johnson came in clutch with the performance of a lifetime. During Game 6, Johnson scored a series high 42 points while snatching 15 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, thieving 3 steals and even notching one block, while playing all five positions on the court. The Lakers beat the 76ers 123-107 and took the series 4-2. It established the Lakers dynasty and Magic Johnson as a legend.

NFL: The catch

I’m a bit biased here since I’m also a San Francisco 49ers fan, but any football fan would tell you that the 80s belonged to the Niners. San Francisco took home the Lombardi Trophy four times during the decade, once in the beginning, once in the middle and twice to close it out. Led by Joe Montanta, the best moment of the 80s for the Niners actually came in the NFC Championship, not the Super Bowl.

The 49ers were down 21-27 against the Dallas Cowboys with less than a minute left on the clock. The ball was snapped and Montana rolled right, scrambling for what seemed like forever as Cowboys defenders swarmed him. With legendary defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones in his face, Montana threw a ball to the back of the end zone that everyone thought he was just throwing away, except he wasn’t. 

San Francisco’s 6’4’ wide receiver Dwight Clark snatched the ball out of the air for the game winning touchdown. The reception became known as “the catch” and was recently named as the second greatest football play of all time. Clark became a legend and the 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl against the Bengals, and three more before the decade ended.

NHL: The “Miracle on Ice”

First of all, I don’t watch hockey at all. I’ve seen a couple games in my life and was more confused than I was after the Seahawks passed on the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX. But even I have heard of “the miracle on ice.” Disney made a movie about it after all. 

Second, technically this shouldn’t be on the list since it wasn’t an NHL game; it was in the Olympics. However, if anyone tells you there was a bigger moment in hockey in the 1980s than the miracle on ice, they are a liar. Okay, the Wayne Gretzky trade was a distant second place, but it still didn’t come close. So we’re making an exception.

Now that we’re through with all of that, let’s dive into what happened. 

In the 1980 Winter Olympics, the Soviet hockey squad was heavily favored to win the gold medal. They had won the previous four gold medals, dating back to 1964 and hadn’t even dropped a single Olympic hockey game since 1968. Meanwhile the U.S. team was a joke, seeded seventh and comprised of college players. The average age on the team was just 22-years-old.

While they lacked experience, the team made up for it with determination and perseverance. They went undefeated with four victories and one tie in the opening round, advancing to the medal round. Then on Feb. 22, 1980, the Americans took on the Soviets in front of a sold-out crowd.

The U.S.S.R struck first with a goal by Valery Krotov. American Buzz Schneider answered with a goal for the U.S. midway through the first period. Sergei Makarov responded with another goal for the Soviets, but the Americans tied it again at 2-2 off a goal from Mark Johnson with just one second remaining in the period. 

In the second period, Russia outshot the U.S. 12-2, but American goalie Jim Craig saved all but one goal, as Russia took a 3-2 lead. The Soviets held that lead until nine minutes into the final period as Johnson scored again after a Soviet penalty.  Then just a minute and a half later, Mike Eruzione smacked a 25-foot shot into the back of the net and the U.S. took a 4-3 lead. They spent the final 10 minutes doing everything they could to keep the Soviets from scoring again. 

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the crowd chanted “five, four, three, two, one,” and Al Michaels gave what is probably his most renowned sports call ever as he yelled “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” resulting in the name, the “Miracle on Ice.” The U.S. won the game and went on to defeat Finland in the finals to win the gold medal.

***

The best of the decade series continues next week with the 1990s.

Player Profile: MHS Running Back Tyree Miles

This article originally appeared in the Monrovia Weekly.

Tyree Miles is excited for the Monrovia High School football season to begin. It will be his first and last season as a Wildcat.

Miles moved from Fontana earlier this year. He said the team has welcomed him in.

“It’s been a very good transition,” Miles said. “I love my team. I love my coaches.”

Miles plays three positions: running back, wide receiver and cornerback. He likes all three, but he favors running back.

“It’s a childhood favorite of mine. I’ve been playing it for the longest,” he said.

Miles has played football since he was five. He played all three years at his high school in Fontana and looks to contribute to the Monrovia team in a strong role. He said he’s been working on improving in the offseason.

