Fresno aiming for NYL, D-III boys soccer titles

Fresno High best summed up the unpredictable hierarchy of Central Section boys soccer in the days leading up to Christmas.

The Division III Warriors opened last week with a 3-1 home loss to D-IV Kerman on Dec. 21 and followed that with a 1-0 road victory against perennial power and three-time defending D-I champion Buchanan on Dec. 23.

So far this season, teams in Divisions II-VI have 23 wins and 11 ties in 66 games against the 13 schools from D-I, which are grouped as the strongest in the section based on competitive equity rather than school enrollment.

“A lot of us coaches talked before the high school season and everyone knew (section divisional titles were) up for grabs,” Fresno coach Joe Espinosa said. “There are a lot of good teams in every single division. A D-III or D-IV team can easily beat a D-I or D-II team. There is good talent in the Valley, and this year it’s all over the place.”

Fresno has proven Espinosa correct with its wins over Buchanan, on a goal from Adrian Mendoza, fellow D-I program Clovis West (2-1) and D-II Edison (3-0) during a 7-1 start that finds the Warriors at No. 5 in The Bee’s Central Section rankings.

Junior Guillermo Gama, the two-time North Yosemite League Goalkeeper of the Year, has keyed Fresno’s fast start by allowing five goals in eight games, including five shutouts.

The Warriors also draw on the experience of a pair of seniors – striker Mendoza and attacking center midfielder Victor Gonzalez – who played as freshmen in 2014 during Fresno’s 2-1 loss to South for the section D-III championship.

Senior co-captain and midfielder Jonathan Ramirez as well as a talented group of second-year varsity sophomores in outside midfielder Angel Flores, defensive midfielder Victor Flores, outside midfielder and striker Angel Armendariz and outside midfielder David Gutierrez have also helped the Warriors to a plus-16 goal differential heading into their final two nonleague games Dec. 28 at home against Liberty-Madera Ranchos and Jan. 3 at Memorial.

“Their goal is to get a ring,” said Espinosa, who led Fresno to its only section boys soccer title in 2011. “That is their mindset. And it’s going to take a lot to step in their way.”

The Warriors, who are ranked second by The Bee in D-III behind defending section champ Ridgeview, figure to get battle tested for a deep playoff run during NYL play, which begins Jan. 11 at home against Roosevelt.

The NYL also includes Bee No. 3-ranked McLane and No. 12 Sunnyside, teams that are a combined 22-5-4 overall and 5-3-5 against D-I opposition.

Fresno has never won an NYL title in boys soccer.

“It’s going to be some intense soccer,” Espinosa said. “It’s not going to be handed to us. We have to go get it.”

Boys westling – Clovis junior Seth Nevills is No. 2 at 285 pounds – the highest of the Central Section’s nine nationally ranked wrestlers in the latest ranking by intermatwrestle.com.

Nevills, a two-time CIF State champion who is 9-0 on the season and 99-0 in his career, is ranked behind only Gable Steveson of Apple Valley-Minnesota in the 285-pound division.

Other nationally ranked individuals from the Central Section include Buchanan sophomore Matthew Olguin (No. 12 at 113), Clovis senior Justin Mejia (No. 4 at 126), Selma senior Robert Garcia IV (No. 20 at 126), Dinuba senior Isaiah Perez (No. 9 at 132), Lemoore senior Gary Joint (No. 15 at 132), Bakersfield senior Navonte Demison (No. 4 at 145), Mission Oak senior Jaden Enriquez (No. 9 at 145) and Buchanan junior Anthony Montalvo (No. 20 at 182).

As a team, defending state champion Buchanan is No. 2 behind Blair Academy-New Jersey, while Clovis is ranked No. 6.

The Bears and Cougars will headline the field for the Doc Buchanan Invitational, the area’s next major tournament set for Jan. 6-7 at Clovis High. Wrestling begins at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 6 and resuming at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, with the finals set for 5 p.m.

Girls wrestling – Selma’s Alleida Martinez and Gracie Figueroa were among the four named Outstanding Wrestlers of the Brittany David Invitational on Dec. 23 at Liberty High in Brentwood.

Martinez won the 111-pound division, pinning Elk Grove’s Emeralda Arroyo in the final.

Figueroa captured the 126-pound title with a pin of Liberty’s Mary Lopez.

Martinez and Figueroa are both two-time CIF State champions who also won bronze medals during the Cadet World Championships in September.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Fresno aiming for NYL, D-III boys soccer titles."