Page 14 - Dinuba Sentinel 6-14-18 E-edition

B6 | Thursday, June 14, 2018
Sports The Dinuba Sentinel Hoops season is just over ve months away
DHS Boys Basketball uses summer league as preseason
Braves’ Damien Orosco rounds the bases while scoring on an inside-the-park homerun Friday against the previously unbeaten Rangers. The Braves defeated the Rangers 13-2 to create a threeway tie for first place in the Majors Division. Run differential gave the Braves the No. 1 seed after they outscored their opponents this season 61-5.
Majors
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
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Dinuba High junior Josh Magaña drives past a Farmersville defender during last Thursday’s 60-22 victory over the Aztecs in summer league play. Magaña is one of nine returners to the Emperors’ varsity basketball team and is keeping busy this summer by preparing for both basketball and football. He is also the starting quarterback for the Dinuba High School varsity football team and will be entering his second year on both varsity squads.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
For many Dinuba High School athletes, the end of the school year doesn’t necessarily mean the end of practice. Nor do the competitions end. For many, the opportunity to hone their skills only continues.
Such is the case with this year’s crop of varsity basketball players, as the team is currently in their fourth week of the Emperors’ competitive Basketball Summer League. And with two wins last week, including a 60-22 victory over the Aztecs of Farmersville, the upcoming season, which is just over four months away, looks promising.
According to Dinuba High basketball head coach Jeff Schofield, this year’s added bonus of only having five football players returning to the team makes the summer league even more valuable at establishing the new season.
“Most years most of our players also played football,” said Schofield. “And football is usually very successful, so after football is over we maybe get the players for two or three practices, if we’re lucky. So the summer time is important to us to put our system into place for the year. We kind of use it as our preseason.”
Against the Aztecs the Emperors jumped out to an early 5-2 lead but struggled on transitions allowing Farmersville to crawl back in to the game. Nine minutes into the game and the Emperors actually found themselves down 10-5.
But after a timeout, the team made the needed adjustments and turned the tide by going on a 22-0 run to take a 27-10 lead with just five minutes left in the half. Part of the run included four consecutive three-pointers.
By halftime, Dinuba led the Aztecs 31-14.
The Emperors then turned in a dominant second half performance by outscoring Farmersville 29-8, including a 10-0 run and 10-2 to close out the
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
Braves ended up having the greatest run differential after outscoring their opponents this year 61-5.
“At first we were feeling a little nervous,” said Braves coach Christian Guerrero. “Being the third seed and having two tough opponents, the Rangers being one of the toughest opponents. Just coming out to swing the bat and trying to get everything we can done.”
The Braves will now receive a first round bye in the playoffs, along with the Rangers, who ended up as the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Braves will take on the winner between the No. 4 seed Blue Jays and the No. 5 A’s. That game is scheduled for tomorrow night and will be played at Roosevelt Park starting at 6:45 p.m.
As for the No. 2 Rangers,
they will await the winner between the No. 3 team Dodgers and wild card team. A wild card game was held on Tuesday between the Pirates, the No. 6 seed team, and the Giants, the No. 7 team. That game was played after publication.
The winner of the wild card game will take on the Dodgers on Saturday at Felix Delgado Park. That game is currently scheduled for 7 p.m.
The semifinals will be played on Tuesday, June 19, at Felix Delgado Park, with the first game scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The championship will be played on June 25 at Roosevelt Park.
As for the Braves, Guerrero says the team will be ready.
“A little more practice, tuning up everything, and we should be ready to go,” said Guerrero.
game, with the Aztecs only two points coming on free throws.
As of Tuesday, the Emperors’ varsity basketball team was 5-1 in summer league play. Last season was one of the best in years. The Emperors finished 20-9 in and 6-4 and third in a tough Central Sequoia League whose top two teams, Selma and Immanuel, both advanced to the state playoffs last season.
Four seniors from last season’s team have graduated, Arnel Bergonia, Nate Carrion, Elijah Mayberry and Colton Martinez. Both Carrion and Mayberry were starters on the team.
The Emperors have nine returners from last year’s team, including three regular starters, forward Luke Rodriguez, point guard Sebastian Garza and guard Josh Magaña. Both
Rodriguez and Garza are now seniors, while Magana is now a junior.
