Time Out with Ryan Brown (2007 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Ryan Brown: I enjoyed multiple things. I loved the camaraderie at an early age and the friendships and relationships that have been fortunate to form throughout. I am still such good friends with many of the people that I have been able to play sports with through the years. Ryan Kostecka, Daniel Stewart, Josh Ohlandt, and Jason Westerberg are just a few of the many friends I have been able to make due to athletics. I also love the skill-set that I was able to develop due to athletics such as leadership, a positive work ethic, perseverance through adversity, and it really shaped me for who am I today.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Brown: I finished at Napa in ’07 and went to California Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, CA for the next three and a half years graduating in December of ’11 with my BA in history. I thought it was best for me to get hands-on experience with the content that I would be teaching and left in February of 2012 to teach abroad for a year in Taiwan, and it never really stopped from there. Since then I have taught in Korea, Spain and, now I am finally back stateside this year working as a 6th grade teacher. Next year, I plan to return abroad and finish my Masters.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Brown: There were two classes that stood-out. Ms. Griffin's Spanish class was always a treat. She would just be so energetic and enthusiastic about class each and everyday. I remember saying that I would never even use my Spanish and of course now that has come back to bite me. I returned to NHS last year for a day to say hello and I remember her being quite happy that I had been able to put it to good use. Mr. King’s 10th grade world history class and the awesome lessons that he would put together. He was just the perfect role model and he influenced me quite heavily throughout school and I probably have him to thank for my current career track.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Brown: Wow, a few come to mind. I remember as a freshman being pulled up for varsity baseball with Jason Westerberg for a tournament. I was still pretty terrified of Coach Pridy at that point and he started me the second game. I remember the first inning like it was yesterday; I gave up a lead-off triple and walked the next two guys. Then I struck out the side to get out of the jam. I will always remember Coach saying that I “befuddled” them and having to go home and look up that word the next day.

Basketball practices in general stand out. The games blend all together, but the camaraderie I talked about before was built during those practices. The blood, sweat, and tears that went into the hard work - 1 on 1 rebounding drills in particular.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Brown: Infinitely. I am certainly the same personality wise. Very laid-back, happy, and humorous. However, college really helped me grow intellectually and my travels helped me grow and be more outgoing and independent. I don’t trace much of it to athletics, but really to lack of them as I continued to grow-up. I found a new role for myself in sports on the sidelines working with the kids and students rather than on the court itself.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Brown: My entire family has influenced me in so many different ways. My grandfathers have been really important figures for me throughout my high school and college years. One was an avid outdoorsmen and he also helped encourage my adventurous side which led to my travels later on. The other was stoic man that was extremely caring who I always tried to make laugh. My mom and her ability to be incredibly sweet and so genuine has been a goal that I will forever try and reach and achieve.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Brown: J.P. Morgan has always intrigued me with his background. The Progressive Era is one of my favorite time periods in American history and he played an incredibly important role. I remember visiting his “study” in New York and I was just incredibly blown away with the amount of history that he had collected personally and his contributions to many of the museums around NYC. I feel like it would be interesting to just talk to him about how he helped transform America.

Time Out with Ryan Tolley (2017 American Canyon High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Ryan Tolley: It’s hard to say what specifically I enjoy most about competing in athletics but maybe it’s just that. I love competing, it can be in sports or anything in this world. If there is an opportunity to compete I want to be a part of it especially in the two sports I love, basketball and baseball. It always shows your character as an individual as well as bringing such a wide variety of people to compete in one game which gives opportunities to make new friends and get introduced to new people.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Tolley: I have decided that I want to pursue my dream of filmmaking and major in film production. I will also be minoring in business in spite of becoming a young or old entrepreneur. As a child, I’ve always been fascinated by TV shows, movies, and video games. What intrigues me most about all of these is the story behind them. Growing up I have always been a good storyteller whether they were fiction or nonfiction, seeing the emotion in my friends, family and peers makes me see the entertaining side of storytelling. The closer I am to being in college the more inspired I get before it would only be comedies and action movies, but I have slowly come to realize that dramas, thrillers, and animations are just as entertaining as the next. This is good that I see and feel inspired from the genres now because I want to have a wide variety of genres I can perform my creative skills in.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at American Canyon High?

