Page 7 - Dinuba Sentinel 3-15-18 E-edition

Sports
“My team is very young. But there’s a group of girls coming in next year who have played with these freshmen. So, we can possibly be even better.”
- Sara Vega, OHS Girls Soccer Coach
B1
Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Dinuba Sentinel
High School Girl’s Soccer
Track & Field
Orosi’s season
ends in State
semi nals
Lady Cardinals’ rst loss of the season comes against State champions
“We had some mistakes that cost us some goals,” said Vega. “But I’m proud of my girls. They played tough to the end.”
Vega also gave credit to the community support that traveled down south to cheer on the Lady Cardinals.
“We had a good turnout from the parents,” said Vega. “We had as many fans as St. Gabriel.”
St. Gabriel went on to play the No. 3 seed team out of Fillmore in the State championship game. The Pioneers won that game 2-1 to claim the State
title.
Looking back at
the Lady Cardinals’ incredible season, Vega summed it up in just a few words, “Historical, hard, great and fun.”
She added, “We just enjoyed every second of it. The girls have been so supportive of each other. They’ve all formed special bonds that have carried into the classroom and even
outside of school.”
Looking forward, Vega says she is
excited to see what the team is capable of doing next year and in the years to come.
“My team is very young,” said Vega. “But there’s a group of girls coming in next year who have played with these freshmen. So, we can possibly be even better.”
See Lady Cards, Page B6
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The historical run by the Orosi High girl’s soccer team finally came to it’s conclusion last Thursday when the Lady Cardinals lost to St. Gabriel’s Mission in the Division V State semifinals. The 3-1 loss was the team’s first loss this season.
“They were a very good team,” said Orosi High girl’s
soccer coach Sara
Vega. “They were wellputtogether.We
were just one step behind them. Instead of taking two or three steps, we took three or four. We had to adjust quickly.”
The Lady Cardinals
continued to make
history all season
long. After going
undefeated in the
regular season, the
team became the
first Orosi High
team to host a State
playoff game last
Tuesday. They ended
up defeating Azusa
in that game 2-1
to advance to the
semifinals against the
No. 1 seeded Pioneers, who at the time were 29-1-2.
St. Gabriel Mission had defeated No. 8 Wilson in their first round State playoff game 7-0, so Orosi knew they were in for a fight.
“It was a much faster game than what the girls were used to,” said Vega. At halftime, the Lady Cardinals trailed the Pioneers 2-1, but they couldn’t muster enough offense to get
back in the game.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Making History
• Only Orosi High team (in any sport) to go undefeated in the regular season.
• Ony Orosi High team to host a State playoff game.
• Only Orosi High team to win a State playoff game.
• Won back-to-back league titles.
• 2018 Division V Valley Champions.
• Most goals scored
by a team (127).
Dinuba High senior Jaime Cueva leads a group of runners in the 1600 meter race at the St. Patrick’s Day Classic, held last Wednesday at Dinuba High School. Cueva took first place in the event and will help the boy’s track team pursue a repeat as league and Valley champions.
Dinuba boys look to lead the pack, again
by winning their second Valley title in three years. Leading the pack last year was Raymond Yan, who like Leppke, represented the league’s best 110-meter hurdler.
“We’ve got another strong team this year,” said Lichtenwaldt. “I’m expecting great things this year.”
This year a new leader emerges in on the boy’s team. Senior Daniel Martinez, who spent a lot time just behind Yan, is looking to carry on the team’s strong tradition on the track.
At last week’s St. Patrick’s Day Classic, Martinez won the 100 meters with a time of 11.58 seconds, the 200 meters, clocking in at 23.38 seconds, and the 400 meters by finishing in 54.03 seconds. For Martinez, all three times were personal records.
In addition to winning the sprints, Martinez also followed in his predecessor’s footsteps by winning the 110-meter hurdles.
Hisfinishingtimeonthehurdleswas15.55, morethantwo
See Track, Page B6
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The Dinuba High boy’s track and field team once again looks to have the makings of a championship team. Last Wednesday the team hosted their annual St. Patrick’s Day Classic and, as they have done the last few years, the Dinuba boy’s track and field team won the event, besting second place Chowchilla by over 100 points.
“This team reminds me of the team we had three years ago,” said Dinuba High track and field coach Lucas Lichtenwaldt. That year the team won league and Valley, led by Dinuba’s Isaac Leppke, who won three events at the Valley
championship.
