It’s been a special season for Tulare Union High School boys basketball coach Mark Hatton and his family.
The Hatton family’s basketball journey came full circle on Feb. 28 at Selland Arena in Fresno.
With his youngest child, Wyatt, on the team, Mark guided the No. 1 Tribe to the school’s first section title in nearly three decades — beating second-seed Central Valley Christian 64-43 to win the Central Section Division III championship.
Since Wyatt was born, the Hattons have attended the Central Section’s two-day basketball championships every year in Fresno. On Fridays, the father-and-son duo go watch the night games before stopping for dinner at Sal’s Mexican Restaurant in Selma.
Then on Saturday, the Hattons make the return trip to Selland Arena and faithfully watched another full day of basketball. In the evenings, on the way home, they eat a late-night meal at Cattlemens — a steakhouse in Selma.
It’s a tradition that started in 2010.
“He’s been coming to this ever since he was a baby,” Mark said. “We would sit up in the corner. Before he was playing basketball, he would be playing his Hot Wheels up in the corner, and be happy watching the game.”
This year’s experience was different, but for good reason.
The Hattons were on the floor for day two of championship weekend.
Tulare Union led early, 8-1, and never trailed against CVC. At one point late in the fourth quarter, the Tribe led by as many as 21 points.
Mark — who previously coached Tulare Union to section runner-up finishes in 2006, 2011, and 2012 — won his first section championship with the Tribe, a program he has been the head coach of since 2002.
“He’s chased it for a very long time,” Wyatt said after the Tribe captured their first section title since 1998. “Every year that we didn’t make it, we come watch no matter what. We stay from maybe the second game of the day all the way to the end. We would always watch Division I until somebody blew somebody out. Then we would head home, and we would either eat at Sal’s or Cattlemens. But this time when we go, it’s going to be a lot sweeter. We’re going as champions. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
With a minute and 32 seconds left to play in the section championship game, a “We want Wyatt” chant was started by fans sitting behind the Tulare Union bench. That spot also coincidentally happened to be the exact section where the Hatton family was sitting and cheering.
With Tulare Union leading by double digits, Mark and his coaching staff gave the Tulare Union faithful what they were asking for and inserted all five of their key reserves, including Wyatt, into the contest with 1:17 to play.
How did Wyatt respond?
With a steal to officially get on the stat sheet.
“It’s been really special to do it with my son, who’s in charge of the hype club on the bench,” Mark said. “This has been good for the school. These kids, they’re the best that we have. I’m just so proud of them. I couldn’t do it without my staff.”
Wyatt, a senior forward, scored only 25 points this season, but his impact on the team was important.
When he checked into the championship game, the Tribe crowd erupted in celebration as the coach’s son got to play on the Selland Arena floor.
“I was so excited just watching him warm up,” Mark said.
What was it like to play in an arena that has a max capacity of nearly 11,000 fans?
“It was pretty fun,” Wyatt said. “I had a blast. It was a pretty fast-paced game when I jumped in there. CVC threw in their bench, too, but they were still quick as well. It was a great game.”
Wyatt’s teammates, including junior star shooting guard Demaje Riley, enjoyed watching Wyatt hustle back and forth on the court.
“To get the coach’s son in, it felt great,” Riley said. “It was good. I love Wyatt. Wyatt, he’s a great kid.”
Sports have been a family affair for Mark and his wife, Tulare Union athletic director Diana Nalbandian-Hatton, and their three children, including Morgan and Mason. Wyatt’s older sisters also played sports at Tulare Union.
After the championship win, Mark and Nalbandian-Hatton shared a sweet moment.
Along with Central Section assistant commissioner Matt Sozinho, Nalbandian-Hatton presented the section championship plaque to Mark, who then kissed his wife on the Selland Arena floor.
Sozinho and Mark go way back, too.
Sozinho was Mark’s junior varsity coach when the latter was the head boys basketball coach for the Corcoran Panthers in the 1990s.
During his time at Corcoran, Mark won two Central Section championships in 1998 and 2000.
“It was special for two reasons,” Mark said. “No. 1, it was special for my wife to kiss her and have her there, to share that moment with her. And No. 2, it was also special to have Matt Sozinho there, who is one of the finest individuals in the Valley. He’s a dear friend, so to have those two, my wife and Matt, at center court, it was awesome.”
Tulare Union (31-5) concluded its outstanding season on March 10 with a deep playoff run in the CIF State Division IV Championships before falling 74-66 to No. 3 San Juan Hills, of Orange County, in the Southern Regional championship game at Sim Iness Gym.
Under Hatton’s leadership, the Tribe posted state playoff victories over Salesian, 60-51, Valencia, 71-53, and Vasquez, 73-70, to become the winningest team in Tulare County single-season history with 31 victories.
“Coach Hatton, he knows what he’s talking about,” Riley said. “He’s been coaching in high school for a long time. He knows what he is doing.”
Mark also became the Central Section’s all-time winningest boys basketball coach this winter and increased his section-leading wins total to 597, just three wins shy of victory No. 600.
On the way to that number, the Tribe captured two tournament championships, winning the Andrew Bedoya Holiday Classic and Polly Wilhelmsen Invitational titles. They also claimed a share of the West Yosemite League crown for the second straight year.
“There’s a lot to look up to there,” Wyatt said. “He has a long list of just wins. He now has three Valley championships under his belt. Four, actually, because one’s in boys’ golf. It’s been a long time coming for him, and we finally did it this year.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare Union Hatton basketball family completes storybook season
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
