Page 9 - Dinuba Sentinel 3-7-19 E-edition

Sports
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Dinuba falls to Mt. Shasta
“Luke’s shot is what a lot of people will remember for a long time.”
DHS basketball coach Jeff Scho eld
The Dinuba Sentinel
Thursday, March 7, 2019 DHS Boys Basketball
Historic season comes to a close at the Division V NorCal title game
game in thrilling fashion. Pajri Samhi made 2 of 3 free throws
By George M. Villagrana
Down 66-63, Luke Rodriguez took an inbound pass from Sebastian Garza and rattled in a deep corner 3-pointer while being closely guarded by Lincoln High’s Shakur Blaylock tying the game and forcing overtime.
From there the Emperors took control early and sealed the game behind clutch free throw shooting from Jonathan Calderon for a 78-73 NorCal Regional Division V semifinals win.
“Luke’s shot is what a lot of people will remember for a long time,” said coach Jeff Schofield. “Coach Tim Rico drew up a beautiful play in the time out and the boys executed it nicely.”
Schofield noted that Garza did a nice job at giving the play time to develop.
Garza opened the overtime with a 3-pointer and was followed by two free throws from Calderon for a 71-66 lead. Rodriguez pushed the lead to nine points on another 3 before Lincoln scored on a 3 from sophomore guard Joseph Fox. The Mustangs cut the lead to 74-71 on a layup by Shakur Blaylock with 1:40. The Emperors answered with an inside basket from Calderon off an assist from Garza before Lincoln’s
to make it a one possession game with 22 seconds remaining. Calderon, who finished the game with nine points, was then fouled and made both his free throws to seal the game.
“We shot well from the free throw line (17/22) including 4/4 from John,” Schofield said. “John has been playing great.”
Ahead 30-26 at the half, Dinuba increased its lead to 36-26 on a pair of 3’s from Magaña. The Emperors would stay ahead of Lincoln until the Mustangs cut the deficit to 51-43 on a late 3 by Gabino Valdivia, setting the stage for a wild fourth quarter.
A 3 by Joseph Fox cut the lead to 51-46 before a steal and a basket by Jacob Rodriguez pushed the lead back to 53-46. The Mustangs then went on an 8-0 run with back-to-back 3’s from Blaylock and Fox, whose layup trimmed the lead to 55-54 with 5:44.
Rodriguez stopped the run with a short jumper and Isaak Flores’ basket moved the Emperors ahead 59-54. Fox then drained a 3 that was answered by
See Dinuba, Page B8
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The incredible post season run for the Dinuba High boys basketball team came to a close as the Emperors lost, 80-56, to top-seeded Mt. Shasta late Tuesday night in the Northern California Regional Division V Championship game.
The Emperors finish the season with a 27-9 overall record while the Bears improved to 33-1 and will face Foothill- Bakersfield for the Div. V state crown.
Behind six 3-pointers from Josh Magaña, Dinuba took a 23-17 first quarter lead. The Bears eventually caught the Emperors in the 2nd quarter and went into the half up 36-33. Mt. Shasta used a 19-2 run to close out the third for a 64-43 lead.
Dinuba reached the championship
George M. Villagrana | The Dinuba Sentinel
Dinuba High coach Jeff Schofield addresses his team during a time out late in the 4th quarter of Saturday’s NorCal Regional Division V semifinals win against Lincoln-San Francisco.
George M. Villagrana | The Dinuba Sentinel
Above: Luke Rodriguez scored a game-high 23 points on Saturday as Dinuba advanced to the NorCal Regional Championship game. Below: Guard Sebastian Garza gets bumped by Lincoln’s Jordan Aquino in the 4th quarter.
Barajas
named
DHS
football
coach
Sentinel staff
Dinuba High’s football coaching search didn’t have to go far to nab their next head coach.
Longtime assistant Carlos Barajas was named the school’s coach in an announcement last week. Barajas has coached at DHS for the past 18 years and has an extensive coaching background. He has served as the defensive coordinator for the team and has helped them to two section
See Barajas, Page B8
Carlos Barajas
DHS Baseball
Emperors hold off Madera South, 4-3
Dinuba evens its season record to 3-3 with a win over the Stallions on Friday afternoon
By George M. Villagrana
runs in the top of the sixth as the Emperors blanked the Hawks the last two innings for the win.
Four pitchers were used for the Emperors as Ochoa picked up the win
Isaiah Ochoa picked up the win against Madera South tossing six innings while allowing just one hit in a 4-3 win over the Stallions Friday afternoon in a game played at Kingsburg High.
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
getting the last six outs.
DHS pounded out a season-high
13 hits led by Jesse Ortega and Corey Cosper who each had two hits. Cosper had a double, drove in a run, scored a
run and had two stolen bases.
Josh Meave, who scored three runs
and three stolen bases, drove in two
See Win, Page B8
A little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the Dinuba High baseball team late Friday afternoon.
The Emperors withstood a late charge by Madera South for a 4-3 win in a game played at Kingsburg High.
The win evened Dinuba’s record to 3-3 overall while the Stallions dip to 2-4 overall.
Starting pitcher Isaiah Ochoa was strong on the mound as he went six innings while holding Madera South to one hit with four strikeouts and two walks.
Madera South took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second only to have Dinuba counter with a run of its own to tie the game at 1-all. The Emperors scratched out another run in the bottom of the third and two more in the sixth for a 4-1 lead. The Stallions pushed two runs across in the top of the seventh off Ridge Huckaby but Madera South could not draw any closer.
Dinuba had seven hits in the game, led by Josh Escobedo who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases.
The Emperors entered the game off a wild 13-12 win against Mission Oak. Dinuba scored nine runs off Hawks starter Greyson Gregory in the first frame.
With a 10-0 lead, Mission Oak began to chip away at the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third and a run in the fourth before taking an 11-10 lead with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Dinuba regained the lead with three
George M. Villagrana | The Dinuba Sentinel