Page 13 - Mid Valley Times 2-27-20 E-edition

Thursday, February 27, 2020
Dinuba falls to Hoover
in Division 3 quarterfinals
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
In a quarterfinals game of the Central Sec- tion Division III playoffs, the home court of Hoover High felt more like a Di- nuba High home game.
A great Dinuba crowd that included a band and cheer squad were on hand to see the battle, but in the end, it was the Patriots who advanced to the semifinals with a 52- 44 win over the Emperors on Feb. 20.
Dinuba ends the sea- son with a 23-7 overall record.
“We played one of our best defensive games of the year holding a very explosive Hoover team to 52 points,” stated coach Jeff Schofield. “Unfortu- nately, we did not have one of our better shooting nights. The boys played their hearts out as they have all season, couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The senior class has won 50 games over the last two season, which is more than any 2 year span in program history, according to Schofield.
“We are losing a very good senior class, but look forward to the future with some strong return- ers and good talent at the lower levels,” Schofield said.
See DINUBA on page B2
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
The Sanger High varsity boys soccer team pose with the Central Section Division 2 title plaque after defeating Dinuba, 4-1, at Tom Flores Stadium on Feb. 21. It was the Apache's first Valley championship in soccer.
Sanger plays for a chance at Valley title
MVT Staff Report
Tuesday night, the Sanger High varsity boys’ basketball team traveled to Bakersfield to take on No. 1 seeded Bakersfield Christian in the semifinals of the Central Section’s Division 3 playoffs. A win would send the Apaches to Seland Arena in Fresno tomorrow night for the championship game.
Results from Tuesday night’s game were not available at press time, but overcoming the Ea- gles would be a tall task as Bakersfield Christian entered the match with a 21-6 overall record.
Sanger, the No. 4 seed, entered the contest with a 17-13 record and on a two- game winning streak after dismantling No. 13 Fron- tier in the first round, 80- 48, and then holding on for a 62-55 victory over North High in the quarterfinals.
The winner between Sanger and Bakersfield Christian will take on the winner between No. 2 Garces Memorial and No. 3 Hoover for the division title.
•••
As for the Lady Apach- es, their season came to an end on Feb. 21 after fall- ing to No. 3 Frontier, 62- 50, in the Division 3 quar- terfinals.
Sanger, which entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, managed to squeeze out a 45-42 victory at home against Morro Bay in the first round on Feb. 19.
Apaches are Valley Champs
By Rick Curiel
Mid Valley Times
It’s been a magical year for Sanger High’s varsity boys’ soc- cer team. After winning their first league title in nearly four de- cades, the Apaches went on a war- path through the Central Section’s Division 2 playoffs and capped it off with a 4-1 championship vic- tory over No. 2 Dinuba on Feb. 21.
Sanger’s first Valley champi- onship in soccer couldn’t come in a more spectacular way for the Apaches. The team earned the No. 1 seed in the Division 2 brack- et after going 18-3-5 during the regular season. Along with having home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Apaches also gained an advantage in their first two playoff games with matches against familiar opponents.
Sanger took on Edison and
Madera South in their first two playoff games, teams the Apach- es played twice each during their league schedule this past sea- son as part of the CMAC. Nei- ther match resulted in a loss for Sanger.
Results for the playoffs didn’t change, though they didn’t come easy. The Apaches beat Edison convincingly, both times, during league play, beating the Tigers 3-1 and 3-0. But in the Division 2 quarterfinals, the Apaches need- ed overtime to defeat Edison, 3-2.
Madera South, last year’s Cen- tral Section’s Division 3 champi- ons and Division 3 state cham- pions, represented a hurdle the Apaches could not quite get over during league play. Both matches this year ended in a draw, the first a 1-1 tie after double overtime and the second a 0-0 stalemate.
But in their Feb. 19 semifinals
match, Sanger wasted no time taking the upper hand in this year’s championship race with a goal in the second minute of play. The Apaches then sealed their championship bid with a goal in the 68th minute by Sanger High junior Johan Prado for the 2-0 vic- tory.
The win over the Stallions set up a championship match with No. 2 Dinuba, who had just won back-to-back league titles while putting together consecutive un- defeated campaigns in the Cen- tral Sequoia League.
