SHORT BUT SWEET; RUELAS LEADS COUNTY TO COMEBACK WIN

One name can be used to characterize the 39th Annual City/County boys’ All-Star basketball game.

Juan Ruelas.

From start to finish the 5-foot-7 Ruelas maintained composure and consistency up and down the court to lead his County team to a 99-97 victory at Clovis North High School.

The County trailed by as many as 15 points after a first half that was dominated by the athletically poised Jameal York of Edison, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half alone.

Yet in the end it was the smallest man on the court who not only came away with the MVP trophy, but gave a great sense of pride for the city of Parlier.

With his team down by six and just a little over two minutes remaining in the game, Ruelas hit two 3-pointers followed by a clutch free-throw to pull his team within one point.

Cheyanne Alcala then drained two free- throws for County to take the lead. York then scored his only basket of the second half with 30 seconds left, but County rebounded with three more points to take a two point lead with 3.7 seconds in the game.

City then inbounded the ball to York who couldn’t put the ball up in time to give his team the win.

As soon as time expired County supporters rushed the court and family and friends bombarded Ruelas with congratulations as he accepted the MVP award for his stellar 18 point performance.

But for Ruelas, winning the game and the MVP award was more than just an accomplishment for himself but about representing the entire community of Parlier, populated at 13,080.

“Parlier is the best community,” said Ruelas. “Everyone comes to support everyone and this was awesome.”

Introduced to the game in the second grade he said that he never had to think twice about the sport that he was going to pursue and has played nearly every day since he first picked up a ball.

With his height always at an extreme disadvantage for him it just meant Ruelas had to work harder than everyone else to get where he is today.

However, never once did Ruelas use his height as an excuse to not be a standout and he carried that attitude with him Thursday night.

“When I’m on the court I don’t see myself as the smallest guy, but I see myself as the biggest guy on the court,” said Ruelas. “Nothing intimidates me when I am out there.”

And according to County head coach TJ Wilkins of Lemoore it is the positive attitude, hard work, and determination that really set him apart.

“[Ruelas] is just awesome,” said Wilkins. “We always knew he was good and tonight he showed what a stud he is.”

For Ruelas the best part of the all-star experience was being able to play with players he had never faced in competition before. Being able to play with the best in the area offered him in a short 5 week period the opportunity to grow as a player.

But now it is his time to prove himself even more as he heads to Reedley City College in hopes of helping an ever-growing Tiger program.

“I’m excited about going to Reedley and ready to go get a title,” said Ruelas.

In the girls’ game, the City routed the County 101-69.

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ICAN Nets Rare CEN CAL Showdown Title

By Alexan Balekian
VSP Contributing Writer

On the eve of the National Championship game, a team of Central Valley all stars already had their one shining moment. ICAN said ‘I do’ to a rare championship over a Los Angeles based all-star team in the second annual Cen Cal Showdown. ICAN, coached by Marco Vazquez, rallied in the second half to beat Big Round Orange 58 to 43, with a year’s supply of bragging rights and a trophy to prove it.

“This team knocked us out in the semifinal round last season, so this was a revenge game for us,” Vazquez said.

Team ICAN had to win four straight games Sunday to win the title. The hoopapalooza was a two day tournament at Fresno City College. ICAN went undefeated in the tournament, going 7-0.

After trailing 28-23 at the half, Vazquez had to rely on his bench play to stage the comeback, led by Clovis East junior Kevin Bailey with 16 points.

Team ICAN are all juniors and are looking to land a scholarship on the division one level. Several Junior College coaches were in attendance scouting the game, including Fresno City College head coach Ed Madec.

Team ICAN will now hit the road and play in tournaments in Las Vegas next weekend and in Denver in two weeks.

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SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN

Fresno City College is the site of a big spring tournament.

By Joe Pacheco
VSP Contributing Writer-

High school players gathered from all over the state Saturday for the first day of the second annual Cen Cal Showdown at the Fresno City College Gymnasium. The event featured AAU and high school teams comprised of high school kids from both northern and southern California as well as local teams from right here in the Central Valley.

