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++■«*•tJ'ZS•«**By TIM BURT♦SPORTS EDITORt’s been more than 25 yearssince Woodbridge’s boysbasketball team won the. /first and only state title in school historyBut the memories of thatlt; iteam, the only basketball squad from Irvine to take home the top prize, are still vivid among those who played.A number of the players from that team re-united Saturday '■night at Steelhead Brewery in Irvine to reminisce about thatyear, in which Woodbridge went 28-5 and defeated DeAnza, 89-63, in the title game. Woodbridge, which won its last 18games, also won the CIF Division II title that year.Some of the players also took part in some pick-up games Sat-wurday afternoon at the Woodbridge gymnasium where theyihad so much success 25 years ago.first-round draft pick by the Atlanta Hawks and the 10th player selected in the NBA draft in 1992. The players last got together five years ago for the 20th anniversary celebration.“It’s a great night because you know you’re going to be. with some really great people,” Keefe said. “A lot of the guys have stayed very close. I think there was an incredible competitiveness to this team with an incredible work ethic, mixed with absolutely the best leadership provided by the coaching staff.” Keefe, who lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Kristin, has three daughters and a son. He has been an investment adviser now working with Sun Trust Bank.Other players were happy to recall the good times, too.“It’s great seeing the guys and the coaches,” said former guard Robb Lee, now a father of four working in construction in SanPHOTOS: TIM BURT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Luis Obispo. “We Were all good“There was some talent,” said Joining in the celebration for the 1987 Woodbridge team were (front row), Amir Rounaghi, David the team’s coach Bill Shannon. Townsend, Mike Juarez and Jay Golden; back row, former principal Greg Cops, former JV coach Jeff “But I also think they worked ex- Kingsberg, Chris Delbert, Bill York, Vince Bryan, former coach Bill Shannon (with state championship involved in for sports. Everyonefriends off the court and it wasreally a good community to betremely hard. I think a lot of plague), Adam Keefe, Rodney Suiste, John Halagan and former athletic director Dave Cowen.them have said that practices were harder than a lot of thegames and one of the things that people don’t know, in the Pacific Coast League most of the time our starters were never in the fffc^game in the fourth quarter.“They’ve all turned out great. One of the things that’s-amazingis that they are 10 years older♦now that when I coached them.”■Shannon is in Durham, N.C. living with his wife Vicki and do-ing consulting for Disney, where he worked for more than 20years. He and his wife have twoa firefighter and at the U.S. Coast• t: 'r -“I’m at Duke University as a. It’s a lot different than* wbeing a high school basketball coach.”came out to the games. Game days were good times.”Other players shared their ex-said Halagan, who celebrated periences, including Chris Deib-his 20th anniversary as head ert, who is sales manager for amore as to how special it was,”coach this year.printing firm in Austin Texas.“Things just really have to line He is married with three chil-up for a public school team to dren.win a state title.Deibert said he remembers“Obviously, Bill pushed all the the CIF championship gameright buttons that year and did a against Apple Valley when “allgreat job in preparing the guys our fans from the rooter busand the kids at the very end of showed up one minute beforeones who had to the tip-off. Warrior fans weremake plays. We had a lot of guys the best.”make plays during that run. WeAmir Rounaghi, an orthope-went on the road and won a lot of die surgeon practicing in Sunsetgame sin some tough venues. We Beach, said he remembers mostwere definitely the Road War- the bench-clearing brawl in theriors. This stuff doesn’t happen CIF championship game againstevery day, it may never happen Banning at the Los AngelesSports Arena.Jay Golden, who is marriedagainFormer Warrior and NBA player Adam Keefp talks with formerShannon was joined Saturday coach Bill Shannon Saturday.ijby current coach John Halagan,*. *■'% • » »who began his varsity tenurethe 1987team.“Bill asked me to come up andwith the varsitytenure at Woodbridge that I’veand what a runhad every year that passes, that Keefe, who went on to play nineThe players shared stories* ^about what made this team spe- with two children and residingcial. Their hard work paid off in Berkeley where he owns aand they seemed to enjoy being company which deals with storyaround each other. consulting for social causes, saidThe team was led by Adam he was thinking of quitting atIand now having had the year just resonates that much seasons in the NBA. Keefe was aA. *SEE REUNION* PAGE-11
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Irvine Citizen
Irvine, California, US
Sat, Jun 09, 2012
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