eKnight Newsletter - June 23, 2016

St. Francis High School Graduating Class of 2016
SFHS 2016 Graduation Photo Album

One hundred and sixty-two young men from the Class of 2016 graduated on Saturday, May 28th, on the campus of St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California.

Fr. Harold Snider, OFM Cap., the Provincial of the Western American Province of the Capuchin Franciscan Order, represented his Excellency Bishop José Gómez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, at the graduation. Fr. Tony Marti, OFM Cap., the school President, Mr. Thomas Moran, the school Principal, and Mr. Mark Heydorff, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, also officiated at

the Sixty-Seventh Annual Commencement Exercises for the local Catholic, college-preparatory institution.

Aaron Joseph Baker led the National Anthem, Evan Kristopher Swayne, the Senior Class President, welcomed the crowd, and Valedictorian Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto gave a formal address to the audience. Alpuerto also received the Capuchin Award and Medal for Scholarship. The program also recognized Co-Salutatorians, William Anthony Huston and Joshua Anthony Lee, for their exceptional achievement.

Certificates of Excellence were awarded to graduates in the following categories: Computer Science - James William Sobieski; Fine Arts - Aaron Joseph Baker, Michael James Brian, Andrew James Parker; Foreign Language - Jonathan David Azterbaum, Dylan Alexander Hankins, Abel Anthony Edens; Mathematics - Clayton Wilcox Green, William Anthony Huston; Media - Blake Williams Bowen; Social Studies - Giancarlo Moussa Orlando, Tyler Joseph Valdez.

The school faculty also presented Capuchin Medals for excellence in subject areas to the following individuals: Art - Jake William Almeida; Athletics - Areg Nazarian; Biology - Clayton Wilcox Green; Chemistry - Aaron Joseph Baker; Chorus - Casey Broemsen-Daniel McCreary ; Computer Science - Ryan Anthony Schroeder ; Drumline - Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto ; Economics - Joshua Anthony Lee; English - Abel Anthony Edens; European History - Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto; Human Geography - Alexander Levon Harutunian; Kinesiology - Colin Joseph Keenan ; Latin - Ryan Anthony Schroeder ; Mass Media - Zade Nour

Dardari; Mathematics - Thomas Anastasios Christopoulos ; Physics - Jung Min Hong ; Religion - Ryan Joseph Hambley; Spanish - Alexander Joseph Pidoux ; Theater - Isaak Harlow Momsen ; United States Government - Joshua Anthony Lee; United States History - Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto .

At the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 27th, Community Service Awards were presented to Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto (Pro Deo et Patria for Leadership); Michael Paul Calmette (Pro Deo et Ecclesia for Leadership); William Anthony Huston (Fred Purner Humanitarian Award); Cristian Jacob Miranda (Roger Barkley Award for Outstanding Character); Matthew John Fernandez, Jack Robert Thompson (Archdiocesan Christian Service Award); Abel Anthony Edens, Alexander Levon Harutunian (Peter Brang Medal for Good Citizenship); and William Anthony Huston (Franciscan Spirit and Life Award). In addition, Mrs. Christina Tinglof, Mrs. Dianne Ciulla, and Mrs. Christina Altmayer were honored for their service to St. Francis with the St. Clare of Assisi Award. Mr. Frank Gangi was also recognized for his service to the school as the recipient of the St. Francis of Assisi Award.

The Fr. Lawrence Caruso Memorial College Scholarship was awarded to Colin Joseph Keenan.

Thirty-five graduates received the special St. Francis High School Honors Diploma, an award given for Christian service, high

academic achievement, and taking at least one Advanced Placement course during their senior year at the school. Eleven of the graduating seniors became Life Members in the California Scholarship Federation. The California Scholarship Federation Sealbearer Scholarship was presented to Alexander Levon Harutunian.

The National Merit Program Commended Students are Abel Anthony Edens, Clayton Wilcox Green, William Anthony Huston, Eric Yong-Sean Lin, Ryan Anthony Schroeder , James William Sobieski, and Matthew Eric Tauer.

Forty-five students graduated as members of the National Honor Society and ten graduated as Mu Alpha Theta Members. The National Honor Society Certificate of Merit was awarded to Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto and James William Sobieski. The National Honor Society of Sports Medicine graduated five members. The National Hispanic Recognition Program recognized Gabriel Luis Carlos Alpuerto, Jonathan David Azterbaum, Abel Anthony Edens, Mark Garcia, Eric William Peacock, Matthew Eric Tauer, and Tyler Joseph Valdez as Scholars.

