The great John Wooden once said, "Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability." That phrase isn’t the motto for the Hesperia Unified School District (HUSD), but maybe it should be. That’s because somehow, every year, the rural town of Hesperia manages to build athletes and programs that can not only compete against the athletic giants of California, but they usually find a way to win.
(Sultana High School Boys Wrestling claims the 2025 CIF Sectional team championship)
(Oak Hills High School Girls Volleyball claims the 2025 CIF Sectional championship)
Sultana High School Boys Soccer recently played the world-renowned Bishop Amat twice in their amazing Southern Section Division 1 Runners-Up and State tournament semifinalist postseason.
(Sultana Boys Soccer celebrating one of their 2025 CIF playoff victories)
Oak Hills High School Girls Basketball defeated teams including Roosevelt, Brea Olinda, and Chino in their CIF Sectional Simifinalist season, which was capped off by a California State tournament appearance.
(Oak Hills Girls Basketball clinched the MRL championship with an undefeated MRL season. OHHS Athletic Director Mr. Shawn Yancey to far right.)
The Hesperia High School Mojave River League Champion Boys Wrestling team finished their season against John Bosco High School in a season that saw them send 7 wrestlers to Masters and 3 to State, including senior Paulo Valdez, who finished 5th at his weight, was a 4-time state qualifier and has placed top ten in the state three years in a row.
(Hesperia High Boys Wrestling after claiming their 3rd consecutive MRL championship)
The athletic directors from the three HUSD High Schools, Justin Bartle (Sultana), Jeff Hallett (Hesperia), and Shawn Yancey (Oak Hills), who joined via zoom because he was ill, sat down to talk about how small-town Hesperia has managed to garner big-city athletic success. And maybe Mr. Hallett said it best, “I don’t think of Hesperia as a small town anymore.”
(Sultana Athletic Director Mr. Justin Bartle talks about building strong professional relationships with student-athletes)
(Hesperia Athletic Director Mr. Jeff Hallett talks about recruiting coaches who give back to the school and the community)
The 24-25 school year has proven to be filled with athletic successes for HUSD, including those mentioned above. But a common theme from all three programs was that there's more to the story than just touchdowns and championships. Everyone agreed that dedication, community involvement, and an emphasis on academics are what drive the success of their schools and all of their programs, including athletics.
(Oak Hills football star Karson Cox signs his letter of intent to play at UCLA with his proud family and coaches)
The directors also highlighted the collaborative spirit and healthy rivalry between district high schools. Even during intense competitions, a sense of camaraderie prevails. "It's like a brotherhood," one director noted, recalling a recent winner-take-all MRL showdown basketball game between Oak Hills and Hesperia where players from opposing teams smiled and interacted positively with each other despite the fierce competition. All program leaders agreed that this brotherhood was a result of intentional efforts to teach sportsmanship and mutual respect over a “win at all costs” mentality.
(Players relax during a break in the action at the OHHS vs HHS boys basketball game)
The Athletic Directors also noted that high-level success couldn't be achieved by them alone. They attributed the success to several factors, including student and parent dedication, dedicated coaches, district/school support, and community support.
(Oak Hills’ Xyrie Geoson signs her letter of intent to compete in track and field and cross country at Indiana Tech with family, coaches, and her principal Mr. Capps)
Student and Parent Dedication: The group noted that no matter how strong their programs were success didn't happen without talented players. And that process started before 9th grade. It started at home, with parents who instilled a strong work ethic and supported their children's academic and athletic efforts.
(Sultana’s Savannah Vanderpool family watches her sign her letter of intent to play softball at the University of Texas at Dallas)
Community Support: A strong community backing provides the resources and encouragement necessary for athletic programs to thrive. The group pointed out strong relationships with Chick-fil-e, and Victorville Motors as just a few of the many community partners who help their programs provide opportunities to their students and families.
(Oak Hills serves at a home volleyball match packed with community supporters)
Dedicated Coaches: Coaches play a vital role in developing student-athletes, both on and off the field. They instill values, provide guidance, and dedicate countless hours to their teams. The directors emphasized the importance of finding the right adults to mentor their students and how they have achieved that goal by prioritizing its importance in the hiring and evaluation processes.
(Hesperia’s Antony Newman-Gomez stands with coaches and staff, including Athletic Director Mr. Halllett at far right, after signing his letter of intent to play basketball at Cal State Stanislaus)
District and School Support: The school district and individual schools provide the necessary resources and support to maintain successful athletic programs. The group remembered several statewide financial struggles and while some districts scaled athletics back, HUSD doubled down on their commitment to extracurriculars by not only continuing to support the programs in place but by adding to them. They noted athletics program additions including, but not limited to, boys middle school volleyball, girls wrestling, and elementary basketball. They also mentioned non-athletic extracurricular programs like eSports, mock trial, and robotics to foster a greater connection to school for as many students as possible.
(Hesperia Junior High School’s Andrew Sartoresi competes in the newly formed Middle School boys volleyball league)
(Hesperia High qualified 3 wrestlers into the Masters Meet in the newly formed girls wrestling program)
The team also talked about their collaborative emphasis on character development and life skills as a key component of HUSD athletics. Coaches strive to teach athletes lessons that extend beyond the playing field. They pointed out that they teach their students to be more than good athletes. They teach them how to be good people. "High School athletics is such a culture builder on campus," Mr. Bartle stated, highlighting the positive impact of athletics on the overall school environment. HUSD athletics programs are not just about winning games; they're about fostering a sense of community, developing well-rounded individuals, and instilling values that last a lifetime.
(Sultana’s Yzabelle Torres signs her letter of intent to play soccer at University Jamestown in North Dakota with family members)
Even though the three athletic directors work separately and can regularly be spotted in the community wearing different school-colored polos they are overwhelmingly united in all of their priorities and goals. They collectively reveled in how heated competition brought them and their schools closer together and built a sense of community for the future. When asked about their greatest memories in their roles not one mentioned hoisting a trophy or a winning score. They talked about building professional relationships with students, seeing the massive community support at events, and organizing university letter of intent signing events for “my kids”. The heartfelt commitment to helping children and serving a cause greater than themselves shined through. They all expressed a passion for teaching today's student-athletes to be tomorrow's teachers, coaches, police officers, nurses, and leaders. Truly, it's a great time to be a Bulldog, to be in Scorpion country, and to be a part of Sultan nation.
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