Page 9 - Sanger Herald 2-15-18 E-edition

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SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018
Regular season comes to an end on frustrating note for boys
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The senior lineup of the boys varsity basketball team — Morice Norris, Isaiah “Irod” Rodriguez, Avery Chatman, Isaiah Cuevas and Romeo Little — entered the game against Bullard fired up.
They played hard. But the Knights played just as hard.
Defense was king.
“They have a very good team,” said Bullard coach Tim Amundsen after the game.
But the visiting Knights had the Apaches’ in their sights. In the last meeting of the rivals, Bullard squeaked past in double overtime Jan. 23 in Fresno 83-77.
“They had like 13 threes the last time,” Amundsen said.
The Apaches had eight, according to Sanger master statistician Ron Blackwood’s numbers. But perception is everything.
Doesn’t matter. Amundsen’s crew mostly shut down Sanger’s outside
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Senior Isaiah Rodriguez makes a play during the early part of the game against Bullard last week.
shooters and did an impressive job of doing the same under the basket.
Rodriguez scored the first points in the game, but gaining offensive traction proved a struggle in the first quarter. Possession changed repeatedly. Then Bullard put up six points. Entering the game, junior guard Cameron Stanley hit a three, rousing the crowd. Then with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter, freshman Luke Dillon drained another three, rousing the crowd.
The first quarter ended a relatively even 12-10 in favor of the visiting Knights. But the second was more heavily weighted toward the light blue uniforms, ending 34-25 at the half.
Bullard went on to win the contest 61-51.
At the half, Seth Dillon, Luke’s brother who plays on the Washington Academic Middle School sixth-grade basketball team, said he still had faith. “I believe they can still catch up,” he said. “Because Morice,
Luke and Cameron all have this speed.”
However, Seth did make an observation about how the Apaches were planting their feet. He spotted the Knights’ defense getting the Apaches somewhat off balance.
It showed in their shooting. Actually on both teams’ shooting. The Apaches defended hard, giving what they got.
“Neither team shot well,” Blackwood said in his game notes. “The Knights made 10 more free throws than the Apaches. Sanger missed about 20 layups.”
One who didn’t miss was Robin Maldonado. He’s the guy who was crowned homecoming king alongside queen Natalie Boust. At halftime, Maldonado started shooting from half court. Then he hit one. The crowd started getting into it. His shots fell increasingly close.
Then he hit another. The young fan section at the north side of the gym roared. One of the middle- schoolers dropped to the court and began banging it
with his fists, hollering the entire time.
When Maldonado hit his third half-court basket, even former Apache Arron Mosby got into the rhythm, throwing back the ball to the shooter.
A hat trick. Maldonado was pleased.
In the third quarter, Rodriguez got hot. He shot multiple baskets like he was all alone in a gym not swarmed by Bullard defenders.
He had that steely ice cold stare and 13 points on the night. Even a three- pointer. He was less than pleased with the outcome.
“I didn’t want to lose,” he said. “We didn’t play hard enough — like we know how to play.”
Senior night didn’t materialize in a win. After a Tuesday night game with Edison, Sanger will go for a playoff run. “We just have to come out strong and with confidence,” Rodriguez said.
Junior Sal Dhillon, who lit up Bullard that last
See Basketball, Page 2B
Lady Apaches nab a win in final minutes
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The Lady Apaches started in control, outscoring Madera South 16-4 in the first quarter of a home game on Feb. 7.
Sanger dominated the first half, closing it out with an 11-point lead. The crowd loved the effort and fully endorsed it, working to drown out traveling Madera South fans. The Apaches kept the pressure on until falling significantly behind in scoring in the third quarter, accumulating just four points.
But this season’s team is tenacious. The girls varsity squad fought back, coming back in the final seconds to slam the door on the Lady Stallions 52-47.
“This was so much tighter than it needed to be,” said a still out of breath Stephanie Herring, a senior who scored a dominating 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds and two steals. “Way too stressful. But it happens.
“We’re working 10 times better as a team than we have in the past. We just figured we’d be on a losing streak if we didn’t work together. No one wanted that at all.”
Junior Cu-Nisha Mitchell
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Junior Anelise Lopez drives for a layup against Madera South's top scorer on the night, sophomore guard Lexi Eller.
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Senior Ashley Mata takes the ball to the basket despite every effort by Madera South defenders to keep her from that goal. The Lady Stallions wanted the win badly, but Sanger held on in the final minutes and didn't let up.
Robin Maldonado scores a hat trick at the Coach Dean Nicholson Gym last week
also weighed in. She scored six points and grabbed six rebounds. “I feel good. I feel tired,” she said. “I’m happy we got the win. It
wasn’t (easy/pretty). But we stuck it out.”
As Annie Lopez left the classroom that serves as a
See Girls, Page 2B
Robin Maldonado has accumulated a series of awards and honors this year at Sanger High.
He ruled alongside Natalie Boust as homecoming king and serves a year as Mister Sanger. Herodeinthe Christmas parade, nodding to the residents of Sanger.
On Feb. 9 at halftime during the Bullard-Sanger boys basketball game, he earned another distinction. He has hit the basket from half court before.
But on this night, he hit
three. And the crowd went wild. One fan, from the middle school, dropped to the court and pounded the hardwood with his fists in excitement once Maldonado hit the second. Then he hit thethird.
Former Apache Arron Mosby threw the ball back to Maldonado so he could get additional shots. And Robin had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Truly.
At right is an image after his score during the Edison game.