Page 9 - Dinuba Sentinel 9-13-18 E-edition

Sports
B1
“I think it was one of the best game’s I’ve played in.”
OHS Running Back Jerry Huerta on the Cardinals’ game against Strathmore
The Dinuba Sentinel
Cardinals fall in a thriller
Thursday, September 13, 2018 Orosi Football
George M. Villagrana | The Dinuba Sentinel
Late turnover and touchdown ends Orosi’s upset bid against Strathmore
By George M. Villagrana
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
Strathmore High’s football team snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat Friday evening.
A late fumble by Orosi proved costly as the Spartans scored the game- winning touchdown with less than 20 seconds in a 27-22 win at Strathmore.
The showdown between the two top teams in Division VI proved to be as advertised as hundreds of spectators, as well as coaches and players witnessed a playoff-like game and atmosphere so early in the season.
“I think it was one of the best game’s I’ve played in,” said Orosi running back Jerry Huerta. “I took it as a playoff game.”
Huerta, who rushed for over 100 yards the first three games, was a yard shy from eclipsing the 100 yard mark. He finished the game with 99 yards on
20 carries that included a nifty 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also caught three passes for 40 yards.
With the Cardinals nursing a 22-21 lead with less than three minutes remaining, the defense came up big stopping the Spartans at the 32-yard line with less than 2 minutes in the game.
On their ensuing possession, the Cardinals fumbled the ball that was recovered by Strathmore injecting new life into the Spartans.
Strathmore went to work quickly as the combination of quarterback Cristian Rodriguez and Lee Navarro connected on pass plays of 28 and 27 yards, putting the ball at the 13-yard line.
The Spartans edged closer to the goal line on a run by freshman running back Carlos Moreno. However, penalties pushed the ball back to the 11-yard line. Strathmroe was facing a 3rd and goal from the 9-yard line, when Moreno punched it in with 17 seconds for the game winning score.
“It was an awesome game,” said Strathmore coach Jeremy Blackwell. “Orosi came in here well prepared. They came out and gave us everything we could handle.”
The Cardinals moved the ball well
early in the game but an interception by Strathmore’s Fabian Alcantar put the defending champions ahead, 7-0.
Orosi drove deep inside the Spartans territory late in the first half but could not reach the endzone as time expired.
In the second half, Orosi’s defense forced a Spartans turnover that was recovered by Dmarcus Lopez at the 48-yard line.
The Cardinals would march deep inside Spartans territory, scoring on a fourth and goal play from running back Ismael Perez with 6:18. Orosi did not convert the 2-point conversion and trailed 7-6.
With just under a minute in the quarter, the Spartans went back up 14-6 when wide receiver Fabian Alcantar took a hand off from Rodriguez and bolted 45-yards for a TD.
Not fazed by the big play ability of Strathmore, OHS went to work on a time-consuming drive to the 19-yard line when Huerta got loose shedding some tackles on his way to the endzone. The Cardinals were successful on a 2-point conversion by Perez, tying the score, 14-14.
The game wasn’t tied for too long
See Cardinals, Page B6
Orosi High defensive lineman Daniel Mendoza drills Strathmore running back Alonso Acevedo after a short gain Friday night in Strathmore.
OHS Volleyball
Orosi digs
deep to
win its own
tournament
DHS Volleyball Dinuba unable to
get on track at IHS
By George M. Villagrana
ease, Dinuba had to rebound from dropping a set and fight off a late Selma charge in the fourth set in a 25-15, 25-10, 21-25, 25-21 home match victory against the Bears on Thursday.
Allyson Garcia led the team with 11 kills and Azlyn Villalobos along with Alexa Garcia each had eight kills apiece.
Manning had 34 assists in the match.
In their CSL opener at Hanford West last Tuesday, Dinuba rallied from an 0-2 deficit to stun the Huskies 16-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-10.
Allyson Garcia had 16 kills, six digs and two ace serves and Alexa Garcia had nine kills. The Emperors also received eight kills from Kirsten Martinez and seven kills from Villalobos. Bethany Gonzalez and Manning had five service aces apiece.
On August 31, in a match against visiting McLane, the Emperors swept Highlanders in 25-21, 25-18, 25-22.
Dinuba had 17 service aces led by K. Villareal who had five to go along with five digs.
five touchdowns, three by air and two on Emperors first score. ball to the 21-yard line.
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The Orosi High School volleyball team had to dig deep during the final of its own tournament against Robert F. Kennedy High of Delano Saturday at the OHS gymnasium.
The Cardinals, who defeated RFK to start the tourney, emerged as champions of their annual tournament defeating the Thunderbirds, 25-21, 22-25, 15-11.
The victory capped off a great week of play for Orosi.
Sharing Most Valuable Player honors were Sheanne Baniaga and SayDee Alcala.
