HAYWARD, Ca. (KRON) - Moreau Catholic High School basketball coaches and players are honoring a former star who died in a car crash earlier this year.
The inaugural Oscar Frayer Invitational will be held at the school on Saturday.
Frayer was a 2016 Moreau Catholic grad who led the Mariners basketball team to North Coast Section (NCS) Championships in 2014 and 2016, and a state runner-up finish in 2014.
Head Boys Basketball Coach Frank Knight says Frayer built the foundation of the program; attracting other high level players and many fans because of his talent and big personality.
“His personality is magnetic, his smile, people love his smile. You just want to be around him,” said Knight.
Frayer went on to lead Grand Canyon University to their first NCAA tournament appearance. He also earned a degree in communications and was prepared to take part in the school's 2021 spring commencement ceremony.
Unfortunately, Frayer never got the chance to walk across the stage.
The 23-year-old was killed in a car crash in Lodi, California on March 23, 2021, just days after playing in the NCAA tournament. His sister and a friend also died in the wreck.
This weekend, teams from all over the east bay will come to Moreau Catholic to compete, and keep Frayer's legacy alive.
"I've been kind of getting emotional about all day really. You know Oscar is taking care of people even in his death. You know what I mean? That was just the kind of guy he was. Grand Canyon is giving his nephews, he had four nephews, they gave them all full rides. So when they go to college they will go to school for free at Grand Canyon. All of the money and proceeds from this event will go to a fund named after him and we're going to use it as a scholarship. All of his buddies who played with him are flying in for the event so they can be here and stuff. It's just like dude Oscar is helping people and he's not even here. He's really helping people still and it just goes to the kind of person that he was. One of a kind person, very humble for as good as he was, and he was all about other people. Sometimes I laugh, 'you're doing it again O'," said Knight.
Knight says he met Frayer as a sixth grader when he attended Knight's basketball camp, and the two developed a close relationship. Knight tells us the two texted just a day before Frayer's death. Frayer wanted Knight to let him into the Moreau Catholic gym to shoot around.
Knight says Frayer made a huge impact during his life, and his hopes in organizing this event are that Frayer will continue to impact many more people in the years after his death.
Games start at Moreau Catholic on Saturday at 2:00pm. Moreau Catholic vs. Saint Francis is the final game of the invitational with an 8:00pm tip-off.
Entry is $10 or $7 for kids or senior citizens. You can buy tickets at the door or online.
All of the proceeds will go to a memorial scholarship in Frayer's honor. You can also make additional donations at the event.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3DgPOdc
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