The event is a golden opportunity for kids from all over to see how their skills compare with their peers from other parts of the state. It also affords them the opportunity to get exposure from college scouts that they might not otherwise get during the regular high school basketball season.

An event like this serves different purposes for different coaches. The South Valley Fever coach, Phillip Wash, has a team comprised of players from around the Central Valley and uses this as an opportunity to help his kids mature.

“This event helps kids overall growing up,” he said. “I love coaching and seeing kids grow. I feel that I am able to give back a sense of love. It takes just one person to see you. I tell them that they have to play with mind, heart, and respect.”

Edison High boys basketball coach Arturo Ormond is coaching a team that is comprised of players from the Tigers basketball team. Ormond uses an event like this to evaluate the talent that he has.

“The reason I like it is because it’s a sneak preview for next year’s team,” he said. “In the summer you give the kids the freedom to expand their game. This allows them to have more freedom.”

A change for this year’s event is the addition of the slam dunk contest. The winner of the inaugural contest was James Ennis of Ventura.

“It means a lot to do this in front of my family and the team,” said Ennis. “I was really nervous and my knees are sore, but the hard work paid off.”

Marco Vazquez organized the event, and also coaches two of the teams participating. The event was started last year after he was able to partner up with teams from Los Angeles and bring them to play here.

“It’s great to bring basketball and a big time tournament back to the Central Valley,” said Vazquez. “This year there is more talent and more exposure for the kids. Last year a couple of the kids were signed to scholarships.”

Vazquez was very pleased with the first dunk contest.

“I loved it,” he said. “Everything has turned out real good this year and exceeded my expectations.”

Former Portland Trailblazer and Fresno State standout Pete Verhoeven was in attendance to see his son Grant play.

“I think this event is good,” said Verhoeven. “Any time you can bring different talent together it’s a good thing.”

The former NBA player enjoyed the opportunity for the kids to show off their dunking skills.

“I wish I was a little bit looser,” said Verhoeven jokingly. “I would’ve gone out there to show them how to do it.” Verhoeven speaks from some experience having participated in a slam dunk contest during one of the Rod Higgins Summer Jams.

Day one of the Cen Cal Showdown consisted of pool play to determine seeding for Sunday’s tournament, which will wrap up the event.

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ROUGH RIDE FOR ROOSEVELT

By Megan Poindexter
VSP Senior Writer-

It was bittersweet for the No. 4 seed Roosevelt girls’ basketball team Tuesday night, as they played host to the No. 6 seed Marlborough High School in the first round of the CIF state playoffs.

Despite a hard fought battle, the Roughriders were unable to overcome many obstacles and suffered a 60-42 loss.

“I can’t even put into words what these girls have done and how proud I am of them all,” said head coach Mark Gradoville.

While the team was disappointed in the loss, as it put an end to their season, it made school history, an accomplishment most didn’t see coming.

In an unpredictable season, Roosevelt finished with a 28-3 record and won their first Central Section title last Saturday in a 51-47 comeback victory over Porterville.

“This means so much for the program because we have never been this far,” said senior guard Lashari Clayborne. “I’m disappointed that we lost, but this school has never had so much pride.”

School and community pride were definitely evident in the Roosevelt school gym, as fans nearly filled every seat in the building.

And the enthusiasm never died. Even when the Rough Riders were down by as many as 20 points, people were on their feet cheering until the end.

“We finished this year best in the valley and we can walk out of this gym with our heads raised high,” said Gradoville. “I don’t think people ever dreamed or believed we would be here at the beginning of the season.”

Roosevelt got behind early as the Mustangs went on a 12-3 run to open the game, and continued their dominance ending the first quarter with a 21-12 lead.

Marlborough’s Jade Smith scored 12 points in the quarter en route to 22 points for the night.

