Page 11 - Reedley Exponent 12-6-18 E-edition

B3 | Thursday, December 6, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
FPU soccer star Velarde honored as consensus All-American
Staff Report
Fresno Pacific University soccer star Anthony Velarde earned All- American status in Division II from two major soccer organizations last week.
Senior midfielder Velarde — a Reedley High School product — was named to the All-American first team by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, and also earned second-team status from the United Soccer Coaches organization.
Velarde scored more points than
any player in the West Region dur- ing the regular season, and finished as the third-highest career assist leer in school history. The PacWest Conference preseason Player of the Year became the first player in con- ference history to record 12 or more assists in consecutive seasons, and he now holds the career assist record in the conference.
“For Anthony to have a target on his back from the beginning of the year and still be able to do what he did is a testament to his ability, and it could be argued that he turned
in the best statistical season in the country,” head coach Jaime Ramirez said. “He ranks among the top play- ers at his position to ever wear a Sunbird uniform, and it's been in- credible to watch him represent our program.”
Velarde finished the season with 20 assists, and his 48 total points are the most of any Sunbird since FPU joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2013. He's the first FPU player to be named a consensus All-American since for- mer teammate Renato Bustamante
in 2015. Fresno Pacific posted a fi- nal 2018 record of 14-3-1 and quali- fied for the NCAA tournament. It marked the program's highest win total since the 2015 season.
United Soccer Coaches is the largest organization of soccer coach- es in the world, and the organization works to inspire coaches and ignite their passion for the game so they pass it on to players and others in the soccer community. In addition to his second team selection, Velarde was named to the NCAA Division II All-Region first team.
Fresno Pacific University senior Anthony Velarde, a Reedley High School prod-
uct, was named as a consensus All-American for Division II by two different organi- zations.
Fresno Pacific University
Preps Roundup
RHS girls
roll past
Mendota
Staff Report
The Reedley High Pi- rates girls basketball team dominated the middle two quarters on Nov. 27, run- ning their non-league win streak to two games with a 53-29 drubbing of the Men- dota High Aztecs.
Freshman Miah Paz scored 24 points — includ- ing six three-point bas- kets — and collected six rebounds and two steals as Reedley outscored the visitors 32-8 in the second and third periods. Reed- ley (2-1) tried to extend its win streak on Dec. 4 with a non-league contest at Tu- lare Western High. Results were unavailable at press time.
Madison Haney sup- ported Paz with 10 points
See PREPS on page B4
Colleges
RC men's
hoop wins
consolation
at tourney
Contributed, staff reports
After winning the con- solation championship in the 40th annual James Clark Classic in Sacramen- to on Dec. 1, the 4-1 Reed- ley College Tiger men's basketball team has the second best record in the Central Valley Conference.
The Tigers opened the tournament with a 74-71 loss to Sacramento City College on Nov. 29 before defeating Napa Valley 74- 60 on Nov. 30 and tourna- ment host Cosumnes River 72-71 on Saturday.
Against Sac City, the Tigers' could never recov- er from a 42-37 halftime deficit.
Sophomore Ruben Parks exploded for 29 points in the win over Na- pa. Dwayne Howell came off the bench to add 15 for the winners.
On Twitter, Parks an- nounced on Dec. 2 that he will continue his academic and basketball career at Humboldt State Universi- ty. Parks leads the state in scoring on the community college level.
Parks netted 23 points in the win over Cosumnes. Uriah Carter added 20 points while Khalid Wilkins netted 18.
Only unbeaten Colum- bia has a better record in the conference than the Tigers.
Reedley returned to action on Dec. 4 at Mer- ritt College in Oakland in a makeup of an earlier game postponed by poor air quality.
See COLLEGE on page B4
Prep Boys Basketball Tournaments
Immanuel opens season by winning TOC
ABOVE: Immanuel High School players Winston Williams, third from left, and Amren Purewal (13) held up the Tournament of Champions trophy the Eagles boys captured the championship with a 69-63 victory over Mt. Whitney on Dec. 1. Senior guard Jordan Rodriguez (2), the tournament's Most Valuable Player, held a gauze bandage to his left eye area after suffering a cut when he hit the floor late in the game. Sophomore guard/forward Shawn Rodgers also was named to the all-tournament team while Wil- liams received the Dirty Boots (Hustle and Heart) award.
LEFT: Guard Jordan Rodriguez races downcourt to score a basket in Immanuel's finals victory over Mt. Whitney. Rodriguez's outside shooting helped the Eagles build a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter
Photos by Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Defending D3 champions top Mt. Whitney
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
The Immanuel High Eagles turned it on in the fourth quarter, then — af- ter losing tournament Most Valuable Player Jordan Ro- driguez to injury — held on to defeat the Mt. Whitney High Pioneers 69-63 in the finals of their own Tourna- ment of Champions on Dec. 1.
