Page 11 - Mid Valley Times 3-26-20 E-edition

Thursday, March 26, 2020
Accolades pour in for Apaches soccer
MVT File Photo
Dinuba High's Jorge Du- ran was named Most Valu- able Player of the Central Sequoia's 2019-20 soccer season.
Emperors
dominate
all-league
soccer
selections
MVT Staff Report
The post-season acco- lades rolled in for mem- bers and coaching staff of the Dinuba High boys soccer team.
The Emperors wrapped up the season with a 22-4-2 overall record and were Cen- tral Section Division II runners-ups. Dinuba also notched its second straight Central Sequoia League title with an un- defeated campaign.
Most Valuable Player honors went to Jorge Du- ran and the CSL’s best defensive player went to Andres Mendoza. The goalkeeper of the year was Hilde Chavez and Coach of the Year rec- ognition for the second straight year was Ramiro Rodriguez.
Making the first-team was Anthony Vasquez. Teammates Cristobal Ramos, Alan Gallo, Jose Chavez and Bryan Lu- catero were on the second team.
Casas lands on the CSL first team: Dinuba High sophomore Krysta
See CSL on page B10
By Rick Curiel
Mid Valley Times
It goes without saying that the Sanger Apaches’ varsity boys soccer team had a historical season. After winning their first league title in nearly forty years, the team went on to win a Valley champion- ship and culminated their season with a Northern California State Champi- onship victory at the be- ginning of this month at Tom Flores Stadium.
Fortunately for the Apaches, that victory came less than two weeks before a state mandated lock down due to the coro- navirus pandemic, and less than a week before the Sanger Unified School District announced the cancellation of all sport- ing events and the clo- sure of all schools in the district on March 13.
The team finished with a 24-3-5 overall record and will go down as the num- ber one ranked boys soc- cer team in the Valley for this season. They also fin- ished the season ranked No. 12 in the state.
Photos by Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
Making the CMAC all-league first team for Sanger were Luis Villegas (top left) and Luis Martinez (right) while se- nior Freddy Bautista (top right) was named Most Valu- able Player and Eddie Cuevas (far right) was named Goalkeeper of the Year. Sanger High Head Coach Alex Guiterrez was named Coach of the Year.
Now more accolades are pouring in for the Sanger Apaches soccer team as the team was rec- ognized with five distinct honors, including Most Valuable Player in Freddy Bautista, Goalkeeper of
the Year - Eddie Cuevas and Coach of the Year - Alex Gutierrez.
Also, making the CMAC’s first team were Sanger High senior Fred- dy Bautista and junior Luis Martinez.
Three Pirates named rst team all-NYL in basketball
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Reedley High placed three players – all of whom are among career scoring leaders at the school — on the all-North Yosemite League first team for basketball.
Senior Augie Vil- larreal made the first team for boys while senior Madison Haney and sophomore Miah Paz were voted to the girls first team. Villar- real and Haney both reached the 1,000 ca- reer points plateau this season, while Paz is on pace to become the girls career scor-
SeePIRATESonpage B10
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
(Left) Reedley High’s Augie Villarreal soared to the basket to score two of his career-high 48 points against Fresno High on Feb. 6. The senior guard was voted to the all-North Yosemite League first team by league coaches.
(Right) Sophomore Miah Paz drove to the basket during first round section playoff victory over Mira Monte High on Feb. 19. The sophomore earned first team all-North Yosemite League honors after leading the Pirates in scoring for a second straight year despite missing multiple games with a concussion.
Wrestling season ends abruptly for Wright
Photo contributed by Fresno State
Fresno State wrestler, and former Dinuba High standout, Jacob Wright compiled a 25-9 overall record and a berth to the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Due to concerns of coronavirus the championships as well as all Spring sports were canceled.
However, wrestling may be on the outside looking in considering it is a winter sport that overlaps into the early spring.
See WRIGHT on page B10
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
Due to concerns of coronavirus, the 2020 NCAA wrestling championships along with all other remaining winter and spring sports have been canceled.
That was bad news for former Di- nuba High standout and current Fresno State wrestler, Jacob Wright. Wright had earned a spot to wrestle in the 159 bracket in Minneapolis this past week- end but that was wiped out when the NCAA made their decision. The an- nouncement affected 330 wrestlers who had either qualified or earned at-large berths. They will not have a chance to compete for national individual titles or earn All-American recognition. Four other Bulldogs had also earned a berth to the finals.
“I was pretty distraught at first,” said Wright. “But everyone was doing it. It was out of my hands.”
Wright said he could see the out- come as other events were being can-
celed because of coronavirus.
“You kind of could see it. Other
teams, sports and events were being canceled,” Wright said. “I think our softball team was at a tournament and we had other teams that got turned away.”
In an un- precedented move made last week, the NCAA made a decision to be- gin the process to open ‘grant relief ’ to ath- letes who lost the rest of its spring sports schedule.
Jacob Wright