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Leading a Renaissance
Justin Cook concluded an outstanding four-year varsity run by leading the Wildcats to state
Shortly after the Renaissance Academy Wildcats had lost in their first-ever bid for a CIF title, freshman Justin Cook sat silently behind a folding table, surrounded by senior teammate Leif Williams and Coach Sid Cooke.
As the press conference carried on, Cook’s somber expression never altered and his silence rarely ended.
Three seasons have passed since then, and not much has changed for the talented Wildcats guard.
Cook is still as soft spoken as ever, he’s earned All-LA84 (formerly All-CIF) and All-Area honors every season just as he’s led the Wildcats to CIF and State Tournament success every year.
In his final act this season, Cook led the Wildcats all the way to the Division V State Final.
For his efforts, Cook was voted by the sports writers and editors of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun as the first Renaissance Academy player ever to receive All-Area Player of the Year.
“Without him, we wouldn’t have been anything,” said Renaissance teammate Matt Raya of Cook. “He made things happen. He was a great leader.”
In every way in which the statement applies, Cook most assuredly led Renaissance.
Averaging a team-high 19.1 points per game and 4.8 rebounds and four assists, Cook led by example with his play.
He played through injuries without complaint and took honor in leading the Wildcats to new heights.
“I took a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I tried to do as best as I could.”
His best was as could as anyone’s.
Every season at Renaissance saw him collect the aforementioned postseason accolades, just as every season saw the Wildcats advance to the CIF Southern Section finals, whether Division V-A or Division III-A. All except his last, when a semifinal letdown made simply for a speed bump in an unprecedented journey to the state championship game — making Renaissance only the second team in area chronicle to advance that far.
All of the Wildcats’ biggest and brightest achievements have had one thing in common — Justin Cook.
“I think he’s the most important player [in our history], in terms of the development of this program and getting us to where we are now,” said Renaissance Coach Sid Cooke, the only coach in the history of the program. “He was there the whole time.”
The only one there the whole time, in fact.
While the likes of Anthony Stover and Josh Thomas, just to name a few, have entered the Renaissance scene to help it become a reputable program throughout Southern California, Cook’s the only one who’s been there for every championship game.
“He was our main guy,” said Thomas, who’s known Cook since around the time the two were in third grade. “He stepped up real well.”
While a CIF winner’s plaque and a state title eluded the Wildcats, Cook knows he’ll still look back upon his days at Renaissance fondly. He realizes there are few and far between who ever get to play in one game as big as the many him and his teammates took part in.
“It was a great experience for me,” Cook said.
Through all the big games, all the high-end honors and spotlight, Cook remained unchanged — except for his ever-improving overall game.
“He’s never talked too much. He internalizes things, but he’s a very bright kid,” Cooke said. “None of this has ever gotten to his head, he’s still the same guy.”
And the same guy has been the constant for the Wildcats despite all the stellar contributions from the likes of Williams and Archie Robb and Thomas and Stover through the years.
In his seasons at Renaissance, Cook captained the Wildcats to a 97-19 record that included four trips to the Division V state tournament — the final leading all the way to Sacramento and a 40-33 loss to Ross Branson.
As Cook and the Wildcats went on, their competition grew to the likes of Simi Valley, Etiwanda, La Cañada and, finally, a win against Price this past season in the Southern California Regional Final.
While Cook will play on in college — he’s currently contemplating schools in Pomona, San Bernadino and Seattle among others — the Wildcats are left to fill his void next season.
“With him there, people were always expecting us to do well,” Cooke said. “Him not being there is gonna be very different, it’s gonna be hard.”
Added Raya: “It’s going to be a challenge, he was everything for us.”
More than what lies vacant for the Wildcats, Cook’s stellar senior season marks the conclusion of what has become for Renaissance Academy.
“Coming into it, it was just like a real small school,” Cook said. “Little by little, we got better and better. We just started making a push.”
A push that led all the way to Sacramento.
As the press conference carried on, Cook’s somber expression never altered and his silence rarely ended.
Three seasons have passed since then, and not much has changed for the talented Wildcats guard.
Cook is still as soft spoken as ever, he’s earned All-LA84 (formerly All-CIF) and All-Area honors every season just as he’s led the Wildcats to CIF and State Tournament success every year.
In his final act this season, Cook led the Wildcats all the way to the Division V State Final.
For his efforts, Cook was voted by the sports writers and editors of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun as the first Renaissance Academy player ever to receive All-Area Player of the Year.
“Without him, we wouldn’t have been anything,” said Renaissance teammate Matt Raya of Cook. “He made things happen. He was a great leader.”
In every way in which the statement applies, Cook most assuredly led Renaissance.
Averaging a team-high 19.1 points per game and 4.8 rebounds and four assists, Cook led by example with his play.
He played through injuries without complaint and took honor in leading the Wildcats to new heights.
“I took a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I tried to do as best as I could.”
His best was as could as anyone’s.
Every season at Renaissance saw him collect the aforementioned postseason accolades, just as every season saw the Wildcats advance to the CIF Southern Section finals, whether Division V-A or Division III-A. All except his last, when a semifinal letdown made simply for a speed bump in an unprecedented journey to the state championship game — making Renaissance only the second team in area chronicle to advance that far.
All of the Wildcats’ biggest and brightest achievements have had one thing in common — Justin Cook.
“I think he’s the most important player [in our history], in terms of the development of this program and getting us to where we are now,” said Renaissance Coach Sid Cooke, the only coach in the history of the program. “He was there the whole time.”
The only one there the whole time, in fact.
While the likes of Anthony Stover and Josh Thomas, just to name a few, have entered the Renaissance scene to help it become a reputable program throughout Southern California, Cook’s the only one who’s been there for every championship game.
“He was our main guy,” said Thomas, who’s known Cook since around the time the two were in third grade. “He stepped up real well.”
While a CIF winner’s plaque and a state title eluded the Wildcats, Cook knows he’ll still look back upon his days at Renaissance fondly. He realizes there are few and far between who ever get to play in one game as big as the many him and his teammates took part in.
“It was a great experience for me,” Cook said.
Through all the big games, all the high-end honors and spotlight, Cook remained unchanged — except for his ever-improving overall game.
“He’s never talked too much. He internalizes things, but he’s a very bright kid,” Cooke said. “None of this has ever gotten to his head, he’s still the same guy.”
And the same guy has been the constant for the Wildcats despite all the stellar contributions from the likes of Williams and Archie Robb and Thomas and Stover through the years.
In his seasons at Renaissance, Cook captained the Wildcats to a 97-19 record that included four trips to the Division V state tournament — the final leading all the way to Sacramento and a 40-33 loss to Ross Branson.
As Cook and the Wildcats went on, their competition grew to the likes of Simi Valley, Etiwanda, La Cañada and, finally, a win against Price this past season in the Southern California Regional Final.
While Cook will play on in college — he’s currently contemplating schools in Pomona, San Bernadino and Seattle among others — the Wildcats are left to fill his void next season.
“With him there, people were always expecting us to do well,” Cooke said. “Him not being there is gonna be very different, it’s gonna be hard.”
Added Raya: “It’s going to be a challenge, he was everything for us.”
More than what lies vacant for the Wildcats, Cook’s stellar senior season marks the conclusion of what has become for Renaissance Academy.
“Coming into it, it was just like a real small school,” Cook said. “Little by little, we got better and better. We just started making a push.”
A push that led all the way to Sacramento.
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