Player Biography

For the past 12 years the men’s lacrosse team at Torrey Pines has partnered with Friends of Jaclyn to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric cancers.

Wednesday was a special day for the Torrey Pines Boy’s Lacrosse, who welcomed their newest player in a special “signing day” ceremony. It’s all in partnership with Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which pairs children diagnosed with cancer to sports teams. This is the team’s third time participating in the program, with Head Coach Jono Zissi saying it’s an integral part of the program.

“We talk about gratitude every day with our kids and try to focus on something bigger than ourselves,” Zissi said. “Whether helping in the community, in school, using their platform of Torrey Pines Lacrosse players as something more.”

Omar Carlon is Torrey Pines’ third adoptee, who at 10-years-old was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. Omar’s left leg was recently amputated, and is now cancer free.

He gets to come to Torrey Pines and forget about the beast, they can’t get that in the hospital, no chemotherapy, no radiation, nothing more powerful than love support and friendship,” said Denis Murphy, the FOJF founder. “That’s what the team’s going to give him.”

Torrey Pines Men’s Lacrosse is the only high school team in the nation to partner with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which has paired nearly 1,000 children battling cancer with mostly collegiate teams. Zissi hopes this will inspire other high school teams to see the impact they can make.