Los Caballeros Sports Village, Fountain Valley, CA, hosted the Turkey Burner Doubles Tournament for the first time since 2019, prior to the pandemic. This past weekend, the much-loved tournament returned, attracting over 40 participants who loosened their waistbands, donned gloves, and took to the courts for a weekend of fun, calorie-burning, and healthy competition.
As everyone gathered, organizers Roy Harvey and Gary Cruz announced the matchups for the four divisions, as well as the prizes awaiting the finalists and champions: handball gloves for the finalists and sweatshirts for the champions.
Once the announcements were made, the turkey tournament quickly began. However, the combination of outside rain, poor ventilation, and heat generated by the players’ exertion resulted in moisture accumulating on the indoor courts. Despite the slick floors and walls, the players’ morale remained high as their competitive spirit shone through, making the event a resounding success.
Marcus Hough and Victor Perez defeated Raphael Martinez and Juan Flores in the “Caliente” division.
Adrian Ortiz and Justin Munoz defeated Tony Tovar and Willie Rivera in the “Hot” division.
Arturo Chavez and Frankie Gonzalez defeated Joshua Hererra and Ryan Bronk in the “Warm” division.
Colin Smith and Noah Flores defeated Victor Aguilera and Kevin McCarthy in the “Mild” division.
Christy Ortiz defeated Briana Castro in the Women’s Singles Big Ball tournament. The five-women tournament was organized by Sabrina Zamora of Girls Play Handball.
Special thanks to organizers Roy Harvey and Gary Cruz for tournament direction and bracket creation. Additional sponsors included Owen Gloves, Greg Welburn of Summit Event Catering, and handball legend, Mark Zamora who sponsored the entry fees for the women participants.
Lastly, it was announced that local youth, Noah Flores, will be competing in his first United States Handball Association (USHA) 4-Wall Junior National Tournament in Tucson, AZ, December 27-29, 2025. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover the costs for this young athlete’s journey (see a recent sparring session here). If you know his father, Juan Flores, you can also Zelle directly at (714) 272-3962. Noah’s progress will be posted daily on AnyWallHandball blog and video updates will be on the AnyWallHandball Facebook page as well as he does his best to represent Southern California Handball!
