WPH Press, Los Angeles, CA, 3/24/23
The Southern California Handball League returned after a sustained interruption due to the pandemic. Lake Forest College alumni Ivan Ruiz, Ricardo Palma, and Vic Perez organized a new league that consisted of five teams with ten weeks of play. The participating teams included the LAAC, Alhambra, Norco, Anaheim Hills, and LAFD. The appointed team captains arranged a line up consisting of two doubles and one singles match each week, with each team playing one another twice during the season.
Handball is a long-standing tradition within the Los Angeles Fire Department. A handful of fire stations have courts, which hosts department and city-wide tournaments.
The Los Angeles Fire Department started off strong during the ten-week 2023 season, sweeping their first three weeks of play. Team LAFD won many close tiebreakers and remained consistent throughout the competition. Retired Assistant Chief Chief Roy Harvey was named MVP – winning all his doubles matches while defeating pro players. Former world-ranked #5 Race 4 Eight pro and LAFD team captain Vic Perez also won all his matches. The 2023 season marked the second time LAFD has won the Handball League, with their last league championship coming decade ago in 2013.
“It was a really good experience playing with and against some of the best handball players in SoCal,” stated R48 #25 Jab Bike. “Every match that I was able to play in felt like it mattered. I am glad I was able to play this season, and I look forward to joining the league again whenever it is time to again.”
LAFD League Roster
Team Captain: FF Vic Perez
C Ryan Chance
CII Alex Garcia
FF Sergio Guzman
Assistant Chief Roy Harvey (retired)
Deputy Chief Mario Rueda (retired)
CII Chris Yokoyama
For more on the LAFD, visit their homepage HERE