“I was just trying to get my shots up,” said Smith. “Our coach is always telling us to just shoot, shoot, shoot and I was feeling good.”

The Rough Riders played a tough second quarter, scoring 11 points to the Mustangs’ 13 to end the half down by 11.

With the physical play of the game intensifying, both teams received technical fouls in the first half.

Mustangs’ bench coach Treka Jackson received a technical in halfway through the second quarter and less than 1:20 later did Gradoville got one as well.

In the Division II section championship game, Gradoville received two technical fouls and was forced to remain on the bench the rest of the game.

The intensity continued into the second half, with the Rough Riders coming back on a mission to crawl back into the game much like they did against Porterville.

Outscoring Marlborough by three points in the quarter, Roosevelt was able to narrow the gap to 41-33 before the Mustangs exploded to close it out.

“It’s simple,” said Gradoville. “They were just bigger, stronger, and better than us.”

Roosevelt’s efforts weren’t enough as the Mustangs were persistent and opened the quarter with a 14-4 run to put themselves up by 20, a lead they would not relinquish

Two technical fouls were issued to Roosevelt players in the second half and one to a Mustang player all for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I really think we could have played with more heart tonight,” said Clayborne.

With the win, Marlborough, the Southern Section runner-up, will advance to face top seeded Foothill in Santa Ana on Thursday in the regional semifinals.

“This was good for us because we’ve never had to travel in the playoffs before,” said Smith. “We need to keep focus and this really helped us learn to keep our composure.”

STATE PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD
Girls Div. I
Stockdale 47
Long Beach Poly 76

Girls Div. II
Beverly Hills 65
Hanford 90
Next: at Brea Olinda Thursday

Garces 26
Mater Dei 85

Girls Div. III
Roosevelt 42
Marlborough 60

Porterville 20
Woodbridge 38

Girls Div. IV
Kingsburg 29
Harvard-Westlake 72

Corcoran 20
Pacific Hils 61

Girls Div. V
Fresno Christian 58
Christian Life Academy 47

Boys Div. II
Garces 74
Leuzinger 108

Liberty-Bakersfield 57
Reseda 75

Boys Div. III
Gahr 74
Hanford West 54

Ridgeview 47
Harvard Westlake 70

Boys Div. IV
Kingsburg 62
Bishop Montgomery 71

Bakersfield Christian 67
Chaminade 48
Next: at Bishop Montgomery Thursday

Boys Div. V
Mission Prep 34
Windward 76

Central Valley Christian 81
View Park Prep 66
Next: At Windward Thursday

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ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

VSP Senior Writer Megan Poindexter gives us her top player nominations from last weekend’s Valley Championship games at Selland Arena.

-Rodney Webster, Hanford West (5’10” junior)- Webster led Hanford West in the Div. III finals with 24 points as his team beat Ridgeview 54-45. Webster was 7-15 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line. He made four free throws in the final 36 seconds of the game to solidify the win for the Huskies. And while he dominated offensively, it was his tenacity on defense that stood out. Webster was the defensive spark for the Huskies and his athleticism left many fans in awe of his abilities to get to the hoop.

-Marcus Hall, Bakersfield Christian (senior 6’3’’)- Hall dominated the Div. III section championship game with a resounding 36 points, 24 in the first half of the game alone, to lead Bakersfield Christian to a 81-55 victory over Kingsburg. With his performance he has proven to be one of the most underrated seniors in the Central Section. Yet, to be recruited by any colleges to play basketball, Hall definitely turned some heads with his championship performance. In his last two appearances at Selland Arena, Hall scored 22 and 31 points but his team lost both games. His coach Pete Rivera says Hall is “an outstanding player with an unbelievable amount of potential.”

-Rakim Brown, Central (6’7” junior)- Brown was a forceful offensive spark alongside teammate Alton Williams, who scored 19 points in the Grizzlies 66-65 loss to Edison in the Div. I championship game. A force to be reckoned with, Brown had a phenomenal performance in his 27 minutes played. He brought down eight rebounds, scored 18 points, had three assists and recorded a game high six steals. Brown was also largely responsible for containing Edison’s Steve McClellan inside the paint. McClellan was held to 11 points, but did have 11 rebounds as well. Brown will be someone to keep an eye on for the 2009-10 season, as he still has potential to become a more forceful player.

