Page 9 - Sanger Herald 1-31-19 E-edition

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SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019
Wrestlers take some lumps on their way to post-season
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Merijah Morales and Vince Stafford briskly pinned their opponents, and Fernando Gonzales beat his on points.
Otherwise, the meet at Sanger High’s small gym didn’t go so well for the Apaches varsity wrestling squad Jan. 23. Madera brought some strong competition, winning 63-15.
And coach Narciso Juarez didn’t mince words afterward, gathering his team and his assistant coaches into a corner of the gym. “Look at yourselves in the mirror and ask who you want to be,” he said. “We’re young, but I hate to say that as an excuse.”
The evening doubled as senior night where the oldest athletes on the team were honored with banners and pictures with their families and coach. Morales was among a small group of girls, and Samson Mansy, who got out to a strong start and ultimately lost by pin, was the sole senior on the boys’ side.
“The regular season’s over,” Juarez said. “Just like that. Blink of an eye. I know we’re a lot better
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Vince Stafford takes down Madera's Jose Guzman in short order Jan. 23.
which early on had more opportunities for female wrestlers. But she returned when Sanger’s program expanded.
Stafford said he’s feeling stronger. He dispatched his Coyote opponent, Jose Guzman, like he wanted to make a statement in his 152-pound weight class. “I let him down easy,” Stafford said. And as for the post season he added, “I just want to keep working hard.”
He said he’s focused.
Gonzales, who is referred to as “Boo Boo” by his teammates, didn’t get the pin, but he clearly won the match against Johnathan Solorio at 126 pounds. Gonzales said he was tired. “I did feel better than when I started (the season),” he said. “My strength’s better. My technique’s better. I’m very confident. I feel like I could end up going to state this year.”
In junior varsity, Alan Pelayo put up a good contest with Coyote Matt Arreloza at 138 pounds. “This one was just a wake- up call,” Pelayo said. “My last tournament I got fourth. (Against Arreloza) I feel like I was trying to out- muscle him rather than use
technique. I’ve got to work on endurance.”
Ray Cabrera wrestled heavyweight Chase Cosyns and pinned him. Cabrera had a tough match against Bullard, got a number of contusions in the process and spilled blood on the mat. He didn’t win.
Cabrera appeared to be an entirely different wrestler against Madera. But he was modest. “I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “I think it was by luck.” But then he followed with, “I trained. I decided to switch to the other side so he wouldn’t escape (just before the pin). That’s training.”
He acknowledged the blood on the mat and said winning felt good. “Better than the last time,” he said.
Robert Juarez, assistant coach, closed out the comments to the team after the match with a little motivation. “You can do it,” he said. “But you’ve got to believe. You’ve got to believe in yourself.”
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
than that score.”
Assistant coach Preston
Hill encouraged the team to use the experience for later motivation. “We’ve got to wrestle hard every (minute of those) 6 minutes,” he said. “Tomorrow’s a new day. Hopefully, you’ll remember this match next practice.”
Morales faced Maddie Avila of Madera at 106 pounds. Both were the only girls on their teams competing. And Morales, who had won her division
in the Napa Valley Girls Classic tournament Jan. 5, had no trouble dispatching her opponent.
And while Avila appeared to know her stuff, Morales controlled the match. “I just work my moves and show off what I’ve got,” Morales said, explaining why she didn’t go for a quick pin. She gave Avila a master class. “I try to be as respectful as I can.”
Morales said she’s enjoying her final season and trying to figure out
what college to attend next fall. She said she’s been offered a couple of scholarships and a number of other programs have shown interest. She said she’s looking forward to the post-season. “I feel really confident,” she said. “I feel a lot better with my surroundings. I’m a lot happier here. I won four tournaments in a row, so I’m pretty proud of myself.”
Morales joined the Selma High wrestling program,
Apaches snuff Knights on 3rd try
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Marissa and Alyssa Hansen had reason to play their best basketball against Bullard on Jan. 25.
The Knights had edged the Apaches in the Buchanan Kiwanis tournament just after Christmas by three points and won decisively by 12 at Bullard a week and a half later. On top of that, wins had been hard to come by for much of the season.
And, perhaps most importantly, it was their senior night.
“They’ve been in the program since the fourth grade,” said Bruce Fowler, the twins’ grandfather. He was part of a big clan that came to cheer on the twins in one of their final games in the Coach Dean Nicholson Gym at Sanger High. He said they brought along a lot of cousins “because we always have more coming up for the next season.”
