Once a Harlem Globetrotter, now she’ll lead the Edison High girls basketball team

Jackie White is the new Edison High girls basketball coach.

She’s returning to her Fresno basketball roots after starring at San Joaquin Memorial and later becoming the second woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

White, 55, said she’s looking forward to her first high school head coaching assignment.

“It’s been a passion of mine all my life,” she said. “The time is right because now I can get to coach and also assist young people further. I still get to work with youth and I’ve done that all my life. I’m kind of like in my third career. If I’m retired, I want to do exactly what I want to do, which is continue coaching and also continue to work with young people.”

Long before the WNBA came into existence, White kept her basketball career going when when she joined the Globetrotters in 1987.

After her playing days, White worked in the Chino state youth correctional facility (she even coached boys basketball there) for 28 years until she retired in 2013.

She moved back to Fresno in 2016 to be with her mom and has been working part-time at Clovis North High as a student relations liaison. She’s been mentoring Clovis North’s Rowan Hein, who recenty was named Cal-Hi state sophomore basketball player of the year.

She’ll meet with her Edison team on Friday.

“I was able to win three championships in the 28 years working with the juvenile delinquents,” she said. “I figure if I can coach and win and have a winning record with young men, that I can certainly bring success at high school.”

State honor for Tirapelle

Buchanan wrestling coach Troy Tirapelle has been named California Coaches Association wrestling coach of the year.

Tirapelle led the Bears to their third straight state title in March.

He will be honored at the state banquet June 16 at the Crowne Plaze Resort in San Diego.

Edison’s Vance wins scholarship

Edison senior Jay Vance has been named recipient of the 2018 Peter Mehas Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship, awarded annually to honor the legacy of the former Fresno County schools superintendent, is given by the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame and is sponsored by Fresno Lexus.

Vance played football, basketball, and track and was named 2017 Defensive Player of the Year for the Tigers, finishing with 11 sacks and averaging eight tackles per game.

He has eclipsed more than 1,000 hours of community service and has a 3.1 grade-point average.

21 win Junior League scholarships

Twenty-one athletes each received a $500 Junior League of Fresno Girls Athletic/Academic Scholarship. They are:

Molly Millar, Buchanan, softball; Kylee Jansen, Bullard, water polo; Sophie Jimenez, Central, soccer; Kelly Crouch, Clovis, soccer; Morgan Polley, Clovis East, golf; Jordyn Brown, Clovis North, basketball; Aubrey Olson, Clovis West, volleyball; Kristen Arias, Edison, softball; Izahbella Lopez, Fresno, water polo; Mackenzie Rivera, Hoover, lacrosse; McKenna Hansen, Kerman, water polo; Madison Devine, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, volleyball; Hallie Page, Madera, volleyball; Makayla Martinez, Madera South, soccer; Samaya Thahane, McLane, track and field; Marissa Ann Alvarez, Reedley, volleyball; Ashley Herr, Roosevelt, basketball; Olivia Baldwin, San Joaquin Memorial, volleyball; Linda Victoria Martinez, Sanger, water polo; Lauryn Somally, Sunnyside, lacrosse; Lauren Ortiz, Washington Union, softball.

Cal-Hi basketball honors

San Joaquin Memorial’s Jalen Green, previously named state sophomore basketball player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports, made the all-state second team for Open/Division I.

Central teammates Cam’ron Wilson (third team) and Cash Williams (fourth) also made the Open/D-I list.

Selma’s Will Pallesi and Sunnyside’s Amari Stroud are on the D-II first team. Immanuel’s Nate Kendricks is on the D-III first team.

And two players made the state all-freshman first team, 6-2 Clovis West guard Cole Anderson and 5-9 Tulare Western guard Mikey Ficher.

Girls honors have not been announced.

Milestones

Some achievements noted by Central Section historian Bob Barnett:

▪ Woodlake senior Callie Vincent set a school record by hitting three triples in a 24-1 victory over Strathmore.

▪ Coalinga freshman Maci Martin set a school record with eight RBIs as the Horned Toads rolled past Avenal 37-1. Coalinga finished with 28 hits and eight doubles.

▪ Strathmore sophomore William Reece set two school records by going 5 for 6 and scoring six times in a 21-5 victory over Granite Hills. He had five RBIs and four stolen bases.

State rankings

Clovis is No. 6 and Buchanan No. 16 in the latest Cal-Hi Sports softball state Top 20. Clovis won the first meeting in the Tri-River Athletic Conference; the rematch is Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Clovis.

In baseball, Clovis West and Clovis North are on Cal-Hi’s “on the bubble” list.

Anthony Galaviz: 559-441-6042, @agalaviz_TheBee

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Once a Harlem Globetrotter, now she’ll lead the Edison High girls basketball team."