At the time of graduation, students from St. Francis High School's graduating Class of 2016 have received 211 scholarships and awards to colleges and universities throughout the United States. These scholarships and awards equate to $10,084,000 towards the recipients' educational costs.

St. Francis would like to congratulate all 162 graduates and wish them well as they journey onward to do great things!

2016 Summer Reading Lists and Projects

2016 Summer Reading Lists

2016 Summer Reading Projects
2016 Mothers' Guild Summer Reading Fundraiser

2016 Summer Reading Projects

Mr. Moran's Address to the Graduates

Nuns and Nones

Saturday, May 28th, 2016

You have no idea how it feels to give a brilliantly written and impeccably delivered graduation address. Unfortunately, neither do I. But here goes. . .

I am a Baby Boomer who attended Catholic school during the 1950's and 60's, an era known for stay-at-home moms, affordable homes, large families, and optimism. We questioned authority and our major technological innovation (other than the space race) was television. We were the first generation in the history of the world to be raised under the threat of nuclear war. There was only one thing that terrified us more-nuns.

In those days, Catholic school staffs included some lay teachers and priests, but it was mostly nuns. And they were scary. They dressed strangely, behaved oddly, were demanding, and rarely shared their personal feelings (except for disdain at those who did not memorize the catechism). Their classrooms made bomb shelters feel welcoming.

Today, the space race is over and television is barely considered a technology. And, while you also question authority, your generation has few similarities to mine. These days, many mothers work, houses are unaffordable, families are smaller, optimism is rare, and religious teachers are disappearing.

Since then, I have conquered my fear and become colleagues and friends with several nuns.

But, I have a new fear: N-O-N-E-S. These are people who, when classifying their faith, respond "none of the above." Nones are defined as those who "self-identify as atheists or agnostics, rarely pray, and say that religion is not important in their lives." They are considered the fastest growing American religious demographic and include about 36% of the population born between 1990-1996. Their spiritual and social disengagement frightens me, because it's so contrary to St. Francis' philosophy.

Our friars, faculty and staff have worked tirelessly not only to prepare you for college, but for life beyond. Those of us from prior generations know that having a strong faith is critical to surviving difficulties and challenges. It is one blessing of a Catholic education. It is why we require religion classes, celebrate sacraments, expect Christian service, offer retreats, and systematically communicate Franciscan virtues.

The nuns of yesterday imbued my generation with faith. In America in 1965, there were over 180,000 of them; today there are approximately 50,000. They dedicated themselves to serve selflessly in Catholic schools, hospitals, and parishes with distinction. If more of those nuns were around today, I guarantee there would be fewer nones.

My message today is simple: your parents did not send you to St. Francis to become a none. If you have found value in service, are an instrument of peace, and developed a relationship with God, you do not qualify as a none. If you have embraced integrity, humility, brotherhood, and joy, don't even think about being a none.

We urge you to get into this habit: providing the best example of faith, love, and service for the next generation, bar none. On behalf of our Board of Directors, friars, faculty and staff, congratulations class of 2016.

SFHS to Host Capuchin Franciscan Relic Tour in October 2016

We invite you to join the Capuchin Franciscans Western America Province and St. Francis High School during the month of October 2016 for the Capuchin Franciscan Relic Tour. During this time, St. Francis will be hosting the first-degree relics of St. Pio and St. Leopold on campus.

Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

In honor of Memorial Day, St. Francis High School would like to thank and honor all the veterans who have served, sacrificed, and paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedom. In particular, we remember and honor St. Francis graduate Sgt Joe Stifter '03 who died this year on January 28, 2016 while serving in Iraq as part of the 1st Infantry Division. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe and his family as we continue to enjoy what he served to protect. Rest in Peace Golden Knight!

St. Francis delivers right medicine
By Andrew J. Campa, Glendale News-Press

It's becoming pretty apparent that the most dominant sports program at St. Francis High doesn't play on Friedman Field or inside the school's gym, but, rather, can be seen on the sidelines and near the bench.

The St. Francis Sports Medicine and Athletic Training Program just completed another dominant postseason that began with the Golden Knights being awarded a second consecutive National Athletic Trainers' Assn. (NATA) Safe Sports School award.

The accolade was followed by the school winning its fifth consecutive Alert Services National Championship, which included 12 members earning All-American honors.

"It's been exciting to get both honors and gratifying that the program is up to the highest standard," said St. Francis certified athletic trainer Eli Hallak, who runs the program. "The guys have put in a lot of hard work and the Alert Services Championship was a real challenge."