Tolley: This is difficult because I enjoy most of my classes and adore all my teachers, but I do believe that Choir has been my favorite class here at American Canyon High. I say this because of the people in there or more than just friends, strangers, and acquaintances. Choir is really family, everyone in there is singing for the person next to them and no one other than the God almighty Mr. Butler. That class brings positive vibes every day and everyone either comes in or leaves with a smile on their face.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Tolley: My parents have for surely been the most influential people on this planet, they work hard to make sure everything's going right in this family and I can’t wait for that day where I pay them back for everything they have done for my sister and I. They are a prime example the term hard work pays off, my mom coming from the Philippines and my father from a small town in Parsons, Tennessee. They didn’t know they would end up here but they both knew that working hard would get them somewhere and it got them both happy. They have both inspired me to do something great and I look up to them as more than parents but as role models.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Tolley: One historical figure that I would like to meet most is definitely Derek Jeter. That man has earned the title of greatest of all time, he’s big time and he’s motivated me throughout every game of baseball. I’ve wanted to make plays like him, be as smooth as him, hit like him and most importantly, be a leader like him. He works hard and I have strived to have the same work ethic as him. The individual he is on and off the field is what intrigues me the most. He’s a smooth shortstop on the field and independent man off the field. I try my best to be him and to meet him would only motivate me to be better than him.

Time Out with Omar Steyteyieh (2017 Vintage High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Omar Steyteyieh: To make a long story short and refrain from having my answer become a novel, the outlet for passion has been the largest contributor towards myself wanting to continuously compete in various athletics over the duration of my life. In a newly implemented education system where students are becoming more rank-and-file due to standardized grading, outlets for them to be able to let their individual passions and talents take the main stage have been very limited, and from my perspective, it is athletics that allows students like myself to cement their own unique identity.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Steyteyieh: After long thought, I've decided to attend a college of the several I have applied to along the West Coast. This decision came to me entirely by way of personal interest and once again, passion. This may not seem so significant, but in our contemporary society where going to college is yet another normal conformity that students have been led to believe is the only way to be "successful", making the decision to go in order to feed my curiosity and not for the sake of following suit with society is something that I consider important.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Steyteyieh: The major I've chosen to pursue in my post-secondary academics is that of business administration. My upbringings as the son of a business owner have done nothing but intrigue me more and more into the fields of business, which I continually research and build personal experience in. There are intangible values associated with taking charge of a group to accomplish certain goals that I cannot begin to express my drive for.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Vintage High?

Steyteyieh: While I am able to build interest in most my classes, the few that have truly made an impact in who I am as a person are unimpeachably my history classes. History has definitely been a subject of great intrigue in my life; the notion that history repeats itself, yet as humans we will never truly be able to accurately predict what the future holds for us is a provocative notion to say the least. From drawing similarities between past leaders and current ones, and frightening myself doing so, to studying existentialism and staying up hours after I should have been asleep for countless nights trying to wrap my head around this world, I can easily say no other class has sparked the same curiosity within me.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Steyteyieh: Within my family alone, my mother and my grandfather have undoubtedly been the most influential people in my life. The miracle that is my mother's life, and the nearly unbelievable story that is my grandfather's life, I have been influenced in ways unimaginable by these two individuals. My mother, who will work tirelessly, racking up a solid six hours of sleep in a week-no exaggeration necessary-to make sure the job is executed to the absolute best of her ability is the inspiration for my work ethic. My grandfather, a "man of a million smiles" as his friends and family would call him, was as unique a leader as he was a loving individual who carried himself with an heir of pride and humbleness, and so described is the artist of the clay that is my character.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Steyteyieh: A figure of idiosyncrasy, confidence and above all, a role model for not only athletes but any young muslim like myself, the great Muhammad Ali is someone that I would sacrifice a lung for the opportunity to meet. As previously mentioned, being raised as a devout muslim in an environment that's perspective of Islam is increasingly being tainted in a negative light because of the actions of radicals and opposers of the religion, it is no easy task to live with confidence when most of what you see around you is negative. It was Ali that reinforced me to admire the beauty of my religion and appreciate the discipline and love within it. More so, not simply to admire and appreciate it, but to own and be confident of it, to advocate its message and spread the love of its practitioners.