-Jameal York, Edison (5’11” senior)- York led Edison to its 20th Central Section title scoring 15 points and recording a game high six assists. With half a second remaining on the clock and his team down by a point, York inbounded the ball to teammate Nat Harrison who threw up the game winning shot to give the Tigers the 66-65 victory. York’s presence on the court was made known the entire game. He made four 3-pointers in the game and was a crucial part in maintaining the Edison lead throughout the game.

-Stephon Carter, Garces (6’3” senior)- Carter was the second highest scorer of the weekend with 33 points in the Div. II championship game. He led his team to a 91-78 victory over Liberty-Bakersfield. His stellar performance consisted of four assists, four steals, 11-of-21 shooting and 11-of-14 from the free throw line. And on top of all that he grabbed a weekend high 19 rebounds, seven on the offensive end. His dominating performance had spectators wanting more and provided some great highlights for Friday nights’ final game.

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ONE AND DONE

Edison’s state title hopes dashed quickly by bigger, stronger Fairfax

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer-

Arturo Ormond’s Division I Valley Champion Edison Tigers had never seen anyone like this before: a 6′10″ intimidating, three-point making Magic Johnson-like machine, complete with the oddest of jersey numbers for a young man that size: one.

His name: Renardo Sidney.

His game: complete.

The USC bound center/forward and his guard-like skills led the Lions with 21 points, and visiting national powerhouse Fairfax, ranked 16th in the country, had little to worry about in their 70-49 win over the Tigers in the first round of the Southern California regional at the Edison gymnasium. Sidney hit five three pointers in the first half, and capped his night with a steal and breakaway jam in the third quarter to add extra icing to the cake.

“It’s very disappointing,” said senior guard Jameal York, who finished with 15 points. “We didn’t come out playing hard, so they came out on top.”

Fellow senior Isaiah Gossett had a team high 17 points for Edison, who had just one day off after beating Central 66-65 for the Division I valley title Saturday night at Selland Arena, one of the most memorable and emotionally draining games in section history. Nat Harrison’s banker at the buzzer may have emptied the Tigers’ tank.

Edison finishes the season with a 24-7 record, exceeding head coach Arturo Ormond’s expectations and then some.

“Our season was phenomenal,” Ormond said. “We had zero expectations coming into the season, losing all five starters and these kids battled through to win the valley and qualified for state. I’m extremely proud of this team. This (loss) doesn’t put any type of scar on our season.”

With nine players returning, the Tigers are in great shape for the 2009-2010 campaign. “I’m extremely excited about the future of this team,” Ormond said.

STATE PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD

BOYS DIVISION I
Fairfax-70
Edison-49

Central-51
Westchester-85

BOYS DIVISION III
Kingsburg-80
Laces-76
NEXT: At #1 Bishop Montgomery tonight, 7 PM

BOYS DIVISION V
Mission Prep-72
Besant Hill-60
NEXT: AT #1 Windward tonight, 7 PM

GIRLS DIVISION I
Clovis West-62
Chatsworth-66

Taft-46
Stockdale-66
NEXT: At #2 Long Beach Poly tonight, 7 PM

GIRLS DIVISION II
Wilson-41
Garces-55
NEXT: At Mater Dei tonight, 6 PM

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STATE PLAYOFFS SET

Edison and Central will now play for a Division I state championship.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer-

No rest for the weary. The 20 teams that competed for valley championships at Selland Arena over the weekend will now all play for state titles in their respective divisions starting this Monday, March 9. Division I valley champion Edison will host Fairfax of Los Angeles Monday night at seven. Runner-up Central hits the road to play a tough Westchester (Los Angeles) team that boasts a 30-2 record. That game also tips off Monday night at seven. Eleven of the 20 valley teams will host games. The Division II girls bracket is the only one with both valley teams (Garces and Hanford) hosting first round games. Here’s the schedule:

DIVISION I BOYS:
Fairfax-Los Angeles (25-4) at Edison (24-6) Monday, 7 PM
Central (22-8) at Westchester-Los Angeles (30-2) Monday, 7 PM
Second round: March 10
Regional Semifinals: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, 8 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 8 PM

DIVISION II BOYS:
Liberty-Bakersfield (26-4) at Reseda-Los Angeles (23-7) Monday, 7 PM
Leuzinger-Lawndale (25-6) at Garces (22-7) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semifinals: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, 4 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 20, 8 PM

DIVISION III BOYS:
Ridgeview (17-8) at Harvard-Westlake (25-6) Tuesday, 7PM
Gahr-Cerritos (18-15) at Hanford West (20-11) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semifinals: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, Noon
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 2:45 PM

DIVISION IV BOYS:
Kingsburg (17-16) at Laces-Los Angeles (16-17) Monday, 7 PM
Chaminade-West Hills (20-12) at Bakersfield Christian (22-7) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semifinals: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Cal State Fullerton) March 14, 7 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 11:15 AM

DIVISION V BOYS:
Mission Prep-San Luis Obispo (26-5) at Besant Hill-Ojai (22-1) Monday, 7 PM
View Park-Los Angeles (16-19) at Central Valley Christian (27-4) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semifinals: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Cal State Fullerton) March 14, 3 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 20, 1:30 PM

DIVISION I GIRLS:
Clovis West (23-6) at Chatsworth-Los Angeles (23-8) Monday, 7 PM
Taft-Woodland Hills (18-8) at Stockdale (26-4) Monday, 7 PM
Second Round: March 10
Regional Semis: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, 6 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 6 PM

DIVISION II GIRLS:
Wilson-Los Angeles (22-6) at Garces (29-2) Monday, 7 PM
Beverly Hills (24-9) at Hanford (25-4) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semis: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, 2 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 20, 6 PM

DIVISION III GIRLS:
Marlborough-Los Angeles (21-11) at Roosevelt (28-2) Tuesday, 7 PM
Porterville (28-2) at Woodbridge-Irvine (24-3) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semis: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Pauley Pavilion-Los Angeles) March 14, 10 AM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 1 PM

DIVISION IV GIRLS:
Pacific Hills-Los Angeles (22-10) at Corcoran (28-7) Tuesday, 7 PM
Kingsburg (20-9) at Harvard-Westlake (20-10) Tuesday, 6 PM
Regional Semis: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Cal State Fullerton) March 14, 5 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 21, 9:30 AM

DIVISION V GIRLS:
Fresno Christian (22-5) at Christian Life-San Diego (22-7) Tuesday, 7 PM
Santa Clara-Oxnard (24-4) at Coast Union (19-6) Tuesday, 7 PM
Regional Semis: March 12
SoCal Championship: (at Cal State Fullerton) March 14, 1 PM
State Championship: (at Arco Arena-Sacramento) March 20, 3:30 PM

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IN THE NAT OF TIME: EDISON BEATS CENTRAL AT THE BUZZER

By Megan Poindexter
VSP Senior Writer-

Half a second is all it took for Edison to crush Central’s dreams and win their 20th Central Section Championship with their 66-65 win over the Grizzlies.

Nat Harrison scored the game winning shot in front of a record crowd of 6,800 at Selland Arena. The game is surely one for the storybooks as one of the most thrilling Division I championship games ever to be played.

“We do that play a lot, but usually I’m in a different spot,” said Harrison. “But it was for me today.”
It was a physical and intense battled between both teams from the beginning.

A fast paced first quarter saw several turnovers and missed baskets by both teams, and Edison leading by a narrow margin of 15-12.

Both teams were evenly matched in the second quarter, each scoring 22 points to leave the Grizzlies down by three to end the first half.

