Alumni games set for Saturday

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here should definitely be many familiar faces to the community when former players for the Porterville and Monache boys and girls basketball teams take the floor for the second annual alumni games on Saturday.

Monache will face Porterville in an under 30 men’s game at 3 p.m., a women’s game at 5 and a men’s 30 and over game at 7. Admission to all the games to be played at Monache is $5. There will also be a 50/50 drawing at each of this year’s games.

The event is held as a fund-raiser for the Monache and Porterville boys and girls basketball programs. Last year’s event raised $2,000.

What makes this event so special is that many of the players scheduled to play in the games are now recognized leaders themselves. 

Two former Monache boys players scheduled to play are Nate Wobrock, owner and operator of Hoops Preschool, and City of Porterville recreational director Donnie Moore.

Many of the players are now teachers and coaches now themselves. Some of the best players ever to play at both schools who are familiar to the community are also scheduled to participate. Names like Heather Brown (now Heather Brown-Sandoval), who has organized the event the past two years along with Tony Baker Hall, Ashley Bastian (now Ashley Bailey), Shane Snow and Josh Snow are just a few of the former greats who are scheduled to play.

Hall, who will also play, said last year’s event was not only fun for the players, but family and friends as well. “People from all generations come back,” she said.

It’s also a chance for the former players to show what they’ve got. “It’s one thing to tell your kids I used to play basketball,” Hall said, but it’s another to show them.

The coaches in the women’s game also had long, successful runs. Tom Fiormonti, who is now the PHS girls coach, will return to coach his former players at Monache for one day, several of whom are in the school’s basketball Hall of Fame. Among his former players who will play for him include Amanda Baker, who’s now coaching with Fiormonti at PHS.

Coaching Porterville will be Brian Hill. Both Hill and Fiormonti won Valley titles (Fiormonti in 1997 at Monache, Hill at Porterville in 2003).

Former Monache or PHS players who would like to participate or those who want more information can call 361-4835.

TRACK REPAIR

When the field turf was installed at Rankin Stadium, there was some damage done to the track in the process. Porterville Unified School District athletic director Richard Rankin said the track will be repaired at no cost to the district.

Rankin said the track will be repaired in time for the upcoming track season in the spring, which is set to begin late next month. Rankin said while the track can still be used for practice, it’s obviously not competition ready.

And the need for the track to be repaired is obvious as Rankin Stadium hosts all of the district’s home meets. Rankin Stadium also hosts several middle school meets as well. 

And there are two major meets that generate revenue for the district held at Rankin. One involving Porterville, Monache, Granite Hills and Strathmore High Schools is the Porterville Unified School District meet. The other, the biggest revenue generator, is the Don Kavadas Tulare County meet. 

T

here should definitely be many familiar faces to the community when former players for the Porterville and Monache boys and girls basketball teams take the floor for the second annual alumni games on Saturday.

Monache will face Porterville in an under 30 men’s game at 3 p.m., a women’s game at 5 and a men’s 30 and over game at 7. Admission to all the games to be played at Monache is $5. There will also be a 50/50 drawing at each of this year’s games.

The event is held as a fund-raiser for the Monache and Porterville boys and girls basketball programs. Last year’s event raised $2,000.

What makes this event so special is that many of the players scheduled to play in the games are now recognized leaders themselves. 

Two former Monache boys players scheduled to play are Nate Wobrock, owner and operator of Hoops Preschool, and City of Porterville recreational director Donnie Moore.

Many of the players are now teachers and coaches now themselves. Some of the best players ever to play at both schools who are familiar to the community are also scheduled to participate. Names like Heather Brown (now Heather Brown-Sandoval), who has organized the event the past two years along with Tony Baker Hall, Ashley Bastian (now Ashley Bailey),

Shane Snow and Josh Snow are just a few of the former greats who are scheduled to play.

Hall, who will also play, said last year’s event was not only fun for the players, but family and friends as well. “People from all generations come back,” she said.

It’s also a chance for the former players to show what they’ve got. “It’s one thing to tell your kids I used to play basketball,” Hall said, but it’s another to show them.

The coaches in the women’s game also had long, successful runs. Tom Fiormonti, who is now the PHS girls coach, will return to coach his former players at Monache for one day, several of whom are in the school’s basketball Hall of Fame. Among his former players who will play for him include Amanda Baker, who’s now coaching with Fiormonti at PHS.

Coaching Porterville will be Brian Hill. Both Hill and Fiormonti won Valley titles (Fiormonti in 1997 at Monache, Hill at Porterville in 2003).

Former Monache or PHS players who would like to participate or those who want more information can call 361-4835.

TRACK REPAIR

When the field turf was installed at Rankin Stadium, there was some damage done to the track in the process. Porterville Unified School District athletic director Richard Rankin said the track will be repaired at no cost to the district.

Rankin said the track will be repaired in time for the upcoming track season in the spring, which is set to begin late next month. Rankin said while the track can still be used for practice, it’s obviously not competition ready.

And the need for the track to be repaired is obvious as Rankin Stadium hosts all of the district’s home meets. Rankin Stadium also hosts several middle school meets as well. 

And there are two major meets that generate revenue for the district held at Rankin. One involving Porterville, Monache, Granite Hills and Strathmore High Schools is the Porterville Unified School District meet. The other, the biggest revenue generator, is the Don Kavadas Tulare County meet.