Time Out with Zane McKeithan (2005 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Zane McKeithan: Athletics have been a huge part of my life and continue to be a huge part. I'm not sure I can narrow down what I enjoyed most, but I definitely fell in love with competing against my peers, exercising in general, the structure and discipline that sports brought to be a few.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

McKeithan: When I got out of high school, I continued my education for two years at the Napa JC, earned an AA and played a year of soccer for the Storm. After the junior college I went to Sacramento State University, where I studied and earned a BS in Exercise Science. Soon after my college days were over, I moved back to Napa and begin working construction, warehouse and other random jobs in the valley, while coaching the Napa High Indians freshman and JV basketball boys for three years. Few years ago my dad and I decided I should work with him as a soils engineer and that's been my steady and wonderful job since. About the same time, my current business partner, Mike Quinn and I decided to start Napa Sports Association training, motivating and mentoring kids in our community. Currently that's where I'm at and the most happy I've been. There's no reward like helping kids achieve their goals and dreams, I'll tell you that right now.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

McKeithan: My favorite class at Napa High would probably have to be Spanish II or Spanish III with Mrs. Shouse. She made learning so much fun and had more enthusiasm than anyone I've ever met. She had a gift and passion when it came to teaching. I actually try to carry her enthusiasm when I train my athletes.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

McKeithan: My favorite athletic moment would definitely be the combination of the last five basketball games of the regular season my senior year. I remember we were all thinking we have to win all of these games to make playoffs and we have some real completion ahead. We had to beat Vacaville, Wood and Armijo who ended up going to State or close, as I recall. It was awesome that we put our heads down, played as a team, fought adversity, won the five games and made the playoffs.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

McKeithan: I would like to think I've grown a lot since high school but I'm sure my parents, girlfriend and friends would say otherwise. But realistically sports have helped me in all kinds of ways. It's taught me a tremendous amount of good habits like: following through, fighting and working hard for what you want, never give up, holding myself accountable and always be on time. I relate everything to sports and what I would do on the basketball court or soccer field.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

McKeithan: No question, my Mom and Dad have been the most influential people in my life. As a team they have always pushed me to be my best and taught me to give my all in whatever I do. They have always been their as positive parents and truly my backbone. Not sure where I would be without their love and support honestly.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

McKeithan: Wow, now that's a tough one for sure. But I'm going to have to go with Michael Jordan for several different reasons. For starters, he was a Carolina Tar Heel and all my people know I bleed Carolina blue. He brought a level of work ethic and skill that no one had ever seen before, which I truly admire and his shoe game was always hot. MJ was basically my idol, role model and favorite person until Steph Curry and Kevin Durant came around.

Time Out with Eric Calderon (2017 Napa High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Eric Calderon: There isn't really one specific thing that I've enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout my life. Besides maturity and respect, I would say the mental and physically grind of it is on the top list of being the top thing that I have enjoyed about competing in sports throughout my life.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Calderon: My plans after high school are to hopefully play rugby at the University of Oregon Ducks. Rugby is my main sport.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Calderon: I am interested in picking criminal justice as my major due to the fact that my brother was in the armed forces and I've always wanted to be a police officer since I could remember.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Calderon: Honestly I wouldn't be able to pick out one of my family members. They have all worked and overcome some major obstacles in life.

Time Out with Connor Bates (2017 Vintage High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Connor Bates: Competing in athletics throughout my life has provided me with what I have always considered a whole other world apart from my everyday life, one that can not be impacted by the adversities put forth by everyday life. It’s a world of competition, always pushing me to be faster and stronger, driving me to achieve the best I can possibly put forth in whichever sport it may be. Sports have always provided a bubble in my days of homework and maintaining a social life and taking care of my family, a bubble in which I can focus on one thing and one thing only: to be the best that I can be.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Bates: My plans after high school involve me attending a 4-year college either in California or Oregon, where I plan to live on campus and hopefully continue my passion of photography and videography as a source of income, along with any internships that may come my way.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Bates: I plan on pursuing Industrial engineering (Oregon State) or some type of computer engineering as my major in college. Engineering has always attracted me, as it allows me to apply my keen ability in mathematics as well as take advantage of my leadership abilities by working in teams to solve various problems.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Vintage High?

