Tarver enjoys homecoming with YAC basketball clinic

Tarver, the former Santa Clara High and UCLA basketball star, was leading a Young Athletes for Christ camp this week at the Ventura Missionary School gymnasium.

“It’s cool,” said Tarver of the camp and his YAC friends, John Diaz and Al Perez.

“John and Al do a great job. Eighteen guys have college scholarships this year from YAC.”

Tarver said this was a fundamental camp for 24 players, including six girls.

Ventura’s Daniel Duran and Oxnard’s D.J. Diaz, each 6-year-olds, were the youngest participants.

Tarver finished his sophomore season at Rim of the World High before moving with his family to Oxnard in the summer of 1987.

His dad, John, a former NFL fullback with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, had landed a job at a trade school in Oxnard during Shon’s sophomore high school year.

Shon was the San Bernardino County scoring champion at 30 points per game before meeting coach Lou Cvijanovich, Santa Clara’s legendary coach.

Tarver still enjoys coaching and teaching young athletes as well as working at Camp Kilpatrick, a boys’ probation school in Malibu.

Tarver said the biggest highlight at Santa Clara was being a two-time CIF, regional and state championship team member.

“I was introduced to a family at Santa Clara,” he said.

“We would travel in John Pennington’s van and watch TV. We would have meals after games. The locker room was special,” said Tarver.

“We had so much pride,” said the 1989 Parade All-America player.

The transition from Santa Clara to UCLA was smooth for the 6-foot-5 sharp shooting guard.

Like Cvijanovich, Tarver said UCLA coach Jim Harrick was straight forward.

“You do nothing but respect Lou Cvijanovich,” said Tarver. “Lou was a man’s man.”

The Santa Clarita resident and father of 7-year-old Faith loves the cooler climate by the ocean.

“It was so hot when I went home to Santa Clarita,” he said.

Tarver comes from an athletic family. Sister Taryn was a track star at Santa Clara High and the University of Oregon.

Brother Zach played football at Oregon State. Twin brothers, Seth and Josh, are senior basketball players at Oregon State.

YAC had its own talented group of athletes working the basketball camp.

St. Bonaventure grads Xavier Ramos and J.B. Dock, Pacifica grads Drew Rivera and Moises Barrera, Ventura College’s Herman Young and Hueneme and Ventura College product Dee Pinkard have been YAC success stories and role models for the campers.