Agape Freedom Sports LLC

By: Jeric Yurkanin | Agape Freedom Sports LLC

If you’re from the Mid Valley area and your last name is Cortazar—and you’ve got that Cortazar DNA—you almost feel obligated to play sports the minute you’re born.

It’s not really a decision. It’s a family tradition you don’t sign up for… you just inherit it. Before you can even tie your shoes, you’re already hearing the stories—the ones that get told at cookouts, in gyms, in bleachers, and at family gatherings like they’re part of the family Bible.

And Lakeland Chiefs senior Cole Tonkin grew up on those stories.

“I fell in love once I touched my first basketball. I played ever since I was a kid playing everyday outside. I realized I was a good player this year because I put in so much work and effort to be the best player I could be, but I’m not done getting better yet,” said Tonkin.

The stories came from everywhere.

They came from his grandfather, Jamie Cortazar—a name that still carries weight around the Valley. They came from his mother, Jessica Cortazar (now Jessica Tonkin), the ace shortstop for the Mid Valley Spartanettes in the early 2000s, who helped push Mid Valley softball on a District 2 title run before falling to Bishop O’Hara, 9–5. They came from the stands, too—watching family chase big moments, like when Cole saw his aunt step onto the PIAA state softball championship stage in 2023.

“I’ve heard a lot of great stories on how good of an athlete my grandfather was, and I’m very thankful to be in a family full of athletes,” Tonkin said.

But these weren’t just “good athlete” stories.

These were legend stories.

Because Jamie Cortazar was that rare early-to-mid 1980s three-sport guy—the kind who didn’t just participate… he excelled. Running back for the Mid Valley Spartans. A basketball player who could fill it up. A baseball hitter who flat-out raked—batting .405 as a sophomore with a .658 on-base percentage.

And the craziest part?

He was leaving fingerprints on scorebooks before high school.

In eighth grade, Jamie dropped 48 points for Olyphant St. Patrick’s to power a 75–49 win over the Jermyn Sportsmen. Another night? 41 points. Back in 1980, he was averaging around 30 points per game in eighth grade. And at the junior high level, he became a 1,000-point career scorer.

That’s not just “back in the day.”

That’s the kind of stuff that becomes family folklore.

Those are heavy shoes to grow up around.

Cole heard the rumors. He heard the “you know who his mom is?” and “that’s Jaime’s grandson” talk. But as a kid, you don’t always absorb what it means. You just know your family is proud, the names come up often, and people smile when they tell the stories. And Cole? He’s handled it the right way—humble, grateful, and steady.

“I’m very thankful to continue a family full of athletes,” Tonkin said. “You know my mom was a very good athlete, my aunts were, and my grandparents were—so it’s just awesome to be able to do what they used to do.”

Then Cole made the turn that mattered most.

He wasn’t going to write his chapter at Mid Valley.

He was going to write it at Lakeland—different school, different colors, different gym, different expectations.

And the family followed him without hesitation.

The same grandparents who once wore Mid Valley attire swapped it out for Lakeland Chiefs gear on game nights, because that’s what this family does: they show up. They travel in packs. They don’t miss much.

Cole’s aunts are locked in. His parents are all in. And the Cortazar–Tonkin crew doesn’t just support one athlete—they support them all. That includes cheering on Krista Cortazar (a 2025 Mid Valley graduate), now a freshman at Keystone College, making noise on the basketball court like she did for the Spartanettes—and getting ready for softball in the spring. No matter the gym, no matter the jersey, the Cortazar family is going to be there.

Because in this family, sports aren’t just something you play.

They’re something you carry.

And Cole is carrying it well.

Tonkin is averaging around 9 points per game and ranks third on the Chiefs in scoring behind teammates Chase Rosenkrans and David Naniewicz, with around 117 points this season. And when Cole gets rolling from deep, it shifts the entire energy of a game.

“When Cole can get going with his threes it gives our offense a spark and really helps our team’s confidence,” said teammate and senior David Naniewicz.

Cole had one of his biggest stretches back in December during the Turonis Tournament, scoring 27 points and earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

“Cole is a very good teammate and he put in a lot of basketball work during the summer,” Naniewicz said. “Cole practices hard and makes sure to bring energy to practice.”

This season also marked a huge milestone—Cole’s first year as a varsity starter—and his work paid off immediately. One game, he came out flaming.

“Starting off the game hitting 4 threes in the 1st quarter was definitely a confidence booster and that helped me finish with 6,” Tonkin said. “I just felt really good about my shot and I just kept shooting every opportunity I had.”

And he explained the shooter mindset that separates the good from the great:

“If I’m hot early I’ll definitely keep hunting for the three, but if I miss 1 or 2 I’ll let the game play out because I know my opportunity to shoot another one will come later in the game.”

He credits the people around him for helping him grow—because shooters don’t get open by accident.

“I would definitely say my coaches and my teammates,” Tonkin said. “My coaches Coach Tellip and Coach Toolan have plays for me to get a shot off, and all my teammates look for me in the game to get me open shots, so I can’t do it without them.”

And make no mistake—Cole Tonkin is a Cortazar by blood…

…but he’s a die-hard Chief by heart.

He bleeds red, white, and blue. He loves his Lakeland Chiefs and the talent around him. And he wouldn’t want it any other way. Honestly, who could blame him? I can’t—I’m a 2002 Lakeland alum. I had gym class in that same gym. I ran cross country and track at Lakeland. I know how special that place is.

“No doubt in my mind I would pick Lakeland,” Tonkin said. “All of my family played their sports at Mid Valley and had their moments and memories there, but I love playing basketball here for my school Lakeland where I can have my own moments and memories.”

And when it comes to staying locked in—especially when shots aren’t falling—Cole leans on the voice that knows pressure best: his mom, Jessica, the former Mid Valley basketball and softball all-star.

“My mom was definitely a great athlete in her high school career,” Cole said. “I definitely think I got the quick hands from her because I’m very good at just catching the ball and shooting it right away, so that gives the defense less time to react.”

He continued:

“My mom and dad definitely tells me to just stay focused and to get out of my head if I miss a couple three pointers. I may doubt myself and lose my confidence to shoot, but she always reminds me to keep my head up and keep shooting no matter what, and to always play hard and just have fun.”

That’s Cole Tonkin in a nutshell.

Cortazar DNA.

Lakeland heart.

And as a senior, when he got his year to shine?

He didn’t just shine…

He made sure everybody noticed.

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