“I’m trying to have better on the field vision,” Miles said. “I want to help the team win big this year. I want the team to be as good as we can and hopefully get a ring.”

Miles said his vision is his strongest trait as a running back. He compared his play to New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley.

“He just has really good vision and cuts,” Miles said. “That’s what I’m trying to get my game to be, his level.”

When he’s not playing football, Miles enjoys relaxing and watching other sports including soccer and basketball.

Thomas McConnell Aims to Break More Records for Poly Football

This article was originally published in the Pasadena Independent.

Thomas McConnell has high expectations for Polytechnic High School’s football team this year. A record breaking linebacker, McConnell brings veteran leadership as a senior with 11 years of football under his belt.

McConnell thinks the team will fare much better than last year when they won eight games, but lost in the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs. He projects the team will go deeper because they moved down two divisions, from Division 10 to Division 12, to play schools of comparable size, and because the team won’t face the same initial struggles they did last year.

“We lost a ton of really talented seniors before last season. We only have seven total seniors on the team. We initially dealt with a lot of behavior our coach was not a fan of,” McConnell said. “But we came together a lot toward the end of the year.”

McConnell recalled the highlight of the season, when Poly beat their rival, Rio Hondo Prep.

“That was where our season culminated. We really dominated that game,” McConnell said. “It was a good experience to come together as a team after working for the whole season to achieve our goal of beating our rival. That was a goal we had set for ourselves on the first day of camp. All our work paid off that day.”

Although Poly will start the season off with some harder games, McConnell thinks these will bring beneficial experience when the team goes to the postseason tournament. McConnell said the ultimate team goal is to win CIF; however, he is focusing on some personal goals for the time being.

“I improved a lot from sophomore year to junior year and I want to do the same this year. Last year I broke the school record for tackles in the season with around 112. This year, I want to tie or break my brother’s record for most tackles in a single game (18),” McConnell said.

After high school, McConnell plans to go to a top notch academic school. He currently has a 4.29 weighted GPA. McConnell said he might play football in college, but academics come first and he won’t sacrifice the academic experience for the athletic one.

When McConnell is not playing football, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, wakeboarding and shopping at thrift stores.

Although the season doesn’t start for more than a month, McConnell is already putting in the work to have another record breaking year.

Athlete Profile: MHD DB/WR Gaylen Wilson

This article originally appeared in the Monrovia Weekly.

Gaylen Wilson has been playing football for more than half his life. The Monrovia High School senior defensive back/wide receiver used his experience of playing since he was six to earn a spot of the varsity team during his sophomore year.

Wilson became inspired to play at such an early age after watching former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick play.

“I loved watching Michael Vick. Even though I’m a 49ers fan, I wanted to be like him,” Wilson said.

While Wilson sticks to DB/WR now, he has also played quarterback, running back, and other skilled positions over the years. He said he likes DB/WR the best, so he’s sticking to them. He doesn’t know which he will play yet in college, but  he does plan to play in college. He has been in conversation with a few coaches from NCAA Division I schools, but he is still waiting on a formal offer.

Wilson had more than 20 catches and 40 tackles last year, with an interception and two punt return touchdowns as well. He even had a kickoff return for more than 90 yards. He does it all.

“I love scoring touchdowns and dominating other people,” Wilson said.

This year, Wilson has set an even higher bar. He wants to have more than 10 touchdowns and five or more interceptions. Wilson compared his playing style to Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown for his good routes and speed and Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters for his ball hawking skills, always being around the ball.

A big factor in this will be Wilson’s speed. He is also a sprinter on the track team, running the 100-meter dash in under 11 seconds and the 200-meter dash in under 23 seconds.

Wherever he ends up in college, Wilson plans on studying law or science because the fields have strong job security.

“There’s a big need for them and they make a lot of money. I’m not sure which specific ones yet, but I want to end up in those fields,” Wilson said.

Although Wilson is not a huge player at 5-feet-10 and 170 pounds, he said he thinks a lot of people think he’s mean because of the way he walks around campus.

