Page 12 - Reedley Exponent 3-1-18 E-edition

B4 | Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
High School Boys Soccer Playoffs
Pirates capture Valley Championship
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
Emmanuel Ibarra, Reedley High Pirates boys soccer player (left), and Phillip Rico (right), celebrate after the Pirates won the CIF Central Section Division II Championships. The Pirates defeated the Redwood High Rangers 5-4 in penalty kicks on Feb. 23 in Visalia. It is Reedley High's third title in program history and first since 2011.
High School Boys Basketball Playoffs Eagles survive late scare by West High
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
Marco Leyva stood in goal for the Reedley High Pirates boys soccer team, knowing what was at stake in the Central Sec- tion Division II Championship on Feb. 23.
It was the sixth round of pen- alty kicks, and the Pirates were up 5-4 over the Redwood High Rangers in Visalia.
But Rangers' Brian Perez, just five yards away, could extend the match with a successful kick.
Leyva had to block that kick to make Reedley High champi- ons.
“I was thinking that this could be it,” Leyva said. “I had to stay calm and try to block it.”
As the whistle blew, Perez reared his right foot back and kicked a line drive towards the right of the goal. Leyva leaped off his feet, dived to his right and blocked the kick.
This set off a thunderous RHS celebration as Leyva's teammates raced towards their goalkeeper, mobbing him as the large contingent of Pirates fans in attendance rushed the field.
The Pirates defeated the Rangers 5-4 in penalty kicks at the Mineral King Bowl in Visalia.
The game was tied 2-2 after regulation, then remained score- less after the two 10-minute over- time periods and two five minute
sudden death periods.
“I was so excited after block-
ing the shot,” Leyva said. “I couldn't believe that we just won the Valley Championship.”
Eric Velarde, the Pirates head coach and a member of the last Reedley High soccer team to win a section title in 2011, after the game talked about the achieve- ment.
“It means the world. I hope the players know what a privi- lege it is to win and put on that Reedley jersey,” Velarde said. “I told them to keep believing. They managed to fight through some of the late pressure. We have always believed we had the opportunity to win a Valley Championship and they came through when it mat- tered most.”
In the tight game, Redwood High's Elder Giron scored in the eighth minute to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead.
Reedley High tied the game at 1-1 in the 24th minute when Rene Prieto headed in a goal out of midair, off a corner kick from Phillip Rico.
The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the 48th minute when Pri- eto scored his second goal of the game off another corner kick from Rico.
Prieto praised RHS assistant coach Felix Perez for advice Per- ez gave him.
SeeCHAMPIONS onpageB5
RHS claims Division II title over Redwood
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
The Immanuel High Eagles boys basket- ball team's quest for a fifth straight Central Section Title started on Feb. 22 against the upset-minded No. 12 seed West High School Vikings of Bakersfield.
The Eagles jumped out to a 20-point lead in the second quarter before West High battled back to make it 82-81.
But the Eagles ended thegameona6-1runto hold off the Vikings 88-82 at Immanuel High School in the quarterfinals of the Di- vision III playoffs.
“It was playoff basket- ball,” said Chris Woods, Immanuel High Eagles head coach. “They did not want to go home, and we didn't want our season to end either. We had worked too hard this season to end like this.”
Kaleb Daglish led the Eagles with 31 points, while Nate Kendricks scored 25 points. Shawn Rodgers scored 12 points.
The Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the Di- vision III playoffs against
See IMMANUEL on page B5
File Photo / The Exponent
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
Kaleb Daglish, Immanuel High Eagles boys basketball player, had 31 points to help lead the Eagles to a 88-82 win over West High of Bakersfield on Feb. 22 to advance in the playoffs.
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
When Travis Ferrell took the head coaching of the boys basketball team at Reedley High School before the 2016- 17 season, he had two goals: restore the Pirates basketball team to a winning program and make the playoffs consis- tently.
In just his second year,
Ferrell has completed one of those objectives by ending a 14 year playoff drought in the process.
The Pirates, the No. 12 seed in the Division IV play- offs, upset the No. 5 seed Granite High School of Por- terville 51-47 on Feb. 20 in Porterville.
“Having played Granite
See REEDLEY on page B5
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
The Immanuel High Ea- gles girls basketball team ad- vanced to the semifinals of the Central Section Division III playoffs with victories over Chavez High of Delano and Exeter High School.
The Eagles, the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, beat No. 12 seed Chavez High 57-43 on Feb. 21 at Immanuel High. They then defeated No. 5 seed Exeter High 50-41 on Feb. 23 at Immanuel High.
“The team showed cham- pionship heart in the win against a scrappy Chavez team,”said Phillip Todd, Im- manuel High head coach. “We did not shoot the ball particularly well in the first half or play good defense, but we turned it all around in the second half and took control of the game on both ends.”
On Feb. 21 against Chavez High, Krystale Gutierrez had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Ava Galpin had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Aaliyah Seuell had 12 points and five steals.
On Feb. 23, Gutierrez led the Eagles with 16 points and eight rebounds. Galpin had 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Ty Perry had 10 points.
“We played lockdown de- fense and that determined the outcome of the game,” Todd said. “We made all the right plays and decisions down the stretch, especially in crunch time.”
The Eagles played No. 1 seed Fresno High School on Feb. 27 in the semifinals.
See HOOPS on page B5
Ava Galpin, Immanuel High Eagles girls basketball player (middle), battles three Chavez High players for the ball.
Galpin had 16 points in the Eagles' 57-43 win over Chavez High of Delano on Feb. 21 in the first round of the Division III playoffs.
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent.
The Reedley High Pirates boys basketball team defeated Granite Hills High 51-47 in the Division IV Playoffs on Feb. 20 in Porterville. It was the Pirates' first playoff win in 14 years.
RHS boys hoops ends 14-year playoff drought
ImmanuelHigh girlsbasketballadvancestosemifinals