Fresno Bee’s Best: Meet the softball Player of the Year, see our list of All-Area stars
When it comes to being in the pitching circle, Clovis North High sophomore Ryan Maddox likes to be in a comfort zone.
It helps when her teammates are producing runs to give her a comfortable lead.
That combination helped the Broncos win a Tri-River Athletic Conference title and the school’s first Central Section Division I championship.
Maddox is The Bee’s Player of the Year after she finished 19-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 138.1 innings pitched, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
“It was an incredible season,” Maddox said. “We just had a lot of fun and we bonded together. That was a huge part of it. We had great chemistry. We love passing the bat and we love just getting those big outs and we loved every moment of it as a team.”
Not only was Maddox productive in the circle, she also helped out at the plate.
Maddox had 69 at-bats and scored 24 times while driving in 10 runs. Maddox also had six doubles, two triples and one home run.
Broncos coach Courtney Dale described Maddox as a “true competitor.”
“Thrives in pressure situations,” she said. “She has amazing composure. Ryan has command of all of her pitches and is able to change speeds. The best quality about Ryan is she is a true team player and our team loved playing behind her.”
Maddox echoed what her coach said and that the goal from the beginning was to win TRAC and the playoffs.
Mission accomplished thanks to her teammates giving her run support and defensive plays.
“Just the encouragement from them and the positivity that they have,” she said. “I know they all have my back throughout the season.”
Coach of the Year: Courtney Dale, Clovis North
Since taking over as the Clovis North coach in 2017, Dale’s teams continued to get better. Last season, Clovis North was a factor early on (7-1) before COVID-19 shut down the season. But this season, Dale led her team to the school’s first section title, finishing with a 21-1 record and 9-1 in the TRAC.
Other player awards
Large School Player of the Year (DI-II): C Caitlin Decanio, Clovis, Sr.
In 98 at-bats, she scored 10 times and connected with 47 hits and driving in 41 runs. Decanio also had nine doubles, two triples, eight home runs and finished with a batting average of .480. She was the TRAC’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Marissa Fondtain of Buchanan.
Medium School Player of the Year (DIII-IV): P Kamerynn Cordova, Fowler, Jr
Put up big numbers for the Redcats pitching and hitting and that translated into titles in West Sequoia League, section Division IV and the CIF Southern Regional California Division III titles. In the circle, she went 25-1 with a 1.11 ERA and 23 complete games. At the plate, she batted .371 and knocked in 23 runs. Cordova had two doubles, two triples and five home runs.
Small School Player of the Year (DV-VI): P/1B Brinnen Biegel, Sierra Pacific, Soph.
Named the East Sequoia League Most Valuable Player after helping the Golden Bears to an ESL title. For the season she hit .521 and scored 25 times while driving in 18 runs. She added eight doubles and three home runs. She struck out 60 batters.
All-Area Team
Faith Able, Tulare Western, Sr.; Gizelle Aguirre, Caruthers, Fr.; Kyleigh Allen, Lemoore, Sr.; Aneesa Almaguer, Fowler, Sr; Mia Antonino, Clovis North, Sr.; Maddy Arnold, Clovis, Sr.; Ayanna Avalos, Parlier, Sr.; Jessica Batres, Monache, Soph.; Karsyn Bauer, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Fr.; Rebekah Beasley, Mission Oak, Fr.; Ava Benavides, Clovis East, Soph.; Jacee Bento, Chowchilla, Jr.; Brinnen Biegel, Sierra Pacific, Soph.; Kenady Blackburn, Tulare Western, Jr.; Morgan Bradford, Redwood, Soph.; Brooke Brazill, Clovis, Jr.; Jordan Bull, Buchanan, Sr.; Emma Bumatay, Clovis North, Jr.; Naleya Bridges, Clovis North, Soph.; Bailee Bustos, Mission Oak, Jr.; Lauryn Carranco, Clovis, Jr.; Alexus Carter, Golden West, Jr.; Stephanie Castro, Reedley, Sr.; Maliyah Cerda, Selma, Sr.; Mia Chacon, Fowler, Sr.; Paige Chapman, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Jr.; Lauren Chapman, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Jr.; Grace Chojnacki, Mission Oak, Soph.; Avery Contreras, El Diamante, Jr.; Kamerynn Cordova, Fowler, Jr.; Liliana Coronado, Dos Palos, Fr.; Sierra Cortez, Tulare Western, Sr.; Kate Coulter, Exeter, Sr.; Kiarra Cueva, Sanger, Soph.; Makayla Davila, Fresno Christian, Jr.; Duregan Davis, Hanford, Jr.; Alexis DeBoer, Clovis North, Fr.; Caitlin Decanio, Clovis, Sr.; Paris Dellamaggiore, Clovis East, Jr.; Samantha Delgado, Kerman, Jr.; Khamara Dement, Selma, Fr.; Cienna Enriquez, Porterville, Sr.; Jacquelyn Esquer, Lemoore, Sr.
