Submitted photos – Alfonso Medina, center alongside CR coaches Ryan Bisio, left, and Justin Claus at this week’s letter signing ceremony.

By Ray Hamill — College of the Redwoods continues to be a popular destination for some of the best young basketball players in the area.

Earlier this week, Fortuna senior Alfonso Medina signed his letter of intent to continue his playing career at CR, becoming the latest in a long line of recent local standouts who have chosen to play for head coach Ryan Bisio, one of the top community college coaches in the state.

And for Medina, who was this year’s Humboldt Sports Boys Player of the Year, the decision was an easy one despite receiving interest from a number of schools.

It was also an easy decision for the Corsairs, who have been keeping tabs on the Huskies star for some time.

“Me and coach Bisio, we’ve been talking for a long time now, and he was really persuasive that CR can help me grow,” Medina said. “And I just kind of wanted to stay close to home. I wasn’t ready to move away yet, and my mom (Veronica) can watch me play.”

The CR coaches knew there would be plenty of interest in the Fortuna player after his impressive career playing for the Huskies.

“This outcome was a long time in the making,” Bisio said. “Alfonso’s talent generated a lot of attention outside of our area, but ultimately our program still was attractive enough for him.”

Medina’s versatility as a player and his natural instincts and work ethic all played a part in putting him on CR’s radar.

He can fill a variety of roles for his new team, and will be expected to have an immediate impact.

“Alfonso is a three-level scorer, a versatile defensive disruptor and an elegant athlete in the open court,” Bisio added. “We foresee his array of gifts being put to use right away.”

CR associate head coach Justin Claus also played a part in convincing Medina to play for CR.

“Coach Justin talked to me about how I can really improve as a player and that I can help improve the team,” Medina said.

The Fortuna graduate was a four-year varsity player with the Huskies and a three-year varsity starter, quickly establishing himself as one of the most dynamic and pure basketball talents in the H-DNL.

He also competed in track and field as as senior, but admits basketball has always been his favorite sport.

“That’s my heart,” he said.

Medina grew up playing the sport he loved, and his competitive drive was fueled by playing with his four brothers, including younger sibling Alejandro, who also plays basketball for the Huskies and will be a junior this coming fall.

That family connection is clearly an important one for Alfonso.

“I’d like to thank my mom and my four brothers for supporting me,” he said. “We were very competitive and I think that’s what got me into basketball.”

The outgoing Fortuna senior will be missed and he left a lasting impression on his teammates and coaches.

“The younger players in our program look up to Fonz, as do the middle school players that came to watch him,” Fortuna head coach Norm Sotomayor said. “I appreciate the relationship we have. A player like Fonz makes coaching enjoyable.”

And it wasn’t just his basketball talents and leadership qualities that impressed his high school coach.

“Alfonso is a humble and genuine person,” Sotomayor said. “Being able to coach him for four years has been an absolute pleasure. Fonz is coachable and a team guy first.”

Medina closed out his high school career with an impressive 1,277 points and was the highest scoring player in the Big 5, this past winter finishing with 120 points in eight games.

“When you look at his stats it’s obvious how much he meant to our team,” Sotomayor added. “If we needed a bucket, an assist or an energizing dunk, I turned to Fonz.”

“Fonz” also set a good example for the younger players in the Fortuna community and that demeanor is something the Corsairs are excited about too.

“Alfonso is a gentleman who treats his teammates, coaches, officials and fans with tremendous respect,” Bisio said. “He is the epitome of the type of player we want to represent us here at College of the Redwoods.”

Medina, who will major in kinesiology, is obviously excited about the new challenge and the opportunity.

“I just want to continue to grow and make it fun for people to watch and hopefully move on to a higher level (after my time at CR),” he said.