Page 11 - Reedley Exponent 3-28-19 E-edition

B3 | Thursday, March 28, 2019 www.reedleyexponent.com Rodriguez, Woods voted top CSL player, coach Immanuel High's Jordan Rodriguez dribbled past the defensive pressure of Ribet Academy's Snookey Wigington during the Division 4 state finals on March 9 in Sacramento. The senior guard has been selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Central Sequoia League in 2018-19. Jon Earnest / The Exponent Eagles' Williams makes first team, Daglish and Rodgers on second team Staff Report Immanuel High's division 4 state runners-up were prominent on the all-Central Sequoia League basketball award winners that were announced after the season ended. Senior guard Jordan Rodriguez was voted as league MVP while Chris Woods was selected as Coach of the Year in voting by league coaches. Rodriguez was a three-year varsity veteran and averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals per game for the Eagles (26-9), who finished 10-2 in league after winning their first 10 to clinch the league crown. Rodriguez's senior year included a number of clutch three-point baskets as the team rolled to a sixth consecutive Central Section title. One of his highlights during league play was a coast-to- coast driving layup to beat the buzzer in a one- point road victory at Kingsburg High. Second-year head coach Woods guided Im- manuel to its greatest postseason heights this season, after leading the team to a 22-10 record and berth in the Division 3 Southern Regionals in 2017-18. This year —playing for the first time in the Northern Regional bracket — the Eagles won four consecutive home games to advance to the state final in Sacramento before losing, 60-49, to Ribet Academy. "This was an incredible season and I'm so proud of our guys," Woods said. "It finally set in after the season what we accomplished and the history we made. We accomplished something very few teams can say they have. This team set the bar high for the future of our program." Other top individual awards went to Han- ford West's Josiah James (Offensive Player of the Year) and Central Valley Christian's Grant Highstreet (Defensive Player of the Year). See ALL-CSL on page B4 Pirates fall in NYL opener Jon Earnest / The Exponent Reedley High's Roger Ortiz clutched the first base bag with his left hand after diving back on a pickoff attempt by Fresno High on March 26. The Pirates dropped their North Yosemite League opener by a 1-0 score. Exponent File Photo Reedley High's Miah Paz, shown in action at the Dinuba-Orosi Holiday Classic in December, was one of 59 Central Section players nominated for the Cal-Hi Sports all-state girls basketball team. Paz nominated for Cal-Hi all-star team RHS baseball blanked by Fresno, Immanuel posts third straight CSL win Staff Report Reedley High opened North Yosemite League play on March 26 with a 1-0 loss to Fresno High at RHS varsity diamond. The Pirates (8-4, 0-1) were unable to deliver the clutch hit as the visiting War- riors (11-2, 1-0) pushed across the game's lone run in the top of the fifth inning Reedley's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth inning, with with two runners on base Matthew Vargas flied out to centerfield. Preps Last week, Reedley ran its non-league win streak to five straight with a 1-0 win over Firebaugh, then fell by an 8-1 score at Highland High in Bakersfield Against Firebaugh, Lemus scattered four hits and struck out five in a com- plete-game performance, while Chris Hi- nojosa knocked in Jacob Gagnon with the game's only run in the top of the eighth inning. Joey Ochoa went 2-for-3 and took the pitching loss for the Eagles. In the March 22 loss at Highland, the Pirates never threatened after giving up three runs in the second inning. they scored their lone run in the sixth inning. The Scots (11-1) collected nine hits, three by Matthew Miranda and two by Manuel Chavez. Miranda pitched a com- plete game, allowing just six hits and striking out five. The Pirates travel to Fresno to com- plete the home-and-home with FHS on Friday, March 29. Reedley then begins another home-and-home with Roosevelt High on Tuesday, April 2, in Fresno be- fore hosting the Roughriders on Friday, April 5. All games begin at 3:30 p.m. Immanuel