The game also drew former girls basketball coach David Garza, there to honor players he’d coached over the years. Fellow seniors Cu-Nisha Mitchell and Anelise “Annie” Lopez also were part of his past teams.
No pressure.
Alyssa ignited as soon as she hit the court, scoring the first points of the game with a layup and then stealing the ball from an almost immediately befuddled Bullard offense. Alyssa finished with four steals, an assist and four rebounds.
Marissa pulled down eight rebounds, scored seven points and nabbed just one steal.
Their effort combined with just about every other player on the team sealed victory in dramatic fashion, 54-38.
“It was a complete game,” said coach David
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Apache Taylor Roth goes up against Bullard on Jan. 25. She led all scorers with 15 points.
Sanger athletic director Brian Penner, who handled announcing duties, agreed. “That’s the best first half I’ve seen in awhile,” he said. “I think our shot selection is better.”
On defense, the Hansen twins played tough, not allowing any of the Bullard players to come up with an easy score. But they weren’t the only ones. Every Apache on the court fell back on defense, frustrating every single attempt by the visiting Knights to put the ball in their net. Case in point, Andrea Chapa nabbed six steals to go along with her four points.
Blackwood said the Lady Apaches forced 26 turnovers and picked up 19 steals, holding the Knights to just four points in the final quarter.
“You gotta play hard to win the game,” Marissa said. “Especially against Bullard. We had to come back for redemption.”
Alyssa echoed her sister, while holding an ice pack to an injured eye. “It was a tough game,” she said. “Bullard gave us a fight. It was one of the best we played as a team. The game was tough but I’m glad we won. I want to give a shout out to Midori (Fishel, No. 4) for giving 100 percent.”
Alyssa said a Bullard defender apparently scratched the surface of her eye early in the game. It was bright red, but she didn’t appear to care.
Fishel scored two points but more importantly stole the ball three times, dished one assist and got five fouls as the result of tough defense at the direction of her coaching staff. “If you’re hustling, I’m OK with that,” Campbell said, speaking of Fishel’s effort. “That’s what we need from you right now.”
Lopez sat on the sideline, the result of a one-game suspension related to a
foul in a previous game. She didn’t keep quiet. “I’m proud of each and every single one of you,” she told her teammates after the game. “And everyone was contributing. And we got the dub (win).”
Mitchell said she could hear Lopez cheering when she was on the court. “I really wanted to get this win for her,” she said. Mitchell needed an ice pack on her ankle. She said she’d been limping two days because of a previous injury, and by the end of the game she had to hop rather than walk.
“I played through the pain,” Mitchell said. “We wanted to get them back, and we knew we could. We played them all four quarters, and we played our best team ball.”
Mitchell scored 12 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished two assists. Kelly Anderson scored 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Anderson said nothing particular went through her head during the game. “You’ve just got to stay cool and play,” she said. That her playing alongside Mitchell proved especially productive should be no surprise, she said. “We’ve been playing together a long time, and it shows.”
Taylor Roth led the Apaches in scoring with 15 points and two assists. Elise LeBeau had four assists and three steals.
Assistant coach Sam Zavala said they all played well. “If we could play like this every game, we could be high up now in the league,” she said. “They’re young, and I’m hoping it will come together the rest of the season.”
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Campbell. “But it needed to be. They’re a quality team. They (the Knights) were missing their best player, but we’re missing our best scorer.
“It’s been a long road for the girls. We’ve had a rough time. (But) the bench had energy. They played for each other.”
The game’s intensity resembled that of a post- season playoff match. The noise level from the crowd
rose early and stayed amplified throughout. Sanger High principal Dan Chacon showed up about the second quarter wearing his lucky cowboy hat, which is always a good sign for a win.
Near the end of the first half with Sanger leading 28-23, the two teams fought for possession. In the final 30 seconds, the ball changed hands a half dozen times. Sanger pulled off
two shots that went wide, but Bullard also wasn’t able to convert anything by the end of the half.
Rueben Bravo, spotter for Sanger master statistician Ron Blackwood, was impressed. “We’re moving the ball,” he said. “We’re hustling. Everybody’s contributing. They’re rebounding. That’s a great first half. We’re holding them. Bullard has to fight for everything.”