Page 26 - Mid Valley Times 9-5-19 E-edition

Thursday, September 5, 2019
Pirates down Golden Bears, 21-7
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Reedley High quarterback Gannon Gabaldon rolled out to pass in search of a receiver during the Pi- rates’ 21-7 victory over Sierra Pacific on Aug. 30. Gabaldon ran for a touchdown and passed for another.
| B12 | Mid Valley TiMes EMPERORS
MVT Staff Report
Reedley High’s football team bounced back nicely from a lopsided season-opening loss to Sanger High, getting two touchdowns from Danny Cortez and another score from Gannon Gabaldon to defeat the Sierra Pa- cific Golden Bears on Aug. 30 in Hanford.
Quarterback Gabaldon and Cortez hooked up on a three-yard score in the fourth quarter to salt away the victory, after an interception in the third quarter set up Gabaldon’s go-ahead 5-yard touchdown run.
“After giving up an opening TD drive, our defense was spectacular, and kept us in the game,” said Tony Gates, who picked up his first victory as the Pirates’ head coach. “We moved the ball well, but had an error or two here or there tha would kill our drives. Fumbling in the red zone is unacceptable.”
Sierra Pacific took the early lead on a touchdown run by Chad Leslie, but Reedley countered with the tying score on a 1-yard run by Cortez in the second quarter. The
big defensive play in the third quarter gave RHS the lead for good, and another defen- sive stop paved the way for the Gabaldon to Cortez TD pass.
Gates said the offense started flat against the Golden Bears.
“Our team needs to learn to compete when the whistle blows and stop after the echo of the last whistle,” he said.
Gates said the team will need a solid performance this week at Dinuba against an Emperors’ team still searching for their first victory of 2019.
“I can’t believe how fast they are, and they have been in two hard-fought games against top notch opponents,” he said of Di- nuba. “We like our game plan and we are looking forward to testing ourselves this Friday.”
The 7:30 p.m. varsity contest concludes the Pirates’ two-game road trip. Reed- ley will be back at Sal Gonzalez Field for a “Youth Night” contest against Mendota High on Friday, Sept. 13.
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28-6.
But the Emperors
refused to fold, scoring three unanswered touch- downs in the next five minutes of play. The first came on a second touch- down pass from Magaña to Moreno from 17 yards out. Dinuba then recov- ered an onside kick near midfield and was then able to capitalize about a minute later. This time, Magaña was able to hit senior Brian Campbell for a 6-yard touchdown pass, pulling the Emper- ors within ten points.
Dinuba’s defense forced a punt on the Rangers’ next possession, giving the Emperors a chance to further chip away at the Rangers lead. With about a minute and a half left in the game, the Emperors were able to do just that. Marching all the way down to goal line, Magaña was able to score once more for the Emperors on a 1-yard keeper with 1:42 left in the game. The extra point pulled Dinuba to within three points - and they still needed to get the ball back.
With many expecting an onside kick, Dinuba instead opted for a pooch
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
Former coaching collegues Carlos Barajas and Kevin Scharton meet once again in the middle of the field after football game. This time, however, the two met as opposing coaches as Barajas now heads up the team Scharton led to three Valley titles. Barajas served as defensive coordinator under Scharton before taking over as head coach after Scharton returned to coach this year at his alma mater, Redwood High.
kick that sailed safely into the arms of a Rang- ers receiver, eliminating the Emperors’ chance at a last minute comeback.
Failed extra points and 2-point conversions proved costly for the Em- perors, as they left five points off the board on unsuccessful point after attempts.
The Emperor's run- ning game failed to gain any momentum for a second straight week. Coming off a week when Dinuba as a team rushed
for just 16 yards against Porterville, they didn't do much better against the Rangers front line. Fri- day's combined rushing yards totalled 17.
Magaña finished the game 20 of 42 for 191 yards. He threw three touchdowns, rushed for another and threw one in- terception.
Dinuba will host Reed- ley tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Next week the Em- perors travel to Visalia again when they take on El Diamante.
APACHES
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The crowd complied, despite the late hour. Blackwood said the game could have been the lat- est ever.
Afterward, a trumpet player for the Apache band played a haunting rendition of the theme song from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Just a few people re- mained on the field, no Clint Eastwood, no Lee Van Cleef, no Eli Wal- lach. But the final scene proved just as brutal as that final cinematic star- ing contest.
“It was a tough game,” Calandra said. He took a breath, maybe several. “We’ll come back next week. Stronger.”
Sanger faces Clovis East at 7 p.m. at Lamon- ica Stadium in Clovis on Sept. 5.