Bates: My favorite class at Vintage has to have been my digital media class which I am actually still in the process of taking this year. In this class I have been taught about creative media software including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, along with their practical uses in the work force. This has opened me up to the possibilities of creativity-based jobs in our society, and simply all the amazing creations that can be made with this software.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Bates: The most influential person in my family has definitely been my father. He is a survivor of terminal cancer and has been by my side through all my endeavors both educationally and academically throughout my life, and has helped me by always bringing to light the true value of all the experiences that I have gone through. The lessons that he learned throughout his experience with cancer have been instilled in me, which has changed my outlook towards life to always appreciate every bad and good experience that I endure, knowing that as long as I'm still here, everything is always worth it.

Time Out with Ryan Kostecka (2007 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Ryan Kostecka: Athletics has been engrained in me since I was born. My dad is a former college volleyball coach (Northern Arizona University before coaching at Napa High). I grew up watching the game and attending all of his tournaments. The best thing about competing in athletics are the life lessons. It taught me how to win with grace and lose with humility. I learned how to work with others but also, how that no matter what happens in your surroundings, you're in control of how you handle any given situation. Also, one of the best things is being a part of a team, feeling that brotherhood, and achieving true team goals.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Kostecka: Since graduating in 2007, life couldn't be more different than where I pictured myself being. I live in Eugene, Oregon now where I'm married to a beautiful woman named, Dana. We've been together for seven years and we just recently bought a house in Eugene with our two dogs (Emma and Chewy). I work as a journalist, covering Oregon Ducks football and basketball, and as a personal trainer. Life has definitely had its ups and downs since I've graduated but one of the main constants has been the support of my three best friends since the 7th grade (Ryan Brown, Jason Westerberg and Josh Ohlandt — all former Napa High athletes).

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Kostecka: It's hard to choose between just one class. My junior year, I had English with Mrs. Ready and History with Coach Todd Pridy. Both of those classes, as well as senior year English with Mr. Aaron, were my favorite classes. All three of the teachers challenged me in different ways. I think it was during Mrs. Ready's class that I discovered my knack for stories and story-telling, that eventually indirectly led me to journalism. Pridy's class challenged me to be the absolute best I could be and the way he portrayed history to relevant topics in society today really stuck with me. As for Mr. Aaron's class, he just had this vibe and aura about him that made class enjoyable everyday.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Kostecka: My favorite athletic moment isn't from when I was in front of a big crowd during a game. My favorite athletic moments were during my junior and senior seasons of basketball. The night before Big Games, my dad (Scott) and I would have one-on-one practice sessions late at night. Just us, a ball and the hoop. We'd typically start once the girls game ended and as people were walking out of the gym, I'd be walking into it in my practice gear. Sometimes we'd practice for an hour, sometimes it would be more. I just remember those moments with my dad, who was extremely well-known as our athletic director. We talked about everything in our lives during those times and to this day, they've helped pave the way for the best-friend type of relationship I have with my dad.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Kostecka: I can't even contemplate how much I've grown since high school. I look back at those days, and while I admire at how much fun I had, it's hard to imagine that I was once that same guy. Don't get me wrong, I'm still the same happy, go-lucky type of guy but the way I view the world and handle certain situations is vastly different. Honestly, the change is a combination of meeting my wife and athletics. I still have that same competitive drive that athletics instilled in me but now, it's been better used in ways my wife has taught me. I do find that when I'm in a situation that I don't know how to handle or deal with, I tend to reflect on my athletic background to help me start a path to get through it.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Kostecka: My entire family has been influential. My younger sister (Megan, 2010 Napa High graduate) is my best friend and one of the very few people in the world that I can tell absolutely anything too. She's still the best athlete in the family also. As far as my parents go, I'm a 50-50 mix of both of them. With my dad, I think the same way he does and I have that same "Is what it is" type of attitude like him. I hope to be just as good of father and person as he is one day. As for my mom, she's the one person in the world I would never mess with and always want to be my friend. All of my competitiveness and grit comes from her and the fight that she's showed in life through her tribulations is something I admire. Also, my mom truly believes that there's nothing that she can't do... and I agree with her. She's given me this "unwavering confidence" in myself that's served me well thus far in life. All together, my family is so important to me and without them, I can't even fathom where I might be.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Kostecka: I don't know if there is anybody I'd truly like to meet. I've been so extremely lucky and blessed to have met the people I've met, made the relationships I've made in my life and I wouldn't change that for anything. I think, more than anything, I would just like to see those closest to me more. As I mentioned above, I've had the same three best friends for nearly 15 years and we all live far from one another. I wish to see them more. I also wish to see more of my little sister and her fiancé. I've met many famous and non-famous people throughout my life but what's most important to me is keeping those friendships and relationships closest to me and strengthening them all the time. So, rather than meet anybody new, I wish to see the old.

