Page 9 - Sanger Herald 12-20-18 E-edition

SangerSports
SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018
Wrestlers develop a strong program in fourth year
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Merijah Morales circled Golden West’s Amelia Janiak in the center white circle, waiting for an opening.
The Apache wrestler bore the look of a seasoned grappler, confident in her skills. And after a couple takedowns, Janiak appeared as if she suspected Morales had something to teach her. But first she had to survive what in essence turned out to be a master class handed out by one of the region’s top athletes in the sport.
And after Morales pinned her opponent, she gave her a sincere smile and handshake. No hard feelings on either side. Morales, certainly, has other things to think about. She’s a senior focused on earning a state title.
“I want to be a four-time Valley champ and a state champ,” she said after the dual meet in Sanger High School’s small gym Dec. 12. “I’ve placed, but I’ve never taken it (a state championship) home.”
The meet involved the 16-member Apache team against a slightly larger group from the Visalia high school. And
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Merijah Morales takes on Amelia Janiak of Golden West at a dual meet recently in Sanger. The program has expanded, and the athletes predict a competitive year.
the dawning realization that wrestling could be a significant competitive outlet and wasn’t just a boys sport attracted athletes. On the Sanger roster this year are four water polo players, two of them varsity, and a pair of runners.
Juarez said he likes the team’s chances this year. The Apaches edged the Trailblazers 42-40 to win the meet.
“We’re looking good,” Juarez said. “We have three seniors, (and) we have a good future in the sophomore and junior class. We have a lot of fast learners, a lot of fast learners.”
Seven seniors left the team upon graduation last year. “So it’s a whole new team,” he said.
That new team showed its strength early, with the first three Apaches to participate pinning their opponents in short order. Sophomore Abbey Ellis, a varsity water polo player, was the first to get a pin, quickly dispatching the Trailblazer in her weight class. Next was Virginia Rios, a junior, who did the same. Hannah Cooper, a junior also on the water polo squad, dispatched her opponent as well.
“I love wrestling,”
Cooper said. “It’s my second year. I hope to get top three in Valleys and to go to state this year. That’s a big goal of mine.”
Cooper said the competition is pretty good and that she’s lost only twice so far this year. As proof of that competition, she had a couple of bright red scratches on both sides of her neck. “The girls and I this year hope to keep winning,” she said.
Mia Morales, a sophomore and Merijah’s little sister, won by pin. But the match was hardly easy and both athletes hugged afterward.
“I think it’s going really good so far,” Mia said. “I’ve had my losses here and there, but (each loss) makes me look back on what I can fix here and there.”
Commenting on her hug after her match, Mia said, “It’s always good spirit, good energy. You just go out there and put it all on the mat. If you don’t (promote good energy), you get bad juju.”
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerheraldsports@gmail. com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
while both teams remain relatively young, Golden West’s Trailblazers have been around longer. Sanger formed its girls team in 2015, while the Trailblazers began the program a year earlier.
“And to think four years ago we just had three (girls in the program),” said Brian Penner, Sanger High athletic director.
The program has
grown not only in size but sophistication, traits Golden West coach Richard Sanchez said can be found in his operation as well. “We’ve built a solid program,” Sanchez said, following the meet. “We had one or two girls in 2012. Now it’s its own entity. They’re just as good as the boys.”
Sanchez said he doesn’t have to recruit, that girls
just want to wrestle. “They’re coming in,” he said.
Likewise, Sanger coach Narciso Juarez said he’s worked to create a strong social media presence to promote the sport and the Apache team. “I would post a lot last year to get the word out, to make sure people realize there’s a girls team,” he said.
And that and perhaps
Redemption, trick plays on soccer field
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
As the sun dropped Dec. 11, the Apache girls varsity soccer team battled a Timberwolves squad that, like visiting Sanger, desperately wanted to break the 1-1 tie.
Time in the second half was running out, and Sanger had intensified the level of its play on the Clovis East field. But like natural light in the late afternoon, opportunity was in short supply in what could could be classified a physical game. At least one red card was issued.
But Clovis East got the score on a free kick combined with a trick play, earning the cheers of the home crowd. Final 2-1. Lady Timberwolf seniors Keska Turner, who had the penalty shot, and Macey Merlo worked together as Turner ran past the ball rather than kicking it. Merlo then crossed from the right and slammed the ball into the upper lefthand corner of the goal.
Sanger’s defenders didn’t see that coming.
“Life is ruthless. Soccer is ruthless,” said Mihailo Jovanovic, co-head coach with Sarah Bartley, to his athletes afterward. “Very good job pressuring in the second half. That’s professional soccer. And you’re able to do that.
“But as you can see it’s not enough.”
The Apaches proved their mettle in a previous game in a rematch with Redwood’s Rangers on Nov. 30, winning 2-1. Three days earlier, Redwood had beaten Sanger 4-1 at Tom Flores Stadium. The two schools had met in the 2017 California Interscholastic Federation Central Section Division II championship game. The No. 5 seed Apaches had defeated No.
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Clovis East's Keska Turner, left in dark jersey, and Macey Merlo switch up during a key play that won the game for the Timberwolves. Right, Diana Garcia controls the ball.
1 San Joaquin Memorial that year 2-1 to face the Rangers in the finals, but the No. 2 Rangers claimed victory with a single goal, 1-0, on their home turf.
Senior Audrey Reyna said the Clovis East and Redwood games proved intense, but that in the case of the Visalia rival her Apaches dominated most of the contest. “But they came back,” she said, scoring a goal in the second half for a 1-1 tie.
“(But) we scored in the last minutes.”
Junior Jasmine Guardado said her Apaches didn’t let Redwood stage a rally. “They got cocky,” she said. “And they thought, ‘We’ll kick their (backsides).’ But that didn’t happen. We
knew in our mindsets that just because they beat us multiple times didn’t mean they were going to do it again.
“So it was a good win. We flipped that switch.”
Sanger dropped a trio of contests after that grudge match, facing some pretty dominant programs in Buchanan, Clovis and Mission Oak. The realization was one that more work will be required, coaches said.
“Not just going through the motions,” said assistant coach Sarah Aguila, adding that she wants her Apaches to experience mental growth. “The way you practice is the way you’re going to play. That’s why we push you so hard.”
Jovanovic said Sanger should have left Clovis East with the win. “We made some progress in the second half,” he said after speaking to the team. “But we made some mistakes.”
Center defender and junior Kamryn Ramirez performed some pretty intense plays that derailed more than one Timberwolf attack. She said her team is improving. “We did a lot of good connecting passes,” she said. “We could have had it. They’re at our level.”
Ramirez said she was pleased with one aspect of the game. “That we kept our heads up all game. We didn’t give up. We kept going.”
Sophomore forward Nalina Alvarez, sister to
football star Angel Alvarez known for his flying tackles, said the team is doing good overall. And she predicted improvement. “Our team is getting better, so we’re playing much better,” she said.
Guardado said at any time every team can turn that switch on or off. “All teams have their good days
and bad days,” she said. The girls face Central at
5 p.m. Friday.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerheraldsports@gmail. com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.