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Church Basketball

Written by admin on . Posted in basketball, church members, prayer. 2 Comments on Church Basketball

Norm (Josh’s Dad), Todd, Dudley, Tan, Rick, Big Josh, Calvin
Just wanted to throw in a picture of the recent CHAMPIONS for the Shepherd of the Hills Basketball Summer League 2007. If you don’t recognize me, I am the old guy in the middle…. hahahahaha

Big Joshua (the TALLEST guy) is the Sports Director here at our church. He is doing an incredible job here at church by using the venue of sports to reach people for Christ. In a way, this team has become my small group.

The gentleman on the far right recently lost his 38-year-old sister to a tragic homicide just a few days ago… We gathered around Calvin and prayed for him and his family, as they struggle through these difficult days. It was, for me, the REASON why we have a sports ministry – because not everyone in the picture above is saved. But that night, after the game, everyone was standing in a circle around Calvin, as we lifted him before the Lord. There wasn’t a dry eye in the group. As I left the church that night, I prayed that those who did not yet know God would feel the burden and sorrow Calvin felt. Even more so, I prayed they would truly know, through the prayers offered up by the team, that ONLY the LORD GOD can bring comfort and strength, and that TODAY is the day of Salvation!!! Maranatha!!!

Dallas and his Travel Basketball Team

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For the past two summers, I’ve had the joy of coaching my son’s travel basketball team. This week is the FINAL weekend of this journey. We are currently playing in the “Best of the Summer Tourney” at Loyola Marymount University. There are 160 teams in the tourney from all over the nation, and we are in the sweet 16 and play tonight at 8:15 pm at LMU. If we win, we will be in the elite 8.
The picture directly above is during the pre-game layup drill, and you can see the gym is lined with Division I coaches trying to determine which of the boys they want to offer a college scholarship to.
The picture at the top is a team picture, and I wanted to say that this is one of the finest teams I’ve ever been associated with. These men are gentlemen. They love the game of basketball after they got to see more info about Mega Slam Australia, and we have continued to improve each and every week of this summer….
From Left to Right….
Wendell Wright. He plays the 2, 3 and 4. Very Athletic and is one of my favorite players…has improved the most from last year… can play at both ends of the court…
Lorne Jackson… Plays at Simi Valley and will be a Senior. Quick.. strong.. athletic… plays with heart, and I’ve seen him mature and become a much better player…. If you get a chance, go see him play this next year.
Then… Me….. Coach…… I’m not really a coach… but I enjoy pouring my life into these young men…. and setting a good example for them… and keeping them playing together as a unit…
Then Klay Thompson… His father, Michael Thompson, played for the Lakers, and Klay is one of our better players… he shot through the roof this summer with Notre Dame, Michigan, and Nevada all having a chance to land this high profile player… Klay has a gentle heart with a warrior spirit….
James Rehon hails from down in San Diego… James is one of our better shooters and he, too, has had a very good summer. When he gets hot, watch out because he can carry a team when that happens….
Corbin Moore is our TALLEST player… Corbin has been with me for two years… He’s from Long Beach, is a great student, and I LOVE his parents… Corbin runs the floor well, has a nice shot, and can rebound with the best of them….. I’m going to miss this young man…
Then in the back is Stephon… Stephon is from Slovakia… smarter than any three people I know, and he is getting a lot of looks from colleges… wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at Yale or Princeton.. Stephon has the BEST attitude and just works hard…
Then… is my son Dallas… who has gotten better throughout the summer. One of the thrills of my life will just be spending time with Dallas and having our long talks about family, basketball, the Lord, the Church, and his future…. Dallas, YOUR FATHER LOVES YOU….
Then Paul George… a 6’7″ wing man from Lancaster… I’ve tried to adopt him, but his mother won’t give him up…… I offered her an even trade for Dallas, but she wasn’t interested…
Paul has such a great future ahead of him, and I know that God has a plan for his life…
I just want to thank EVERYONE for understanding my schedule the last two years, and thank you for allowing me the time to spend with these guys the last two years… The parents were GREAT and the competition was strong… We endured… we were blessed… the Lord was watching over us…. and when this concludes… tonight or tomorrow… I will look back and consider this one of the greatest joys of my life….
I love this team, and I hope I was able to share the love of God with each of them through my life, words, and actions…..
In love..
Dudley

busy busy busy

Written by admin on . Posted in basketball, children, Dallas, Easter. No Comments on busy busy busy



