Basketball season has already started, meaning new interviews of some of our big names in the school. One of the biggest names around the school is Mateo Tahsini. He is an 11th grader on the Varsity Boys Basketball team as point guard or shooting guard and Captain. He has played about 60 games in his varsity career and has a scoring average of 10.1 points per game. He has 51 assists and 22 steals so far this season alone. Mateo is the rare, two-sport varsity athlete and plays baseball for the Spartans as a centerfielder.

I asked Mateo what was his favorite sport out of the two, and he said that his favorite is baseball since he knows it will take him farther and has been playing longer. The teams he has played for before coming to Pinole Valley include the travel ball team, Triple Crown, which he has been doing since he was eight years old. I asked him what the big motivation in his life was and he said it was his father and brother.

Touching back on basketball, When asked what was the most memorable moment he has had in his whole high school career, he told me that it was a game with John Swett–a playoff game, when he dropped an outstanding 20 points that game. “I give 100% every game, I’m not a quitter… every game I try to give it my all.” I asked him about colleges and he said his main goal is for a scholarship, but that lots of schools have reached out to him including some in SoCal.

What is he like off the court? One of Mateos’s hobbies is listening to music; artists like NBA Young Boy and Roddy Rich are favorites. Mateo has also been studying for his upcoming SAT. He feels that one of his biggest inspirations and influences are his brothers and how they installed a strong ethnic in his life, he also gets inspiration from his mom. He sends thanks to Coach TJay and Danny, also he gives thanks to Coach Pete, one of his old coaches.

Mateo would like everyone to come out to his upcoming basketball games and baseball games and see what he can do and to check him out on Instagram @teo2nice.