rolls into first place showdown Immanuel High carried the momen- tum of an 11-game win streak into a March 26 Central Sequoia League show- down with co-leader Selma. Both the See PREPS on page B4 Staff Report Reedley High's Miah Paz is one of 59 players nomi- nated from the Central Sec- tion for the girls basketball all-state team that will be se- lected by Cal-Hi Sports. Paz is the Pirates' lone nominee after leading the team in scoring with a 16 points per game average — 19.4 ppg in North Yosemite League play. The 5-foot-10 freshman forward broke school class records for total points and average, capped by a 32-point outing in one game. Reedley (14-15) captured its first tournament title in a number of years by winning the Parlier Tournament in late December. The Pirates also reached the semifinals of the Dinuba-Orosi Holiday Classic earlier that month. Paz was one of three NYL players nominated for the Cal-High honors team. The others were senior Angie Ruiz of Roosevelt High and sophomore Wein Williams of Fresno High. In addition, sophomore Jazmine Soto of Strathmore was nominated along with junior teammate Kaija Ambriz. Soto scored 43 points in the Spartans' win over Reedley in the Holiday Classic. Reedley College softball in the thick of CVC title hunt Contributed One game separated three teams in the Central Valley Conference softball standings going into the fourth week of conference play. Reedley and College of the Sequoias entered the week with 8-1 CVC records while Fresno City was at 7-2. Reedley has five games scheduled in five days this week before a showdown with Sequoias on Tuesday, April 2, at 2 p.m. in Reedley. First, the Tigers were scheduled to host Fresno City in a March 26 double- header before going to West Hills Coal- inga on Thursday, March 28. A Saturday makeup twinbill also is on the schedule. Reedley faces Bakers- field at 10 a.m. before a 2 p.m. matchup with San Joaquin Delta. The Mustangs are ranked seventh in the state while the Tigers are sixth. Reedley won three games last last week, improving to 21-3 on the season and extending its win streak to six games and home record to 11-0. The Lady Tigers rolled to 16-0 and 9-1 wins over Cerro Coso on March 19 before getting a no-hitter from Emily Grimbeby two days later in a 3-0 win over Merced. Reedley had only five hits in the first game win over Cerro Coso but took ad- vantage of 14 walks. Patty Hernandez drove in four runs for the winners while Aunika Castellanos scored four times. Amanda Beltran threw a three-hitter in the nightcap, losing her shutout on a fourth inning home run off the bat of Sanger High grad Brianna Stafford, who was also the losing pitcher in both games. Against Merced, Grimbeby walked two and struck out 11 in her seven-inning gem. Sandra Vallejo led the offense with run-scoring doubles in the first and fifth innings while also scoring the final run in the fifth. GOLF Tigers clinch Big 8 South champiomship By a margin of 15 shots over Fresno City College, the Reedley College men’s golf team clinched the Big 8 South Con- ference championship on March 18 at the Merced Golf and Country Club. Reedley finished with a season best Colleges team score of 366 and added a season best 17 birdies and an eagle on the day and improved to 20-0 in conference ac- tion and 21-0 overall going into another conference tournament at Taft on March 25. Leading the way for the Tigers in Merced was Tommy O’Rourke, who was the individual medalist on the day with a one-under par round of 71. Dylan Otto and Bailey Flickinger tied for second overall with even par rounds of 72. Xavier Coreno gutted out a solid round of 73 after starting out three over par on the first four holes. Morgan Coo- per rounded out the Tiger scoring with a round of 78. The win gave Reedley a comfortable 14-point lead over Fresno City in the con- ference standings. BASEBALL RC drops sixth straight A six-game losing streak has dropped the Reedley College Tiger baseball team See COLLEGES on page B4 Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed Reedley College pitcher Emily Grimbeby (5) fired a pitch to the plate against Cero Coso on March 19. Grimbeby fired a no-hitter while striking out 11 in a 3-0 win over Merced College on March 21.