“Before they meet me, most people probably think I’m mean,” Wilson said. “But once you get to know me, I’m pretty nice.”

APU Summer Sports Camps Build Community

This article was originally published on APU.edu.

Azusa Pacific University’s campus is quiet over the summer—for all of three weeks. Then, at the beginning of each June, hundreds of excited kids and talented high school athletes flood campus to participate in six summer sports camps—baseball, basketball, football, softball, soccer, and volleyball.

APU football head coach Victor Santa Cruz leads an annual camp where more than 375 high school athletes attend each sold out session. “We draw athletes from all around California, Colorado, Texas, and even Hawaii. Parents will put their kids on a plane to travel here because they don’t want to miss our camp,” he said. “We limit the camp size to ensure the best experience possible. We provide personal attention to each student athlete.”

Santa Cruz said he recruits many of these high-caliber players. “Camp gives us a good opportunity to find students with strong character, academic skills, and athleticism. We’re looking for visionary young people who want to do something bigger with their lives,” he said. “We share who we are spiritually and academically. These athletes are really hungry for that. We often hear, ‘You guys are different. How can I be a part of this place?’”

APU’s other sports camps focus on a younger crowd (grades K-8). Cougar baseball head coach Paul Svagdis has led a summer camp for 10 years. The program has grown from about 25 kids in 2009 to 100 children per session today. An average day at camp is jam packed, beginning at 8 a.m. with warm ups, throwing, and stretching. Campers then split into two groups to practice offense on the Cougar Baseball Field with stations, including base-running and hitting, and defensive fundamentals at the Dillon Recreational Complex. After an hour, the groups switch, then they take a lunch break before afternoon games. “We play games on different parts of the field. They always want to play in center field because they can hit home runs there,” Svagdis said. “While home runs are great, we reward kids for demonstrating good character and sportsmanship. That’s where the big bucket of candy comes in.”

A Glendora resident, Svagdis said he often sees kids across town wearing their Cougar baseball gear from summer camp. “I’ll be in a grocery store and a little guy will come up to me and say, ‘Hi Coach Paul, do you remember me?’ They’ll tell me how excited they are for camp next year and how they asked for a week of baseball camp for Christmas,” he said. “Their parents will even tell me how they did extra chores all year so they could attend a second week of camp.”

Svagdis said APU’s camp is truly special because of the student athlete volunteers. “APU students are first class,” he said. “Just a couple weeks ago, I had four players travel to a little league game to support one of the kids who came through our camp. That’s not uncommon with our players. We build relationships within the community and it opens up opportunities for people to connect with the university.”

APU women’s soccer head coach Brooke Lincoln seconded this. “It’s pretty special to see these kids interacting with my college players. It gives our players an opportunity to give back. It wasn’t that long ago that they were one of those little campers. Now, it’s come full circle for them,” she said. “Some of them want to coach in the future, so this is an opportunity for them to get their feet wet. For other players, it gives them a different perspective on the game, not just as a player, but as a teacher. They can be a bright light, an encouragement, an inspiration, and a role model for these children.”

Lincoln said the best part of summer camp came months after camp ended last year. “We had a lot of these kids come to our games,” she said. “We invest in them for a week or two, help them develop their skills, and they come out to support us at our home games. They’ll never know how much that means to us.”

To learn more about APU summer sports camps, click here.

Mario Minor Wants to Bring Success to MHS Football

This article was originally published in the Monrovia Weekly.

Mario Minor is not a typical cornerback.

The 6-foot-1 defensive back/wide receiver from Monrovia High School doesn’t like to boast about his speed or skills. He likes to let his play do the talking. “I feel like I’m a pretty humble person,” Minor said. “I just want to succeed but I don’t want to brag about it like that.”

Minor transferred from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga last year. After playing his freshman and sophomore years at Etiwanda, he helped Monrovia to a strong season where they made it to the first round of the CIF-SS Division Nine tournament. Minor said the transition went well.

“I made a lot of good friends. Everybody here is really welcoming. Nobody acted weird or anything,” Minor said. “They welcomed me in with open arms and were willing to be my friend.”