Dinuba earned their cham- pionship bid by beating Tulare Union, 2-1, in the quarterfinals and then earning a 2-1 victory in an overtime thriller against Madera.
The meeting between Sanger
SeeAPACHESonpage B2
Orosi wins section crown in overtime
Reedley girls
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
The Orosi High girls soccer team captured the Central Section Division IV crown in thrilling fash- ion with a 2-1 overtime win over East-Bakersfield Friday night at George Millhorn Stadium.
The victory was just as sweet for returners from last season’s squad who came up short in the title game at home against Washington Union.
“It means so much to me that we won,” said ju- nior Melanie Davila. “I’ve been playing with them since we were five and six years old. We’ve been playing forever and I just think it feels real great to be able for them to leave for college with a reward this big.”
The 3 seed Lady Car- dinals improved to 22-1-6 while No. 4 East dropped to 26-4-2.
Senior midfielder Emi- ly Gonzalez got by an East defender sending a pass into the Blades defense where senior teammate Amber Apodaca drilled the ball in for a goal half- way through the first overtime period.
“That’s Emily for you,”
hoops out in D4
George M. Villagrana / Mid Valley Times
Orosi High players and coaches celebrate after a hard fought 2-1 overtime win against East Bakersfield. The Lady Cardinals ralled in their title match to extend the game into overtime, where they pulled away with a 2-1 victory on Valley title on Feb. 21.
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The Reedley High girls basketball team’s season came to an end last week, but not be- fore the program and two players — senior Madison Haney and sophomore Miah Paz — achieved important mile- stones.
The No. 7 seeded Pi- rates took charge down the stretch in the fourth quarter to defeat the Mira Monte High Lions, 48-43, at RHS gym on Feb. 19. Two days later, Reedley trailed by just one point in the third quarter and then rallied in the closing minutes after falling behind by 18 points before dropping a 54-46 decision against No. 2 seed Orcutt Acad- emy in Santa Maria on Feb. 21.
That capped off an 18-11 campaign, the pro-
gram’s best season re- cord in more than two decades. Also, the Pirates had their first home play- off game since 1983, ac- cording to Central Sec- tion historian Bob Bar- nett.
“I thought we played pretty well and battled hard,” coach Matt Wilkin- son said. “We can be proud of this season.”
Reedley was buoyed by the return for the playoffs of leading scor- er Paz, who missed four full games after suffer- ing a concussion in a loss to Roosevelt High on Jan. 31. It was feared she could miss the rest of the season, but she cleared concussion protocol near the end of the regular season and was ready for the postseason.
Paz scored a game- high 17 points against Mira Monte (16-13) and
SeeREEDLEYonpage B2
Davila said. “And Amber is always finishing for us,” With the entire stadium on pins and needles, the Lady Cardinals were able to fend off East for the win, touching off a wild
celebration at midfield. “I’ve never experi- enced anything in my life like this, so far,” said first- year head coach Jesse Ca- marana. “It’s redemption, but this is what I signed
up for.”
Camarana said he lost
his breath when Gonza- lez had the ball in the late stage of the match.
“I knew deep down in- side something was going
to happen and guess what, it happened,” he said. “I saw it go into the net and I went crazy.”
After a scoreless first half, East put on immense pressure on Orosi’s de- fense controlling the ball with several near misses before breaking through in the 64th minute. Se- nior goalie Miraya Lua got her hands on tough shot attempt but the ball trickled away from her as East’s Laila Baamuer punched it in for a 1-0 lead.
Six minutes later, Da- vila had a beautiful assist to Kim Caballero tying
the match at 1-all.
In the beginning of
the match Orosi came out quickly but failed on a few free kicks and set plays before East settled in.
“We were on it, but we lost our gas and got caught emotionally,” Ca- marana said. “I know my team and they are going to battle to the end.”
Orosi reached the title match with a 1-1 (3-1) win in penalty kicks at No. 2 Orcutt Academy last Wednesday. It was the second straight match to go into PK’s for the Lady Cardinals.
quarter nals
Lady Pirates' Haney, Paz reach milestones during playoff run