The Golden Knights were informed of their NATA award in late May. St. Francis was one of 23 schools in California to take home the honor and earned first-team recognition.

According to the NATA, first-team honors are awarded to, "schools that have acted on all recommended and required elements of the Safe Sports School checklist."

"We applied for it immediately and each award certification lasts for three years," Hallak said. "We had a three-year stamp from 2013 that was ending in May and we were basically following all the requirements and more to be recognized on the first team. So, it was expected."

The NATA checklist had many requirements that included educating students and parents on the benefits and risks of a specific award, providing or facilitating nutritional counseling and providing a permanent area to treat and evaluate injured athletes.

As for the Alert Service National Championships, the final scoring was announced Friday and the Golden Knights won the school's fifth championship with a final team average of 65.33.

The Alert Division (schools whose enrollment is no higher than 999 students) average of St. Francis bested runner-up Cheney High (58.08) of Washington and Village Christian (57.37).

"This is a total team effort," Hallak said. "It's not easy or automatic winning this championship, but we had a committed team. It's not just the All-Americans, but all those in the program who prepped."

St. Francis senior Dylan Hankins took home the top spot in the division, while Casey McCreary was fourth, Charles Greeves was fifth, Patrick Dionisio was sixth and Alexi Garcia took seventh.

Other St. Francis All-Americans were Colin Keenan (tied for ninth), James Oka (11th), Nick Bass (14th), Spencer Gindraux (tied for 17th), Gabriel Tajima-Pena (tied for 17th), Marcos Friedman (tied for 17th) and Colin Triedler (tied for 21st).

The three-day National High School Sports Medicine Competition Championships took place from May 16-18 and each participating squad was allowed to have between eight and 15 students.

The competition was broken into two components.

The first part was a 300-question exam administered over two hours that consisted of topics such as first aid and CPR, emergency procedures, medical terminology, legal issues, physiology and anatomy.

There was also a 30-minute physical exam component that was graded and observed by a certified trainer.

"I'm proud of the effort from this team because every year the test gets more and more challenging," Hallak said. "If you look at this program since it started in 1999, it's just grown and become an athletic staple at the school."...(read the full article HERE)

A Proud Tradition Spanning Multiple Generations

The legacy continues for these second generation Golden Knights and their proud alum fathers! GO KNIGHTS! (pictured left to right: Nick Bravo '16 w/ Manny Bravo '89, Jack Welsh '16 w/ Nicholas Welsh '84, Grant Victor '16 w/ Leon Victor '83, Jake McSweeny w/ Matt McSweeny '82, Colin Keenan '16 w/ Kevin Keenan '80, Kyle Larsen '16 w/ Ray Larsen '87, William Huston '16 w/ Bob Huston '86, Joshua Amurao '16 w/ Rod Amurao '83, Casey McCreary '16 w/ Bill McCreary '79)

Graduates Commission as 2nd Lieutenants in U.S. Air Force

Earlier this month Fr. Tony traveled to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the commissioning and graduation of three St. Francis graduates, 2nd Lt Paul Dean '12, 2nd Lt Johnny Naginis '12, and 2nd Lt Ian Taylor '11. All three will be heading off to pilot training in August. Fr. Tony was honored to watch all three cross the stage and blessed to spend time with each of the graduates and their families before returning back to California. Interestingly, all three Lieutenants were commissioned by men connected to the St. Francis High School family. We are proud of Paul, Johnny, and Ian along with all of our graduates who have followed the call to serve. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those Golden Knights who have served and sacrificed, both past and present. GO KNIGHTS!

Paul Dean '12 shakes hands with President Barack Obama.

Paul Dean '12, Fr. Tony Marti, Andy Burghdorf '00.

Fr. Tony Marti with Ian Taylor '11.

Johnny Naginis '12 with Fr. Tony Marti.

What are You Doing this Summer?

We want to hear from you and share your story! Please email Andy Burghdorf '00 at [email protected] with updates and pictures that you would share with the St. Francis family. GO KNIGHTS!

St. Francis Golden Knights Nicholas Konrad '18, Max Bailey '18, Neal Muir '18, and Ryan Vargas '17 recently returned from a week-long missionary trip to Costa Rica.

Neal Muir '18 plays with kids in Costa Rica while serving the local community.

A great day out at sea for this SFHS alum fishing trip! (Pictured left to right: Taso Giannoulis '15, Hristo Giannoulis '13, and Mark Gettas '15). St. Francis continues to pray for the safety and success of our graduates as we enter these enjoyable summer months.

