Noah Aguirre

Most of the time hard work will always pay off in the game of life. And in the case of Noah Aguirre that is what has happened. Noah, a Fillmore High School Grad Class of 2009, is still working hard at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is in his third year there and plays basketball for the Pipers of Hamlin University.

When I called Noah he was doing just what he always did in his days at Fillmore, he was shooting baskets in the gym. I asked him how it was going this year for him. "Great the team is off to a slow start at one win and two losses, but we have high hopes this year. We have a lot of talent."

One of the best nicknames a basketball player can have is a "Gym Rat”, a player who spends most of his or her free time in the gym, working on their skills. Noah is just that. Since he was a little kid he always seems to have a basketball in his hands. This hard work has given Noah a chance to see a huge part of not only America, but also the world.

After high school Noah played basketball in Greece for a summer. Last year he was asked to play for the U.S.A. team for the U.S.S.A.I. organization. They play basketball in Europe for smaller schools, and teams made up of European pros and College players. "I played against some guys who make $80,000 a year playing ball," said Noah. "A lot of them have been playing pro ball for ten years. It was a great time."

Noah had a chance to play in Italy, Slovenia, and Austria. "It was a great experience to see all the awesome sights. Who knows if I will get that chance again in my life."

Noah said that he has a chance to go to the Bahamas this summer to play more basketball. He is also planning a trip to Africa with the college. "We are going there for some work in Somalia. They need some help there and we are sending a group of men and women from the school. We hope we can do some good there."

Not bad for a kid from little ol' Fillmore, huh? Noah the son of Kathleen and Andy Aguirre from Fillmore played football, basketball, baseball, track & field, baseball, and volleyball for the Fillmore Flashes. He is one of the greatest athletes this great town has had. In football he was All-League, All-County, and was a big part of the team that went to the C.I.F. semi-finals in 2008. In basketball he was the League M.V.P. his Jr. and Sr. year. All-League his freshman and sophomore years, All-County, and All-C.I.F. his junior and senior years. He holds almost all of Fillmore High School’s records in basketball. He was also on the Championship team in 2009. In volleyball he was on the first team Fillmore ever had in 2008. And in 2009 he was a huge part of the League Championship team. He also was the Player of the Year in the league for volleyball in 2009. He did everything in sports but sell popcorn at halftime.

When I asked what he misses most at Fillmore he said, "The weather! It can get cold here. -50 with a wind chill. Now that's cold. I miss my family and friends. And oh yeah the good Mexican food. You cannot find that out here at all. And orange trees!"

This year Noah is again on the starting team for the Pipers of Hamline University. In his first year there he made the starting team about a quarter of the way through the season. His big highlight that year was to come to Cal. Lutheran in Thousand Oaks and take home first place in their basketball tournament in front of family and friends. He scored an average of 7.5 points per game in 2010. Last year the team went 16-11 on the season, then came in third place in their conference. And in the M.I.A.C. tournament they missed a chance to win it all by one game. That would have put them in the N.C.A.A. tournament. Noah did his part with a 10 point per game average.

"This is our year. N.C.A.A. tournament or it will be a big let down around here. We thank we have the team that can make it to the big dance this year," said Noah. "Our goals are high but we think we can do them."

Now tell me Fillmore, don't you think it would be awesome to see one of our very own playing in the March Madness! I for one will be glued to the TV. that night!

Noah said that he is getting along well in St. Paul. "The Twin Cities is a great place to be. The people are so nice here. They make you feel right at home. I have my own place to stay this year, and have made some great friends out here."

Noah is working on his degree in Social Justice, he will graduate in June of 2013."I will come back to California for graduate school after that. I hope I can do some good in this world." Knowing this young man the way I do, I know he will.

When I asked if he had anything he wanted to say, Noah said, "Yes I do. I want to say thank you to my family. They have always been a big support all my life to me. And I also want everybody to know what a big influence Chris Cone has been in my life. I still tell stories of him to my friends and teammates. I still hear him saying 'Be quick but don't hurry!' on the court. I love Coach Cone very much, and think of him all the time."
Noah I know he loves you too! He loved all of his players.

So with a lot of hard work in the classroom, and then in the gym this young Globe Trotter will live out all of his dreams. Good Luck Noah. You have a town standing behind you!