MC boys coach reflects on record TVL streak

SALIDA -- When Gary Porter took over as the basketball coach at Modesto Christian in 1996, it was supposed to be a one-year deal — just filling-in at a school in need.

But in that first season, coaching many of the players he'd helped develop in Modesto's Slam-N-Jam youth basketball program, the Crusaders went 12-0 in the Southern League and 33-0 overall en route to the Division 5 state championship.

After two years in the Southern League, Modesto Christian spent eight years as an independent before joining the Trans-Valley League for all sports in 2006.

Over those 15 years, the Crusaders have won 13 section titles and two state titles and somehow along the way have never lost a league game. There have been close calls in the TVL in recent years, and in the last two weeks MC has been taken to the wire before pulling out wins against Ripon, Escalon and Riverbank.

If the Crusaders defeat Orestimba tonight in a home game, they will become the first high school boys' basketball team in Northern California history to notch 100 straight league wins. The state record of 125 is held by Fresno's Washington Union.

On Monday afternoon, Porter sat down to discuss the streak, the program, his relationship with Reeves Nelson, and why, at 56, Porter's not ready to step aside, even with former player and current assistant Richard Midgley handling a lot of the coaching duties.

BVB: 100 straight wins already is a NorCal record. What does it mean to you? GP: It does mean something when you stop and think about it, but I don't think about it that much. Our goal is to play for a state title. We expect to win league championships, but to be undefeated is nice.

BVB: For a lot of people reading this, 100 straight league wins only shows that you're in the wrong league. GP: Probably. But we've been in a couple different leagues and then went independent. I don't know what else to do, but I really like the TVL right now. In that first year we went 33-0. The next year we won our first eight games or so then lost a game in San Jose and everybody wanted to know what was wrong. I guess people expected us never to lose.

BVB: What were those expectations when you first took over? GP: I had no expectations. I really thought I was going to be here for one year and just to help out. I had coached a lot of the players in Slam 'N Jam, and they were talented. We did make a state championship our goal, but being new to everything I didn't know what to expect.

BVB: How much high school coaching had you done before coming here? GP: I coached a little at Central Catholic. I was helping Mike Glines and he left. I took over because it was right before the season and I was there. That was it.

BVB: What were those independent years like? GP: I liked being an independent. We could challenge the teams in different ways and it made those teams better. I wasn't against being in a league, but that was the hand we were dealt.

BVB: Your first 3-4 years in the TVL resulted in a lot of 30-, 40-, even 50-point blowouts. Now starting with Ripon, then Escalon and now Riverbank, teams in the TVL are starting to accept the challenge. GP: I'm really proud of the fact that these teams haven't run or tried to dodge us. I like to think that we brought the standard of play up in the TVL. I like to think that we caused the league to become more competitive. I do like those 30-point wins, but they don't do the team any good. The other night in Riverbank was a lot of fun. The gym was packed and it was good.