Prep football, baseball & softball rankings; coach steps down; players sign NLI
Buchanan High finished the shortened season as the No. 1 team in The Fresno Bee’s prep football Top 10 rankings this week after finishing the Tri-River Athletic Conference 5-0.
The Bears defeated Clovis East 36-13, claiming the outright TRAC title for the first time since 2009.
Buchanan outscored its opponents 201-88.
No. 2 Central, meanwhile, rolled past Clovis North 69-0.
Three teams — Bullard, Kingsburg and Sanger — each moved up a spot.
Some schools have one and even two more games left before the spring season ends April 30. In this week’s marquee game, No. 5 San Joaquin Memorial will host No. 8 Sanger for the County/Metro Athletic Conference championship at 7 p.m. Friday.
Central Section Football Top 10
1. Buchanan (5-0) last week d. Clovis East 36-13 (pvs. 1)
2. Central (4-1) last week d. Clovis North 38-13 (pvs. 2)
3. Liberty-Bakersfield (4-0) last week d. Frontier 23-19 (pvs. 3)
4. Clovis (3-2) last week d. Clovis West 42-17(pvs. 4)
5. San Joaquin Memorial (4-0) last week d. Edison 57-20 (pvs. 5)
6. Bullard (2-2) last week d. Dinuba 36-7 (pvs. 7)
7. Kingsburg (5-0) last week d. Selma 17-15 (pvs. 8)
8. Sanger (3-1) last week d. Madera 34-0 (pvs. 9)
9. Bakersfield (1-1) last week lost to Centennial 31-12 (pvs. 6)
10. Garces (2-2) last week d. Bakersfield Christian 58-12 (pvs. 10)
Coach steps down after 8 seasons at alma mater
Tulare Western football coach Ryan Rocha stepped down after eight seasons compiling a 63-22 record.
Tulare Western athletic director Mike Powell said Rocha stepped down to spend time with his family.
Rocha, who graduated from the school in 2003, posted a message thanking the Mustangs community for its support. “I came back to Tulare Western to build a football program,” Rocha wrote. “I can only hope that the work we put in will last for years to come.
“You gave a young coach an opportunity to return home when a lot of people thought you were crazy and I was too young. You supported me and the kids and that is all a football coach could ask for from his administration. Thank you!”
The Mustangs finished the spring season 4-1.
Coca-Cola Classic baseball championship
The annual Coca-Cola Classic baseball tournament concluded Saturday with Buchanan defeating San Joaquin Memorial 7-2 for its second tournament championship of the spring.
The Bears also won the Fresno Easter Classic.
Buchanan has beaten the Panthers twice this season.
Baseball rankings
Records through Monday
1. Buchanan (10-1)
2. San Joaquin Memorial (9-2)
3. Bullard (8-1-1)
4. Clovis North (8-2)
5. Clovis West (7-2-1)
6. Clovis (8-2)
7. Stockdale (1-0)
8. Arroyo Grande (11-0)
9. Liberty-Bakersfield (3-0)
10. Centennial (4-0)
Teams combine for 44 runs
Mt. Whitney and San Joaquin Memorial tied 22-22 in softball last week.
Eight home runs were hit in the game — four by Mt. Whitney’s Brooke Riggins to tie a state record for most in a game, according to Mark Tennis of Cal-Hi Sports.
Softball rankings
Records through Monday
1. Buchanan (10-1)
2. Clovis (8-1)
3. Clovis North (6-0)
4. Clovis East (6-2)
5. Clovis West (9-4)
6. Arroyo Grande (7-0)
7. Liberty-Bakersfield (3-0)
8. Stockdale (1-0)
9. Central (7-4)
10. Bullard (6-6)
Players sign NLI
Last week, many players signed national letters of intent committing to four-year colleges and universities including:
Buchanan: Ashtyn Arnold, Bellevue University, basketball; Cuauhtemoc Becerra, Stanford, baseball; Shagan Bhullar, Pomona-Pitzer, soccer; Gianna Chiaramonte, Fresno State, track and field; Helen Chu, Columbia University, track and field; Donovan Constable, Cal State Northridge, volleyball; Jaedyn Davies, University of Montevallo, swimming; Ky Duong, USC, diving; Morgan Hutchison, Fresno State, track and field; Cianna Mariscotti, Montana State-Billings, volleyball; Caleb Pouliut, The Master’s, track and field; Shayla Sakkakhanaune, Whitter College, soccer; Cameron Schwantes, Drury University, swimming; Raegan Stermer, Briar Cliff, basketball; Josh Williams, UC Santa Barbara, baseball; Austin Young, Fresno State, baseball.
Bullard: Logan Amaral, Northwest Nazarene University, softball; Sariah Ayala, York College, softball; Gia Vargas, Holy Names University, golf; Cameron Reeve, York College, baseball; Leilyn Alvarez, University of Rhode Island, softball; Julianna Hernandez, UC Riverside, soccer; Audra Fontes, Parker Colby College, volleyball; Bryson Beck, Emerson College, Boston; Autumn Turner, Umpqua College, wrestling.
Clovis: Maddy Arnold, CSU San Marcos, softball; Alexandro Chavez, Biola University, soccer; Caitlin Decanio, Azusa Pacific, softball; Jordan Hilford, University of Providence, wrestling; Julia Green, University of Providence, track and field; Seth Madruga, Simpson University, baseball; Ayden Merrihew, Fresno Pacific, track and field; Brittney Slocum, Viterbo University, softball; Logan Sumter, Fresno Pacific, baseball; Greg Turner, Fresno Pacific, soccer.
Clovis East: Andrew Mannion, Menlo College, wrestling; Caitlyn Perales, Dominican University of California, softball; Jacob Tafoya, Air Force Academy, football; Trevor Vertiz, University of Saint Katherine, basketball; Kacy Wicks, water polo, San Diego State; Lochan Zwaschka, University of Pacific, water polo.
Clovis North: Ryan Fiorentino, Oregon State, wrestling; Delaney Phillips, The Master’s, swim and dive; Ryan Watts, North Dakota State University, wrestling; Ryan Watts, North Dakota State, wrestling.
Clovis West: Kaydence Garcia, Fresno State, soccer; Abby Hiatt, Soka University of America, soccer; Chase Barsotti, Menlo College, baseball; Jacob Floth, Fresno Pacific, baseball; Morgan Hébert, Fort Valley State University, volleyball; Austin Lane, University of Pittsburgh, swimming; Syriah Wint, Fort Valley State University, volleyball.
