The unexpected death of Long Beach basketball legend Brian Camper on Sunday has left the local hoops community in mourning this week, with tributes pouring out on social media for the Lakewood High and Long Beach State star. Camper was a standout with the Lancers and at Long Beach State, but made his mark off […]
The Wilson aquatics community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Kobe Jackson, who graduated in the class of 2017, passed away in his sleep on August 24. He was 22 years-old. “I am still a little numb by the whole thing,” Wilson boys swim coach Eric Berg said. Berg, whose sons Jack […]
John Gonsalves spent nearly two decades as the head coach of the Long Beach State baseball program, leading the 49ers from 1970-88. Even before his time as head coach, he laid deep roots in the Long Beach baseball community as a player at St. Anthony High School, Long Beach City College, and at Long Beach […]
Chi Kredell Sr. 1933-2021 Legendary lifeguard and waterman Chi Kredell Sr. passed away at the age of 87. Kredell, the father of Wilson Olympian and Shore Aquatics Club Director Chi Kredell Jr., lived a unique life in the Long Beach sports scene. He’s in the record books as the first Long Beach State football player […]
Forest Joiner, 1932-2021 A longtime staff assistant and assistant basketball coach at Jordan High, Forest Joiner was one of those familiar faces that have made Long Beach high schools so special for the last several decades. A Facebook tribute from former Panthers player and current Lakewood assistant Rob Willis drew dozens of tributes and remembrances […]
Long Beach City College women’s soccer assistant coach Sal Marroquin suffered a heart attack on Monday morning and passed away in his sleep. Marroquin was 43. He’s survived by his wife Erin, his daughters Sophia and Olivia, and his infant son, Luka. “Sal was a very dedicated and passionate,” LBCC women’s soccer coach Eduardo Nunes […]
Monday was an awful day for the Long Beach City College athletics as the Vikings lost two members of their family. First came the news of women’s soccer assistant coach Sal Marroquin’s heart attack that morning, and then they found out baseball player Jackson Roeder had also passed away suddenly. Roeder was 21. According to […]
From the time I was old enough to hold a bat, my heroes were always baseball players, and Hank Aaron was the first. I was only four years old in April of 1974 when he hit his historic home run to pass Babe Ruth, so if that moment was spoken of in my home, I […]
Story by Earl Williams NOTE: Earl Williams is a longtime sportswriter who worked at the Press-Telegram during its glory years under editor Jim McCormack. He’s provided an expanded obituary on Long Beach hoops legend James Hardy–thank you to Earl and to Jim for making the connection. Click here to read our obituary from last week. […]
IMAGE COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Former NBA player James Hardy, one of the best athletes to ever come out of Jordan High, passed away in late December of a heart attack. Hardy, who was 64, was from Knoxville, Alabama but came to Long Beach with his parents as a child as part of the […]