San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
GONZALEZ BROTHERS HAPPY TO RETURN TO MATER DEI CATHOLIC BASKETBALL
When Kenny Gonzalez and his brother Kristian decided to transfer to Mission Bay from Mater Dei Catholic in 2019, it seemed like a good idea.
Despite both having big years with the Buccaneers, they didn’t really like spending more than an hour a day in the car going from Chula Vista to Mission Bay High and back. They missed their friends. And they missed what they called the family atmosphere at Mater Dei Catholic.
They could see it was a major hardship for their parents, too, so they decided if they could, they would return to Mater Dei Catholic this fall.
As a basketball decision, it didn’t make any sense, since the Crusaders graduated all five of their starters and some of the reserves. At Mission Bay they were both full-time starters on a very deep and talented team. But after talking it over with their parents, they decided to return.
That caught coach Jason Bryant by surprise. “I didn’t know they were coming back until August,” said Bryant, who still teaches special education at Lincoln.
“It’s good to see kids who leave, thinking it’s better on the other side, come back. I’ve only had one other player do that before, and he only left for a week.”
Not many who follow high school basketball expected Mater Dei Catholic to be anything like they were last spring when they won the section Division I championship over La Costa Canyon before going into the Southern California title game, where they beat Fresno Central 67-50 for the title.
Because of COVID, there was no state championship.
Mission Bay and Mater Dei
Catholic were expected to meet in the section championship, but LCC upset the host Buccaneers, 76-65, denying the brothers a chance to face their old school.
They’ll get that opportunity, though, when Mission Bay visits Mater Dei Catholic on Feb. 5 in The Battle of the Bay. Only now they’re wearing Mater Dei Catholic uniforms.
It’s not exactly a grudge game for the Gonzalez brothers.
“No, it won’t be awkward or anything,” said Kenny, who goes by KJ, as in Kenny Junior since his dad is Kenny Sr. “We still have close friends on that team.”
Kristian agrees, saying he sees it as a chance to see old friends and get a tough game.
As it turns out, the Gonzalez brothers have meshed well with football standouts Brian Dukes, the big man at 6-5, and Crusader QB Dominic Nanquil, plus guard Sebastian Wiles to win nine of their first 12 games, despite not having a complete team because of COVID until this week.
In one of their losses, six players and coach Bryant were all sidelined.
They’re healthy now, and with Kristian scoring 21 points a game and Kenny 18, the team is playing well. It wasn’t even unsettling when they first returned.
“We meshed together right away,” Kenny said. “It was fun to play in front of our friends and family. Not that we didn’t enjoy ourselves at Mission Bay, it was just different.
“It was especially difficult for our parents. They wanted to see us play every game, and now they can at Mater Dei Catholic. We know they’re there; we can hear them and our friends. We wanted to be part of that instead of spending so much time in the car. We even got to see the football team win state.”
Bryant said he could tell the difference immediately. “They brought confidence and leadership skills. Kristian, especially, showed a different level of maturity. They are dedicated to being the best they can be, and I give their dad all the credit.
“When they were here, they were like little brothers to the other players. Kristian actually played JV, but between playing at Mission Bay and with the Oakland Soldiers AAU team, both are different players now.
“KJ is a great all-around player. He has a great pull-up jumper, and he’s solid all around. Kristian will be a Division I player before he’s done, and he’s a good three-point shooter, too. Kristian likes to mix it up with the big guys, even though he’s a guard.”
A big guard, just what colleges covet. Meanwhile, Kenny is the kind of player who makes everyone around him better with his confidence on both offense and defense. He’s mulling offers.
The two are happy, but not surprised, to see Mission Bay doing well. Both teams are in the Uniontribune section Top 10, the Bucs sixth and Mater Dei Catholic ninth.
“It is nice to be in the Top 10,” Bryant said. “When they went to Mission Bay, I thought that was pretty much it. It’s good to have them back.”