Page 9 - Mid Valley Times 7-29-21 E-edition

Immanuel hires new football coach
Thursday, July 29, 2021
A good
number
of region
athletes
at FPU
MVT Staff Report
Once again, Fres- no Pacific University athletics will be rep- resented by students from the Mid Valley Times coverage area.
Starting with fall sports, sophomore Zaylynn Mangrum (Sanger High) and freshman Abby Del- port (Reedley High) are members of the Sunbirds' women's water polo squad. In cross country. Sanger High product Juan Zamora begins his sophomore season.
For winter sports, the Fresno Pacific men's basketball team has a strong re- gional influence. Im- manuel; High product Nate Kendricks, who played for head coach C.J. Haydock and as- sistant coach Nate McClure while with the Eagles, will be a key veteran for the Sunbirds in 2021-22.
Also on FPU's square are sophomore Alejandro Mendible, a Sanger High prod- uct, and redshirt se- nior Darrin Person Jr. The transfer from Cal State Bakersfield starred for Immanuel High as a prep.
Soccer players for FPU this season are grad student Hugo Hernandez (Sanger) and freshman Isaac Cardenas (Reedley) for the men and senior Julissa Mercado (Di- nuba) for the women.
Sunbird spring sports teams feature players from Imman- uel and Reedley in baseball. In track and field, three Sanger High alumni and one Dinuba High alum are on the team.
Josh Henderson built
state power in 10-year
run at Bethel Christian
to the school following an abbreviated spring season. The Lancers ul- timately didn't play in Spring 2021 as a num- ber of players left the program after he an- nounced his departure. An April 6 article in the Los Angeles Daily News, new leadership at the school (affiliated with the Grace Church of Simi Valley) decided to scale back the scope and emphasis of the football program.
At Immanuel, Hen- derson will take the reins of a program that has been playing an in- dependent schedule for football, but has a con- nection to the Central Se- quoia League that will be bolstered by the addition of Reedley High in the 2022-2023 school year. The Eagles went 1-1 in an abbreviated spring 2021 schedule, and despite the graduating of key play- ers such as Winston Wil- liams and Michael Kawa- goe, the team has a solid nucleus led by returning quarterback Hector Da- vila III.
Henderson arrived in town this week to be- gin his new duties and to meet players and stu- dents.
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Immanuel High School has tapped one of the more successful coaches from Southern California to take over the football program for the 2021 fall season.
Josh Henderson, who compiled a 94-32 record coaching 10 seasons at Grace Brethren in Simi Valley while leading the Lancers to a Division 2AA state title in 2018 along with two South- ern Regional and four Southern Section titles, was announced as the Eagles' new coach in a news release on July 23. He succeeds Drew Halstead, who accepted a teaching job and head football coaching posi- tion at Parlier High after posting a 10-4 record in two abbreviated seasons.
“We are excited to have Josh Henderson join our staff and to lead the football program. He isamanofGodwhoun- derstands how to build
young men, programs, and communities” said Ryan Wood, Immanuel Schools
Superin-
tendent
in the
news
release.
“We feel
blessed
to add
someone
of his
charac- Henderson
ter, integrity, and proven success on the football field.”
In the release, Hen- derson — who also will serve as the school's as- sociate athletic director — said he was excited to take the job and what he called an "incredible op- portunity."
"Immanuel is a school that teaches Jesus, has strong Christian leader- ship, and is striving to be great!" he said in the statement.
"They have amazing people, excellent facili- ties, and are postured for growth! I am look-
Josh
Kirk Kawagoe / Photo Contributed
Junior quarterback Hector Davila III, scoring a touchdown in a game against Yosemite High this spring, leads a core of returning players for new coach Josh Henderson. The school announced Henderson's hiring on July 23.
ing forward to meeting the team this week!”
Henderson coached Grace Brethren into one of Southern California's leading medium schools football powers since arriving at the school in 2010. In his 21 years of coaching, his teams have captured 12 league championships and he has been named Max Preps Mediums Schools Coach of the Year and Cal-High State Coach of the Year honors.
Grace Brethren built
itself into a state power during Henderson's ten- ure, moving up from the small schools Fron- tier League in Ventura County to the Tri-Val- ley League and Camino League (during that period, the school won six consecutive league titles). The school then had been moved up to the powerful Marmonte League before the CO- VID-19 pandemic.
Henderson an- nounced back in March that he wouldn't return
Reedley High's new soccer field
The grass was growing on a hot summer afternoon at Reedley High School's new soccer field facility. The project was completed earlier this summer. The facility includes a natural grass field, ticket booth, iron gat- ing and fencing, and bleachers for fans. The field will serve as the home grounds for Reedley High's three- time North Yosemite League champion boys program and the league-contending girls team. Soccer has been playing on the field turf surface at Sal Gonzalez Field in the football stadium. With schools returning to more traditional athletic schedules after the delayed COVID-19 2021 spring season, the Pirates will begin practice in November and start matches the end of the month. The soccer season traditionally runs dur- ing Winter Sports, from November through February.
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Sanger Youth Soccer sets fall registration signups
DINUBA ATHLETIC PROFILE
Salute to all Dinuba High
2021 student athletes
We salute all the Dinuba High School student-athletes who competed during a 2020-21 sports year shortened and abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Best of luck to all returning DHS student-athletes who will participate in sports during the 2021-22 school year starting this fall!
MVT Staff Report
Sanger Youth Soccer has scheduled registration dates for its 2021 Fall League, which will begin the season on Saturday, Sept. 18.
Registration will take place at Greenwood Park (Palm and Greenwood avenues) from 8 to 11 a.m. this Saturday, July 31. Signups also will runs on Wednesday, Aug 11 (5 to 8 p.m.) and Saturday, Aug. 21 (8 to 11
a.m.) at Greenwood Park. Players not registered by these dates will have a late free, and will not be guaranteed place- ment on a team. For more infor- mation, go to the Sanger Youth
Soccer page on Facebook.
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