Submitted by Carolyn Rogerson
June 11, 2021, at Saint Augustine High School gym, Coronado Islander Boys Basketball Team won their first CIF basketball title in 31 years. The Islanders beat the division’s top seeded Orange Glen Patriots. The Patriots had been heavily favored to win that game and win the finals on June 19th. It didn’t work out that way.
After a very competitive, hard played game between two great teams, the Coronado Islanders won the June 11th game 51-48. With just under eight minutes to play, Orange Glen player #12 committed an egregious Technical Foul against Islander Wayne McKinney. Below is the excerpt written by Coronado Times sports reporter, Clark E. Fahrenthold, describing the game, and the violent Technical Foul that had Islander McKinney crashing to the gym floor. If you have never witnessed anything like that, it is heart-stopping. Every spectator gasps and holds their breath until the fallen athlete gets up and walks to the free throw line to shoot the penalty shots. Collective exhales, sighs of relief all around.
It is not known if this Technical Foul was an intentional act of racism. Unfortunately that foul, the ref’s penalty call, and the Islander’s win created a contentious atmosphere the next time the two teams met for the CIF 4A Regional Championship game. On June 19th at the Coronado High School gym, the two teams faced off to play another hard driving, very competitive game. During the first half it appeared the, mostly Hispanic, Orange Glen Patriots would take the title. To their dismay, the Coronado Islanders team, composed of players of several different ethnicities and colors, beat the Patriots during overtime with a thrilling buzzer-beating 3 point shot, winning 60-57. Well done, Coronado Islander CIF 4A Regional Champions!
Unfortunately, the 40 year old adult fellow, Luke Serna, who identified as a Hispanic, Coronado Democratic Club member, CHS and UCSB alum, ruined it for everyone. Serna claims his intended tortilla tossing celebration was not racially motivated. Too bad Luke Serna did not choose to appear in person at the Tuesday, June 22nd CUSD Board meeting to take responsibility and the heat from the very angry Orange Glen crowd present. Self identified Mexican Activist Enrique Morones and North County Islamic Society rep, Yosef Miller, raged loudly, and agitated the OG crowd. Morones escalated the tossing of soft tortillas into the “bombs of racism” crime of the century. Why was Morones even present? Was it to highlight his political agenda, to get his name in the paper?
Due to politically motivated accusations of racist, culture hating, white crimes committed against everyone of color, what could have been settled between teams, coaches, school officials has been inflamed into a conflagration. I wonder what Morones and Miller and all the CRT activists have to say about that egregious Technical Foul against a black high school athlete? Doesn’t his black life matter? Does it matter that innocent Coronado school students are receiving death threats? Doesn’t their well-being matter? The intelligent, well spoken, self-less young Islander, Team Captain Wayne McKinney eloquently addressed the situation at that Tuesday CUSD meeting. He never mentioned how he had previously been physically and painfully fouled, racist slurs or the team receiving death threats. McKinney is a true Champion. We Coronado residents celebrate the gracious, talented Wayne McKinney and his fellow athletes. We wish you all well in every future endeavor.
By the way, I grew up in the East taking public transportation to public schools and workplaces. I’ve been groped, patted, pushed and have put up with sexist and culturally insensitive remarks, in public and in the workplace. I grew up protecting my Downs Syndrome younger brother; I know bullies. I’ve never been anyone’s snowflake and won’t just be melting away.
Carolyn Rogerson
