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,Steele has six passes defended and 17 tackles this season. by digitaluzer Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:15 pm, Post We know theyre going to be physical. Football: St. John Bosco hires Jason Negro - Los Angeles Times Bosco would boat race St. Louis. Coach Negro was an All-CIF Linebacker for the Braves during his senior season as he helped lead the Braves to the CIF Quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Coach Arteaga currently holds a BA in Sports Management and is working on his Masters in Sports Law. Hed grown to a height of 6-4 and had become the No. (The Braves are also No. Anyone who can go over 1,000 total pounds with three different lifts makes the club. Bosco and Negro have used every advantage to create something special and they should be lauded by high school football programs everywhere for doing it their own way. Coach Negro works with the Special Teams unit at the Varsity Level. Whats the link to all these coaches no longer being in charge? Uiagalelei the chance under the lights. We dont all just hang out during football practice, we hang out outside of school. Hes special, St. John Bosco head football coach Jason Negro said. It took him a few weeks or a few months, I guess I can say, in order to gain that necessary experience on how to watch film, how to translate what you watch from film onto the practice field and then eventually in games, Negro said, and by the time we got to the fifth game, or sixth game of the season, he had played just starting to surpass the other kid and took over the job.. Our kids understand that, we talk about it all the time. I enjoy being a person who has an opportunity to work with all these cultures. All rights reserved. He led the Braves to their first ever playoff appearance. As coaches were going to have to do a really good job of being diligent with our evaluation process, Negro said. Theres always players on this roster that will be mentioned in any recruiting discussion in any season. 1 pro-style quarterback in the country. A graduate of Gilroy High School, where he played football and was a member of its wrestling team, Coach Lo spent eight years coaching football at his alma mater. Jason Negro has used the magical amount of guidance and freedom to quickly build the St. John Bosco High School football program into a national powerhouse. In the offseason, Coach King speaks at coaching conventions across the nation and has been a guest coach at numerous universities. Im not afraid, Im not worried. Thousands of miles and three time zones away from the Upstate of South Carolina, the Diaz family will be rooting on Uiagalelei, who Diaz now considers like a son. Coach Kyle Trudell is in his 4th year at Bosco coaching the Defensive Backs with Coach King and Coach Hall. HPW: I know most high school coaches dream about working at the next level, but even then, maybe theres nothing quite like coaching at this level, with this kind of support. Negro: Weve got 82. Family has always been important to D.J. Im sure some Loyola fans hope Grady pulls a Dick Cheney and decides hes the most qualified for the job. Weve played all over the place, Negro said. The ride to the top of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings has been phenomenal. It was Oct. 14, 2010. Around 7 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2020, Christmas break was over and Paul Diaz was leaving his Diamond Bar home in California to make the trip to St. John Bosco in Bellflower. Coach Diaz and his wife Sandra are parents to daughter Danielle, a graduate from Cal Poly Pomona, and to ten year old Makena. @Kamehameha #! This is Robs ninth season with the Braves and he coaches the linebackers at the varsity level. Jason later graduated from California State University Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Its a hotbed for a lot of talented football players, and Arizona State understands that.. Too bad theyre not showing the game on FS. I would say, This guy likes this particular move, Diaz said. Coach Trudell loves camping, fishing, and anything with his family.
Photo: Mater Dei
,Holani is splitting the run duties with Keith Savage more this season than last, but his 575 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns leads the Braves.
