Turner transfers to Napa High school
Coach’s son will play football with Grizzlies after VCUSD inaction
Mal Turner said he has been going to Jesse Bethel High School football practices so long that he can’t recall when it started.
“People sometimes come up to me and say ‘I remember when you were here in a stroller,'” Turner told the Times-Herald on Wednesday.
Mal Turner, 17, is the son of Bethel football coach and athletic director Jeff Turner, who has been at the school since its inception in 1998-99.
However, the senior’s time at the Vallejo public school has come to an end. Turner transferred to Napa High School recently after growing frustration with the Vallejo City Unified School District over the return of sports. He is expected to play quarterback for the Grizzlies, who open the football season April 19 at American Canyon.
He practiced with his new team for the first time on Friday.
“I was told I might have to sit out a week (because of the transfer), but Napa has a bye the first week so it worked out,” he said.
Mal Turner said he has tried to reach VCUSD officials for answers on high school sports but was unsuccessful. He wrote a long letter to the district this week, explaining why he transferred.
“In a city (like) Vallejo, there are not a lot of opportunities for young men and women to grow,” he wrote. “Sports save so many lives and someone who would know is my dad, Jeff Turner. People to this day come back and thank him for not only what he did for everyone but for helping them when they felt like they didn’t have anything.”
VCUSD talked about sports and its action plan at its last meeting on March 3 but has not released any timelines for when and if athletes can return to campus.
Sports had been on hold for most of the state due to the pandemic, but most schools opened up sports in February and March as coronavirus numbers dwindled.
Vallejo Superintendent William Spalding said he had a hard time believing that Vallejo and Bethel could move forward with sports like others for the rest of the school year. He cited COVID tests and transportation issues, as well as adhering to the rules of organizations like the North Coast Section as well as state and county departments.
“Our hope is to provide some kind of practice and conditioning,” Spalding said at the meeting. “Our league (the Tri-County Athletic League) has chosen to pack a full year, three sports seasons of sports, into two months. I don’t know if that’s even possible … I think it’s unrealistic.”
Spalding also said that contact sports like football
were not allowed to start before Solano County moved to the orange tier. However, that information was outdated and did not reflect a Feb. 19 compromise by the State of California.
Spalding did discuss the idea of “intramural” activities between Vallejo and Bethel.
Meanwhile, Solano County schools in Benicia, Vacaville, Fairfield, Winters and Rio Vista have all released schedules and many have already began competition in some sports. St. Patrick-St. Vincent, a private school in Vallejo, is also participating in sports.
The next VCUSD board meeting is not until March 17.
Mal Turner said even though VCUSD did not allow conditioning in the fall or winter, he had been practicing with his thenclassmates at local parks for about eight months.
“It was my decision (to transfer),” Mal Turner said. “I had been working out for so long with them. I would always drive into Vallejo to work out.”
The Turner family lives right by Napa High — a reason that Mal thinks the paperwork for a transfer went through. He said some of his ex-Bethel classmates tried to transfer as well but they were rejected since they lived in the Vallejo city limits.
“My friends and brothers want to leave just like i did ….,” he wrote. “They are being ignored and denied by the district, which is disgusting to say because again aren’t you supposed to do what the students want because you’re in it to help the kids? Well, if the kids want to leave then, do what they want. Parents and the community went to the district to talk and we can’t talk in person with you guys. They have sent emails with no response. They have called over and over but no response. What are you doing at work?”
Mal Turner said after he transferred, he heard talk about the district putting together a two-game football schedule. He said he thinks that is in response to hearing about students wanting to transfer.
The senior is not sure what the season will mean for him as far as getting recruited for four-year colleges. One of his ex-Bethel teammates, Simeon Harris, has been heavily recruited by Division I schools. He verbally committed to Fresno State in January.
“It’s going to be tough to do that,” Mal Turner said about getting recruited. “Originally, I would have said that would have happened in a normal season. Now I’m just looking to go to a junior college and transfer after two years.”
Asked about the difference between Napa and Bethel practices he said, “The atmosphere is much different. They get talked to when they mess up, but at (Bethel) we were yelled at. I have a lot to learn. I’m learning a whole new offense.”
Jeff Turner could not be reached by deadline.