Minor said he enjoyed the season last year. “It was good. We started off good, but I saw our offense grow a lot. We started to get the plays better and click more and run faster,” he said. “The whole season was a good memory.”

However, Minor said the season ended disappointingly. He wants the team to go deeper in the playoffs this year.

“We’ve got a really good team this year. I know it. Our coaches know it,” Minor said. “Our goal this year is to win a championship, win CIF. The way it’s looking right now, it’s within arm’s reach. That’s the main goal, going undefeated and getting a ring.”

Minor also has personal goals on the field. He wants to notch 10 receiving touchdowns, 1,000 yards receiving, and at least six interceptions. These numbers represent big jumps from last year, but he has been putting in the work in the offseason to make them attainable, practicing with quarterback Nick Hernandez.

“We practice a lot together,” Minor said. “I call him Aaron Rodgers. We have a good chemistry. He puts the football where its supposed to be.” 

For his own pro comparison, Minor said he was similar to Jalen Ramsey as a defensive back and Jarvis Landry as a receiver.

Although he hasn’t received any official offers from colleges yet, Minor has been in contact with a couple schools. He is confident he will play for a college team next year.

In college, Minor said he wants to study business because he aspires to open his own business one day. “If football doesn’t work out, if I don’t make it to the NFL, I want to start my own training business, a training facility,” he said. “I want to train kids for football.”

For now, Minor said he is excited for the season to begin. Monrovia’s first game is on Aug. 16 at Northview.

Nick Hernandez Looks To Lead MHS To CIF Championship

This article originally appeared in Monrovia Weekly.

Nick Hernandez had to wait three games last year before getting the chance to start as quarterback for Monrovia High School’s varsity football team, but once he started he never looked back. Hernandez took the team from a 0-3 record to 5-6 at the end of the year, losing in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 9 playoffs.

Along the way to the playoffs, Hernandez tossed for 24 touchdowns, 2,213 yards, and eight interceptions. He completed 68.1 percent of his passes with a 129.7 quarterback rating.

“After three weeks, they decided to give me a shot and it turned out pretty well,” Hernandez said. “That first touchdown pass on varsity is something I’ll never forget. It was special with the crowd and the band on Friday night under the lights.”

Hernandez, 17, looks to improve further this year and lead the team further in the playoffs.

“I think it’s everyone’s goal, but this year I think we can really win our division of CIF. We have great athletes,” he said. “This year feels like it’s going to be something special.”

To achieve this, Hernandez has worked on improving his speed and arm strength in the offseason. He aims to toss for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this season.

“I want to break records at Monrovia,” he said. “I just want to contribute to the team. I don’t want to let them down at all.”

Outside of football, Hernandez likes to play video games or other sports in his free time. He also plays shooting guard for Monrovia’s basketball team.

A Monrovia native, Hernandez said he wants to play football in college. Although he hasn’t received any official offers yet, he has been in communication with an NCAA Division One program and is hopeful he will get an offer there in the coming months. Hernandez plans on studying engineering in college.

For now, Hernandez is focused on getting ready for this season.

“I’m more of a competitor than people think. I want to win every game we play,” he said. “I’ll do anything for my team.”

Cougars Win Big In Program's 500th Game

This article originally appeared in ZU News.

Azusa Pacific beat rival Humboldt State 45-13 on Oct. 15 in the program’s 500th game, led by the efforts of junior quarterback Andrew Elffers and a three-headed rushing attack.

The Cougars jumped out to an early 7-6 lead, and didn’t let the Lumberjacks score again until the game was well into the fourth quarter.

Sophomore running back Kurt Scoby broke through a group of Humboldt defenders on the two-yard line to open up scoring with a 17-yard touchdown.

Humboldt countered with a score of their own on the next drive, when Humboldt quarterback Robert Webber hit wide receiver Richard Doctor for a 50-yard touchdown. APU blocked the point after touchdown and never lost the lead.

On the next APU drive, Scoby fumbled the ball and Humboldt recovered. The Lumberjacks appeared to have some momentum until they fumbled, and APU sophomore linebacker Aaron Berry recovered the ball and returned it 62-yards for a touchdown.

