by Justin Dunbar, Website Manager
Basketball has quickly become one of the most popular sports in America. There’s no difference at Mills, where students always come out to support all of the basketball teams. The Mills community shows up wearing the one assigned color they are supposed to wear, cheering their loudest for all the basketball teams, especially the Boys Varsity Basketball team. As of February 5th, they are 11-1, including a 5-1 record at home, and have won four of their last five games. While it has definitely been a team effort, one player has managed to stand above the rest: Colby Vazquez (12), who has become a superstar athlete during his time at Mills.
Vazquez’s quest to stardom this season got off to a rough start. He suffered a broken arm in September 2018 and was sidelined for the first five games. While many would have given up, Vazquez kept on fighting. He admitted that he was “terrified” when he broke his arm, but unwavering support and love from his family and friends gave him a positive mindset towards recovery and getting back into game shape. When he wasn’t playing, Colby still showed his amazing work ethic, as he practiced shooting with his right hand with his left arm in a cast as well as using a stationary bike to keep himself in shape. Even when he was injured, he still had a great impact on the team. “When he had the broken arm,” says Isahi Sanchez (11), a teammate of Vazquez’s, “he still showed up to practice every day to help out.” It’s easy to see how hard Vazquez worked to overcome this adversity; he was determined to come back from this injury. Therefore, it seemed fitting that on January 18, Vazquez was able to put together a 34 point performance in a 70-60 comeback win over Capuchino, earning him the “Athlete of the Week” honor from San Mateo Daily Journal. “It’s a game I won’t forget,” Vazquez acknowledged, but his teammates weren’t shocked. “He’s such a talented player,” states Sanchez, “it wasn’t a surprise to see him have such a dominant performance.”
Vazquez has been playing basketball his whole life, playing in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for the NBH Renegades and working on his game with his little brother and dad in his backyard. Thus, it isn’t a shock that he hopes to play college basketball and possibly professionally overseas in the future. Can he do it? His teammates certainly think so. “I think Colby can achieve whatever he sets his mind to because he’s a hard worker with an insane amount of talent,” answers Bobby Kotonis (11), “any team would be lucky to have him.” This validation from his teammates is also not surprising, considering Vazquez’s team-first mindset. As a matter of fact, Vazquez wasn’t even aware how many points he had personally scored for the team because his individualized records always fall second to achieving the team’s goals on his priority list. “He is constantly encouraging and motivating us to be at our best,” claims Sanchez, “he really help[ed] all of us develop [as athletes].”
If basketball wasn’t tough enough, Vazquez is living the strenuous life as a student-athlete. While Vazquez admitted all the different responsibilities are difficult to manage, he believes that one must handle those responsibilities by being “mentally tough”. With a lot of time consumed in academics and athletics, Vazquez still is able to find time to relax by spending time with friends and family, and of course, “eating a lot of food. “Colby is [someone] everyone wants to be around,” declares Kaela Stonebarger (12), “he gets his work [done] when he needs to and is always on top of his school work.”
When reflecting on this season, Vazquez believes that the team is headed on the right track though they’ve had their fair share of rough losses. He hopes to see a strong and developed team in place next year, and is very excited to see what Kotonis will do next season, as he describes the tall junior as “super talented.” “Bobby is just a great all around teammate,” Vazquez explained, “ he has so much skill and potential and I can’t wait for him to display his leadership and skill set next year.” When hearing this endorsement, Kotonis was nothing but grateful; “I’m humbled and I’m glad to have a teammate that cares about helping his whole team improve,” he responded. Vazquez is satisfied with what he’s accomplished during his time at Mills, and for good reason, he’s given it all he’s got no matter the circumstance, and has had a tremendous impact both on and off the court, to his teammates and to the entire Mills community. His coach, Rick Hansen, couldn’t be more proud, describing Vazquez as dedicated, hard working, and a team player. When Coach Hansen notified Vazquez that he had won the League MVP, Kotonis recalled that Vazquez responded by saying that he rather finish in first place than win that award. This response is a perfect example of Vazquez’s selfless mindset, which explains all the glowing reviews he receives from his coach, his teammates, and his peers in the Mills community.
The Thunderbolt would like to congratulate Colby Vasquez on his impressive accomplishments, always representing Mills in a positive and respectful manner. We wish him the best of luck as he looks to continue to pursue basketball opportunities outside of Mills.
*Photo Cred: Jessica Lin, Sports Editor