SFHS grads Austin De Los Santos '12 and his father Dr. Victor De Los Santos '80 competed in the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation Los Angeles (WNBFLA) Pro Qualifier this past weekend in Monrovia!

St. Francis High School and recent U.S. Air Force Academy graduate 2nd Lt Johnny Naginis '12 is spending part of his summer free time journeying on El Camino de Santiago. He's not the first SFHS grad to walk in the footsteps of St. James but his experience along "The Way" will certainly be unique!

Tomas Quiroz '19 poses with former Lakers star and basketball legend Steve Nash after a local pickup soccer game.

Members of the Class of 2013 teamed up with St. Vincent de Paul Society to deliver dinner bags to the homeless in Pasadena. They drove to the places that the homeless congregate for community and security.

St. Francis sophomore Coby Escolano '19 is busy volunteering as a Camp Counselor for Glendale Community Services and Parks at Maple Park Community Center.

St. Francis seniors Scott Carney '17, Maxx Jakeway '17, and Ajay Nachiappan '17 are spending the week in Sacramento for California's 2016 American Legion Boys State.

St. Francis, Hoover basketball set sights on improvement
By Andrew J. Campa, Glendale News-Press

LA CAÑADA - While many schools throughout Southern California were conducting graduations this week, the Hoover High and St. Francis boys' basketball programs were already gearing up for the 2016-17 campaign.

Both squads met up on the first day of the St. Francis Varsity Shootout on Friday afternoon and St. Francis took home a 66-42 victory in a contest where perhaps name tags would have been more beneficial than jersey numbers.

"I think a lot of the value in these early games is me getting to know this team and them getting to know me," said St. Francis Coach Todd Wolfson, who is beginning his second summer with the squad. "It's also about the players getting to know each other; that's why we're out here."

Though St. Francis is in the process of developing its identity, the Golden Knights showed a strong knack for rebounding despite lacking a player taller than 6-foot-6.

St. Francis out rebounded Hoover, 25-12, and, 12-4, on the offensive glass in a game that featured two 22-minute halves and a running clock.

"We stress rebounding," Wolfson said. "Every practice we start with a rebounding drill and hopefully it's going to pay off in the end. They know that if they're not going to rebound, they're going to have a seat up front with [the coaches]."

Senior Joey Walsh, one of five returners for the Golden Knights in action, led the squad with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while freshman Andre Henry added 10 points.

St. Francis led, 30-18, after an inside bucket from Hoover senior Simeon Hilby off an assist from Davit Pirijanyan with 20 minutes left in the second half.

The 12-point deficit was as close as the Tornadoes got as St. Francis responded with a 13-5 run that culminated on an and-one lay-up from Walsh with 11:21 left that gave the home team a 43-23 lead.

Though Pirijanyan answered St. Francis' spurt with a pair of free throws, the Tornadoes never cut the deficit to less than 18 points and eventually were defeated by 24...(read the full article HERE)

SFHS Mountain Bike Team Finishes Strong at State Championships

The St. Francis Mountain Bike Team just finished its 8th season as part of the SoCal High School Cycling League. The energy and team camaraderie within this community is awesome! We hope you enjoy this season's recap video put together by St. Francis grad Nick Gualtieri. GO KNIGHTS!

Season Recap Video: https://vimeo.com/channels/365989

Fall playoff grouping brings change to all teams

By Andrew J. Campa, Glendale News-Press

When the CIF Southern Section office released its playoff groupings for the 2016 fall season, every football, boys' water polo, girls' volleyball and girls' tennis program was affected in one way or another.

In those sports, leagues will now have their teams divided into different postseason divisions, much like the basketball playoffs are partitioned.

In football, the CIF office ditched named divisions in favor of numbered ones, a system last used in 2005, while every area team was moved down at least one division except for Angelus League stalwart St. Francis High.

The Golden Knights participated last season in the Southwest Division, Division V according to calpreps.com, but will move up to the 19-school Division III this fall.

"I've been keeping my fingers on the pulse of this for a while," said St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds, a member of the CIF-SS Football Coaches Advisory Committee. "When the first leak came out in May and I saw that we were in Division II, I was concerned. I feel a little bit better now, but we still have our hands full.

"There's some really good football teams in Division III and we're just going to take it one step at a time."

St. Francis moved up two divisions due to a system that awarded points for higher-division victories and losses, along with postseason wins and the league strength of schedule, according to calpreps.com, for the past two seasons.

