Los Osos basketball star Deacon Toliver fends off sadness, channels late grandmother on court

Named after Deacon Jones, Toliver left football fields for more vertical heights, now leads Grizzlies with special talent, inspiring spirit

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Los Osos High of Rancho Cucamonga hosts Chino Hills in basketball. The hip-hop music thumps.

Los Osos students in fluorescent vests gather. The Grizzly cheerleaders, rocking blue and gold, are ready.

The Grizzlies loosen up and star player Deacon Toliver prepares. He catches a pass and assistant coach Kyle Gray resists. But Toliver dribbles left and scores.

The kid's got talent. But he also knows sadness. More on that later. 

Los Osos star Deacon Toliver huddles with his teammates. Photo: John Murphy

GROWTH SPURT

Deacon Toliver is named after Deacon Jones, the former Los Angeles Rams’ great. As a boy he played football and baseball but switched to basketball after a growth spurt.

“He was a chubby kid when he was young,” Toliver’s dad, Jason, said. “We have footage of him and he was out of breath the first time he ran up the floor.”

Now Toliver stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 185 pounds. He glides up and down the court against Chino Hills, grabbing rebounds, blocking shots, setting screens, and finishing.

“Our house, our house,” the Los Osos students chant as the Grizzlies win 56-40.

Toliver scores 19 points and takes 17 rebounds. A typical effort.

Grizzly forward Deacon Toliver eyes hoop. Photo: John Murphy

SPECIAL BOND

Flashback to November. Leaves fall. Toliver’s mom, Kimberly, drives him to practice and has bad news. His beloved grandmother, Adine, has died.

“She was like my second mom,” Toliver said. “It was comforting being around her. I felt like no matter what, she wouldn’t judge me. She was stern and assertive, but sweet.”

Toliver’s grandparents, Adine and Glenn, lived in Los Angeles. Glenn, an avid "Gunsmoke" fans, is still there.

Toliver’s grandma doted on him. She made large breakfasts of biscuits, bacon, and eggs.

“Those biscuits were buttery and big,” Kimberly Toliver said. “His grandmother was from Louisiana and that’s how they do it. At home I’d make Pillsbury biscuits and he’s say, ‘Mom, why are they so small?’”

Said Toliver, “I didn’t believe she was gone. I was in denial. After the funeral I thought about it and came to peace with it. My dad said it happens all the time and you have to keep living and fighting.”

Los Osos' Deacon Toliver displays a small photo of his beloved late grandmother. Photo: John Murphy

BETTER DAYS

Coach Calvin Tang emerges from the Grizzly locker room and chats.

“Deacon has come so far,” he said. “When he was a sophomore, he could only rebound and set screens. But now he’s gotten more comfortable. He’s our guy.”

Said Toliver post-game, “Chino Hills was loading up on me, so I just got the ball to my shooters. It was a fun game.”

And grandma’s take if she could see him now?

“I just keep living through her,” he said. “I think she’d be proud.”

John Murphy is a San Francisco native and the sports editor for Century Media Group in Southern California. Contact him with human interest feature story ideas at berdooman@gmail.com. Twitter: @PrepDawg2 

(All photos by John Murphy)