Trio of receivers look to lead Warren Bears

Stephen Austin II has a personal goal to catch 40 passes for 800 years and eight touchdowns this season. Courtesy photo.

DOWNEY – The Warren High School football program is heading in an exciting direction under new head coach Kevin Pearson. Three returning wide receivers from last year’s 8-4 playoff team are excited about what they are doing in football practice this summer.

Bear quarterback Chris Venegas has graduated and so has standout wide receiver Robbie Colenzo. Those will be big shoes to fill for this year’s team.

Venegas completed 174/259 pass attempts for 2,776 yards with 38 touchdowns and only four interceptions last season. As a result, Venegas enjoyed a season long passer rating of 135.9. Colenzo caught 50 passes for 674 yards and five touchdowns and is currently at the University of Utah taking snaps on offense.

This summer Keison Evans, Xavier Osbey and Stephen N. Austin II are looking to lead the Bears to an even more explosive season. Last season, Evans (6’2, 175) caught 24 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns. This season his goal is to catch 100 passes for 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Last season, Osbey (6’0, 180) caught eight passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. This season his goal is to catch 35 passes for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last season, Austin II (5’11, 172) caught four passes for 86 yards and three touchdowns. This season his goal is to catch 40 passes for 800 yards and eight touchdowns.

All three players missed games last season due to injury. This season the three wide receivers are looking to get bigger, faster and stronger to help the Bears win games. Durability will certainly be a key element to the success each player will have.

Coach Pearson is excited with his trio of offensive threats and will be looking to get the ball into their hands in order to put points on the board and win some games. All three players believe the Bears will be competing for the San Gabriel Valley League championship this fall.

WARREN BOYS BASKETBALL: The Warren High School boys’ basketball team has been working hard this summer. The Bears began their summer basketball program on June 10 and will continue through early July.

Head coach Zaiid Leflore is pleased with his team’s effort this summer and sees depth, leadership and size as potential team strengths.

Leflore also sees this year’s team as fast, up-tempo and “scrappy.” Returning senior players Jahveon Medearis (6’2, 16.2 points per game), Jarred Jones (6’3, 10.3 points per game) and Steven Lora (5’11, 1.8 points per game) look to lead the Bears to another S.G.V.L. title. The Bears finished last season with an overall record of 20-7 and a league record of 8-2.

The Bears started their summer league schedule with an 18-point win against Sunny Hills at John Glenn on Tuesday night in the John Glenn Summer Tournament. The Bears will play Long Beach Poly next Tuesday at Compton and will also play Dominguez at Compton the following week.

The Bears conclude their summer practice and tournament schedule in early July and will resume workouts after the fall school year begins in August.

Basketball is a winter sport and will officially begin once football season concludes this fall. Coach Leflore, his staff and players are all looking forward to the start of basketball season and defending their 2019 S.G.V.L. championship.

DOWNEY BOYS BASKETBALL: The Downey High School boys’ basketball program has been busy this summer with practices, camps, workouts and tournaments. Freshmen basketball tryouts were June 4-7 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Summer camp began June 10 and will conclude Thursday, June 27. Summer camp is running from 8-10 a.m. and registration included a Downey jersey and shorts.

Any questions regarding the Downey High School boys’ basketball program may be directed to head coach Larry Shelton at lshelton@dusd.net. Coach Shelton and his staff hope to see you at the Downey High School basketball camp this summer.

DOWNEY BOYS TENNIS: The Downey High School boys’ tennis program began its summer workout schedule this past Tuesday and it will conclude July 25.

The Downey boys’ tennis program observed their C.I.F. mandated “dead period” the first three weeks in June.

Tennis practices are currently being held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 pm on the tennis courts at Downey High School. Any questions regarding the Downey High School boys’ tennis program may be directed to head coach Byung Park at bpark@dusd.net.

Coach Park and his staff hope to see you on the tennis courts this summer at Downey High.

DOWNEY GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Downey High School girls’ basketball program has been busy this summer with camps, practices and tournaments.

Incoming freshmen had tryouts May 31 and June 1 in the gym at Downey High. Summer workouts are currently being held Monday through Thursday and will run through July 21.

Girls basketball will observe the C.I.F. mandated “dead period” the last 10 days in July and the first 11 days in August.

Basketball is a winter sport and players will begin their game schedules once the fall sports teams have concluded their respective seasons.

Any questions regarding the girls’ basketball program at Downey High School may be directed to head coach Nate Harris at nharris@dusd.net.

DOWNEY GIRLS WRESTLING: The Downey High School girls’ wrestling program began their summer workout schedule on Monday, June 17, and those workouts will run through Aug. 1. The cost of the summer wrestling program is $100.

Beginning wrestlers with less than two years of wrestling experience are working out from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the wrestling room and advanced wrestlers having more than two years of wrestling experience are working out from 4-6 p.m. in the wrestling room.

Wrestlers are also in the weight room from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. each day of summer workouts getting stronger.

Wrestling is a winter sport and will begin once the fall sports seasons have concluded. Any questions regarding the girls’ wrestling program at Downey High School may be directed to head coach Roger Rios at rrios@dusd.net. Coach Rios hopes to see you on the mat this summer.