Every defensive back has to go against a top receiver, and its the same the other way. They bring (Negro and staff) in with a cutting edge spread offense, a college defense and a weight room plan and it was just the right fit. Soon enough, they bonded over a love for the Los Angeles Lakers and Uiagalelei began to open up more. Negro also showed his funny side when asked who might replace the irreplaceable DJ Uiagalelei at quarterback. This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? Negro: There are no soccer lines on our field. The 2013 Braves went 16-0, earning themselves a back-to-back Trinity League Title, CIF PAC-5 Division Championship Title, the Open Division California State Championship Title with a 20-14 victory over perennial power De La Salle High School, and a #1 National Ranking Title by Max Preps and USA Today. Mendoza is a man of integrity who always tried to get his players attention from college recruiters. For the first time in 3 years, the Braves defensive line coach could no longer take the carpool lane for the nearly 30-mile trek in the famous Southern California traffic. Multiple Trinity League football teams lineup before and after games for a traditional military formation and cadence. The two and Tausha grabbed lunch together a couple of months ago when the Tiger was home. Our parents are able to not even have to get on a plane to be able to get there to be able to watch their kids play, versus having to go all over across the country and fly to games. He couldnt take his eyes off the presumed defensive end, so he asked some of the other coaches about him. Negro: We ave a ton of respect for Mililani. He knew as soon as he saw the Bosco facility in 2010 that the weight room approach needed a facelift. He was a summer intern with NBC Sports and worked for Cronkite Sports LA in fall 2019. for best prep sports column. So before I talk about what my feelings are in terms of our football program and our spring practice and how thats going to affect us moving into the fall, I have to say that Im very, very saddened for the current 2020 seniors and the spring sports athletes who were unable to finish their seasons.. It was just a really good fit.. I like being able to spend time with them, not having to travel. Success and that free-flowing attitude immediately brought transferred talent into the program. The first thing that I will say is that Im very thankful, and the reason why I am thankful is because our season was able to be played and it was completed. The quarterback who evolved into one of the nations top recruits and rode shotgun with Diaz in the Honda every weekday had graduated from St. John Bosco in December 2019 and enrolled at Clemson a month later. The weight room. Jason Negro, originally from Bellflower, CA, is a St. John Bosco High School graduate from the class of 1991. See About archive blog posts. 2 in the USA Today Super 25.). Its pretty odd to say that you think that a loss is the one that actually was the defining moment, but when you take a look at the way that 2010 game went, we really, legitimately had an opportunity to win, Negro said. (The Braves are also No. Probably a bit more physical than Josh in terms of stature, but very similar in terms of skill set and mental abilities, and his ability to be able to read defenses and make the throws he needs to make. After coming back to Bosco in 2010, where the administration had rededicated itself to athletic successes, Negro quickly assembled a huge staff of the best people hed worked with along the way. He turned on Sirius XMs ESPNU channel to listen to Full Ride, which has become part of his morning routine. After not scoring at least 20 points against them since 2002, Bosco was breaking through the door of mere contention. Paul is a 3- time CIF and 2-time National Champion! We have our team room, where we watch film. Nate has been married to his wife Anita for 14 years, has a daughter Maren, and resides in Huntington Beach. Wednesday was signing day and St. John Bosco had several signings. Negro: Hes my brother. Los Angeles, Lakers playoff hopes take another hit after comeback fades vs. Minnesota, Ducks strike with a pair of late power-play goals to defeat Canadiens, With Norman Powell out, Clippers are edged at Sacramento for fifth loss in a row, UCLAs senior trio has persevered in restoring Bruins to national prominence, Hes taken the next step: How Boogie Ellis found his game as USCs point guard. You know anybody know if the game will be televised? Jason later graduated from California State University Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. But in that league, its important to be better than not bad. It was like this transition back to what used to be my normal and whats again now my normal routine of being by myself. My daughters, one is a sophomore and one is in seventh grade. Tausha told Diaz how much it meant to Uiagalelei to see those interactions, a sentiment the now 20-year-old echoed recently. I couldnt imagine what it would be like to be a baseball coach or a track and field coach who are just getting ready to start their seasons and really get into the swing of things, and all of a sudden the rug is pulled out from underneath them, Negro said. This years trips have worked out well for Brave Nation, taking their talents to Nevada and Hawaii in September, and blowing out the competition in each game. I have a lot of respect for their coaches and players for wanting to play us. Keep an eye out; the junior doesnt have any offers from colleges, per 247 Sports. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation in the class of 2020, Bryce Young has replaced JT Daniels as the Mater Dei quarterback admirably this season. I never would have imagined I was going to watch my boy here play against my favorite team ever. Now former coach Steve Grady is on a screening committee searching for a replacement. Private schools' firing of football coaches is a troubling trend Diaz didnt want to meddle in offensive coordinator Steven Los game plan, but gave Uiagalelei little nuggets of information here and there. When you can close a gap that quickly, that was that large of a gap, I think ultimately people stood up and took recognition of the type of program we were building, Negro said. Later in the season, Mitchell was injured, giving backup quarterback D.J. In the decade since Jason Negro took over as head coach, the program has become an unstoppable force in high school football and a source of top recruits for Arizona State and universities around the country. Diaz was back to the solitude of driving to work alone four days later. Post Doing things to make it more efficient for our staff and all our facilities. Two years later with a stronger weight room emphasis and a new spread offense, Negro took the Trabuco Hills head coaching job and led the Mustangs to five straight playoffs and two CIF finals appearances. Jason Negro, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) Prior to Negro taking over at St. John Bosco in 2010, the Braves rarely won 10 games, let alone a Trinity League title, a state championship or a national No. You know he believes in those around him and to me, that stands for a whole heck of a lot., Everyone said Bosco always had talent but just didnt have the discipline, the coaching, or that Bosco was archaic offensively and defensively, Johnson said. I think anybody that knows anything about high school football knows that. There used to be rebuilding years. I remember seeing De La Salle in their heyday with Maurice Jones-Drew, and they didnt have a huge roster when they traveled to Hawaii and played Saint Louis. Yes, the Braves had trouble finishing in the upper echelon of the brutally tough Trinity League that includes Santa Ana Mater Dei, Anaheim Servite and Orange Lutheran, but who wouldnt? As a first-year head coach at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in 2010, Negro he was tasked with changing the culture of the program. AM 570 LA Sports is your home for Los Angeles sports including the Dodgers, Chargers, Clippers and UCLA. The winner wont be crowned champion of the league Friday. He needed to change the language and get the school talking about winning, not just hanging around in tight games with the best teams. Good luck mililani. One call included a school, which Diaz kept confidential, singing happy birthday to Uiagalelei on his birthday. I would say right now its 50-50, he said of the 2020 season starting on time. Ive talked to Naijiel Hale (Montana State) a little bit. There was never a time where Diaz got off the phone with wife Sandra where he didnt say, I love you. He was also an attentive girl dad to his daughters Danielle, now 26, and Makena, 9. He needed to change the language and get the school. is going to be the future of the sport, and I think we all know that, said Bednar, who has committed to Harvard. He did the segment in the car as Diaz beamed with pride in the drivers seat as they made the routine trek to Bellflower. I take a lot of pride in my relationships with my players and our families. He is married to Kristen and has 3 children: Everett (11), Emma (9), and Wyatt (6). It was all about competing, it was all about being a part of the process, it was all about just being able to say that were associated with these teams rather than were going to go out there and were gonna not only compete, but were gonna win and were gonna beat these guys and were gonna be better than them.. From there, the two would take Diazs youngest daughter, Makena, to her school before heading to Bellflower. Jason Negro: You get a big sense of pride having an opportunity to build a program, especially as an alum, to be mentioned like a Saint Louis or a Mater Dei. Arizona States doing a great job, the coach said. by FPK Pirate Fri Oct 24, 2014 5:18 pm, Post Jessie Christensen is a graduate of St. Joseph High School Class of 1989. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. Negro: No, hes a righty. All I am is an educator. It was the most passing yards ever given up by the Fighting Irish, replacing University of Southern California quarterback Carson Palmers 425-yard performance in 2002. Negro: By trade, Im a teacher, Im a math teacher, but since Ive been back at Bosco, Im 100 percent football only. Bosco also reached the last four consecutive CIF-SS Division 1 championship games and won two of them. Being a good teacher and a good role model isnt enough to keep a coaching job. The way they're approaching it is that it's a small job," Bosco head coach Jason Negro told USA Today. Seriously, though, Negro said he has a crop of six or seven quarterbacks from which to choose. (Photo by Evan Desai/Cronkite News). Whats funny is we made the whole Trinity League go spread offense too, Johnson said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Harvard-Westlakes Bryce Rainer fires out 92-mph fastballs in first start since 2021, New era of football begins at Mater Dei under coach Frank McManus, High school baseball and softball: Thursdays scores, Taft football coach Jeff Kearin resigns in support of assistant principal, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits. It allows us to be much more efficient. HPW: When I look at your roster, youve got a 6-foot-5, 238-pound quarterback whos only a junior (DJ Uiagalei). JJ Fiddler is a sportswriter and videographer who has been covering Long Beach-area sports for multiple newspapers since 2004. Those are some of the things that I think that people really don't understand. Hes happy for his team, bummed for those who dont get to finish their senior years. Coach Munson is also the head JV football coach and coaches track. First and foremost, I guarantee you when we do open our season we will throw a quarterback out there; he will be playing, so were not going to leave that position vacant. It was a completely different mindset than when I went to Bosco, Negro said. Hes an incredible athlete with strong bloodlines. Mayfair basketball star Josh Christopher on Monday announced he is going to Arizona State. He was a long time shot put coach where he saw his athletes also excel at the college level. Coach Lo is the proud father of two year old Austin and a proud National Champion! Where Clemson football stands. Coach Negro does an awesome job of preaching to the kids that its not necessarily about a me and I mentality, its more so all about us. So the recruitment aspect just kind of really takes care of itself with just the nature of the kids playing the game, Calvin said. Just trying to be real at this point in the season. As a prep player, Mia was selected 2nd Team All-Mission League and went on to play at Long Beach City College. Hed watch film of opponents defensive lines and share his perspective with the teen. Mia Tui is a graduate from Long Beach Poly HS and will be coaching the defensive line at the varsity level. HPW: One of your running backs, George Holani, also plays linebacker. Uiagalelei had a season for the ages in 2019, throwing for 4,225 yards, 48 TDs and just two interceptions. The Monarchs were led by current Georgia quarterback JT Daniels, then a senior. His coaching style is a no-huddle, fast-paced attack as well as physical and aggressive defense. Coach Lo also serves as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Braves. He looks more like 218 than 238. How many players do you have on the roster? Sepulona also has three sacks. While completing his degree, he began his coaching career in Bellflower where he coached Junior All-American for five years. Awesome.. credit goes to the AD and HC at Mililani. The Los Angeles Unified School District on Monday announced it would close all of its campuses through the summer. At St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif., head coach Jason Negro has his share of blessings. Clemson has had some outstanding quarterback play in recent memory from the likes of Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson, Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence. It expands to everyone, he said. While in the military, he continued his football playing career in the Armed Forces Football League (AFFL) for 4 years from 1998-2002 as a defensive end. Coming to California did not take away his passion for his Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks! The things you told us actually came to reality We shouldve beat these guys., That moment right there was really the defining instance in our program against Mater Dei where we thought, look, were going to have a shot against these guys no matter when or where we play.. Along with his coaching duties, Coach Hall is the Athletic Coordinator within the Athletics Department and the staff liaison for collegiate recruiting, helping our players get to the next level. Diaz would sit and listen, then discuss the conversations with Uiagalelei after he got off the phone. It just felt weird not having him in the car with me anymore, Diaz said. Two years after losing 42-12, the Braves best Mater Dei 24-3. Some were more memorable than others. Each and every week youre playing someone who is recognized nationally, Negro added. Los Angeles. The talent level and emphasis on winning is much different. Dillon Gabriel is accurate and can run, and on defense theyre extremely aggressive. Negro: The important thing is it really allows you to be as successful as you possibly can. Boscos awesome. 