I’m so sorry I have not written recently… I have been putting out fires… and trying to review our wonderful Easter Services… so many people have called and written to express their gratitude… and we’ve even begun working on next year’s Easter service… can you believe that????

It seems like as soon as one big event ends… another begins… something I enjoy about Shepherd is that we are always working to reach as many people as possible.

And then we’ve had the difficult story of the shootings on the college campus of Virgina Tech, and trying to make sense out of all that…. It is just a reflection of our society, where lawlessness and evil rear their ugly heads. It all speaks to our need of reaching as many people as possible for Jesus Christ.

We need to be in prayer for the people whose lives have been devasted by these shootings…. May God grant strength and comfort to those who are hurting.

The picture above is the basketball team that my son, Dallas, plays on during the summer. I was once again asked to coach, and this will be the last summer that I will have this opportunity. We are currently in Pittsburgh, and we won our first game. I truly love coaching, but most importantly, I enjoy the chance to mentor and lead these young men. Many of them will be playing Division I basketball in two years, and I hope that I will be able to instill in them a desire to use their gifts and talents for the Glory of God…

Please pray for us as we travel and play throughout the summer…

Maranatha!

My good friend Joshua Kendrick

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I was able to squeeze in a lunch with my good friend Joshua Kendrick. We had been trying to get together for about 3 months and this week worked out for both of us.

Joshua is the Head Coach of the Varsity Boys basketball team at Hillcrest Christian School. For the last 7 years the Boys Varsity team has won their league and Josh is probably the main reason for this statistic. This year again Joshua probably did his best coaching job of his career winning the Heritage League title with a 13-12 record.

I have had the privelidge of helping Josh from time to time and he does an outstanding job bringing out the best in his players. I count him as one of my closest friends.

The thing about Joshua is that Coaching is his first love but currently his 2nd job, because you may or may not know Joshua is a police officer for the Burbank Police Departement. As we fellowshipped over lunch he told me about how difficult the job can be and how there have been several times were he has felt his life was in danger.

I just wanted to write and ask you to pray for all of our men and women who serve in the law enforcement agencies. We owe those who put their lives on the line each day a great deal of appreciation and respect. Thank you Joshua and thank all those who daily serve our city and our nation.

Dallas is back on the Court

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After breaking his knee cap and missing most of the season, Dallas is finally getting a chance to get back on the floor during the Playoff run for his High School. Below is the article for the game tonight. They are now in the final four in the State of California playoffs… They will play next Saturday night and if they win they play the following Saturday for the Championship game in Arco Arena up in Sacremento…

Here is the article for tonights game.

Campbell Hall faces a battle but survives

It was a lot closer than the score indicated. Parker of San Diego gave Campbell Hall of North Hollywood all it could handle in Saturday’s Southern California Div. IV boys’ basketball regional semifinal, but the Vikings proved to be too tough down the stretch in a 78-64 victory at Crespi High in Encino.

“They weren’t going to go away quietly,” Vikings coach Terry Kelly said.
The Vikings (31-1) trailed 37-36 at halftime but opened the second half with a sense of urgency and took a 47-41 lead as Jrue Holiday connected on a pair of 3-pointers. Teammate Dallas Rutherford scored eight of his 17 points over the final 2:53 of the third quarter to extend the advantage to 59-49 heading into the final period.

