Derek Stephens was an outstanding two-sport athlete for most of his Napa High School career and was recruited to be the kicker for the football team in his senior year, after three fine years as a soccer player. His primary sport was basketball and three years as pivot man for the Indians resulted in a number of recognition awards for him. In football, Stephens’s one year was limited to the kicking game, but he had a good percentage of conversion kicks for the Monticello Empire champion Indians and earned a spot on the All-County team. As a sophomore JV soccer player, Stephens was called up to the varsity to play in the section playoffs for the MEL champions. In his junior and senior campaigns, he helped the Indians repeat as MEL soccer champions, and earned All-County honors as a senior. In his three years as a starter for the basketball team, Stephens earned many individual honors. He was Napa Register Athlete of the Week on many occasions during his junior and seniors years, was on the All-County team for three years, Wine Valley Tournament All-Star for three years and All-Tournament MVP for two years, MEL All-League Honorable Mention as a sophomore and MEL All-League in his last two years. In addition, he was the Napa High team captain and Most Valuable Player in his junior and senior years. Despite a knee injury in his senior year, Stephens earned a basketball scholarship to Lewis and Clark College. A reoccurrence of the knee injury, which resulted in an unsuccessful surgery, cut his college sports career short, but he graduated in 2000 and then obtained his Masters Degree in Education at Chapman University. He is now a teacher and varsity basketball coach at Steele Canyon High School in Spring Valley California. Stephens entered the NHS Athletic Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