“We executed tonight and this team never gave up, but give Central credit for their efforts” said Edison head coach Arturo Ormond. “No matter the outcome, I would have been happy with these kids.”

Down by as many as nine points halfway through the third quarter, the Grizzlies rallied back to within two with 3:56 remaining in the period.

But the run was stopped by back-to-back baskets from Harrison, who had eight points and seven rebounds on the night, and two free throws by Isaiah Gossett to put the Tigers back up by six.
“We’ve always been able to compete at this level,” said Ormond. “Now that we are here, people are starting to see it.”

The third quarter ended with Edison up 56-52, but the fourth quarter, despite being the lowest scoring quarter with a total of 26 points, was the real thriller.

Central crawled back into the game and finally tied it at 60 with 1:16 left.

At the one-minute mark, Edison held onto a 61-60 lead until Central’s Alton Williams, who scored a game high 19 points, knocked down a three-pointer to put his team up by one with 29 seconds on the clock.

But Edison came right back, as Gossett made another three-pointer to reverse the one-point lead back to the Tigers.

“I’m honestly just speechless,” said Gossett. “I hit that shot, we gained the momentum and I just had faith in my teammates.”

And with less than ten seconds remaining, the Grizzlies’ Jarred White was sent to the line and needed to make at least one free throw to tie the game. Instead, the sophomore hit both to put his team up 65-64 with eight seconds left.

Edison then brought the ball up the floor and the ball was given to the Tigers to inbound underneath their basket with just a half second left on the clock.

Jameal York, who led the Tigers with 15 points, inbounded the ball to Harrison who turned and banked the ball of the glass for the game winning shot.

“We scratched from behind the entire game and these kids never gave up,” said Central’s head coach Loren Lebeau. “We just weren’t able to finish the game, but Edison did a great job tonight.”

And while Harrison’s shot was one the people at Edison will remember for a long time, it is something that will stay very vivid in the minds of Central’s players as well.

It was apparent by the looks on their faces, and no-one’s expression showed it more than senior Alton Williams, who has helped lift the Central program to a new level in the last four years.
“Alton is absolutely a coaches dream,” said Lebeau. “Obviously I am so proud of all these kids. And thankfully for us it is not over here.”

Both teams will now head to the state playoffs and hope to make a run for a state title. Seedings will be announced today.

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FOURTH TIME’S THE CHARM FOR STOCKDALE

By Haisten Willis
VSP Contributing Writer-

After losing three straight section championship games, the Stockdale Mustangs finally got over the hump, defeating the Clovis West Eagles 70-60 to win the Division I Central Section Championship Saturday night at Selland Arena.
A valiant effort in the second half put the team over the top, overcoming Clovis West with aggressiveness and speed.
The gravity of the moment was not lost on Stockdale’s Fighting Spirit Award winner Melissa Sweat. “I didn’t think I would cry after the game, but I was too excited,” Sweat said. “I’ve been waiting for this.” Sweat led her team with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The Clovis West players felt it too. Many of them cried after the final whistle blew. They were under tremendous pressure; the team had already won the section title five times this decade.
The game was close early, with Stockdale taking a slim lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Mustangs allowed Clovis West to dominate the second quarter.
The Eagles built up a nine point lead heading into the locker room, looking poised to win their third straight section title.
Halftime proved to be a pivotal moment.
“

