Page 11 - Mid Valley Times 11-5-20 E-edition

Dinuba High athletes return for conditioning
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Photo courtesy of Barkboard.com
Jalen Cropper, a former Sanger High standout, scored his first touchdown of the season for Fresno State in Thursday's 38-17 victory over Colorado State.
Cropper scores in Bulldog victory
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
Dinuba High School allowed their athletic teams to hold practice on campus last week while school continues with dis- tance learning due to the pandemic.
“We received the green light to move for- ward with athletic condi- tioning after our academ- ic cohort was approved to return to campus,” said JohnC Freitas, the school’s athletic director. “The first week went well and we are rolling out more sports each week.”
Football coach Carlos Barajas said his players are going through condi- tioning drills in groups of four to 16 players.
“We’re trying to put in some plays,” he said. “Everyone is socially distanced, some players have their masks on. It’s optional.”
Barajas noted that they are trying to do their best in keeping everyone safe.
“We can’t be in pads right now.”
Barajas said that they are hoping to be in pads by December 1st and have at least 18 days be- fore the season is set to start in January.
“It’s nice to be out there. It’s a different vibe,” he said.
Volleyball players have been conditioning outdoors and no time in the gym.
“It is what it is,” said
coach Scott Simoni. “If we use any balls, they have to use their own, and has to be cleaned after. So we are definitely being safe.”
With the pandemic, there has been a watchful eye on how many players will actually show up for conditioning.
Simoni said a meeting was held on Oct. 29 and he had about 35-40 girls signed up. Barajas said he liked the numbers and was hopeful more will come out.
Conditioning workouts are not mandatory as Fre- itas noted everything is optional at this point.
“We are following all guidelines to make sure that we can stay active throughout the process.”
By Rick Curiel
Mid Valley Times
Former Sanger High standout Jalen Cropper scored his first touchdown of the 2020 season for the Fresno State football team in a 38-17 victory over Col- orado State on Oct. 29.
Though his numbers were still modest, with four catches for 42 yards and two rushes for 15 yards, Cropper saw a lot more action in the Bull- dogs’ second game than he did in their first game on Oct. 24, when he had just two catches for 21 yards.
Reports after the game revealed he was dealing
with an injured ankle dur- ing the Bulldogs first out- ing.
Cropper, however, showed no sign of any lin- gering injury on Thurs- day night. In the middle of the second quarter, he lined up in the slot position and laid out a block on the Rams defensive end as teammate Ronnie Rivers took the handoff around the block.
Cropper then followed the play downfield after Rivers broke free along the left sideline, outpacing Colorado State’s second- ary to lay out a final block on a Rams’ safety just yards from the goal line,
allowing Rivers to break the plane unscathed to put the Bulldogs up 17-10.
Cropper’s touchdown came in the fourth quar- ter on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Jake Haener with 7:58 left in the game, which gave the Bulldogs a 38-10 lead.
Sanger High grad Ar- ron Mosby, who saw lim- ited action while still nurs- ing an injury, finished the game with one tackle.
Fresno State will be on the road this Saturday as they travel to Nevada to take on UNLV. The game is slated to start at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Fresno Pacific basketball takes first major step toward spring season
Contributed
The Fresno Pacific men’s and women’s bas- ketball programs re- turned to the court on Nov. 2, embracing full- contact for the first time since the conclusion of the 2019-20 schedule in March. A newly-launched institutional policy has ap- proved both programs to
C.J. Haydock
participate in non-confer- ence games in December accordance with Phase 3 of the university’s return to practice plan.
“It is exciting to be back, and we are making sure we don’t take this op- portunity lightly. We have
talked for months about staying ready while we waited for the green light to return. Through many months of uncertainty, we were unsure when we’d be able to compete again. We are all eager and mentally locked in as we wait to see what the next steps are,” fifth-year head women’s basketball coach Tim Beauregard said. “At the end of the day, at this level of Athletics, we all really love competition. In many ways, today will help us regain a sense of normalcy as coaches and student-athletes. We are deeply appreciative to those that have worked to create the safe environ- ment necessary for us to move forward.”
Fresno Pacific Athlet- ics will be announcing the December schedules over the coming weeks, and both will feature multiple matchups against NCAA Division-I programs. Fol- low online at FPUAthlet- ics.com and Sunbird So- cial for more information.
“The trust, work, and empowerment by the myriad of people who brought our team back and have restored them
to the activity they love most leaves us filled with gratitude and a sense of responsibility. We hope to own that leadership, honor that empowerment and prepare to compete at a high level, hopefully blazing a trail for the oth- er teams on our campus and reminding our com- munity that we can have the things we love again,” fifth-year head men’s basketball coach C.J. Haydock said. “I know our young men are up to that task and are thrilled to be back competing. Our group has been un- waveringly committed to preparing for this day so that they can represent our community the way it deserves.”
Haydock and lead as- sistant coach Nate Mc- Clurg both have coached previously at Immanuel High School in Reedley. The 2020-21 Sunbirds roster includes a pair of former Eagle standouts — junior wing Nate Kend- ricks, a four-year star and 2018 graduate — and ju- nior wing Darrin Person, who transfered to FPU this past season from Cal State Bakersfield.
Dinuba Youth Football accepting registrations for modi ed season
MVT Staff Report
Dinuba Youth Football is accepting registrations for a modified Sequoia League Youth Football League season to possibly start in January.
The league accepted registrations at Delgado Park on Nov. 1, and players and cheerleaders still have an opportunity to sign up to save a roster spot. Players are required to pay a deposit and then can pay the remaining signup cost once a season start is confirmed. Signups are being accepted for all divisions ages 5-14 years. In addition to a modified 2020-21
season because of COVID-19, the league tentatively plans a regular 2021 season beginning in August.
Training sessions are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at Delgado Park until further no- tice. Prospective players are asked to bring shorts, cleats and your own hydra- tion drink.
For more information on the league and registration, call (559) 909-1404, send an email to dinubayouthfootball@ yahoo.com or go online to the Dinuba Youth Football Facebook page.
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