Page 16 - Dinuba Sentinel 1-4-18 E-edition

B8 | Thursday, January 4, 2018 Lady Emps
Continued from Page B1
Dinuba travels to Reedley on Tuesday, hosts CVC ursday
Dinuba’s fourth quarter rally earned them a 37-34 victory over the Panthers and a trip to Saturday’s consolation championship game, where they would face Redwood for the title.
It was an early game for the Lady Emps as they faced the Rangers as 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. And though Dinuba would enter the matchup as the favorite, entering with a 12-4 record, compared to the Rangers 5-9 record, the game would again push the Lady Emps to the limits.
It was a slow start by both teams as they put up 15 combined points in the first quarter, with Dinuba leading 8-7 after one quarter. Redwood then had their best quarter of the game, as they put up 11 points in the second quarter. At one point, the Rangers were up 18-10 after going on an 11-2 run.
Late in the first half, however, Mendoza was able to get the Lady Emps back in the game off an inbound bucket to close the Rangers lead to four points. Then, with only seconds remaining in the half, Mendoza found Dinuba sophomore Yasmine Villarreal-Harris at the top of the key. With time expiring, Villarreal-Harris swished the 3-pointer at the buzzer to draw her team within one point at the half.
The third quarter was a hard fought defensive effort by both teams as each team managed only six points, Dinuba’s Mireya Hernandez scoring four of them as she began to force the issue by driving more to the basket. At the end of the quarter Dinuba still trailed the Rangers by one point, 24-23.
The Rangers extended their lead as the fourth quarter started after hitting a 3-pointer to open the quarter. Dinuba responded as Hernandez penetrated and dished off to Villarreal-Harris, who was fouled while scoring in the paint. She then hit the and- one to complete the three-point play.
It wasn’t until less then two minutes left in the game that Dinuba would get their first lead of the game since the first quarter. After Mendoza drew her team to within one point off a layup under the basket, assisted by Hernandez, Dinuba junior Sophie Rico stepped up for a rainbow 12-footer that bounced in for the go-ahead score.
“It was on a line,” said Rico after the game. “But I wasn’t sure if it was going in.”
The bucket gave the Emperors a 32-31 lead, with less then two minutes remaining. Mendoza would add a bit of insurance to their lead with a driving layup to give her team a 34-31 lead. Free throws would secure the victory and the Lady Emps would go on to win the consolation championship
Sports
The Dinuba Sentinel
2017 Year In Review
Dinuba High junior Sophie Rico dribbles to the basket during Saturday’s consolation championship game against Redwood. Rico scored the go-ahead shot in the game as the Lady Emps went on to pull away in the fourth quarter.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Dinuba High sophomore Yasmine Villarreal-Harris has been a force to reckon with in the paint for the Lady Emps. Saturday, in the team’s consolation championship game, Villarreal- Harris also showed she can shoot from the outside, hitting a 3-pointer at the end of the first half to draw her team to within one point.
MAY - The Dinuba Emperors track team dominated the Central Sequoia League with efforts from senior Raymond Yan (league champion in the 100 meter, 300 meter and 110m high hurdles), junior Alex Sandoval (league champion in shot put) and freshman Yasmine Villarreal- Harris (league champion in girl’s shut put).
game 37-33.
As for what got it done in
the girl’s championship game, coach Prado credited the team’s fundamentals.
“It was the little things,” said Prado. “Offensively we started doing some other things, we
started using our second and third options, as opposed to just one thing. Defensively was awesome. We only gave up 33 points. It was just a matter of us finishing layups... and just running our offense and trusting the process.”
The Dinuba track and field team went on to win their third league title in a row and would go on to win the valley title. Yan would go on to compete in the Masters and become the third Emperor to qualify to compete at the state level.
MARCH - The Dinuba Emperor’s varsity soccer team finished 20-3-5, earning them the Central Sequoia League title and a trip to the Valley Title game. In the title game, a single goal in overtime by senior Francisco Hernandez would be enough to secure a valley title for Dinuba in Division III. When asked how it felt scoring the winning goal in the championship game, Hernandez said, “It’s the most amazing thing ever.” The team would go on to play in the state playoffs but lose a close match to Salesian of Los Angeles 4-3.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Both Perez and Wright would go on to wrestle at the next level, with Perez currently wrestling at Fresno City where he has dominated the junior college world in wrestling. Wright is currenly red-shirting at Fresno State where he became the school’s first recruit since bringing the program back.
In other March highlights, the Dinuba High wrestling team sent seven wrestlers to the state finals in Bakersfield.
Of the seven, two Emperor wrestlers finished fourth in state in their weight classes. Seniors Isaiah Perez and Jacob Wright both finished in fourth place.
Perez and Wright are pictured (right) with their coach Michael Wright.
APRIL - Though the Orosi High School varsity baseball team started their season off slow, the Cardinals would get back on track with a league home opener against Summit Charter Collegiate Academy, winning 10-2. Though the Cardinals had an up and down season, they would go on to win their last five games in a row to finish 10-16 and earn themselves a spot in the Division VI playoffs. They would lose, however, in the first round to Fresno Christian.
In other May highlights, the Dinuba varity boy’s tennis team won their first ever Valley title after defeating Yosemite in the title game. The tennis team’s victory gave Dinuba an unprecedented four valley titles for the 2016-17 school year, making it the most successful year in sports for Dinuba High School.
(More 2017 highlights in next week’s Sentinel)
Photos by Keven J. Geaney and Rick Curiel
Mireya Hernandez
dinuba High school basketball
Dinuba High School senior point guard Mireya Hernan- dez was named Athlete of the Week for her performance last week in the Dinuba-Orosi Holi- day Classic. Hernandez scored 22 points in a come-from- behind victory over Roosevelt to help secure a third place nish for the Lady Emperors. She was also named the tournament's Most Inspirational Player.
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While on break, former Dinuba standout wrestler and football player Michael Wright helps the Dinuba High wrestling team prepare for the upcoming Dinuba Invitational. Wright is currently attending Sacramento State, where he plays defense for the school’s football team.
After completing college, Wright looks to follow in his father’s footsteps and coach the Dinuba wrestling team.
Wrestling
Continued from Page B1
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
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throughout the valley will be competing in tomorrow’s Dinuba Invitational. In the way of Dinuba’s fourth consecutive tournament title are four top 50 ranked schools in the state. Of the schools competing, Monache is currently ranked No. 16, Frontier is No. 18, Bullard is No. 28 and Lemoore is ranked No. 36 in the state.
“Our goal is to beat the best in the state,” said Wright. “If we can’t do that, we’re not going to be
successful.”
But beyond the wresting there is a greater part
that sometimes goes unnoticed.
“The wrestling is really just a small part,” added
Wright. “We want men who are going to show up to work on time, who are going to be good fathers who are going to take care of their kids. . . We want to produce good people who are responsible adults.”
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