Leading a Renaissance

Shortly after the Renaissance Academy Wildcats had lost in their first-ever bid for a CIF title, freshman Justin Cook sat silently behind a folding table, surrounded by senior teammate Leif Williams and Coach Sid Cooke.

As the press conference carried on, Cook’s somber expression never altered and his silence rarely ended.

Three seasons have passed since then, and not much has changed for the talented Wildcats guard.

Cook is still as soft spoken as ever, he’s earned All-LA84 (formerly All-CIF) and All-Area honors every season just as he’s led the Wildcats to CIF and State Tournament success every year.

In his final act this season, Cook led the Wildcats all the way to the Division V State Final.

For his efforts, Cook was voted by the sports writers and editors of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun as the first Renaissance Academy player ever to receive All-Area Player of the Year.

“Without him, we wouldn’t have been anything,” said Renaissance teammate Matt Raya of Cook. “He made things happen. He was a great leader.”

In every way in which the statement applies, Cook most assuredly led Renaissance.

Averaging a team-high 19.1 points per game and 4.8 rebounds and four assists, Cook led by example with his play.

He played through injuries without complaint and took honor in leading the Wildcats to new heights.

“I took a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I tried to do as best as I could.”

His best was as could as anyone’s.

Every season at Renaissance saw him collect the aforementioned postseason accolades, just as every season saw the Wildcats advance to the CIF Southern Section finals, whether Division V-A or Division III-A. All except his last, when a semifinal letdown made simply for a speed bump in an unprecedented journey to the state championship game — making Renaissance only the second team in area chronicle to advance that far.

All of the Wildcats’ biggest and brightest achievements have had one thing in common — Justin Cook.

“I think he’s the most important player [in our history], in terms of the development of this program and getting us to where we are now,” said Renaissance Coach Sid Cooke, the only coach in the history of the program. “He was there the whole time.”

The only one there the whole time, in fact.