PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The race to the Chiles Center is on, and for one Grant senior it will likely mark the end of his basketball career.
Senior Grant General Max Vonarx has been playing basketball for nearly his entire life.
“Preschool, I joined the little league, my mom was my coach,” Vonarx said.
He was born into a family of athletes and is the youngest of three boys.
“It’s definitely toughened me up,” Vonarx explained.
He competes year-round, playing football, basketball and running track for the Grant Generals. It’s that 24/7/365 sports cycle that helped Vonarx find his passion.
“I decided I don’t really want to continue my sports career in college but I want to study alongside, I’m going to do kinesiology at U of O, I want to get into physical therapy because I have a background of going to physical therapy and sports education,” Vonarx said.
But before he heads to Eugene this fall, he’s trying to help his group of Generals get their first ring.
“None of us got our rings yet, and you know we all really want that ring,” Vonarx said.
And after all those years standing up for himself with big bros, it may not surprise you – defense – is one of the strengths of his game.
“Defense where I can kind of manipulate the offense into doing something that I trick them into doing,” Vonarx explained.
Grant’s boys basketball coach, Robert Key, noted “he’s one of our lockdown defenders, he’s usually guarding the best player on the other team.”