Valencia Coach Dean Yoshimura earns 400th career victory in league opener

Coach Dean Yoshimura guides his Valencia team in the Century Elks Classic. (Photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Valencia’s boys basketball team opened Empire League play Tuesday night with a 42-36 victory over Pacifica and long-time Tigers’ Coach Dean Yoshimura earned his 400th career victory in the game at Pacifica.

“You don’t get to 400 wins without quality kids and committed assistant coaches,” Yoshimura told OC Sports Zone Tuesday night. “Winning these games all at Valencia High School is an honor. Twenty-seven years at one school doesn’t happen very often. I feel priviledged to have had the opportunity to be the head coach at such a great school.”

Valencia (15-4, 1-0) was led Andy Hon who scored 13 points. Andre Ford had nine points and Isaiah Athurton and Ethan Ouyang seven points each.

Pacifica fell to 12-7 overall.