Time machine: 2008 football St. Helena at Upper Lake

There are times where you know you are covering a team that is good but not necessarily great. You watch that team win a particular game. The process of the win won’t make you forget say the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1984 San Francisco 49ers, 1985 Chicago Bears, etc.

You watch the game and the outcome does not appear signed, sealed and delivered until late in the contest. After the game, however, you feel like it is a solid road victory because it is a one-and-a-half hour drive that feels like three hours where you go “to” the game. On the way home, however, the hour-and-a-half drive feels more like 45 minutes because you saw the team you cover win.

That win would describe the 2008 St. Helena High football team’s 27-12 win over the Upper Lake Cougars.

Setting the stage: The Saints went into the 2008 season with their third coach in as many seasons and their 13th in 28 years when Brandon Farrell moved to Northern Napa Valley from Savanna, Ill. St. Helena won its first two games of the Farrell era (37-0 over Calistoga and 33-8 over Lower Lake). The Saints lost their next two games (37-21 to Kelseyville and 35-6 to Fort Bragg) before winning the following week, 27-7 at Willits.

Upper Lake also entered the game 3-2 with wins over Potter Valley (20-6), Lower Lake (28-14), and Kelseyville (30-18). The Cougars two defeats were against Fort Bragg (42-6) and Middletown (35-0). This mid-October matchup in Upper Lake on a Saturday afternoon would represent the North Central League I South opener.

After 2006, Ian MacMillan resigned after going 21-11 in three seasons. Then came the Dave Collinsworth experience that saw the program go 2-8. Collinsworth was a bad fit from jump. The 1988 Woodland High graduate was a University of Oregon offensive lineman that coached at large schools like Sheldon (Sacramento). He failed to realize that there is a big difference between coaching at a school, of 1,800 where kids are laser-focused on sport versus a school of 500 kids where coaches have to share athletes. Bar none, Collinsworth was one of the most arrogant turds I ever dealt with as a coach but that’s another story for another day.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: St. Helena made the Upper Lake fight uphill all day by scoring the game’s first 14 points in the first quarter en route to victory.

The Saints bolted to their 14-0 lead after one quarter on the strength of quarterback Morgan Densberger’s 17-yard touchdown run with wide receiver Jeff Quirici delivering a key downfield block. That touchdown capped off an remarkable 14-play, 80-yard march on the game’s opening series. St. Helena converted two third downs on the drive.

The Saints were successful on 6 of 10 third down conversions and 2 of 4 fourth down attempts for the game. Densberger later connected with Quirici for a 22-yard touchdown strike on fourth and eight. Will Saladin added both extra points.

Upper Lake used the big play to get back in the game as running back Joe Barnes raced 66 yards to paydirt with 7:06 left in the first half. The two-point conversion was no good and the Saints still led 14-6.

St. Helena took a 20-6 into the locker room when running back Ezekiel Valdivia scored from seven yards away. The extra point failed, giving the Saints a 20-6 halftime lead. The Saints controlled the pace of the game in the first half, running 41 plays from scrimmage to Upper Lake’s 16.

