Page 9 - Dinuba Sentinel 3-1-18 E-edition

Sports
“They totally deserve this. They worked so hard for it, to go undefeated and not lose a game all season, and these girls earned it.”
- Sara Vega, OHS Girl’s Soccer Coach
The Dinuba Sentinel
Emperor
athletes
honored
Most Valuable Player awards given at winter banquet
B1
Thursday, March 1, 2018
High School Soccer
The Orosi Lady Cardinals soccer team celebrates after winning the Division V Valley title last Friday at George Millhorn Stadium, becoming the first Orosi High girl’s sports team to be crowned Valley champions.
Lady Cardinals win Valley
e Orosi High girl’s soccer team makes school history by becoming the rst girl’s team in any sport to capture a Valley championship, await seedings for state playo s.
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The Orosi High Lady Cardinals’ soccer team put up big numbers this year, usually outscoring their opponents by multiple goals. In all, they scored 121 goals and averaged 4.5 goals a game.
Friday, as the team played in the Division V Valley Championship Game, it took only one. Though the Lady Cardinals controlled the offense for most of the game, putting up a lopsided amount of shots to the goal, it was one shot that made the difference, a 15-yarder hit straight on by Orosi High junior Mikala Montemayor in penalty time of the first half.
Montemayor’s goal gave Orosi a 1-0 lead, and subsequent victory, making the Lady Cardinals this year’s Division
V Valley Champions.
“I’m still pinching myself,” said Orosi
High varsity girl’s soccer coach Sara Vega after Friday night’s victory. “This is amazing.”
The Lady Cardinals team once again made history,
becoming the only
girl’s team in any
sport to win a Valley championship and being the only team in any sport to go undefeated on the season.
“[They’re] one of
the best teams, if not
the best team, I’ve
ever coached,” added
Vega. “They totally deserve this. They worked so hard for it, to go undefeated and not lose a game all season, and
these girls earned it.”
The Lady Cardinals entered Friday’s
Valley title matchup as the No. 1 seed, after going undefeated in league and putting up an incredible undefeated record, finishing 28-0-2 on the
season. Sierra Pacific of Hanford entered as the No. 3 seed after upsetting No. 2 Bishop Union on Feb. 20 in penalty kicks (4-2).
The Golden Bears were coached by Christa Smith, who three years ago served as the head coach for Dinuba High School’s
varsity girl’s soccer team. Her assistant at the time was Estevan Diaz.
This year Smith and Diaz found
themselves on opposite sidelines, as Diaz is the assistant coach for the Lady Cardinals.
“To see their excitement after all the hard work they’ve been putting in. . . since they were ten, and to see them win it together, it’s incredible,” said Diaz after the game. “When they beat Fowler (who the team lost to in last year’s Valley title game) when we were losing 3-1, and came back to win that championship (Fowler Tournament) it gave them a lot of confidence.”
Orosi had eight shots at the goal in the first half prior to Montemayor’s goal in penalty time. Three of those attempts were made by Cardinal sophomore mid-fielder Anapalmira Pena. The Lady Cardinals almost
See Lady Cards, Page B6
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Dinuba High School’s top athletes were honored at the annual Winter Sports Banquet, held Monday at the school’s auditorium. Emperor athletes were recognized for their performances both on and off the field as awards were given for highest GPA’s in each sport as well as Most Valuable Players.
Top honors went to Yasmine Villarreal- Harris, who was recognized as the student-athlete with the highest grade point average, boy’s basketball’s MVP Elijah Mayberry, Top Emperor wrestler Lorenzo Arreola, girl’s basketball MVPs Mireya Hernandez and Sam Lopez, girl’s soccer’s Most Inspirational Hannah Gonzales, cheer’s Most Valuable Cheerleader Alyssa Leal and boy’s soccer MVP Pedro Rodriguez.
Hosting the banquet this year was Dinuba High’s Athletic Director Jeff Schofield, who this year served double- duty as the school’s varsity basketball coach.
Schofield first recognized the achievements of various winter sports, including the cheer program, which is the only sport to span two seasons (fall and winter), and the girl’s basketball program that improved this year to win 18 games, hosted their first playoff game in 12 years and won their first playoff game in seven years.
