Page 9 - Sanger Herald 12-28-17 E-edition

SangerSports
SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
Varsity basketball programs enter new year ready to battle
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Sanger's boys and girls varsity basketball teams continue to ramp up the offense and pour on the defense as they finish 2017 and move into January and possibly into position to make a run on the post- season.
The Lady Apaches are 4-5 overall, having beaten Clovis East 65-63 on Dec. 15 with much of the point production coming from senior Savannah Rocha and freshman Taylor Roth. Both scored 17 points.
Sanger master statistician Ron Blackwood singled Roth out for praise. "She became the ninth girl in Lady Apaches' history to have five triples in one game," he wrote in his game notes. "Plus, it is a frosty class record."
The Exeter Monarchs handed Sanger a loss of
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
The Lady Apaches have a young team this year, but they're learning to work together and have a number of offensive talents, in scoring and rebounding.
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
The boys team came off a third in an Ojai tournament and a first at the Hoover Holiday Invitational. Coach Al Alvarado has built a strong program that looks to make a statement.
a firefight. "In the first half, the two teams tied twice and each led twice," Blackwood said. "But the Apaches came out on fire led by all-tourney (Cameron) Stanley's two triples. And never looked back."
Stanley, a junior, finished with 24 points and five three-pointers against Dinuba. Junior Sal Dhillon finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
"So far this year, Sanger finished third in the Nordhoff Tournament (in Ojai), won the H.I.T. and finished third in the Polly. Wow," Blackwood said.
The boys play this week in the Varsity Clovis Elks Tournament.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerheraldsports@gmail. com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
At halftime Dec. 20, the Apache varsity soccer team had a comfortable 2-0 lead over visiting Selma, but first-year coach Alex Gutierrez recognized an opportunity.
He saw a spark in his young but talented team. And he wanted to fan that flame.
“I want you to come out with fire in the second half,” he told his assembled team. They had gathered on a corner of the field in Tom Flores Stadium.
Gutierrez had said the first five minutes of the half would be the most important, the most likely time for the Bears to stage a comeback. He told his team to maintain their intensity.
They did.
Sophomore Gabriel Torres scored the first goal, and sophomore Luis Villegas added the second with an assist from Torres to close out the first half with about 13 minutes remaining. Then senior Adrian Recinos added the third to make a statement in the second half.
Senior Gurjot Singh blasted in the fourth goal with about 22 minutes left in the game and nearly slammed another home a few plays later. That left the score 4-0.
Which should have been the end of it.
Until it wasn’t. Senior Hans Findor got the call to suit up. He stripped off his dark blue sweats and began warming up in what had become a rather chilly evening down on the field. The big 6-foot 3-inch exchange student with even bigger hair from Oslo, Norway was ready.
More than ready.
When Gutierrez gave him the signal, he entered the game. His teammates were ready as well. The Apache backfield allowed the somewhat demoralized but hard-fighting Selma team no respite. They controlled the ball and fed it forward — right to Findor.
His first attempt toward the Bears’ goal was turned
Miike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Jorge Resendiz, No. 22, passes to senior Adrian Recinos in a game at Tom Flores Stadium against the Selma Bears. The Apaches won 5-0. The final goal was scored by exchange student Hans Findor, No. 25, below right.
60-55, but Sanger stayed in the game, nearly closing the gap in the final minutes. Senior Stephanie Herring scored 10 points and junior Cu-Nisha Mitchell scored 16. Rocha nabbed 14 rebounds. Freshman Jackie Kulow scored 9 points.
The girls play this week in the Buchanan New Year's Classic.
The boys, with a 10-2 record as of Tuesday, won the Hoover Holiday Invitational Tournament on Dec. 16 with a 70-55 rout of Kerman. Seniors Romeo Little with 13 points and Morice Norris with 19 points led scoring for the Apaches in that game.
However, on Dec. 20 the steamrolling boys team
ground to a halt with a 62-58 loss to the Monache Marauders of Porterville.
"The Apaches got off to a flat start and could never get that jump start," Blackwood said.
But Sanger bounced back in style, powering through the rest of the lineup in the Polly Wilhelmsen
Tournament at Redwood High in Visalia. The Apaches beat Hanford West 80-58 on Dec. 21 and Golden West of Visalia 68-57. In the consolation championship Dec. 23, the Apaches took out Dinuba, 9-4 overall, with a score of 78-68.
The game with the Emperors proved to be
Boys soccer closes out 2017 on high note
away. But that effort invigorated his teammates on the sideline. Singh and fellow seniors Omreep Mander and Hector Sanchez cheered him on. And they were joined by the rest of the Apaches and their support crew.
Findor played like a natural. Maybe he heard the sideline commotion. Maybe he didn’t. He played like he belonged, and the Apaches performed exactly as Guiterrez had encouraged at the half.
When Findor scored the fifth goal that night for the home team, those on the field and in the stands got loud. Football loud.
“It’s just amazing,” Findor said after the game. “Nine minutes (on the field). I’ve been waiting to play the last four to five games. It’s exciting.”
The final was 5-0.
“Way to close out (the year),” Gutierrez said to the assembled team after the obligatory handshakes with the Bears and the referees. “With fire. That’s
what I wanted to see. That’s the mindset we have to have against every team.
“Keep that fire. Keep that anger. Channel it into the team. Let’s build on that, boys. Let’s continue to build.
“Let’s make some history.”
Gutierrez most recently coached as an assistant at McLane High School, but he was quick to point out that he’s a fully credentialed Apache — class of 2004. And he said he’s got a good team.
“It was good to see our young team step up,” he said.
The Apaches are 7-7-1 overall and may have found their stride. Sanchez, who will be sidelined for another three weeks with an injured hamstring, said Sanger’s chief rivals this year in the California Interscholastic Federation Central Section Division II are Madera South and, to a lesser degree, Edison.
“We’re growing a lot,” Sanchez said. “A lot. We
actually play as a unit now. Better communication. We’re not perfect, but we have chemistry. We’re not selfish.”
Mander agreed.
“We’re improving,” he said. “We’re taking little steps at a time. Every game we’re getting a little better. We’re learning how to play together.”
Mander acknowledged the lack of age on this version of the team. Just
five seniors returned from the previous season. He and Sanchez, a forward and the team’s captain, started. Four freshmen joined the ranks and five sophomores completed the roster.
Singh stepped up. He said he’s offering the newer members guidance. Of his goal, he said initially, “I thought I missed. I just found my way and took the shot.”
Gutierrez said he
was pleased with the performance. “That’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. “Build. Get that fire. Every time.”
The next game for the Apaches is 5 p.m. Jan. 2 at Tulare Western.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerheraldsports@gmail. com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.