gipson update

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SoCalHoops High School News

Aaron Gipson Transfers From
Fontana To Etiwanda--(Nov. 5, 1999)

Aaron Gipson (5'-9" So. PG) a very promising young point guard for John McNally's Fontana High Steelers (profiled here on Oct. 19), has left Fontana and enrolled at Etiwanda. Hints of the transfer were reported last weekend in a small one-liner carried in the San Bernardino County Sun in the "Notables" section of the sports editor's column last Saturday which read simply: "Former Fontana receiver Aaron Gipson apparently is transferring to Etiwanda. . . " However, we've held off until now to report on it until we could actually confirm that the transfer actually occurred.

This past Tuesday, November 2, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, carried an article written by Pete Marshall, which confirmed the transfer, and contained some interesting info on the subject: "Aaron Gipson, a sophomore wide receiver, has transferred from Fontana to Etiwanda High School. Gipson, the younger brother of former Fontana star running back Art Gipson, who is currently at Fresno State, left Fontana's football team last month.

According to the story in the Bulletin, Gipson was getting time at receiver and "played a significant role as a freshman," according to Fontana coach Bob Stangel Jr. "He was encouraged to pursue basketball," Stangel said. "I don't think his heart was into playing football. . . I wish him all the luck in the world," Stangel said. But then he added, in what was either clearly a snide remark, or an unintended insult: "I'm sorry he didn't feel good enough to stay at Fontana."

The Bulletin article also had a quote from Rick Pizzica, the Fontana AD: "It surprised me that he left our school. . . I met with Aaron and his dad and it was just a personality thing (with Stangel) from all I can ascertain. Aaron wasn't happy with his role and he decided to check other things out." Gipson had been a ball boy for the Steelers as a youngster. "He was a Fontana kid," Pizzica said.

His transfer to Etiwanda evidently became official Oct. 27. Gipson won't play immediately for Etiwanda this year for at least two reasons: 1) until his parents move into the Etiwanda district, he will be ineligible ("They said their plan was actually to move," Pizzica told the Bulletin) and 2) the Etiwanda coaches have a minimum practice participation requirement: "He won't play football for us this year," Etiwanda athletic director Brice Sunderland said. "It has nothing to do with CIF. It has to do with how many practices we (Etiwanda) say you have to have. Anytime you have a high-profile transfer, you want to make sure everything is in order." Sunderland said that Gipson has expressed interest in playing basketball, and Sunderland did not entirely rule out that possibility for this school year.

Many of Gipson's former traveling teammates like Romel Beck, Alvin Beck and Jason Burrell also play basketball at Etiwanda, but whether that had anything to do with the transfer is an unknown. Rumors have been floated around though that another factor may have been the presence of the Fontana freshman "Fab 3" and speculation that Gipson thought they might have diminished his chances for playing time, especially considering that Mike Stephenson (6'-0" Sr. PG) is probably going to get the starting job at point before anyone else, at least until the end of football season.

It looks like those are just rumors though, because whatever differences Gipson had with the football coaching staff at Fontana, he didn't seem to have any problems with Coach John McNally, Fontana's head basketball coach. In fact, just two weeks ago, FoHi coach John McNally told us that Gipson was, "Another returner with a shot at a starting spot. . . ".

Fontana will certainly not be in trouble without him, since they are very deep this year, but they could certainly have used his talents at the point. Etiwanda now picks up a super quick, tough and fearless point guard, an excellent passer who sees lanes and seems to always be thinking about two passes ahead, who will still have three more years to ease into things there.