They followed that the next year with another league title,
but fell short of repeating as Valley champions when they lost by two points to Kingsburg.
Last year, they continued to build on their success and won a third league title and returned to the top of the division
High School Baseball
Emperors start season strong, win six straight
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
Last year, Dinuba High baseball coach Brent Morrelli didn’t know what to expect from a young Emperors team. After all, he had five freshmen on the team, three of whom were starters, and five sophomores.
The team went 7-21 on the season, only winning one league game to finish dead last in the Central Sequoia League. This year, after only seven games played, the Emperors look to be a different, much better team.
“Last year we were basically a JV team,” said
Morrelli. “This year we’re a varsity team.”
After a rough start in the season’s opener this year, losing 8-0 to Reedley back on Feb. 12, the Dinuba High baseball team has been on a tear. They responded to that loss by winning the next
six games straight.
They’ve posted victories over Lemoore (4-3),
Mission Oak (5-1), Golden West (7-5), El Diamante (4-3), Fowler (12-4) and Chowchilla (4-3).
“So far, our team has really bought into it,” said Morrelli. “We have some weapons. We have a good balance of a lot of things. I think our biggest strength is our speed.”
Speed comes in handy when it comes to moving
base runners. And to have base runners it helps to have a good lead off hitter. That role this year goes to Dinuba junior right fielder Corey Cosper.
“He’s a nuisance to a lot of pitchers,’ said Morrelli of Cosper. “It’s always good to have someone who’s a tough out.”
This year’s team has six returning seniors, including starters Elijah Mayberry, Giovanni Olmos and Jose Guido.
Mayberry, according to Morrelli, is a player who can really make a difference this year.
“He’s a special kind of player you don’t see too often,” said Morrelli. “He’s good. Defensively he’s good and this year he’s faster and stronger.”
Olmos, as he did last year, will cover the infield and Guido will once more play first base and will also see time on the mound.
As for the team’s bullpen, Morrelli, says the team has a good balance of experience and newcomers. “We’ve had some guys come through for us,” said Morrelli. “Josh Escobedo has really come through for us. Another sophomore surprise for us has been Justin Gonzalez, who has had two quality starts.”
The team’s next game will be tomorrow when they host Central Valley Christian, a team they struggled against last year.
Said Morrelli, “We expect to compete this year.”
Cardinals beat Riverdale
for rst win of the season
Orosi travels to Fresno to play McLane tomorrow
Orosi High’s Kevin Soto pitched a shutout into the fourth inning in last Thursday’s home game against Riverdale. Soto is one of two returning seniors on this year’s baseball roster for the Cardinals.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
After a rough start to this year’s season, with the Orosi High varsity baseball team losing their first three games, the Cardinals finally found themselves in the win column with a 6-4 victory over Riverdale.
In their first three games, Orosi only managed to bring in a total of three runs. In Thursday’s home game against the Cowboys, the Cardinals brought in three runs in the first inning alone. Scoring for Orosi were Mauricio Faustino, Steven Arechiga and Dominique Martinez.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning before Riverdale
By Rick Curiel
got on the scoreboard when Cowboy’s Mason Musgrave was brought home on a sacrifice grounder.
Riverdale would cut the lead to one when junior Christopher Chavez took a first pitch deep over the left field fence for a solo homerun.
Orosi pitcher Kevin Soto would provide the final out of the inning with a strikeout to stop the bleeding.
The Cardinals then responded in the bottom of the inning by taking advantage of a beamed Soto, who was then able to advance to second when a throw from Riverdale’s pitcher back to first base rolled into the Orosi dugout.
A Cardinals’ base hit to center field later brought in Soto to give Orosi a 4-2 advantage. Another run in the
fourth would give Orosi a two run cushion.
Though Riverdale would make a late rally to add another two runs, Orosi would hold on for a 6-4 victory, their first win of the season.
The Cardinals bring back seven juniors to this year’s roster. Two seniors, Arechiga and Soto, make up the rest of the upper classmen. The team also brings to the roster this year two sophomores and two freshmen.
Last year the team went 10-17 on the season and finished with a 7-7 record in league, finishing with a late five-game winning streak to enter the Division VI playoffs as the No. 10 seeded team. They lost in the first round to Fresno Christian.
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com