Page 13 - Mid Valley Times 3-3-22 E-Edition
P. 13

Thursday, March 3, 2022
Reedley edges Sanger for D-1 soccer title
Alcantar's penalty kick in second half the difference in 1-0 finals triumph
By Rick Curiel
Times correspondent
The Reedley High boys’ soccer team is the 2022 CIF Central Section Division I champion after defeating Sanger High, 1-0, at Tom Flores Stadium on Feb. 25 — with both teams proving they can play big with the big boys.
Two years ago, it was the Sanger Apaches making a huge statement in the Cen- tral Section’s upper-divisions. As they did all season long, the Apaches dominated their 2020 Central Section Division II title game, beating No. 2 Di- nuba High 4-1 before moving on to defeat Redwood High of Larkspur, 4-0, at home on March 7, 2020 for their first ever CIF NorCal Boys Soccer
Rick Curiel / For The Times
Reedley High's Levy Alcantar prepared to fire a shot on goal while being tightly guarded by Sanger High's Nikko Ortega during the Central Section Division I championship match at Tom Flores Stadium on Feb. 25. Alcantar scored the lone goal on a second-half penalty shot as the Pirates prevailed, 1-0.
But as the Apaches rode their wave of success over the past few years — a Pirate ship followed nearby, just outside the coast line — waiting for the opportune moment.
That moment came last Fridayt in the form of a Di- vision I title game at Tom Flores Stadium. And that mo- ment was a matchup between two archrivals; Reedley and Sanger.
“We knew we were coming up against a very good Sanger team,” said Pirates’ head coach Eric Velarde after the title-winning upset. “These boys have worked so hard. They put in so much time over the summer. They committed to the cause.”
It was an emotional victory for Velarde and his team. He shared how he, too, had won a title with his hometown Pi- rates soccer team 11 years ago to the date.
But there may have been
SeeSOCCERonpage A14
title in Division II.
Their success on the field
never really wavered. They followed their championship campaign by compiling a 20-
2-1 season, besting their per- centage record from the pre- vious year (89 percent vs 83 percent) but falling short of a repeat in the title game. Nev-
ertheless, Sanger kept press- ing ahead and once again put together a dominant campaign this year — earning them a shot at a Division I title.
Lady Apaches rule section in D-II
Immanuel girls fall
in section Division V
basketball title game
Blank San Luis Obispo 2-0 in title tilt on Feb. 26
MVT Staff Report
THe Sanger High Apaches are queens of Central Section Division II girls soccer, af- ter blanking visiting San Luis Obispo High by a 2-0 score in the finals at Tom Flores Stadium on Feb. 26.
After a scoreless first half, seniors Kar- ina Gonzalez and Diana Garcia found the net to give the Lady Apaches (24-5-1) the of- fense they needed to capture the champion- ship. Gonzalez and Garcia have a team-high 38 and 20 goals, respectively, with Gonza- lez's total a program single season record.
Sanger drew the No. 8 seed in the Nor- Cal Division II playoffs, drawing a March 1 quarterfinal matchup at top-seeded Granite Bay High, near Folsom in the Sacramento area. Sanger's successful season ended in a 4-1 loss to the Grizzlies.
The Lady Apaches qualified for the sec- tion title by edging Centennial of Bakers- field, 3-2, on Feb. 23. Frankie Lee, Gianna
SeeGIRLSonpage A14
Photo Courtesy Sanger High School
Sanger High players and coaches celebrated with a group shot after posting a 2-0 shutout win over San Luis Obispo High in the Central Section Division II championship match on Feb. 26. Seniors Karina Gonzalez and Diana Garcia scored for the Lady Apaches.
MVT Staff Report
Immanuel High's three-game postseason victory run through the Central Section Division V basketball playoffs ended on Feb. 26 with a 46-33 loss to Highland High in Ba- kersfield in the section title game.
Still, the Eagles (12- 20) earned at least one more postseason game, earning an at-large bid and a game at third- seeded Mt. Diablo of Concord in the North- ern California State quarterfinal playoffs on March 1. Results were unavailable at press time, but a win would advance 14th-seeded Immanuel to play at the
winner of No. 6 Trinity and No. 11 Woodland Christian.
Immanuel — also seeded 14th of 16 teams in the section playoffs — reached the D-V fi- nals by scoring a 45-34 road win at No. 7 South High. The Eagles led 23-19 at halftime, and built the lead to as ma- ny as 15 points before winning by 11.
The Eagles' title hopes were dashed by a Highland program which captured the pro- gram's first section title in 52 years.
