Hamlet Nalbandyan
GLENDALE -- Looking at the La Canada High boys' volleyball program,
one could easily confuse it with Crescenta Valley High.
There is Coach Kevin Boyke, who coaches both the Spartan boys and
girls. His resume has him playing at CV from the 1990 to 1993 and being
an assistant coach for four years, from 1994 to 1995 and 1998 to 1999.
There are also Spartan assistant coaches Doug English and Joel
Brinton. The two participated in the CV program the last four years as
players.
All three have had a strong relationship with CV Coach John Nelson,
who has coached the Falcons since the program started in 1990.
Today, the four will once again be reunited as the Spartans face the
Falcons in a nonleague matchup at the Falcon gym at 7 p.m. Needless to
say, they have been waiting for this one for a long time.
"It's going to be fun. I'm definitely looking forward to it," said
Boyke. "It would be nice to see a friendly face on the other side."
Said Nelson: "We would not have scheduled this game if Kevin wasn't
there. As soon as he got the boys' job, we had to do it. It's going to be
really fun."
The match has the potential to be a great one. The Falcons come into
it with a 3-0 record and haven't looked like a team that returns just
three players from last year's CIF playoff squad.
The Spartans (4-2) have greatly improved from last year, thanks to
Boyke. After a 19-2 stint on the Spartan girls' team, Boyke has turned a
struggling boys' program into a team that on any given day can compete
with most teams.
"This match worries me," Nelson said. "You've got three very good
coaches on the other side. They have done a very good job with that
program and it's sort of a complement to me that those three are having
success."
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Nelson won't lie to you. He would love to have Boyke, English and
Brinton on his team, especially English and Brinton. The two were
instrumental in the recent year's runs for the Falcons. But he realized
that what's best for him wasn't exactly what was best for his pupils.
"He encouraged us to come over here," Boyke said of his former coach.
"There are no hard feelings between us."
Said Nelson: "Sure, I would have liked to have Doug and Joel come in
with me. But it all goes back to what's best for them. Doug is the JV
coach there and Joel is a varsity assistant, and they learn a lot.
"I was a big factor in pushing them over there. Probably in the long
run, it hurts us but that's what was best for them."