Upper Lake then cut the lead to 20-12 on quarterback Brandon Mendoza’s 3-yard run with 2:24 left in the third quarter. Valdivia and Saladin provided the final margin of victory with a 5-yard scoring run and extra point, respectively.

Densberger led a Saints rushing attack that generated 346 yards on the ground. The senior quarterback tallied 128 yards on 24 carries. Valdivia added 87 yards on 14 attempts. Edgar Caldera added 81 yards on 15 carries while Miguel Calderon tallied 50 yards on six carries.

Defensively, Densberger added an interception. Gino Trinchero added two tackles for lost yardage while Caldera and Victor Saldana each added one.

Trinchero and Elliot Carson shared a quarterback sack. The Saints defense allowed just 2 of 8 third down conversions and limited the Cougars to 283 yards of total offense.

What it meant: Very little in the short term. The Saints lost their next two games decisively: 35-6 to Middletown and 20-0 to Cloverdale. St. Helena finished the season on a high note in splitting its last two games to NCL I South co-champs St. Vincent (7-3 loss) and Clear Lake (7-0 win).

The next two seasons of the Farrell era brought a 4-6 season in 2009 and 5-5 in 2010 with an, NCL I South title. From 2011-2015, the Saints went on an incredible run in going 56-9 with seven CIF North Coast Section playoff wins.

In 2016, St. Helena went 6-5 but finished with three straight losses by a combined total of 101-51.

Time Out with Alvaro Torres (2017 Calistoga High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Alvaro Torres: I've enjoyed being a leader for my team and being able to at least win one championship my freshman year in football with all my friends before everything went down the drain.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Torres: My plans after high school are to try to play football somewhere like a JC and keep on working but for sure stick with sports no matter what.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Torres: A major I would really want to take is nutrients and physical therapy because it's really important to athletes.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Calistoga High?

Torres: My favorite class in Calistoga high so far has been math because it's something I've always enjoyed and the teachers I've always had were always nice and cool.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Torres: My mom’s been my biggest influential because never in my life have I seen her give up on me and my other siblings and had always supported me and pushed me.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Torres: Someone I would really want to meet would be Peyton Manning because I've always like the way he lead his team and how all his teammates liked him.

Time Out with Peter Garaventa (1992 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Peter Garaventa: I enjoyed the commitment to my teammates and the honor to represent my school on the field or court. Additionally, I enjoyed the bond that we shared as teammates win, lose or draw.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Garaventa: I have been working for HealthQuest Fitness Center in Napa, CA, for almost 20 years. I am the Operations Manager and am blessed with an incredible staff that makes my job fun. At HealthQuest we are very fortunate, our members are awesome and most times it hardly seems like work. I joke that my Biology degree comes in handy at times as the gym can be like a giant Petri dish. By far the best part of my job is that it introduced me to my wife. We dated for 18 years and got married last year. Our family has grown as we have been blessed with two beautiful grandchildren and probably a few more to come. Recently, I started riding cutting horses after a long hiatus and really enjoy my time horseback, just not often enough.  A couple of rental properties and a mobile dog grooming business run by my wife’s youngest daughter helps to occupy my free time as well.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Garaventa: I enjoyed a lot of different classes at Justin. Obviously Mr. (Bob) Morrish, but Daphne Birkmeyer and Mr. (David) Carlomagno really challenged me to perform my best in their Biology and Physiology classes. I wanted to do well for them. Coach (Randall) McClure's Freshman English class was an eye opener too.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Garaventa: Without a doubt it wasn't a moment, but it was a season. Our Freshman year of football season was 0-9. We worked hard and came back the next season to go undefeated in league. We tied Colfax 0-0, after losing the previous year 52-0 and took lap on their field after the game, Coach (Jim) Haver smashed the previous years game film in their parking lot and they chased us out of town half way down I-80.

