Hollister High School Athletic Director Tod Thatcher oversees a large number of Hollister High sports teams and student-athletes. Year after year, an overwhelming majority are big winners in Pacific Coast Athletic League competition and the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Post-season honors for individuals are common. Many receive First and Second Team All-League awards. However, in the competitive PCAL, league MVP awards are particularly special and rare.
This past winter, Baler basketball student-athlete Rudy Lopez Jr. was named league MVP in the PCAL Mission Division, as the Balers finished in first place. The accomplishment was particularly outstanding, as Lopez is just a freshman.
PCAL League Commissioner Tim McCarthy could not remember a freshman MVP in a PCAL sport from any school. Quite an accomplishment for Lopez, Hollister High and the boys basketball program coached by David Kaplansky.
This is a sport usually dominated by older, taller and more mature players. But even as just a ninth-grader, Rudy Lopez Jr., a 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound small forward, led Hollister to the title and his contributions were recognized by the league coaches.
Lopez scored 17 points per game in league play, led the entire league in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game—amazing for a small forward who often plays on the perimeter—and was in the top four in league assists.
“He made so many key shots for us,” Kaplansky said. “His strength is his ability to score the ball. He showed consistency to score and averaged 17 points a game in league. He can shoot and he can drive to the basket to score or get fouled and then score from the free throw line.
“He also led us in several other categories. He gets steals and rebounds and passes off to teammates.”
Hollister was 9-3 in PCAL Mission play, 16-9 overall and advanced to the Central Coast Section playoffs. The Balers graduated four starters from the 2024-25 team, but the young group this past year jelled to win the league crown.
Lopez shined at small forward, with many teammates also excelling. Key parts of the championship squad included offensive direction from sophomore point guard Donovan Diaz, major frontcourt play from freshman Rollins Bastien and Kody Dickens, swingman spark from Evan Perryman, backcourt offense and defense from Emiliano Aquino and Reece Kaplansky and depth contributions from Cadence Smith and several others.
“What ignited his confidence was the third game of the season, in the Alisal tournament,” coach Kaplansky said. “He had a tremendous second half. He made a lot of shots. I also remember the Stevenson game. He was being guarded by a First-Team All-League senior. (6-foot-5 Cooper Olin). He showed his maturity and strength.”
Lopez scored 27 and 17 points in those two games against the RLS Pirates. There were many other highlights.
On Senior Night against Everett Alvarez, with the game tied at 52 in the final seconds, the ball was in Lopez’s hands as Hollister held for the last shot. He was fouled and calmly sank two free throws for the win.
In the Jan. 28 revenge rematch against league power and senior-dominated Marina, Lopez drained a long three-pointer during a late rally to tie the contest and force overtime. Hollister won 68-61 by dominating the extra session.
“This group has played as a team and they are unselfish,” Kaplansky said. “They move the ball well. At the end of the shot clock, the kids look for Rudy. He can finish possessions. He has a lot of poise and allows the game to come to him. He is very calm and that allows him to perform well in pressure moments.”
Lopez topped the 20-point mark seven times—scoring 29 versus St. Francis and 27 against Stevenson, the latter more than half the Balers’ total in a 52-42 win.
Lopez connected with teammates and led in all the right ways. His focus was on helping the team win and he credited his teammates extensively, noting examples such as Diaz running plays for him and Dickens setting screens to get him open for shots. Players from all four school grades melded together as a unit.
“Even though Rudy is an exceptional basketball player, he is a super humble kid,” senior guard Aquino said. “I am blessed to have Rudy as a teammate and as a friend. He is the type of player who can make the hardest buckets look easy. And when you try to hype him up, all he does is give you his signature smile and keep crushing the other team.”
Basketball started early at home. The Lopez family environment was strong in sports. Father Rudy Lopez Jr., at 6-foot-5, was a basketball star at Monte Vista Christian High and Fresno Pacific University and mother Deanna, at 6-foot-0, was a star high school and college athlete in volleyball and softball.
Athletics runs deep. Younger sister Olivia is a seventh-grader at 5-foot-7, quickly excelling in basketball, volleyball and softball.
“My first introduction to basketball came when I was 2 years old,” Rudy Lopez Jr. said. “My parents gave me a little hoop and a ball. My dad worked with me as I got older. I liked it. It was something I could do with my dad. I like the friends you make and winning big games. I fell in love with basketball.”
In addition to adding components to his offensive arsenal and playing AAU basketball, Lopez does rigorous off-season weightlifting, agility drills and more. His father gives him detailed workout instructions.
Lopez credited Kaplansky for his emphasis on defense, a part of the game that is less glamorous but crucial to winning. Additionally, it is a key to success at the higher levels of the sport.
Of course, all along the way, he has received coaching and support from his father.
“When he (Rudy Lopez Jr.) was younger, he was a shooter,” said Rudy Lopez Sr., an assistant boys basketball coach at Hollister High. “Last year, he started taking it to the basket more. He worked on how to get your shot off. He added a floater from the lane and learned how to be crafty. He has worked on how to ‘high-point’ the ball for his rebounding.”
The Balers will move up a division in the PCAL hierarchy for the 2026-27 season. The Gabilan Division is the highest level and will provide extreme competition. Yet with only two seniors graduating, Kaplansky and others look forward to a bright future.
“We’re moving up a division,” Rudy Lopez Jr. said. “We want to beat some good teams and make the playoffs.”
