Page 9 - Sanger Herald 8-23-18 E-edition

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SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018
Water polo season shows promise for girls, boys teams
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The game entered the fourth quarter, and Sanger’s Emily Tienda had just scored a couple of times.
Then with 3:17 minutes remaining in the Aug. 16 water polo match at Sanger High’s pool, Hannah Cooper approached the Reedley goalie. She closed in, determined, rising up as defenders churned the water to eliminate the threat. But Cooper surprised them, defenders and goalie included, with a backhand that drilled the back of the Pirates’ net.
The game served as a scrimmage, an opportunity for both teams to compete without consequence. Scorekeepers even left the goals off the electronic board. “Sanger usually kills us, so they don’t put up a score,” said one young woman with Pirates T-shirt watching the match.
But the scores by Tienda and Cooper’s backhand offer at the very least a glimpse of the potential of the team that follows last year’s Apaches, who reached the state playoffs. Cooper’s tactic was used with deadly accuracy by Victoria Martinez, a senior on last year’s team.
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Emily Tienda squares off against Reedley's goalie at last week's scrimmage.
of heart.”
And Cooper had that
all-business stare during competition. She said she’s been playing since third grade and with this group since “sixth or younger.”
“So far, it’s just getting back into the routine of playing with each other,” she said. “Communication is a big goal, especially against harder teams. Play smarter, not harder.”
Gloria said she’s ready to keep scoring. She exhibited a powerful scoring throw during the scrimmage. “I always try to keep my arm really strong so I can make it from anywhere in the pool,” she said. “I want to be a main shooter.”
Gloria said the team is young. The roster listed just several who are seniors.
“But I feel like we have a family bond,” she said. “Even when we’re not getting along, we forget about it when we get in the pool.”
Ellis said she appreciated her teammates’ aggressiveness in the water. “It’s really helpful, actually, when playing,” she said. “I know we have big shoes to fill, but I think we can do it. We still have older players we can learn from. And we learn more every day.”
Boys water polo
The Apache boys water polo team has not experienced the success of the girls varsity squad, and the past few years have been marked with changes at coach.
Moving up from assistant to head coach this year is Brian Kratlian. He replaced Micha Pavlovic.
“It’s our first game,” Kratlian said, after Reedley outscored Sanger during the Aug. 16 scrimmage. “Defensively, we’re looking a lot stronger. We just have to get our offense to click.”
Senior Zack Stricker said he’s looking forward to the season.
“As a team, we all have the skills to be successful,” he said. “We’ve got good guys here. We just need more time.
“I think we could have a great season if we just can learn to bond. I’m excited to have all these guys here.”
Fellow senior Dominic Daddino agreed. “We need to work on team bonding, basically,” he said. “I believe we have the skills. We just need to connect them. In three weeks, we’ll be way better than we are now.”
Junior goalie Jackson, who recorded a number
See Water polo, Page 2B
“They’re doing good,” said coach Hillary Boos. But she made no prediction. “We’ll see. It’s early in the season. We played all summer, and that definitely helps. We have a wide variety of kids who can do a little bit of everything.”
Scoring appeared a big part of the new team’s capability. Juniors Jessica Gloria and Natilee Owens bested the Reedley goalie several times in the third quarter, while senior Addison Williams and sophomore Abby Ellis
scored in the first and second quarters.
Goalie Bailee Poole blocked many of the Reedley scoring attempts.
Cooper explained her teammates this way: “They’re fun, hard- working, talented. They don’t give up.”
And she added an emphatic “definitely,” when asked if this team wants to repeat the success of last year’s girls.
That won’t be easy. The previous team graduated eight seniors, which
is more than half the roster. However, Sanger is a perennial water polo powerhouse on the girls side, regularly battling for supremacy with the Clovis teams in Division I. And this team, although young with at least three sophomores, has depth and talent if the level of play against Reedley is any indication.
Cooper also called her team aggressive. “It’s pretty intense,” she said of their level of play. “It’s definitely not for the weak
Sanger makes it 11 in a row vs. Pirates
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Gabriel Webb had earned the nickname “No Hands” because he’d never pulled down an interception for his Apache teammates.
That ended Aug. 17 at Tom Flores Stadium.
With about 5 minutes remaining in the first half and Sanger dominating arch-rival Reedley with nearly every play, Webb intercepted a pass meant for a Pirate receiver and bolted down the sideline 59 yards into the Apache end zone for a touchdown.
The score was a fitting 34-0, matching the No. 34 on Webb’s jersey.
“It happened,” Webb said, still a little in awe of his accomplishment after Sanger won the game 45-0. “I’m told I have no hands. I’ve never gotten a pick. (But) my coaches made the right call, and I was in the right spot.”
In the locker room after the game, the volume of happy players celebrating their effort remained relatively high until John Karmann led the prayer, and coach Jorge Pena had one of the players mark the W on the white board next to Reedley. By the end of the season, if these Apaches have anything to say about it, a W will follow the name of every opponent in the season.
Sanger travels to Hanford this week to face the Bullpups, who engineered an even more lopsided victory against rival Hanford West, 63-6, in the inaugural week of the season. The Apaches beat the Bullpups 42-0 in Hanford last year.
“We played fast. Our defense played great,” Pena said. “We’re happy with the way our guys played. We
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Sanger's defense shut down rival Reedley on Aug. 17 at Tom Flores Stadium 45-0, even holding the Pirates at the goal line before the half.
were physical, which was one of our goals. So good start.
“The test is down the road.”
Indeed. Sanger master statistician Ron Blackwood said Sanger has beaten Reedley on the football field 11 years straight. Bigger tests remain against Clovis East, Lemoore, Paso Robles, Bullard, Madera South, Edison and Madera.
Junior wide receiver Kosi Agina scored three touchdowns. The first
came with about 7 minutes remaining in the first quarter to set the tone for what was to come. Agina made two receptions for 46 yards and four runs for another 64 yards.
“We are. We’re good,” Agina said when asked if his Apaches were as impressive as they looked that night. “Our defense is way better this year.”
Agina’s sister Chin, one of the top high jumpers in the state, came out on the field to congratulate her
brother. She graduated last year. Kosi said last year he was still learning the game and that his skills continue to improve.
“I just have to do what I have to do to help the team win,” he said.
As for the defense, Nikko Matta, Apache defensive line coach, hardly lavished praise. “They’re alright,” he said. “It’s one game.”
However, this was said during a break in the game. Not at the end when he joined with celebrating
players in the locker room. The defense held the Patriots to 100 total yards. Sanger amassed 362.
Junior Pierce Jones led much of that defensive effort, collecting five tackles, six assists and a pair of sacks. Blackwood named Jones and Webb, who had two assists, for recognition as “outstanding defense.” Isaiah Becerril, a sophomore, got four tackles and two assists, while senior safety Isaiah Gaucin, junior Alexis Cordova and
David Ayala nabbed four total assists and tackles apiece.
Ayala, a senior running back and linebacker, kicked six extra points and a field goal in the fourth quarter from 35 yards. He also caught two passes for 46 yards.
“Coaches gave us the game plan,” Ayala said. “We went out there, executed and did what we had to do. We can do it every week.
See Football, Page 2B