Erica Flores, Dinuba, Sr.; Marissa Fondtain, Buchanan, Sr.; Alexis Galvan, Madera, Jr.; Hannah Garcia, Selma, Jr.; Elena Garcia, Laton, Jr.; Anaya Garcia, Sanger, Soph.; Lillianna Garcia, Hanford, Jr. Fiona Giannandrea, Mt. Whitney, Jr.; Marissa Gonzalez, Kingsburg, Sr.; Sam Greene, Immanuel, Sr.; Oriana Gutierrez, Monache, Sr.; Brianah Hamilton, Madera, Jr.; Mason Hatton, Tulare Union, Fr.; Taylor Hastin, Tulare Union, Soph.; Faith Hernandez, Dinuba, Sr.; Mia Hernandez, Central, Sr.; Mia Hernandez, Hanford, Sr.; Mikayla Hoggard, Sierra Pacific, Sr.; Morgan Hunter, Monache, Soph.; Taryn Irigoyan, Kingsburg, Sr.; Jalyssa Ledesma, Fowler, Sr.; Marissa Leon, Tulare Western, Jr.; Ryan Maddox, Clovis North, Soph.; Maci Martin, Coalinga, Sr.; Carissa Marquez, Fowler, Sr.; Anahi Martinez, Edison, Sr.; Rachel Martin, Fresno Christian, Fr.; Madison Martinez, Lemoore, Jr.; Abigail McAvoy, Clovis, Sr.; Sophie Mendoza, Sanger, Jr.; Paige Messenlehner, Washington Union, Sr.; Faith Moultrie, San Joaquin Memorial, Sr.; Sarah Moite, Bullard, Jr.
Isabella Navarro, Kerman, Soph.; Janette Ochoa, Redwood, Sr.; Allison Paregian, Exeter, Sr.; Paige Perez, Woodlake, Soph.; Erika Perez, Madera, Jr.; Aaliyah Pineda, El Diamante, Sr.; Kindall Pierson, Sunnyside, Jr.; Isley Prada, Sunnyside, Sr.; Payton Quinonez, Mission Oak, Sr.; Claire Railey, Buchanan, Sr.; Samantha Rangel, Firebaugh, Fr.; Jayden Ramos, Central, Soph.; Mia Reynolds, Tulare Union, Sr.; Kailea Ricks, Madera, Fr.; Star Roman-Elozondo, Orange Cove, Fr.; Juliessa Rosas, Kerman, Fr. ; Addison Samarin, Fresno Christian, Jr.; Marissa Sanchez, Kerman, Soph.; Armida Sanchez, Sunnyside, Sr.; Shalom Sanchez, Tulare Union, Sr.; Isabelle Sanchez, Lindsay, Sr.; Lillian Santos, Corcoran, Sr.; Emilee Santos, Corcoran, Fr.; Quinn Scheidt, Washington Union, Fr. ; Madisen Shimmon, Hanford West, Sr.; Katie Simas, Riverdale, Sr.; Jaclyn Smith, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Sr.; Mackensie Snyder, Hanford, Sr.; Esabella Solis, Sierra Pacific, Jr.; Paige Sterling, Caruthers, Jr.; Ayden Stone, Hanford, Jr.; Layla Torres, Sanger, Soph.; Morgan Triguero, Caruthers, Soph.; Krislyn Turmon, Caruthers, Jr.; Noemi Uribe, Washington Union, Sr.; Riley Van Patten, Central, Jr.; Haley Van Worth, Dos Palos, Sr.; Hailey Volkmar, Chowchilla, Soph.; Sydnee Weber, Redwood, Sr.; Destyne White, Clovis West; Blaire Willson, Kingsburg, Sr.; Alex Wright, Clovis West, Sr.; Mariah Zapata, Firebaugh, Sr.; Hailee Zapien, Dinuba, Jr.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 4:14 PM.
