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CROSSROADS SCHOOL FOR ARTS & SCIENCES
2008 Ceremony Honored NBA Players Austin Croshere ’93 and Baron Davis ’97; Event Includes Alumni Basketball Game
On Sept. 20, 2008, over 600 Roadrunners came together in a unique celebration: the retirement of the jerseys of Baron Davis ’97 and Austin Croshere ’93, who led their respective Crossroads basketball teams to State and CIF championships, and who both went on to play in the NBA. In addition to the jersey retirement ceremony, Baron and Austin were at Crossroads to coach former teammates from the ’90s in an exciting and nostalgic basketball battle, which was won in the last seconds by Baron’s Red team, 45-44. It was an evening with something for everyone: the retirement ceremony was a touching tribute to the players, the athletics program, and the whole of Crossroads School featuring long-time coach Daryl Roper as emcee and former athletic director Chuck Ice unveiling the huge jerseys hanging on the gym wall. Then-Headmaster Roger Weaver and Crossroads co-founder Paul Cummins were surprised with official team jerseys at the event, which included a performance by the Crossroads Jazz Band. Brin Hill ’90, who played on the Blue Team, summed up the event from a player’s perspective. “In classic Crossroads’ tradition, [this celebration] was not done in an isolated way, but rather with the spirit of the collective community in mind,” Hill said. “It was special to celebrate those guys, with whom we all share a tremendous amount of pride, and to celebrate the Crossroads Runners’ legacy.”
TEAM The 1997 basketball team was legendary. Early in the season, Coach Daryl Roper had to close the door on reporters just to allow his team to focus and block out any distractions. The Boys Basketball team won CIF Division 4A, and it established a CIF record in its game against Calvary Chapel by compiling the most points in any division and winning by the widest margin in the history of the CIF tournament. The team won the Division 4 state championships against Encina Preparatory High School from San Jose with a score of 91-57. The Crossroads team was the first California basketball squad to make it to the finals in the prestigious Myrtle Beach Classic, where the top 16 high school teams in the country are invited to compete. Many future NBA stars have showcased their skills in this tournament including Rasheed Wallace, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and, of course, Baron Davis. The Crossroads team not only made it to finals, but it won the tournament, beating teams including Simon Gratz High School from Philadelphia. This was a huge accomplishment because Crossroads’ team became the first team from California to win this esteemed tournament.
The following players were members of the Crossroads Boys Basketball team in 1997: Cash Warren ’97, Shooting Guard, CIF Division 4A First Team Chad Gordon ’99, Guard/Forward Felipe Williams ’00, Forward Misha Taylor ’99, Forward Matt Rodman ’99, Forward/Center LeQuan Tolbert ’97, Center, CIF Division 4A First Team Garret Nichols ’98, Forward Aaron Wolfe ’98, Forward Jake Hoffman ’99, Guard Baron Davis ’97, Point Guard, CIF Division 4A First Team/Player of the Year Devrin Anderson ’99, Guard Edmund Harris ’00, Point Guard James Starr ’98, Guard Adam Chiamulon ’99, Forward Albert Gerston ’99, Forward Daryl Roper, CIF Division 4A Coach of the Year, coached the team with assistant coaches Phillip Cooley and Reuben Garcia. The team manager was Marc Brunswick.