Prior to their match against RFK, the Cardinals cruised to a 25-7, 25-16 win over Corcoran before taking care of Parlier, 25-12, 25-13.
The Cardinals opened the tournament defeating RFK in a tough match, 25-21, 25-22. Orosi then followed up with a 25-12, 25-14 win over before taking down Wonderful College Prep Academy 25-14, 25-10.
Orosi tuned up for their tournament with a victory over host Fowler 25-20, 25-20, 15-25, 25-11 Thursday evening in a league game.
Alcala paced the team with 14 kills and two service aces. Baniaga had a solid match recording nine kills, and four aces.
As a team, Orosi finished with 13 service aces.
In a match against California City on August 30, the Cardinals dropped the opening set to the Ravens 25-9 but bounced back to give California City a run for their money in a 3-1 setback. The Ravens won the second
See OROSI, Page B6
George M. Villagrana | The Dinuba Sentinel
By George M. Villagrana
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
Dinuba High School’s volleyball team got off to a nice start in Central Sequoia League play. After defeating Hanford West and Selma, the Emperors ran into a tough Immanuel High squad and dropped a 25-18, 25-16, 25-22 match Monday night in Reedley.
The Emperors (9-3) will play tonight in Porterville.
Dinuba had entered the match after a good showing at the Madera Classic this past weekend. The Emperors did well going 4-1 with their only loss to the Modesto Panthers, a team DHS had beaten earlier in the tournament.
Dinuba opened the tourney with victories over Modesto, Kerman, and Selma. After their setback against Modesto, the Emperors finished on a great note, defeating Redwood in a tough 25-23, 27-29, 15-10 match.
After winning the first two sets with
Emperors coast to a big win over Miners, 35-12
DHS Football
Setter Kaylie Manning, pictured here in a match against Reedley High, recorded 34 assists in a CSL win at home against Selma.
By Rick Curiel
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
the ground.
Dinuba’s first score came with just
over a minute left in the first quarter. The Emperors started their first scoring drive on their own 20-yard line. Key runs by senior running backs Joshua Martinez and Julian Gutierrez helped push the ball into Miners territory in a hurry. Facing third and goal from the four-yard line, Dinuba’s junior quarterback Josh Magaña, a rolled out to his left and found Gutierrez in the flat in front of him.
The pass connection led Gutierrez into the left corner of the end zone for the
After stopping the Miners near midfield, Dinuba took their ensuing possession almost the length of the field. Starting from deep in their own territory, the nine-yard line, a scramble by Magaña quickly gave the Emperors offense breathing room, as he was able to run the ball to the Miner’s 37-yard line.
A couple of runs by Martinez pushed Dinuba into Miner’s territory. Magaña then connected with senior tight end Jonathan Calderon down the middle of the field, where Calderon plowed through the secondary and moved the
Martinez took it the rest of the way, finding the right corner of the end zone on a four-yard run with just over six minutes to go in the first half, giving Dinuba a 14-0 lead.
The Emperors had the opportunity to take a three score lead into the half when they once again found themselves in Miner territory with just over a minute left in the second quarter. A well placed tackle by a Miner defender, however, caused Dinuba’s Calderon to fumble the ball near the sideline at the 12-yard line.
El Diamante recovered the ball and took it to the 20-yard line. The Miners, perhaps inspired by the turn of events, then drove the ball to deep within Emperor territory. With 19 second left in the half, El Diamante converted a pass on fourth and goal from the nine, leading to the Miner’s lone offensive touchdown.
A failed two-point conversion try gave Dinuba a 14-6 lead at the break.
The late El Diamante score was a two- score swing, and put the pressure back on the Emperors. But, Dinuba would receive the ball to begin the third quarter and could extend their lead and take control of the game by putting together a solid drive to begin the second half.
Starting at their own 25-yard line, the Emperors appeared to have the drive in the making when Magaña connected with Calderon on a wheel route. Calderon was able to take the ball to the Dinuba 45-yard line and the Emperors looked to have the end zone in sight. However, a Magaña pass intended for Martinez in the left flat was picked
See Win, Page B6
Last year Dinuba escaped from Mineral King Stadium in Visalia with a three-point victory over El Diamante. This year the Miners found no escape from the overpowering Emperors, as Dinuba rolled to a 35-12 victory in their rematch.
Though the score doesn’t indicate a completely dominant performance, Dinuba’s defense allowed only one offensive score and gave up only six first downs. On the flip side, the Emperor’s offense racked up 477 yards and scored
George M. Villagrana | The Sentinel
Rhenzel Campos and the Orosi High volleyball team ended a busy week of play capturing their own tournament on Saturday.
Rick Curiel | The Dinuba Sentinel
Dinuba’s Jonathan Calderon had eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns against El Diamante.