Irvine Excessive gained its first league basketball championship since 1991, and its star participant, Cooper Stearns, can also be recognized for his golf expertise, a lot in order that officers who work Irvine video games are at all times speaking golf with him.
“The referees know,” coach Harry Meussner mentioned. “All of them need to speak to him about golf. In all places we go, they’re speaking about it.”
The 6-foot-5 Stearns is averaging 19.5 factors and 13 rebounds a recreation. He’s probably the greatest two-sport athletes in Southern California. Within the league championship recreation, he had 28 factors, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
Stearns has dedicated to Stanford for golf, is a three-time Pacific Coast League golf MVP and was MVP in basketball this season. He began enjoying golf together with his father when he was 6.
“We might play at 6:30 within the morning on weekends at Santa Ana Nation Membership,” his father, Alan, mentioned. “He additionally performed basketball all the time.”
Whereas Cooper now outdrives his father in golf, he nonetheless hasn’t handed him within the top division — his father is 6-6.
It’s been a dream season in basketball for Irvine, which is 26-2 and set to host Desert Christian Academy in a Southern Part Division 3AA playoff opener on Wednesday. .
“Everybody has put of their greatest work,” Meussner mentioned of his crew. “We’ve actually clicked. We’ve been constant in a surreal approach.”
Simply don’t count on anybody within the Irvine program to problem Stearns to a chipping match. One time it occurred, everybody was excited.
“The remainder of us have been having enjoyable,” he mentioned. “Everybody chipped it up shut. He stepped up and received it inside two.”
Lesson discovered. Don’t problem Stearns in golf or basketball.
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