In terms of total points, St. Francis is the area's top-ranked squad and is No. 44 out of the entire 401-team CIF Southern Section with 453.27 points. Division 1 Corona Centennial is No. 1 with 538.36 points, while new 11-man program Upland Christian is No. 401.

Perhaps the move up to Division III is an omen of good things to come for the Golden Knights, who last competed at that level in 2009, when they finished second in the Mission League and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

The division change also means an almost completely new set of postseason foes. The only squads St. Francis has seen in the last few years that are in Division III are Whittier La Serna, league rival Cathedral and La Mirada. The Golden Knights are also the only team from the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys in their new division.

"They took geography out of the equation," Bonds said. "The CIF was concerned about blowouts in the first round and they didn't want any gimmes, so that means travel."...(read the full article HERE)

St. Francis' Foster is 2016 Pasadena Star-News boys track & field athlete of the year

By Keith Lair, Pasadena Star-News

The odds of having successful back-to-back track and field seasons and advancing to the CIF State finals are long and arduous.

Jasher Foster had seemingly even longer odds this year. Never mind that six times the St. Francis High School senior could have easily tripped over one of the 10 hurdles in the 110-meter high hurdle event or the 10 hurdles in the 300 hurdle event and missed a berth in the biggest high school meet in the country.

No, Foster had a bigger issue. St. Francis is well known for its football program. The Golden Knights went 13-5 in his two years with the varsity team and long postseason runs.

In the CIF Southern Section semifinal game against La Serna this past season, the wide receiver tore his left meniscus. It definitely left his track and field season in doubt.


	St. Francis' Jasher Foster, left, is the Star News boys track and field athlete of the year. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/Staff)

But Foster made a late-season return in the San Gabriel Valley Championships, just a few weeks before postseason competition, and he ran a blistering 14.44 in that meet.

"I thank God and it was a blessing from the skies," Foster said. "I am just thankful that I had a lot of hard work and therapy to get back to running well."

His season seemed to really take off after that opener at San Dimas High. He won the Mission League title in the high hurdles and won CIF Southern Section Division 3 titles in both hurdle events. His victory in the high hurdles was his second consecutive for the event and it was in a personal-best time of 14.03 seconds, even though he had a 2.3 meter-per-second tailwind. He won the 300 hurdles in 37.69, a drop of nearly a second from his previous best and only the third time he had run the event in 2016.

"It meant a lot to come out and retain my title," he said. "Thank God I was able to do that, especially against good competition."

He was one of three CIF-SS athletes to qualify for CIF State in both events (14.16 and 37.63 at the CIF-SS Masters) and one of two CIF-SS athletes to advance to the finals in both.

Foster proved his wind-aided CIF-SS finals time in the high hurdles was no fluke when he finished second in his state preliminary heat race with a personal-best time of 14.03. He also had a personal-best time of 36.72 in the 300 prelims.

"I was able to run through my mistakes and get a PR," he said of his races.

The following day was not so fortunate. Foster said his timing was off in the high hurdles and he finished seventh in 14.46. That carried over to the 300 hurdles, where he was ninth in 39.74, his slowest time in the event this season.

He has yet to determine his college choice...(read the full article HERE)

St. Francis Lacrosse Players Selected to All-Mission League Teams

Congratulations to SFHS lacrosse defender Jim Murphy '17 who was named to the LA All-American Lacrosse Second Team! Jim is the first Golden Knight to receive the honor! GO KNIGHTS!

Casey McCreary '16 Selected as National Finalist for The Songbook Academy

St. Francis High School is pleased to announce that recent St. Francis grad Casey McCreary '16 has been selected as a national finalist for The Songbook Academy!

This program is sponsored by The Great American Songbook Foundation,

a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook. The Great American Songbook Foundation, founded by Grammy-nominated vocalist, Michael Feinstein, has selected 40 students from across the co untry to participate in the 2016 Songbook Academy. High school vocalists representing 17 states will compete for top awards on Saturday, July 23 at the Songbook Academy final concert at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.

Now in its seventh year, the Songbook Academy provides high school singers in grades 9-12 with the life-changing opportunity to work with music industry professionals and educators from top college arts programs to experience firsthand the uniquely American and culturally significant music known as the Great American Songbook. This year, five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein is joined by Tony-nominee Jarrod Spector (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and nine-time Grammy-winner Janis Siegel (The Manhattan Transfer) as Mentors for the Academy. All Songbook Academy participants will be eligible for multiple awards including the Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador Award.