Another returner who established his presence in the paint last season is John Calderon. He, along with senior returner Sinuhe Vargas, will look to secure the key for Dinuba as both return to the center position. And as an added point guard with tremendous speed, the team also returns Josh Huerta.
“We have a good group of returners coming back,” said Schofield. “We have some good senior leadership. We return two of our best three players. So I have some good expectations. We have some good pieces that came up from the JV team, so we’re excited.”
Two of those brought up from the JV team are twins Elias and Isaac Flores. The two guards will
be active players on both offense and defense, and possess a knack for rebounds.
“They work really hard,” said Schofield. “They get a ton of loose balls and they’re pretty skilled also. They’re fearless.”
As for the five football players on the team, such as Magana, Calderon and Huerta, they will be extra busy this offseason, as they also prepare for the upcoming football season. Magana will return for his second year as the Emperors’ starting quarterback, Calderon will make his return as the team’s tight end and look for Huerta’s speed as a kick returner.
The football team practices on Mondays and Wednesdays during the week and the basketball summer league runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Mayberry
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liner to outfield. The West took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, with one run coming home on a sacrifice fly by Hanford’s Theron Dutra.
Dutra was also on the driving end of a two-run single in the fifth inning that gave his team a 6-1 lead. The Hanford catcher was named Most Valuable Player for the West team.
As for Mayberry, he represents a long line of Dinuba Emperors to play in the All- Stars game. Last year Dinuba’s Greg Olmos also represented the Emperors. And the year before that Dinuba’s Austin Anguiano was named the MVP of the West team after his team won 10-7.
That year, Morrelli was also the head coach for the West team.
Mayberry represented the only player
from the Central Sequoia League on the All-Stars West team. As for the East team, three players from CSL made the roster. Dillon Howell, Anthony Torres and Justin Turner, all of Exeter, were on the East team.
Next year Mayberry will continue playing ball. He’ll be trading in his emerald-green and white Emperors jersey for a blue and orange Giants jersey as his baseball career continues when he plays for the College of the Sequoias.
Mayberry was a three-sport athlete for Dinuba High School, having played football, basketball and baseball. Of the three, Mayberry said baseball is by far his favorite.
“I’ve been playing baseball since I was three-years-old, and travel ball since I was
eight. So it’s been a big part of my life.”
In leaving Dinuba High, he said the thing he will miss the most is the team building
experience.
“In football I’m going to miss our
Thursday meetings,” said Mayberry. “And in basketball I’m going to miss the fun we had in practice. As for baseball, I’m going to miss the away trips and the rap battles we would have on the bus.”
Though Mayberry said he didn’t rap himself, he would use the battles to hype up the team. Doing the rapping was mostly Dinuba High’s Justin Gonzalez and Isaiah Ochoa.
This summer Mayberry will be getting a head start on his studies at COS while taking summer courses. He plans on going into law enforcement.
Dinuba’s Elijah Mayberry leads off from third base after reaching base in the third inning of Saturday’s East vs. West All-Stars Game at Rawhide Stadium. Mayberry had a double on a ball driven to the gap in left-centefield. He then stole third base.
Scho eld
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
To replace Schofield, the district has hired John Freitas out of Tulare Union, where he formally served as a baseball coach for the Tribe.
“One thing I was blessed with, andsoishe,isthatonawhole our coaching staff is a veteran coaching staff,” said Schofield. “I know when I took the job, for a good deal of it they kind of train you so-to-speak. So that really helps.”
One of the things Schofield is excited about in Dinuba High athletics is seeing the girls’ sports coming up in recent years. This past season, the girls cross country team and softball teams both showed promise, with the girls’ softball team making it all the way to the Division III Valley title game.
Said Schofield, “Next year I think we’re going to have another good year.”
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Emperors’ Baseball to host 3-day summer camp
Sentinel staff report
Emperor Baseball will be hosting a three-day summer baseball camp from Tuesday, June 19, through Thursday, June 21, at the Varsity Baseball Field at Washington Intermediate School.
The camp is available for players ages 7-12. Registration for the camp will start at 8:30 a.m., with the camp being held
from 9-11 a.m. The cost is $35 per player.
Campers will receive coaching and instruction from DHS coaches and players and are expected to wear appropriate baseball attire, bring cleats, glove and bat if possible.
For more information, contact Brent Morrelli at 909-2320 or email bmorrell@dinuba.k12. ca.us.