Santa Rosa’s Christian Vela signed his national letter of intent Friday at the Elma Barrera Elementary gymnasium, committing to continue his academic and basketball career at Dallas Christian College, a National Christian College Athletic Association Division II university that competes in the Southwest Region.
He helped guide the Warriors to their 17th consecutive district title as a senior, leading the league in points scored with 274. Vela’s top performance of the regular season came during a Feb. 5 matchup against the Brownsville Jubilee Titans, tallying 34 points and 19 rebounds during the Warriors’ 100-61 victory.
Vela was a driving force for the Warriors during the postseason, averaging 20 points per game while guiding the team to an appearance in the Elite Eight, including a 32-point, nine-rebound performance against the San Diego Vaqueros during the Region IV-3A quarterfinals.
He finished the season averaging 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game, earning him District 32-3A first team honors for the second time in his career, his first coming during his sophomore campaign.
Vela joins the Crusaders following a three-year career with the Warriors, spending all three seasons as a starter for the team, including earning the District 32-3A Defensive MVP award as a junior.