St. Francis is extremely proud of Casey and we know that his selection as a Songbook Academy national finalist is a strong endorsement for the St. Francis musical program. GO KNIGHTS!

Graduate Receives Bill Ireland Award

Congratulations to St. Francis grad Ryan McAleenan '12 on winning this year's Bill Ireland Award! GO KNIGHTS!

Grads Reunite to Make Baccalaureate Mass Unforgetable

A special thanks to our graduates for returning home and lending their voices to this year's Baccalaureate Mass honoring the Class of 2016!

Celebrating the Ordination of Fr. Jeff Baker '03

It is great to see members of the St. Francis family come together to celebrate the ordination of St. Francis grad Fr. Jeff Baker '03. Fr. Jeff will start his assignment with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on July 1 at St. Charles Borromeo.

David Olmedo-Barrera '12 Off to a Strong Start in Minors

David Olmedo-Barrera (St. Francis High, 2012) Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder: It's been a hot start to the season for the Cal State Fullerton product and Glendale resident.

Olmedo-Barrera made his 2016 debut after extended spring training on June 13 with the Tampa Bay Rays single-A affiliate Bowling Green of the Midwest League.

In seven games this season, the left-handed hitter is batting .414 with one homer, nine runs batted in and five runs scored.

Olmedo-Barrera put on a show in Bowling Green's 6-2 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Saturday.

In that contest, the outfielder finished four for five with a homer, double, three RBI and one run scored.

In his final action on Sunday before a three-day break due to the Midwest League All-Star Game, Olmedo-Barrera drove in one run in six at-bats in a 13-0 victory over Fort Wayne. The victory marked the sixth straight win for Bowling Green.

Olmedo-Barrera and Bowling Green will be back in action Thursday versus visiting Fort Wayne...(read the full article HERE)

St. Francis grad Van Horn '11 drafted on day three
By Andrew J. Campa, Glendale News-Press

Van Horn, who graduated from St. Francis in 2011, was the first local player selected and was No. 575 overall in the 19th round by the San Francisco Giants.

Van Horn, a Tujunga resident, didn't throw a party Saturday, but monitored the draft online with a friend when he got the call from the Giants.

"It's awesome and a dream come true," Van Horn, 22, said. "You put years and years of hard work into this and to get rewarded is special."

Van Horn said he had received a call on Friday from another interested team, but when that club went in another direction, his path to the Bay Area became clear.

"I had previously been in contact with the Giants, so I knew after Thursday that it was going to be them," Van Horn said. "That still doesn't take away from the excitement."

After St. Francis, Van Horn played at Riverside City College, transferred to Dallas Baptist University and then transferred again to The Master's College in the Santa Clarita Valley.

After sitting out his junior season because of eligibility issues, Van Horn turned in a senior year to remember.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-handed shortstop hit .280 (44 for 157) with 36 runs, 31 runs batted in, 21 extra-base hits, 11 home runs, a .567 slugging percentage, 17 walks and a .352 on-base percentage.

Van Horn was a member of a TMC team that finished third in the Golden State Athletic Conference, but won the tournament title.

The Master's finished 42-19 and advanced to the NAIA World Series.

"It's been a pretty awesome last couple of months for me," Van Horn said. "Honestly, I can't ask for anything more. I go from playing in the World Series to having my childhood dream come true. It's awesome."

Van Horn's selection marks the second straight year a St. Francis alumnus has been drafted after David Olmedo-Barrera was picked in the 12th round of the 2015 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays ...(read the full article HERE)

SFHS Underwear Drive Assists Covenant House

A special thanks to everyone who participated in St. Francis' 2016 Underwear Drive! Thanks to your generosity, Jason Ajamian '16 and his cousin Sebastian Duzian '17 delivered a full box of brand new underwear to Covenant House on May 27. Covenant House was founded to help homeless kids escape the streets and your St. Francis' donation will go directly to the residents in need.

SFHS Colorado Alumni Dinner Spotlights Commonalities Among Graduates

On Friday, June 3, St. Francis hosted a SFHS Alumni Dinner in Denver, Colorado. It was a great opportunity for graduates from a wide range of classes to get together and celebrate the tradition of brotherhood. Most importantly, a few common denominators among those in attendance were apparent - a heart for serving others and a commitment to living out the Franciscan virtues. GO KNIGHTS! (Pictured front to back, left to right: Dave Falicia '82, Andy Burghdorf '00, David Muir '89, Roman Marenin '01, Jim Emme '74, Fr. Tony Marti, Travis Ostrom '00, Robert (Bob) Darnell '61)