Sophomore Winston Wll- liams sank two free throws in the final five seconds to ice the victory for Imman- uel (3-0 entering a Dec. 4 home game against Madera South), after the Pioneers (5-1) surged back to cut a 17-point deficit to four in the closing seconds.
"I watched Mt. Whitney play their first two games. They're good," Eagles coach Chris Woods said. "After Madera South we go to Mon- terey [County] to see some out-of-the-area competition, Our experience this week will help us build on that."
Senior guard Rodriguez displayed his sharpshoot- ing skills in the second half,
See IMMANUEL on page B4
Pirates will help host Bedoya
Holiday Classic boys tourney
Staff Report
Reedley High School again will support Dinuba High School in hosting next week's Andrew Bedoya Holiday Classic boys basketball tournament.
The fourth annual event begins Wednesday, Dec. 12, with four games each at RHS and Dinuba High. Games at Reedley include the Pirates against Kennedy High from Delano at 8 p.m.
and Orange Cove High against Mt. Whitney at 3:30 p.m.
Reedley is on the same side of the bracket as Central Valley Chris- tian from Visalia and Hanford High School. Four games — including eve- ning winner's bracket contests — also are scheduled at RHS on Thursday,
See TOURNAMENTS on page B4
ABOVE: Reedley High players Augie Villareal (11) and Anthony Figueroa, right, applied a double team trap to Liberty-Madera Ranchos High point guard Makani White- side in the Dec. 1 championship game of the Reedley Tip- Off Classic. Whiteside captured tournament MVP honors, scoring 45 points against the Pirates in an 83-61 victory.
LEFT: Reedley High guard Daniel Cortez drives to the bas- ket during a 62-47 semifinal win over Yosemite High on Nov. 30.
Photos by Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Liberty star erupts for 45 in title game win over hosts
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Just when the Reedley High Pirates boys thought a championship of its own Tip- Off Classic was within reach, Liberty-Madera Ranchos High star Makani Whiteside seized the moment.
The Hawks' 6-foot-3 se- nior point guard took over the game in the second quarter, erupting for 23 points in the second quarter on his way to a game-high 45 points as the visitors wiped out an 11-point deficit after one quarter and went on to an 83-61 rout of the Pirates (3-1).
"He was a beast. We did everything we could to try to stop him," said coach Tra- vis Ferrell, whose team was outscored 29-10 in the period with Whiteside providing the
bulk of the offense, His of- fensive explosion gave him 94 points (31.3 average) in the three games and made him the obvious choice as tourna- ment Most Valuable Player.
It still was a strong tour- nament showing for Reedley, which powered to the finals with wins over Orosi (66-45) on Nov. 29 and fellow Division 3 school Yosemite (62-47) on Nov. 30. Led by all-tournament selections Augie Villareal (15.7 ppg in the tourney) and Jordon Chavez (12.3 ppg), the Pirates used strong outside shooting to jump to an 18-7 ad- vantage on Liberty (5-0) after one quarter.
"We had a good lead, we were shooting the ball well. We got into our game plan," Ferrell said.
But Whiteside – who Fer- rell called a "next level play- er," slashed to the basket for layups and assists to waiting teammates. He also rained
See REEDLEY HIGH on page B4
Pirate boys 2nd at Tip-Off Classic
4th ANNUAL ANDREW BEDOYA HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Wednesday, Dec. 12
Reedley HS — Game 1, Orange Cove-Mt. Whitney, 3:30 p.m.; Game 3, Madera South-Porterville, 5 p.m.; Game 5, CV Christian-Hanford 6:30 p.m.; Game 7, Kennedy (Delano)-Reedley, 8 p.m. Dinuba HS — Game 2, McLane-Tulare Union, 3:30 p.m.; Game 4, Righetti-Golden West, 5 p.m.; Game 6, Monache-
Thursday, Dec. 13
Reedley HS —Game 9, G1-G3 losers, 3:30 p.m.; Game 11, G2-G4 losers, 5 p.m.; Game 13, G1-G3 winners, 6:30 p.m.; Game 15, G2-G4 winners, 8 p.m. Dinuba HS — Game 10, G2-G4 losers, 3:30 p.m.; Game 12, G6-G8 losers, 5 p.m.; Game 14, G2-G4 winners, 6:30 p.m.; Game 15, G6-G8 winners, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14-15
Friday games at 3:30/5/6:30/8 p.m. Consolation at RHS and winners bracket at DHS. Saturday games at DHS starting at 9 a.m. with championship at 7:30 p.m.
Selma, 6:30 p.m.; Game 8, Orosi-Dinuba, 8 p.m.