82 players at an all-boys school with total enrollment of 850 through four grade levels. I got the job in 2010. Coach Negro has also coached at Trabuco Hills High School and helped lead the Mustangs to the CIF Southwest Division Championship Game against La Mirada at Anaheim Stadium in 2009. The thing about being on this team is the brotherhood. Were excited to play at their field, a neighborhood school. In 2015, St. John Bosco was taking on Bishop Amat during the state semifinals when Diaz noticed what he thought was a high school student. He also has defended five passes, which leads the team. While joking around in the car one day, Diaz suggested Uiagalelei reach out to Full Ride radio show to talk about his decision to commit to Clemson once he made it public. */. Bosco teacher and coach Chris Calvin has coached NCAA Division I ball and has been on the other side of the recruiting process. 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Thats for sure, Negro said, laughing. October 12, 2018 8:49 am, By Logan Newman | I still havent figured out what really happened to Jeff Kearin at Loyola. Were a melting pot. Rosen graduated and moved on to UCLA. One more element of the office is tough to miss: The business cards from college recruiters who visited Bosco. Theres the brand-new, privately-funded football facility on campus. In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Adams is a teacher at SJB, heads up the strength and conditioning program with Coach Lo and runs the Early Edge program for the Braves. As a first-year head coach at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in 2010, Negro he was tasked with changing the culture of the program. Bosco put a running clock on Cen10. Bosco is 74-19 overall under Negro and won four consecutive Trinity League titles with a 28-7 league record. Chris King is entering his thirteenth year as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at St. John Bosco High School. I will tell you this Im confident. "You know, never once did I ever question whether Josh wanted to be a high level football player. Hes a smart player, and I trust him and he trusts me to protect him.. For the first couple of weeks, those rides probably felt more like an interview for Uiagalelei. I found this story on USA TODAY High School Sports and wanted to share it with you: Tweets from https://twitter.com/OCConnect/lists/hs-football But at what cost? And one way you do that is you allow kids to be kids.. They lucky they not playing St. louis this year! Kam, I think because St. Louis no like go opponents house. HPW: Going three years without a home field, now having everything intact, right on campus, with an office. Negro spent the last seven years at. Just as Diaz thought, the shows organizers were more than willing to have Uiagalelei on. Uiagalelei returned the sentiment, calling Diaz a father figure. Going out to games and observing practice, its certainly evident that they have a strong team-focused identity. Hes always hustling back and forth. Diaz sent Uiagalelei encouraging texts that week but was still torn at kickoff that Saturday night. Farias Senior Classic, Mufi Hannemann Jamboree this weekend, Grit is golden for state-tournament semifinalists, Grit and growth: Moanalua's upset win over Mililani, Kamehameha completes girls basketball D-I state-tourney field, All that drama: the ILH's basketball tiebreaker maze. was coming home and the older brother would assure the middle-schooler, whos now at Bosco and one of the countrys top-rated recruits, hed be there soon. But after Jason Negro led St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) to a CIF Open Division state championship and the No. As long as theyre doing it in a respectful way, not mocking the other team or disrespecting the game, you need to allow them to do that.. The main goal for us is to get the ball into our playmakers hands based on what the defense is giving us. Negro also credited ASUs recruiting director, Antonio Pierce, for bringing Southern California players to Tempe. Pair that size and strength with an incredible arm and his prospects for being the next big thing make perfect sense. He arrived at St. John Bosco, and in his fourth season with the Braves, he led them to a 16-0 season in 2013, taking the national title with No. After graduation, Coach Diaz received his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton with an emphasis in Sports Psychology. The Braves right now would be just days away from opening spring practice in their quest to repeat, but the coronavirus pandemic has put that to a screeching halt. Outside of football, what Uiagalelei learned from Diaz was largely around how the coach conducted himself. Paul Diaz is in his 25th year coaching varsity football for St. John Bosco High School. Diaz can no longer use the carpool lane on the freeway, either. You let them know how valuable they are, constantly, then theyre going to operate at the highest level and make you successful., His rise to success has happened quickly because those of us who work for and with (Negro) believe in him, Christensen said.