SeePREPSonpage A14
PREPS ROUNDUP
THURSDAY, MARCH 3
BOYS GOLF
Dinuba vs. Redwood (18 holes), Ridge Creek
p.m. (V)
Orange Cove vs. Reedley, Reedley HS, 3:30/5:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Buchanan HS Clovis, times TBA (JV/V)
SOFTBALL
Golf Course Dinuba, Noon (V)
SWIM AND DIVE
Reedley, Sanger at Sanger Spring Classic, Dodson Field Sanger, 9:45 a.m. (V)
MONDAY, MARCH 7 BADMINTON
Reedley vs. Bullard, Reedley HS, 3 p.m. (JV/V) Sanger at Clovis Varsity Tournament, Clovis
HS, 3 p.m. (V)
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Reedley at NYL/CMAC Preview (scrimmage), Sunnyside HS Fresno, 2 p.m. (V)
Reedley vs. Fresno, Reedley HS gym, 3:30/4:30/5:30 p.m. (All)
TRACK AND FIELD
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Dinuba at Kings County Championships, Neighbor Bowl Hanford HS, 2:30 p.m. (V)
SATURDAY, MARCH 5 BASEBALL
Dinuba vs. Lemoore, Washington Intermediate
School diamond, Noon (JV)
Immanuel vs. Reedley at Central Valley Diamond Classic, ISC - The Yard, Noon/6 p.m. (JV/V)
Sanger vs. Kerman at Central Valley Diamond Classic, Fowler HS diamond, 3 p.m. (V)
Northern California Boys and Girls regional championships, matchups/sites/times TBA (V) BOYS TENNIS
Sanger hosts Cal Tennis Classic, Sanger HS
Immanuel (if wins on March 1) at NorCal Round II, opponent TBD, 7 p.m. (All)
NorCal Division I Boys Semifinals, No. 5 Reedley vs. No. 1 Whitney (Rocklin), Whitney HS Rocklin, scheduled for 5 p.m. (V)
NorCal Division I Boys Semifinals, Sanger (if wins on March 1) vs. Watsonville-Modesto winner, site TBD, 5 p.m. (V)
Reedley vs. Selma/Golden West, Reedley Aquatics Complex, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Dinuba vs. Selma, Dinuba HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V) Immanuel vs. Exeter, Exeter HS, 4 p.m. (V) Orosi vs. Fowler, Orosi HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
FRIDAY, MARCH 4 BASEBALL
Orange Cove vs. Woodlake, Orange Cove HS,
7 p.m. (V)
Dinuba vs. Bullard, Dinuba HS diamond, 3:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Immanuel vs. Firebaugh, Firebaugh HS, 3:30
SWIM AND DIVE
SOCCER
SWIM AND DIVE
Reedley vs. Tulare Union, Reedley Aquatics Complex, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
SWIM AND DIVE
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 BASEBALL
Dinuba vs. Mt. Whitney, Mt. Whitney HS
diamonds Visalia 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Orange Cove vs. Strathmore, OCHS diamonds, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Dinuba vs. Tulare Western, Tulare Golf Course, 3 p.m. (V)
Orange Cove vs. Fowler, Fowler HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Reedley vs. Kingsburg, Kingsburg HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Sanger vs. Clovis, Clovis HS courts, 3 p.m.
(JV/V)
Reedley vs. Sunnyside, Sunnyside HS Fresno, 3:30/4:30/5:30 p.m. (All)
BOYS TENNIS
BASKETBALL
BOYS GOLF
SOFTBALL
SWIM AND DIVE
PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE FOR MARCH 3 TO MARCH 9
courts, time TBA (JV/V)
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS TENNIS
Reedley vs.Central, Reedley HS, 10/11:30
a.m. (JV/V)
SOCCER
NorCal Boys Championship matches, matchups, sites to be determined, 5 p.m. (V)
Sanger vs. TBD at Buchanan Tournament,
Reedley vs. Tulare Union, Tulare Union HS courts, 3 p.m. (JV/V)
SOFTBALL
TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK AND FIELD
Dinuba vs. Redwood, Redwood HS Visalia, 3:30/5:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Orange Cove vs. Selma, Selma HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Orosi vs. Granite Hills, Orosi HS, 3:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Reedley vs. Sanger, Sanger HS fields, 3:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Dinuba vs. Mt. Whitney, Dinuba HS Pool, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 BASEBALL
Dinuba vs. Sanger, Sanger HS diamond,
3:30/6:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Immanuel vs. Madera South at Central VallDiamond Classic, Madera South HS, 6 p.m. (V)
Reedley vs. Selma at Central Valley Diamond Classic, Selma HS, 3:30/6:30 p.m. (JV/V)
Immanuel vs. Reedley, Sherwood Forest Golf Course, 2 p.m. (V)
BOYS TENNIS
BOYS GOLF
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Dinuba vs. Selma, Selma HS, 4 p.m. (JV/V)
Reedley at NYL Meet #2, Reedley High School, 3 p.m. (F-S/V)


































































































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