Page 9 - Mid Valley Times 12-16-21 e-Edition

Thursday, December 16, 2021
Sanger boys soccer upends state's top seed
Hernandez goal in second OT lifts Apaches past Clovis East
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Two overtimes. Seven goals. More than a thousand emotion- al fans roaring throughout on a crisp late fall evening in Tom Flores Stadium on Dec. 10.
What else would you expect in a showdown between the top two ranked boys soccer teams in California?
In the end, it was the heroics of Sanger High midfielder Julio Hernandez with two overtime goals — the latter in the sec- ond OT on a penalty shot kick in the 99th minute — to give the Apaches (5-0-1) a stirring 4-3 victory over Clovis East High. The Timberwolves (6-1) entered the highly-touted show- down ranked number one in the state and seventh nationally by MaxPreps.
PEÑA
Continued from page A1
son John — rolled through CMAC opposi- tion and captured the championship with a road victory at San Joa- quin Memorial.
Sanger had its lone sub-.500 season under Peña this fall, finishing 5-6 during a COVID- plagued campaign that featured two canceled games with one even- tually made up and the other rescheduled with another opponent on short notice.
"It hasn't been an easy road for any of us these past 20 months, but thanks to you and your sons we've been able to play some foot- ball. I'm very grateful for that," Peña said in the letter. "I'm also very proud of the young men I've had the opportunity to coach; it's been a plea- sure spending time with them and creating rela- tionships that I hope will last a lifetime."
Peña coached for 33 seasons as SHS, begin- ning as an assistant un- der head coach Chuck Shidan for six cam- paigns before posting a 19-1 mark as Apaches' junior varsity coach in 1996-97. After two sea- sons as varsity assistant working with defensive backs, quarterbacks and special teams, he em-
“I want to give credit to my boys and the coaching staff, the players kept their poise and came back to get the job done,” said SHS coach Alex Gutierrez.
It was a match of ebbs and flows, one that saw Sanger jump to a 2-0 halftime lead, a Clovis East surge that tied the match at 2-all after regulation. Hernandez scored on a follow shot in the 87th minute of the first OT to thrill the Apaches faithful on the westside of the stadium, but a hand ball call in the box gave CE its second penalty kick of the night. Aaron Huerta converted on the shot to again square the match near the end of the first OT.
The emotion of the match was displayed after the goal, when Huerta celebrated with a “hush” gesture to the crowd and was issued a second yellow
LEFT: Julio Hernandez slid in celebration after his first of two overtime goals on Dec. 10.
ABOVE: The Apaches' Alessandro Minzoni con- trolled the dribble against a Clovis East defender.
Photos by Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
card and subsequent red card. That put the visitors down a man for the second OT, and the Apaches took advantage.
Sanger cranked up the of- fensive push, and drew a pen- alty call in the box. Hernandez got the call on the penalty kick, and hammered a high shot off the bottom of the crossbar and
into the goal past CE goalkeep- er Kyle LaGrasse. Sanger then rebuffed the Timberwolves in the remaining two minutes of stoppage time to finish off the triumphant victory.
The Apaches’ first half goals came from Josh Sandoval and Aaron Carrillo, the first score on a nice centering feed from
Alessandro Minzoni. Timber- wolves senior Joey Chavez – the nephew of Sanger coach Guti- errez, followed his own blocked penalty kick for the first goal and later tied the match with a follow shot in the final seven minutes of regulation.
SeeSOCCERonpage A16
Dinuba boys hoop win Bedoya title
barked on a 16-season run as longtime coach Shidan's offensive co- ordinator that included four Central Section title teams.
During Peña's quar- ter century as Shidan's right-hand man pri- marily on offense, the Apaches collected six CMAC and two West Yo- semite League champi- onships, twice finishing as section runners-up in addition to the four titles. Twice, he coached with Sanger's staff in the City-County Game (1997 and 1999).
As a head varsity coach, the 2020-21 CMAC crown was Peña's crown- ing achievement, and he was the head coach for the victorious County squad in June 2021.
Peña said in the let- ter he plans to contin- ue teaching at the high school, and will com- plete his football com- mitments through the end of the year.
Brian Penner, SHS athletic director, said the school is thankful to Peña for his years of service and devotion to SHS football. He said the search is under way for a replacement, and they hope to make an an- nouncement in the near future.
Emperors' Martinez voted
MVP of Andrew Bedoya
Holiday Classic tournament
MVT Staff Report
The host Dinuba High Emperors captured the championship of their own Andrew Bedoya Hol- liday Classic on Dec. 11, building a first half lead and never relinquishing it in a 47-39 victory over the Lemoore High Tigers at DHS gym.
Isaiah Martinez, vot- ed Most Valuable Play- er of the tournament, scored 12 points while Javier Torres and Kiene Prendez added 10 points apiece. All-tourney selec- tion Jesus Lara had six points and 15 rebounds for the Emperors (10- 1), whose lone loss this season came 60-59 on a three-point buzzer beat- er against Nipomo in the Kingsburg Tournament.
Martinez had 16 points in an 80-44 rout of Ken- nedy-Delano in the tour- ney opener on Dec. 8. He later had a team-high 22
points in a 51-38 win over previously unbeaten Sel- ma on Dec 9. Point guard and all-tourney selection Anthony Harp scored 22 points in a 69-57 semifinal win over Tulare Western on Dec. 10.
Dinuba went for its second straight Central Sequoia League win on Dec. 14 at Selma High (results were unavailable at press time). The Emps then host Kerman at 7 p.m Thursday, Dec. 16, before traveling to Visa- lia on Monday, Dec. 20, to face Monache High of Porterville in the opening round of the 70th annual Polly Wilhelmsen Classic. Pirates split four
at Morro Bay tourney
Reedley High (4-6) went 2-2 in Morro Bay tournament action last week, defeating Santa Maria by a 78-73 score in double overtime and top- ping host Morro Bay, 49- 41. The Pirates also lost
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Dinuba High's Noah Gonzalez, left, and Javier Torres slapped on full court pressure against Selma guard Nic Esparza (1) during the Emperors' 51-38 tournament win on Dec. 9.
big to a pair of Division I schools; 94-29 against Clo- vis East and 91-21 against Centennial-Bakersfield.
Reedley, which also lost 68-47 at Sierra Pa- cific-Hanford in a Dec. 7 non-league game, played Madera on Dec. 14 and then hosts Kingsburg at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec 16. The Pirates face host Mt. Whitney at 7:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, at the Wilhelmsen Classic. Apaches drop four
at CW Nike Tourney
Sanger (5-6) had a rough week at the Clo- vis West Nike Invita- tional, getting beaten by Modesto Christian (77-32 on Dec. 7), runner-up Clo- vis North (69-53 on Dec. 8), Independence-Bakers- field (61-37 on Dec. 10) and Bakersfield Christian (63-56 on Dec 11),
The Apaches are idle until a Thursday, Dec, 23, non-league game against Hoover High in Fresno.
Sebastian Olivera
Dinuba High football
Dinuba High's Sebastian Olivera (1) recently was voted Central Sequoia League Offensive Player of the
Year for the 2021 football season. The senior running back rushed
for 1,330 yards (6.8 average) and 17 touchdowns, caught 22 passes for 387 yards with four TDs and also threw a touchdown pass as the Emperors reached the Central Section Division III semifinals.
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