We talked to them at halftime about what happened last year,” Said Stockdale co-head coach Glenn Hager, who had been coaching alongside Charles Stewart for 15 years. “We told them last year was [Clovis West’s] run. Now we’re going to have our run.”
Stockdale burst out of the locker room looking like a different team. Playing hard and consistent, they whittled away at the Eagles’ lead. Eventually they tied the game, and as the third quarter ended Junior Keilyn Robinson hit a three-pointer to give the Mustangs the lead 51-48.
They never trailed again.
Clovis West head coach Craig Campbell spoke of the change in the second half. “We got our lead all the way up to 11,” Campbell said. “And then we got outscored 12 to one and lost all of our momentum.”
With 2:56 to go in the game, Eagles’ Fighting Spirit Award winner Morgan Hatten came out of the game with an injury. She scored 15 points on the night for her team and had 11 rebounds. The feeling was all too familiar for Clovis West.
“We graduated five seniors last year and lost two this year to ACL injuries… and we were still right there,” Campbell said.
The Mustangs ran out the clock and got the victory that was four years in the making. The team celebrated and cried as “We are the Champions” played over the arena speakers.
Sweat described it in three words. “It feels great.”
The season is not over for Clovis West, who will get to continue in the state playoffs despite the loss. They will find out who their opponent is Sunday and play that team Monday.
“We won’t even get to practice,” Campbell said. “We’ve got to go with what got us here all year.”
With the win, Stockdale improves to 25-4. They too will continue their quest for a state championship next week.

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WEST IS BEST: HUSKIES WIN DIVISION III TITLE

By Megan Poindexter
VSP Senior Writer-
Third seeded Hanford West earned the right to be named the Division III Central Section Champions Saturday evening with a solid team performance that landed them a 54-45 upset over top seed Ridgeview.
“We came out hungry to win knowing that we had to play big,” said junior Rodney Webster. “Every possession counts and you have to treat each one as if the game is on the line and we did that.”
In the first quarter, Ridgeview had an 11-9 lead that escaped them when all five starters were substituted from the game. The Huskies took advantage of the opportunity and went on a 10-0 run to end the quarter with a 19-11 lead.

Kaylin Evans, the tallest player on the floor at 6-foot-8, got into early foul trouble and was forced to sit the bench for the Wolfpack.
“We got into foul trouble early and it really killed us,” said Wolfpack head coach Bobby Sharp.
Going into the game, Hanford West head coach Tim Caudillo said the game plan was to limit Evans’ scoring opportunities as much as possible.
And the Huskies game plan was a success, as they forced Evans into foul trouble, and limited him to a 13 point-10 rebound performance.
“Our team played great today,” said Huskies guard Warren Moon. “Our big men stepped it up and played nice.”
Ethan Carrell, 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Cody Brice were largely responsible for covering Evans in the paint.
But it was Webster that really turned on the heat, going 7-15 from the field and 9-10 at the free throw line to score a game high 24 points.
“Rodney just played a great game,” said Moon. “I really thank him and all the guys. It means a lot to me how hard they worked.”
Moon is one of two seniors on the team, and one of several members of the Huskies’ squad to lose in the Valley title game two years ago.
“I love competition,” said Webster. “Playing in a tough league and coming back here again has helped us mature a lot as a team.”
With a 30-23 lead heading into the locker room at halftime, Webster said his team knew Ridgeview was capable of making a tough run, and they just had to stop them on defense.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Webster. “We made our run so we knew we had to be prepared for them to make theirs.”
In an evenly matched third quarter, the Huskies entered the fourth with a narrow five-point lead.
And, just as predicted by Hanford West, the Wolfpack went on a 7-2 run to bring the game to 43-41 with 3:41 left.
But, just as they began to gain momentum, the Huskies defensive intensity picked up. Ridgeview had four scoreless offensive possessions in a row to put them back down by seven.
“I just told our guys to make sure to get good shots on offense,” said Caudillo.
Hanford West capitalized on offensive opportunities to stretch their lead to nine with 37 seconds to go, and they didn’t let up on their way to winning the section title.
The win was extra sweet for the Huskies, who lost two years ago at Selland Arena. They were the underdog early, placing fifth in the West Yosemite League with a below average 5-7 record.
As a team, Caudillo said his team struggled to unify with each other playing what he considered to be “selfish” basketball.
“I told the kids ‘happiness begins when selfishness ends’”, said Caudillo.
And the more the team has played together their level of play has improved, putting them in position to make history when the state playoffs start this week.

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