In the locker room, nobody spoke. The only sound came from of- fensive line coach Steve Villagomez, who exhaled and then mumbled some- thing about the first half. His message was reiter- ated by head coach Jorge Pena, who hurried strag- glers in for a final meet- ing that night.
“Definitely a tough game,” Pena said. “A lot of missed opportunities in the first half.”
Pena said his Apaches needed to seize control of the game in the first and second quarters to better control the outcome. “We played our hearts out,” he said. “We were down. We fought back but just couldn’t keep them out of the end zone.”
Watts-Brown agreed that the game proved to be a battle. “Both teams fought hard,” he said, pausing to gulp down some water from a squeeze bottle right after both teams shook hands. “It was crazy until the end.”
Watts-Brown com-
Tigers' volleyball has young team, new coach
Kosi Agina, No. 6, breaks through with five Bullpups on his tail as Mark Barrera, No. 58, tries to keep them off. Agina rushed for 137 yards to lead Sanger in the Apaches’ 38-31 loss.
pleted 15 of 29 attempts for 334 yards. He had one interception. Compara- tively, Collazo completed 12 of 17 attempts for 140 yards and had two inter- ceptions. He also ran for that first Apache touch- down.
On the ground, Sanger ran up 318 yards to Han- ford’s 148.
Hanford coach Josh Young addressed his players after the game.
Their enthusiasm on the field provided stark con- trast. “I’m proud of you guys,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Watts-Brown said he and his team worked hard for the game, prac- ticing what would derail an Apache team with a home-field advantage.
As he left the field, Gonzalez said he was a little frustrated by the outcome. “Hard fight,”
he said. “Minor mistakes cost us the game.”
Likewise, sophomore linebacker Joshua Alma- guer said it was tough losing his first home game as member of the varsity team. He said he wished the team started with the intensity it end- ed with.
The final seconds showed what Sanger could do. Collazo and Calandra teamed up like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in 1987, marching the ball up the field. But a penalty and a sack got in the way. On the final play, Privett acceler- ated up the field after a pitch from Calandra. But he was shoved out of bounds.
At some point in those final seconds, announcer Rick Bubenik said, “Now this is high school foot- ball.”
Arturo Betancourt, a sophomore, led with 10 tackles. Senior Pierce Jones and juniors John Pena and Tahj Webb each had seven. Abdul Jones, a senior, got a sack. Se- nior Fabian Lopez got an interception.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at nemeth- features@gmail.com or at (559) 875-2511.
Mike Nemeth / Mid Valley Times
By Will Goldbeck Special to the Times
Four freshmen and four sophomores make up the roster for the 2019 Reedley College women’s volleyball team.
Former Tiger stand- out Mariah Roby was hired to replace Shannon Jefferies, who retired last December after 22 seasons as the Tiger head coach. Roby added another former Tiger Madison Leighty to the coaching staff along with veterans Nobi Kitaoka and Chris Reclusado.
One of those sopho- mores, Brandi Wormley (Washington Union), was third on the 2018 Tigers with 134 kills while other returnees combined for 50 kills on a squad that compiled a Central Val- ley Conference record of 4-14 (good for eighth place in a 10-team con- ference) and an overall record of 4-18. The CVC is down to nine teams after Cerro Coso was placed in the Inland Em-
pire Athletic Conference. Reedley opened the new season by compet- ing in a scrimmage on Aug. 21 at Solano Col- lege in Fairfield. “I was very pleased with what I saw at the scrimmage,” said Roby the next day. “I think we have mas- sive potential and will actually be pretty com- petitive this coming sea- son. After yesterday, I feel a lot better.” Other sophomores on the ros- ter include Karen San- chez (Parlier), Brittney Garibay (Dinuba) and Kayli Canales (Reedley). Freshmen Tigers in- clude setter Megan Gen- try (Liberty, Madeira), Isabelle Del Fierro (Si- erra) and Reedley High grads Nikole Rodriguez
and Rylee Harmon. Reedley opens the season at the San Joa- quin Delta Tournament in Stockton on Sept. 6 be- fore opening Central Val- ley Conference action in the home opener against
Columbia on Sept. 18.
Sanger High sophomore Arturo Betancourt pressures Hanford quarterback Juaron Watts-Brown early in the game.
Mike Nemeth / Mid Valley Times
Gabriel Moreno
DINUBA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Dinuba High' Gabriel Moreno was named this week's Athlete of the Week for his performance in Friday night's game against Redwood. The senior wide receiver hauled in four catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-25 loss to the Rangers.
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