Dollars for Scholars
by Keith Antigiovanni

Earl Holsapple, CDF Captain.

It was just eight years ago that Ramona lost one of its best and brightest — Earl Holsapple died suddenly from an asthmatic attack while teaching a California Department of Forestry seminar in Sacramento.

Holsapple was a captain in the CDF and assistant varsity basketball coach under Al Schaefer at the time for Ramona High School.

Following his death, the Holsapple family organized an annual charity basketball event known as the Coach Earl Benefit Basketball Games.

This year’s eighth annual event will be played on April 23 at the Ramona High School gymnasium. The event aims to raise scholarship money for outstanding high-school seniors in the Ramona area.

Coach Earl and the 1996 team in Hawaii.

The games will include three games: Teams from the Boys and Girls Club will be playing each other at 6 p.m.; at 7 p.m., the Ramona Alumni All Stars face the San Diego County Basketball Coaches Association; at 8 p.m., a matchup between the Ramona Unified Schools faculty and San Diego County firefighters.

"What stands out most about Coach Earl is that he had so much enthusiasm for the young people," Schaefer said. "He was always there to help the community, especially in sporting activities including youth basketball, football and baseball."

Holsapple, a Ramona High School graduate, not only served under Schaefer as assistant coach at RHS, but he was a basketball coach at Olive Peirce Middle School.

"I first met Coach Earl when he was coaching the Ramona Youth League," Schaefer said, "He joined our staff at Olive Peirce later and then I asked him to join my staff at Ramona High School and he willingly became an assistant.

"He always did a quality job and had such a great work ethic. He was a special man, which makes it special to be honoring him."

The tournament also will feature a raffle. For information, call Margaret Scheib at (760) 788-7566.

To sign up to play on a faculty coach team, contact Ramona High School Athletic Director Joe Bess, (760) 788-4000; Ken Scheib, (760) 788-7566; or Al Schaefer, (760) 788-0388.

Donations may be sent to the "Dollars for Scholars" fund to RHS 1401 Hanson Lane, Ramona CA 92065.

"This is a tribute to someone who contributed so much to Ramona," Schaefer said.