Friday, Nov. 18, 2011

Former foes and teammates now coach LB hoops together

Bonillas, Gentry, Willhite look to build from ground up

New Los Banos High boys basketball coach Mike Bonillas knows his junior varsity assistant very well.

Bonillas and Aaron Gentry played against each other in high school and junior college, then were teammates at Menlo College.

"I'd definitely rather play with him than against him," Gentry said. "He's a hell of a competitor."

For that reason, the LB boys team may heave a sigh of relief that Bonillas is coaching on the Tigers' bench instead of playing in the alumni game Saturday.

The night starts with the freshmen vs. staff at 4:30, followed by JV vs. alumni at 6 p.m. and varsity vs. alumni at 7:30 p.m.

Bonillas, a 2000 graduate of Los Banos High, played junior college ball at Modesto JC while Gentry, a graduate of Riverbank High, played for Columbia College in Sonora -- where recent LB grad Jalen Bourbon is currently playing.

"We only played against each other one year, and they got the best of us," Gentry said. "He hit four or five 3s. That killed us."

The duo then played together at Menlo College in Atherton, and later played together on the Modesto Bearcats, a semi-pro ABA team.

"We recruited each other to play at Menlo College," Bonillas said. "The coach told me they were trying to get him, and they told him they were trying to get me. We got in touch with each other, and we've been friends ever since."

Gentry spent time playing semi-pro hoops in Argentina and Mexico, and coached the Riverbank junior varsity team the last two years.

Bonillas spent last season as Pacheco's freshman coach. When he was hired for the varsity position at Los Banos High, Gentry was one of the first calls he made.

"When I got the varsity job, I had someone in mind who had the same values and mindset," Bonillas said. "You know, we were in the trenches together."

Gentry didn't quite know what to make of the offer at first.

"It was a little bit of excitement and a little bit of I don't know how we'll do it," Gentry said. "I had it made at Riverbank. I had a great assistant who had played with me, and the varsity coach had coached me. When Mike called me up, it seemed like a new opportunity.

"But I didn't decide right away. It took me about a month."

Joining the duo is freshman coach Ernest Willhite, who coaches the school's varsity track and field team, and has coached basketball at the junior high level.

"I'm lucky to have two lower-level coaches, who have the same discipline and the same mindset I have. And it starts at freshman year," Bonillas said. "Having two guys who played together, plus another varsity coach in Ernie, we all know what to expect and we're all on the same page."

Greg Soliz, who has coached the LB JV boys the last few years, has taken over the JV team at Pacheco under varsity coach Tyrell Jenkins.

LB will kick off its sponsor drive at the alumni game, with the players selling discount cards at the game.

Enterprise reporter David Witte can be reached by phone at 388-6565 or by e-mail at sports@losbanosenterprise.com