If I had a moment, it was against Vanden. I was playing outside linebacker, came around the corner and had their quarterback in the crosshairs with his back to me. I got to run him over. My cousin, Paul Momsen, picked me up and shouted that my facemask was green. Some of the paint from the Vanden QB's helmet stuck to my red facemask.  That felt good.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Garaventa: I don't think I've grown a lot personally since high school. My wife calls me an “old soul” and I think that's a pretty fair description. I've made my share of mistakes and I try not to repeat them. However, I believe that high school athletics helped me develop leadership skills that I use today, form a strong work ethic and to cherish the ability to move my body everyday.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Garaventa: My dad and my wife. They are extremely different, but I have learned so much about work ethic and management from them, nothing that could ever be taught in a classroom.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Garaventa: I think we put too much emphasis on sports figures, movie and television personalities and even politicians. I'm surrounded by people with all sorts of different backgrounds and experiences everyday. They come to the gym for a variety of reasons and most have interesting careers and experiences to share. I try to learn something from everyone. Sometimes the most unassuming person has the most interesting life outside of the gym. I get to meet new people everyday (if I want).

Berman a one-of-kind

Sometimes reducing someone’s role feels the the end of an era, even if that person’s career is continuing.

Multiple media outlets broke the news that Chris Berman is stepping down as host ESPN's NFL studio programming after 31 seasons but will remain with the network in a number of different roles after signing a new contract on Thursday.

Berman is a six-time National Sportscaster of the Year honoree and will remain as ESPN's host of NFL Primetime highlights after the NFL championship week games and the Super Bowl, and will have a role on Monday Night Countdown, offering opinion and perspective on historical events in the NFL. He will also call an MLB division series for ESPN Radio and be part of the ESPY Awards.

Berman, who was known as “Boomer” and “The Swami,” will also make appearances on-air in other capacities and serve in other public-facing roles for the company, ESPN said in a statement. He will no longer host the NFL draft or Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby.

Berman has hosted Sunday NFL Countdown for 31 seasons and has been part of SportsCenter with his Two Minute Drill for 38 years. From 1987 to 2005, he hosted NFL Primetime with Tom Jackson. He has covered 34 Super Bowls and handled NFL draft coverage for ESPN since 1987.

He was an original SportsCenter anchor and has also called MLB games and U.S. Open golf for ESPN.

No replacement for Berman has been named, though Suzy Kolber and Trey Wingo have been bandied about as potential replacements.

Berman has been known for his schtick and quirkiness, to the point of being like an overgrown 12-year old that is actually 61. There is a segment of people I talk to that believe his act grew tired. The problem I have with that sentiment is, take any person in any walk of life or profession, we find a way that works for us and we often double down on that approach. Berman has been no different and that quality should be celebrated, not scorned.

He has his catch phrases that included, “back, back, back, back, back …… gone!” for Major League Baseball. For NFL highlights, “He could …. go … all …. the ….. Way!” or “whoop!” or “Rumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’!” Throw in random play on words nicknames like Kirt “What is that” Manwaring … Jeff “see through” Blauser …. Bert “be home” Blyleven. There was a time when those catch phrases were the funniest thing on the Planet Earth.

To me, Berman represented a different era of broadcasting. I remember in my college years getting up to watch NFL Countdown as he and Tom Jackson previewed all of the games before watching football all day. Then after the games, I remember watching the highlights of all the games. If you wanted to see highlights of a specific, you actually had to sit through the entire program to see them.

Nowadays, if you are a Philadelphia Eagles fan in Alaska, all you have to do is Google the highlights and they are at your fingertips.

I also remember such as an era where you watched the football games you were given. If it was Saturday, and you’re an Oklahoma or Nebraska fan in California, you had to find a sports bar or order Pay-Per-View to watch their game against Kansas State. If it was Sunday, and you’re a New Orleans Saints fan in Minnesota, you better find a sports bar or buy a satellite dish to watch their game against the Atlanta Falcons because you’re stuck with that Vikings-Bears game.

Now, thanks to DirectTV, BigTenNetwork, SEC Network, Pac 12 Network, etc., you have choices. Berman, however, has been a constant amid the cable network saturation.

You truly would have to look long and hard to find someone who has had a more lasting impact on a cable network than Berman, who joined ESPN in 1979 one month after the network was founded. Sure, Tom Brokaw had a lasting impact for NBC’s news desk. The same could be said for Dan Rather and CBS. However, those news desks existed before either.

I know this move does not mean the end of Berman’s time at ESPN but it’s the end as we once knew it.