Page 11 - Reedley Exponent 8-16-18 E-edition

B3 | Thursday, August 16, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com High School Girls Volleyball
Pirates will rely on experienced core
Gates, Rodriguez and Scott will lead RHS
hard and it is really exciting,” Gates said. “I think we can exceed our expectations and I think we can make it to the championship game.”
All three also were All-NYL First Team
selections.
Rodriguez said that she is
looking to have a great season. “We have a lot of goals this season. We want to win league again and go undefeated and try to go undefeated in pre- season play,” Rodriguez said. “We worked really hard dur- ing the summer to accomplish
those goals.”
The Pirates will need to
replace Marissa Alvarez who led the team with 403 assist last season.
That spot will be given to senior Kayla Rocha, who was second on the team with 153 assists a season ago.
With all the returning starters coming back, Coach Tatami is excited about how the offense can run.
“The team shares the ball . Maddy and Nikole will bring a greater physical appearance than they did last season. Julie is attacking the ball at a really high point and more velocity,”
See PIRATES on page B4
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
With an experienced core of eight players returning from 2017, the Reedley High Pirates girls volleyball team is primed for another run to the North Yosemite League title.
The Pirates won the NYL title in 2017 with a perfect 10-0 record.
It was the program's first league championship since 2003.
Reedley ended the 2017 season 26-17 overall.
Ken Tatami, who is enter- ing his third season as Reed- ley High head coach, said that his players know this could be the recipe for higher expecta- tions.
“We have high expecta- tions for the year. This team has familiarity with the offen- sive and defensive schemes,” Tatami said. “We are playing at the level we were at the back end of last season.”
Seniors Maddy Gates, Nikole Rodriguez and Julie
Scott will be key contributors to the team.
Scott led the Pirates with 212 kills last season. She also led the team with 52 blocks at the net.
Gates was second on the team with 179 kills, while Ro- driguez was third on the team with 153. Rodriguez also had 69 aces last season.
Gates said that she knows that this could be a special season for Reedley High.
“I think the core group of the team is a close knit group. We have been playing together for along time and our chemistry is really good,” Gates said. “We are so much better than we have ever been before at this point in the sea- son. I can't wait to get the sea- son going and see how good we can be.”
Gates also thinks that a run in the playoffs is in the cards for the Pirates.
“I know that we have the potential to be one of the top teams in the valley. We work
File Photo / The Exponent
Nikole Rodriguez, Reedley High Pirates girls volleyball player, was second on the team with 153 kills in 2017. Rodriguez returns for her senior season for the defending North Yosemite League champions.
Titans primed to make run in 2018
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
TheOrangeCoveHighSchoolTitansfootballteamwillopentheir2018 seasononFriday,Aug.17against Granite Hills High School from Porterville in Orange Cove. The Titans are coming off a 4-6 record in 2017.
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
Entering his second season as head coach of the Orange Cove High Titans, Tony Gates said that this could be a special year for his team.
“The thing I'm looking forward to the most is see- ing our athletes in year two of our offense and defen- sive system,” Gates said. “Last year the systems were new to them so we had some growing pains. However, we have worked hard in the offseason and it seems to be coming more easily to them.”
Orange Cove was 3-8 in 2017 but made it to the Division VI playoffs.
The Titans will look to quarterback Zack Ramirez, Andrew Leon, Nate Reyes, Tony Cordova and Mario Reynosa to have impacts in 2018.
“Zack has grown leaps and bounds. He started at quarterback for us as a freshman against eventual state champion Strathmore High in our playoff game,” Gates said. “We were im-
See TITANS on page B4
Reedley College soccer 2018 schedule
Staff Report
The second season of Reedley College Tigers women's soccer will start on Friday, Aug. 24, with a scrim- mage against Dinuba FC.
The game will be played at 7 p.m. at Reedley College.
All home games will be played at Reedley College.
The Tigers then officially open the season with three straight road games. The Ti- gers play Golden West College on Tuesday, Aug. 28, in Hun- tington Beach.
They then will play at Cuesta College on Sept. 11 in San Luis Obispo, before end- ed the three game road trip against Norco College on Sept. 14, in Norco.
Reedley College will then play De Anza College on Sept. 18, in Reedley.
The Tigers open Central Valley Conference play on Sept. 25, against Fresno City College in Fresno.
See SOCCER on page B4
File Photo / The Exponent
Grace Goertzen, Immanuel High Eagles girls tennis player, will help lead the Eagles in 2018. Goertzen is a senior for Immanuel High.
Immanuel High sports takes flight
File Photo / The Exponent
The Reedley College Tigers women's soccer team will open their 2018 season on Tuesday, Aug. 28, against Golden West College in Huntington Beach. It will be the second season of Reedley College soccer, after the program started play in 2017.
Staff Report
The Immanuel Eagles fall athletic teams started their seasons this past week.
Girls Tennis
The Eagles girls tennis team open their 2018 season on Thursday, Aug. 16, against San Joaquin Memorial High School at the Immanuel Sports Complex.
They then will play Sierra High School on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Sports Complex.
Girls Golf
The Eagles girls golf team opened their season on Aug. 14, against San Joaquin Me- morial High School in Fresno.
No results were available at presstime.
"Our season is coming quickly and our ladies have been working diligently to prepare," said Tyler Toews, Immanuel High head coach. "We have many returning players this season. Seniors Noelle Robbins and Grace
See IMMANUEL on page B4
High