The way Joey Covarrubias sees it, he doesn’t have any choice but to fight.
The Cantwell-Sacred Heart senior basketball star and his family received devastating news last week when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. Just 19 years old, and two days removed from signing a letter of intent to play basketball at Cal State Monterey Bay, Covarrubias received the news no teenager should ever have to hear.
But in a fashion typical of the young man, he’s prepared to fight. Covarrubias’ spirit and drive made him the undisputed leader of a Cantwell team that was one victory from reaching the CIF State Division 4 final, and he was selected the Whittier Daily News All-Area Player of the Year in April.
“He’s been fantastic about this,” his father Joe explained Wednesday, speaking from UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, where Joey is being treated. “He immediately said ‘We’re gonna beat this.’ … He’s been the strongest of everyone around here, I’ll tell you that.”
Ewing’s Sarcoma is typically found in adolescents between 10-20, and is discovered in only about 250 Americans each year. If found early enough, before it has a chance to spread throughout the body, it can be treated successfully in 50-75 percent of the time, according to webmd.com.
Covarrubias went to his doctor last week complaining of shoulder and chest pain, and a CAT scan revealed fluid in his lungs. Surgery was initially scheduled, but a follow-up x-ray revealed a mass, which caused his doctors to cancel the surgery and perform a biopsy. The results revealed a malignant tumor.
He’s since undergone a PET scan and bone marrow test, and is scheduled to begin aggressive chemotherapy in the next few days.
“Joey’s a fighter, obviously,” said Cantwell basketball coach George Zedan. “He knows it’s an uphill, tough situation, but it’s just another challenge for him to overcome.”
In the days since his diagnosis, a fund-raising effort has been set up at www.gofundme.com/savingjoey. Nearly $37,000 have been raised so far, but more will be needed. NBA player Earl Watson, for whom Joey played last summer in AAU ball, donated $13,000. Nearly 250 people had donated as of Wednesday night, including high school competitors against whom he’s played, and even the most modest amount is welcome.
“Everybody loves the kid,” said Zedan, “… and they’re asking ‘What can we do?’”

It wasn’t the foul language that made La Mirada baseball coach Kim Brooks’ 15-minute recorded tirade so troubling. Every player who was in that room hears or says many of those same words every day at school, at practice, walking from class to class or at lunch. They hear worse in the music that blares from car stereos. They hear worse on a nightly basis on HBO or Showtime.
What made Brooks’ profane outburst so troubling was its belittling, bullying nature and his loss of perspective. He quickly moved beyond trying to motivate his players after a poor performance and began to attack.
“If you can’t f***ing dive for a ball in the infield, f*** you! Can’t make a routine play? F*** you! Let somebody else try to make a GD f***ing routine play! You’re gonna f***ing b**** and complain to the f***ing umpire? … F*** you! Get off the GD mound. I want a man out there!”
F*** you? From an adult, from a teacher no less, to a high school kid? Sorry, but that’s unacceptable. This isn’t an example of thin-skinned, spoiled youngsters who can’t handle stern criticism, or the further feminization of males in this country, as far too many keyboard tough guys have commented. It’s an example of teens being bullied by someone in a position of authority, by someone who should know better.
When reached for comment Tuesday, Brooks acknowledged his language was “inappropriate,” and he apologized for its use. He said his intent was to motivate his players after what he felt was a selfish performance, and at times his words – salty as they were – went in that direction.
“You’ve gotta own it,” he told them. “(If) we play hard, and we lose, I can accept that. … (But) you don’t play like that for me. You don’t wear the (La Mirada) uniform and play like that for me.”
A perfectly acceptable chewing out at that point, and one it sounds like the team deserved that day. But the tone descended quickly from there. There was no encouragement, only ridicule.
Brooks has plenty of support in the La Mirada community. Twitter is full of parents, students and former players who have got his back, and many marched in front of the campus Tuesday night. Comments online have noted the positive influence Brooks has wielded for many years on his students and players, young men and women who went on to college and productive lives with his help. There is no reason to believe all those things aren’t true, and it would be a shame if Brooks’ legacy was reduced to a secretly recorded audio tape.
But he’s the one who chose those words, he’s the one who screamed “f*** you” to a room full of teens, and he left the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District little choice.

MUST READ: By Dave Felton
Longtime La Mirada High athletic director and baseball coach Kim Brooks has been suspended by the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District after a profanity-laced audio tape of Brooks screaming at his team following a loss was released.

“I’ve been here a long time,” Brooks said calmly at the beginning of the recording, “and I will tell you that was probably the most PATHETIC (EXPLETIVE) BASEBALL GAME I’VE EVER SEEN A GROUP PLAY!”

The 17-minute recording features Brooks repeatedly cursing at his players, questioning their dedication to the program and inviting players to transfer to another school.

Note: Audio excerpt is two-minutes of a 17-minute profanity laced-tirade from coach Kim Brooks to his players following a game

Thursday’s CIF-SS Division 2 baseball playoff game between Pasadena and La Mirada is clearly the area game that has the most interest, given the viral nature of suspended La Mirada coach Kim Brooks’ lengthy tirade that is making the rounds.
But several other games, both baseball and softball, should be interesting as well. El Rancho can run its winning streak to eight games when it visits South Torrance in a Division 4 first-round game. The Dons beat Montclair 3-1 in a wild-card game Tuesday, and they’ve allowed three runs or less in six of their last seven games.
In Division 3 wild-card baseball action today, St. Paul will visit West Covina. The Swordsmen have come on strong in the past few weeks, winning five of their last six, and even had a chance to share the Del Rey League title entering their regular-season finale.
In Division 3 softball, La Serna and Bishop Amat will meet Thursday in a rematch of last year’s second-round game, won by the Lancers in walk-off fashion. The game will be played at Amat.
Also Thursday, Schurr will take a seven-game winning streak into its Division 5 second-round game at Silverado in Victorville. The Spartans have outscored their opponents 61-8 during their streak, never allowing more than two runs.

Baseball
All games 3:15 p.m. unless noted
Wednesday
Division 3
Wild-card round
St. Paul at West Covina

Thursday
Division 2
First round
Pasadena at La Mirada
Division 4
First round
Anaheim at Cal
La Serna at La Sierra
El Rancho at South Torrance, 4 p.m.
Division 5
First round
Whittier Christian at Mary Star
Jurupa Hills at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

Softball
All games 3:15 p.m.
Thursday
Division 3
Second round
St. Paul at Alemany
Warren at Cal
La Serna at Bishop Amat
Division 5
Second round
Montebello at Ontario Christian
Schurr at Silverado
Division 6
Second round
Vasquez at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

The baseball teams from La Serna and El Rancho each won CIF-SS Division 4 wild-card games Tuesday to advance to Thursday’s first round.
La Serna beat visiting San Gabriel 7-0, paced by six strong innings from junior Enrique Pacheco. John Mendoza went 2 for 2 with a solo home run and Tony Ceron drove in a pair of runs. The Lancers will visit La Sierra in the next round.
El Rancho continued its recent hot streak with a 3-1 triumph on the road over Montclair. The Dons will play at West Torrance on Thursday.
In first-round softball action, La Serna (Div. 3), St. Paul (Div. 3), Schurr (Div. 5) and Montebello (Div. 5) scored victories while La Habra (Div. 3) and Whittier Christian (Div. 4) saw their seasons come to an end. Tuesday’s winner’s will play second-round games Thursday.