“The girl’s basketball program continues to get better and better each year,” said Schofield. “Just a really outstanding season for our girl’s team.”
Also improving this year were the girl’s counterparts. The boy’s basketball team also improved their overall record this year, going 20-9 and making it to the quarterfinals of the Central Section’s Division III playoffs.
In acknowledging the success of the Dinuba High program, Schofield credited the program’s consistency. This year, after years of success in Division III, the program moved up a division and experienced the same results, making it to the Div. II playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
“They did an excellent job in the
See Awards, Page B6
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
High School Basketball
Lady Emps win opener, fall in quarter nals
Dinuba gets come-from-behind victory over Tulare Union to earn rst playoff victory in seven years
of Dinuba.
A drive to the basket by Montalvo gave Dinuba a 3-point
cushion with just 33 second left in the game. After the Tribe was unable to respond on their next possession, Dinuba only needed to dribble out the game, perhaps expecting to be fouled.
Tulare, however, chose rather to use pressure defense in hopes of getting a turnover. Those in attendance then held their breath when the Tribe did just that with about one second left on the game clock.
With Dinuba in the backcourt, Tulare took the ball away just outside the 3-point arc and heaved it towards the basket. But the shot was waved when the shooter didn’t get it off in time. Regardless, the shot was off the mark and Dinuba escaped with an opening round victory.
“I’m very proud of the girls for not giving up and chipping away at the deficit one stop, one possession at a time,” said Dinuba High girl’s basketball coach Benny Prado.
Dinuba’s top scorers were Mendoza, with 8 points, Flores, 7, and Hernandez, who scored 6 points.
With the victory, the Lady Emperors earned themselves a spot in the Division III quarterfinals and set up a Friday night matchup against No. 1 seeded Fresno.
Friday’s game was the second time the two teams met this year. Back on Nov. 30 the two teams meet in the Selma Shoot-Out. The game turned out to be a close one, but in the end Fresno edged Dinuba 62-60 to hand the Lady Emperors their first loss of the season.
Friday, however, was a different story as the Warriors were able to run away with a 52-29 quarterfinals victory.
Prior to last Wednesday’s victory over Tulare Union, it had been seven years since the Lady Emperors won a playoff game and 12 years since the team hosted a playoff game.
The team finished the season an 18-12, their best overal record in over a decade.
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The Dinuba High varsity girl’s basketball team earned a spot in the Central Section’s Division III quarterfinals with a come-from-behind 37-34 victory last Wednesday against No. 9 Tulare Union.
The Lady Emperors, who entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, started off slow in their opening round home game, scoring only nine points in the entire first half, and falling behind to the Tribe 17-9. Dinuba trailed by as much as 12 points early in the second half but responded on offense by outscoring their first half performance with 15 points alone in the third quarter.
A fast-break layup by Dinuba freshman Ashley Flores early in the quarter sparked a 10-0 run for the Lady Emperors. Capping off the run was a transition layup by senior point guard Mireya Hernandez who took the ball the length of the court to pull Dinuba within two points, her bucket making it 21-19.
Tulare Union was able to close out the quarter by adding six more points, but a 3-pointer from the left corner by Dinuba High freshman Roxie Montalvo, followed by a strong drive to the hole by senior Sam Mendoza kept the Lady Emperors on the Tribe’s heels.
In the fourth quarter, a 10-footer banked in by Dinuba’s Joanne Rubalcaba pulled the Lady Emps to within two at 28-26. Dinuba then took the lead with a 3-pointer form the right corner by Flores, giving her team a 29-28 advantage.
The two shots sparked Dinuba’s biggest run of the game, as they outscored the Tribe 11-0 to take a 35-28 lead deep in the fourth quarter.
Tulare Union then managed to close the gap on the Lady Emps by going on a 6-0 run late in the game, and with just under minute left on the clock the score was 35-34 in favor
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
“I’m still pinching myself. This is amazing!”
— Sara Vega
Orosi High girl’s soccer coach
Dinuba High senior Sam Mendoza goes up for two of her eight points against Tulare Union last Wednesday. Mendoza led the team in scoring this year and was the fifth top scorer in the Central Sequoia League, averaging 13 points a game and was named the team’s co-MVP with teammate Mireya Hernandez.