Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Jeremiah Dargan of Clayton Valley Charter
Name: Jeremiah Dargan
School: Clayton Valley Charter High School
Grade: Senior
Sports: Basketball
CONCORD, CA (Jan. 20, 2022) — Growing up, Dargan was an active participant in many sports including swimming, track and field, baseball, football and volleyball. However, as he experimented with that variety of sports, he discovered a love for basketball. He began training more seriously in sixth grade and never turned back. Dargan decided then to quit his other sports and put all of his focus into basketball.
He attributes part of his success to the different trainers he has had over the years. They all “really believed in me and told me plans they had for me, making me see a future playing the sport,” the senior explains. The 6-5 guard will complete his final high school season for Clayton Valley Charter after transferring from De La Salle following his sophomore year. A four-year varsity starter, Dargan also plays on an AAU club team for Lakeshow. Coach Frank Allocco Jr.’s Ugly Eagles are in the super competitive Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division with top-ranked Campolindo, Miramonte and Northgate all on the double round-robin schedule.
On-court achievements
Dargan’s success is recognized by his on-court achievements. He received all-tournament awards at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego, Chris Vontoure Spartan Classic and the Riley Christiansen Memorial Tournament hosted by CVCHS. He was also named player of the game at the Northern California Tip-Off Classic.
Dargan credits much of his love for basketball to the fans at the games and believes that many of his teammates feel the same. Dargan notes that “the feeling of a packed gym and fans shouting and cheering for you is unbeatable.” The team co-captain says his favorite part about representing Clayton Valley is being able to show that the school can be more than “just a football school” and that the Ugly Eagles can also excel in basketball.
Hard work
Dargan’s hard work and determination to succeed is shown in both his athletic abilities as well as in his academics. His current GPA stands at 3.6 and he intends to work even harder this semester to improve. Dargan’s college plans include participating in a Division I or Division II college basketball program. He then hopes to pursue a professional career playing basketball overseas following graduation. Dargan credits much of his achievements and skills to the support of his mom. She made many sacrifices to attend Dargan’s training and basketball games. He also thanks his teammates and the coaching staff at Clayton Valley for pushing him to be the best player he can be, believing in him and treating him like family. Lastly, Dargan attributes his initial love of basketball to one of his first trainers, former De La Salle and UC Santa Barbara standout Justin Joyner, who gave him incredible support in his journey.
CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
The Pioneer congratulates Jeremiah and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have served the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.
Katherine Pugh
Katherine Pugh is a junior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She enjoys running on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall in addition to the track and field team in the spring. Pugh also swims recreationally for Oakhurst Country Club in the summer. She is a part of the CVCHS Engineering & Design academy and finished her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She’s also excited to be a representative for CVCHS’s ASB leadership group during her junior year. In addition, Pugh works as a hostess at Ed’s Mudville Grill in Clayton. She is very excited to be writing the Student Athlete Spotlight for the Concord Clayton Pioneer.