Dayton Hastings and Noah Riojas are best friends. They’ve been so for a few years.
Both are seventh graders at Frontier Academy in Greeley where they bond over basketball and the teachings and coaching styles of Louie Riojas, Noah’s father.
The friendship between the two is different, though. The two friends enjoy basketball and other things preteens do, but this duo has formed a connection that is set to last them beyond middle and high school. That connection was forged by six letters no one ever wants to hear or see put together.
Cancer.
Dayton Hastings, middle, shoots in front of his friend Noah Riojas, left, as coach Louie Riojas watches during the teams practice at the Family FunPlex on Tuesday in Greeley. Louie is currently going through cancer treatments. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Louie, their science teacher and basketball coach, has cancer. It’s his second time battling it in nearly a year.
On April 28, 2024, Riojas learned for the first time he had cancer. It was found on his tonsils. It spread to the top of his mouth and then to the lymph nodes in his neck. Two months ago, Riojas learned it returned.
His final day teaching science was Dec. 14, 2024. He informed the school administration about his battle, and they broke the news to students. Noah had third-period science with his father, so students would ask him what was happening with their teacher. Along with Noah, Riojas — whose students gave him the nickname “Mr. Real House” — has two other children attending Frontier.
“It was definitely tough,” Noah said about hearing the news. “I was just devastated that I wouldn’t have my dad in class anymore. It was a little weird going to school without him there.”
The news made its way to Dayton. After the initial shock, he swiftly got to work figuring out how to help his best friend’s father.
“I thought about it, and I thought maybe we can do something about it to help him,” Dayton said.
Dayton eventually came up with the idea for a basketball five-on-five fundraising tournament.
The tournament will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Ave., Greeley. It’s a double-elimination tournament with 10-minute running quarters. Middle school through adult teams are welcome to play. A raffle and silent auction will also take place.
The owners of Play It Again Sports, 3532 W. 10th St., Suite A, Greeley, paid the rental fee for the courts at the FunPlex.
On Tuesday, Riojas said Richter Orthodontics in Greeley donated a full treatment for braces to the silent auction.
“I’m truly grateful for it,” Riojas said.
Dayton’s mother, Bianca Hastings, said when her son told her his idea, she was proud of him not only because of his desire to help someone else but also because their family knows what it’s like to see a loved one fight cancer.
When Dayton was 5 years old, his little sister Miley was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, when she was just 2 years old. She fought and won her battle at the age of 5 and has been cancer-free since.
“Before that (Miley’s diagnosis), we really didn’t know too much about cancer. It’s affected us like no other,” Bianca said. “It’s also made us have more sense of purpose.”
Bianca owns the hair salon Blonde By Bianca in the Eleven Salon located above Cheba Hut at 4239 Centerplace Drive, Unit 1H, Greeley. She has been located there for three years, giving free haircuts to cancer patients — a service she began providing in 2019 after Miley was diagnosed.
Even though cancer has affected their families, Riojas humbly said childhood cancer is “a lot more devastating than adult cancer, in my opinion.” The two families talk about their experience fighting cancer. Bianca said they encourage and check in with each other. Moreover, those conversations have left no doubt in Riojas’ thinking that if someone in his family has to fight cancer, it’s him.
“Hearing their story, it makes me grateful for one thing: I’m the one who has cancer and not one of my kids,” he said. “I know parents always say if one of their children had cancer, (they ask) why couldn’t it have been me? So I’m at least thankful that it is me. If it were one of my kids, it would be devastating. It would probably be worse, to be honest, than having cancer.”
“I love him,” Noah said of his father’s comment. “He would rather take the hit than his kids. I love him. I’m thankful for him.”
On June 11, 2024, Riojas had his first surgery after his initial diagnosis. It was a neck dissection that removed his lymph nodes.
After that surgery, Riojas thought his fight was over. He thought life was returning to normal.
After he completed his five-month scans post-surgery, his radiation oncologist called two days later to inform him the scans indicated something in the back of his throat. He needed to undergo another scan that detects and shows the stages of cancer, as well as monitors treatment effectiveness.
The scan confirmed what the oncologist suspected: Riojas’ cancer was back.
Louie Riojas, right, and his son Noah Riojas watch during basketball practice at the Family FunPlex in Greeley on Tuesday. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)The cancer is in the back of his throat, close to his spine. The latter doesn’t allow for surgical removal, so he is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In the past three weeks, “Mr. Real House” has had 15 radiation treatments and three chemo treatments.
He receives chemo every Monday and has three more treatments left. He gets radiation Monday-Friday. He will undergo a total of 33 radiation treatments, which he receives at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Banner North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.
Riojas said it took convincing from his older children to accept the help, but now that he has, he’s hoping to pay it forward. It’s his intention to make the basketball tournament an annual event that helps someone else in the community.
Both families said the bond they’ve formed is an everlasting one. Dayton said his friendship with Noah has grown throughout this process of helping Mr. Real House.
“It’s good to help people,” Dayton said.
Teams can register by calling Riojas at 970-545-9669 or Bianca at 626-241-3748. You can also register your team at Play It Again Sports. Noah, Dayton and Bianca said they plan on playing in the tournament.
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