Prep notebook: Dinuba soccer player leaves hospital

Dinuba High boys soccer player Aldo Serrano is out of the hospital after a violent collision in a game Jan. 29 temporarily left him without feeling in his extremities.

Serrano, a senior goalkeeper, has regained feeling in his fingers and toes, according to Emperors coach Ramiro Rodriguez, and was released from Visalia’s Kaweah Delta Medical Center on Jan. 31 following two days of observation.

Serrano has lingering pain on the right side of his body and he tires easily but is expected to make a complete recovery, said Rodriguez, who added doctors said Serrano can return to action once his body recovers.

Dinuba concludes the regular season with games Feb. 9 against Selma and Feb. 11 against Immanuel before the Central Section playoffs begin Feb. 16.

Serrano was injured when he came out to stop a through-ball and took a shoulder to the chest from a charging opposing player during the second half of the Emperors’ 4-0 Central Sequoia League victory over Exeter. Rodriguez has said the play was not dirty.

Serrano walked off the field gingerly under his own power but reported numbness in his mouth and the loss of feeling in his toes and hands once he reached the bench.

Exeter’s trainer told Rodriguez that Serrano was exhibiting concussion-like symptoms and he was immediately taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Kelly named All-State – Clovis West senior linebacker Caleb Kelly was the only section football player among the 30 named first-team All-State by CalHiSports.com.

Nine others from the section, all seniors, were selected to one of CalHiSports’ four levels of all-state teams, including second-team kicker Evan Rios of Madera.

Making the third team were Tulare running back Romello Harris, Clovis linebacker Josh Hokit and Ridgeview receiver/kick returner Lawrence White.

Fourth-team selections included Liberty-Bakersfield linebacker Krys Barnes, Clovis quarterback Sean Kuenzinger, Liberty-Bakersfield quarterback Jordan Love, Bullard running back Charles Williams and Buchanan defensive lineman Bryson Young.

Making CalHiSports’ All-Juniors first team were Kurtis Brown, a defensive lineman from Liberty-Bakersfield, and Daniel Schoene, an offensive lineman from Bakersfield.

Making the second team were Kingsburg offensive lineman Andrew Voorhees, Clovis North linebacker Erick Kroll and Hanford quarterback Ryan Johnson, while third-team picks include Bullard linebacker Ben Baker and Ridgeview running back/receiver Jamar Moya.

The All-State Sophomore team featured Ricardo Arias, a receiver from McLane, on the first team and Emorie Edwards, a receiver from Tulare, on the second team.

Lemoore avoids penalties – The Lemoore boys basketball team, ranked No. 3 in the section by The Bee, will not be punished after self-reporting the use of an academically ineligible player.

Central Section commissioner Jim Crichlow decided no action needed to be taken because the player had minimal impact on the seven games he played in, scoring a combined three points in mop-up duty during blowout Tigers victories.

The player’s ineligibility was initially missed on a grade check, but later caught by athletic department officials who were filling out forms for section academic awards, Crichlow said.

Crichlow, however, has placed the Lemoore athletic department on probation for the rest of this school year and all of next, and said any more eligibility issues would be met with penalties.

D-V basketball adds teams – The section has moved eight boys teams and nine girls teams from Division IV into Division V for the upcoming basketball playoffs after the CIF State office dropped an attendance cap on the division for the state playoffs.

Previously, schools with an enrollment of more than 500 were not permitted to compete in D-V.

Boys schools joining D-V include Avenal, Dos Palos, Farmersville, Mendota, Parlier, Riverdale, Strathmore and Woodlake. Girls schools moving to D-V are Avenal, Chowchilla, Farmersville, Fowler, Firebaugh, Granite Hills, Kennedy, Parlier and Rosamond.

The section basketball playoffs start Feb. 23 for the boys and Feb. 24 for the girls.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Prep notebook: Dinuba soccer player leaves hospital."