“I picked it up and I took it five yards and the ref didn’t say anything. I looked to the side and I saw a couple other [teammates] who I knew would block for me, and I took it to the house,” Berry said. “I just ran for dear life.”

Berry’s touchdown was a momentum changer as it appeared that Humboldt was on the verge of scoring again and taking the lead.

“Coach says that we all put a brick onto this wall that APU has built. Every player that has played here has added on to the wall. It’s just amazing that I was able to put another brick up on that wall,” Berry said.

The Cougars forced a three and out on Humboldt’s next drive. APU also punted on their next drive, but came up with a field goal on the following series.

On their last drive before the half ended, Elffers connected with senior wide receiver Ethan Zeidler for a 28-yard catch that would have set the Cougars up for first and goal if they hadn’t drawn an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The penalty was one of seven Cougar penalties during the game that cost the team 60 yards. The offense was able to make up for their mistake, and Elffers was able to overcome this and hit Scoby for a seven-yard touchdown.

“In football, you don’t want to let your emotions get too high or too low. Mistakes will happen, yet it is not about the mistakes but how you come back from them,” Elffers said.

The Cougars led at halftime 24-6. On the second-half kickoff, the Cougars went for an onside kick, which Humboldt recovered in APU territory. The Cougars were able to defend their decision by forcing a second three and out.

Neither team scored during their first three drives of the second half. APU had two turnovers during this span, which the Lumberjacks were unable to capitalize on. Humboldt went for a fourth down conversion but failed. APU took over on downs and junior running back Aaron Baltazar ran for a 40-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Junior running back Chris Solomon led the team in rushing on the night, racking up 68 yards on six carries.

“It’s great to see Baltazar get out there. It’s really exciting to see Chris Solomon be able to be in there also and get some carries,” head coach Victor Santa Cruz said.

The Cougars scored again twice before the end of the game on an 18-yard touchdown run by Elffers and a 10-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Chad Jeffries.

Humboldt managed to score once more, but the game was well out of reach with only three minutes remaining.

Speaking to the occasion of the 500th game, head coach Victor Santa Cruz believes it was an important moment for APU, for both current and former players, coaches and students.

“This 500th game marked a special opportunity in life to come out and display a lot of what this school represents,” Santa Cruz said. “It makes a statement about what this program has stood for, about what the alumni are a part of.”

Santa Cruz saw how special this game was, highlighted by hundreds of APU students wearing a commemorative 500th game shirt. He also noted the importance of big plays in a game such as this one.

“Big plays beget big plays. You can sense the frenzy on the sideline start to take over,” Santa Cruz said.

This game was especially important for APU to bounce back, as it followed the Cougars’ first loss of the season.

“Last week’s loss was a great lesson, a teachable moment, and our guys took the teaching,” Santa Cruz said. “Within themselves, they wanted to grow more and get after it.”

This was APU’s second time playing GNAC rival Humboldt State this season. They won the first meeting 38-27 on Sept. 10.

“In the GNAC, we have a very competitive league,” Elffers said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice, but that’s part of the joy of playing in this league. Our team accepts the challenge and we’ll battle any team that comes in front.”

Coach Bo Beatty has seen the success this year and through hundreds of the program’s previous games. Beatty is a linebacker coach that played for APU in 1992 and ’93 and has been coaching for the Cougars since 1995.

“This team to me this year is special because I’m watching first-teamers coach up second-teamers. Guys truly care about each other and enjoy their success,” Beatty said. “To me, when a guy cares more about his teammates than he does himself, that’s when I think you’re onto the right thing.”

After another dominant performance at Simon Fraser on Oct. 22, the Cougars defeated the Clan 57-0 and tied an NCAA Division II record with three pick-six plays on defense.

The Cougars moved up four spots over the past two weeks in the AFCA D-II Coaches Poll, jumping to 15th in NCAA Division II football.

The Cougars will play their next game against Central Washington at APU’s Homecoming game on Oct. 29. The game will have major implications as both teams are fighting to finish in first place of the GNAC. APU beat Central Washington 27-17 on Sept. 17, but since then, the Wildcats have been on a four game winning streak.

APU is currently 7-1 on the season and remains undefeated in GNAC Conference play.