“Dallas was huge for us,” Kelly said. “He showed what he’s capable of tonight.”

Parker (28-4) cut the deficit to five points with 2:42 remaining after a pair of free throws by . But the Lancers scored just three points the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, Campbell Hall made several big shots. Joseph Finnerty hit a 3-pointer with 1:39 left to give the Vikings a 71-63 lead, Keegan Hornbuckle added a layup and Robert Ford sank two free throws to put the game out of reach.
“What a team effort,” Kelly said. “Everyone contributed.”
Bernardini played well in the first half, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, highlighted by four 3-pointers, and the 6-foot-7 senior, bound for the University of Pennsylvania, added another 12 in the second quarter.
Justin Holiday shut him down in the second half. Bernardini scored four points in the third quarter, and Holiday harassed him into an 0-for-5 effort from the field in the fourth quarter.
Bernardini managed just twofree throws in the final eight minutes and ended up with 33points.
“I gave him space in the first half but decided to get up on him when we came out of the half,” said Holiday, who finished with 18 points, 11rebounds, four assists, foursteals and two blocks.
Jrue Holiday had 21 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 2:12 remaining. Finnerty added 10 points, fourrebounds and four assists and Ford had seven points and seven assists.
Tyler Bernardini [email protected] (818) 713-3607

Kisa Renee Hughes

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Kisa Renee Hughes was born on September 23, 1973, in Harbor City, California to her loving parents, Ronald and Barbara Hughes. She was the first born of five children, Kilee, Ronald Jr., Solomon and Gabriel. She accepted Christ into her heart at an early age and her devotion continued throughout her life.

Kisa spent the first part of her life in Orange County, California where she attended various Christian schools. As an adolescent she moved with her parents to Riverside, California where she first atttended University Heights Middle School and later John Wesley North High. During her freshman year Kisa was introduced to basketball and volleyball. She received top honors in both sports.

In 1991, in fact, she was selected to represent the USA in the Junior Olympics for basketball. She continued her basketball career in college. She received a full-scholarship at Cal State Fullerton where, in her freshman year, she was selected as Big-West “Player of the Year.” In her sophomore year Kisa was once more drafted with a full-scholarship – this time she was to play basketball at University of California Los Angeles. Once transferred at UCLA, she continued her record setting career by leading the PAC-10 in field percentage with .577 mark. Among the many honors that Kisa received throughout her career, she is remembered for being nominated for All-Pac-10 Conference selection in 1995 and for being ranked second in Pac-10 rebounding and field goal percentages, also in 1995. Finally, in that same year, she received honorable mention All-American by Basketball Times. Perhaps Kisa’s greatest achievement is that she was only one of four players at UCLA to have scored 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game during her career. In 1996, Kisa completed her college career securing a place among those players who had been ranked on the all-time school rebounding list.
Upon graduation, Kisa was recruited to play professional basketball internationally. She did so in China, Germany and Austria.

Later she was employed by the City of Los Angeles where she served as a Youth Development Specialist for the Rewarding Youth Achievement Program. Kisa was instrumental in assisting youth in the urban community with reaching their educational and employment goals.
Kisa also participated in the American Heritage Tour Program, where she visited college campuses and historical sites throughout the country. Her main goal was to expand the minds of youths by showing them something outside of their own neighborhoods. Kisa assisted over 200 youths in getting accepted into colleges and universities all over the country. Two years into her city service, she earned the position of Interim Educational Director for the Youth Opportunity Program where she had oversight of many educational projects. She was an inspiration to students and staff and a true champion for education in the Watts community.

With her 6’4″ height, magnetic personality and compassion for others, Kisa was the very image of a reserved “gentle giant.” She was a long-time member of Athletes in Action, a worldwide Christian fellowship for athletes. In addition she was an active member of the The Shepherd of the Hills church in Porter Ranch, California. She will forever be remembered for her loving spirit, her strength, dedication and passion for what she believed.