Prep notebook: Dinuba football star switches up at Sac State

Michael Wright — one of the most prolific running backs in Central Section history during four seasons at Dinuba High — is switching to defense to extend his football career.

Wright will play safety and special teams as a preferred walk-on at Sacramento State. Unlike many walk-ons, who make the team through tryouts, Wright was recruited by the Hornets.

“I’m really excited to just play defense actually,” said Wright, No. 16 on the section career rushing list with 5,134 yards and eighth in touchdowns with 85, according to historian Bob Barnett. “It’s going to be a lot of learning, which I’m excited to do because what I want to do is go into coaching.

“Also, I’m not going to be getting hit anymore. I get to do the hitting. At the college level, it’s a lot bigger guys hitting you than in high school, so I’m not complaining. Of course I’ll miss playing running back, but I’ll just have to make some plays from the defensive side to get the ball, and hopefully I’ll know what to do with it.”

Wright broke in with a 725-yard, 11-touchdown freshman season. His best year came as a junior, when he rushed for 1,863 yards and 32 touchdowns, including 108 yards rushing, 88 yards receiving and four total touchdowns in a 45-14 defeat of Ridgeview for the Division III title.

After rushing for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior, Wright hoped to land an NCAA D-I scholarship offer as a running back.

But the offer never came for the 5-foot-10, 182-pounder who helped Dinuba go 44-8 with three Central Sequoia League titles and three section championship game appearances during his career.

Cal State Bakersfield expressed interest in Wright as a three-time state qualifier in wrestling, but he opted to stick with football.

Wright was drawn to Hornets safeties coach Anthony Parker, who, like his father, Michael Wright Sr., served in the Navy. Now, the younger Wright is eager to play his way into a scholarship.

“At the end of the day, I’m on a team that wants me and I want to play for them. I like the school, the town and the coaches,” Wright said. “I have nothing to complain about. I am blessed to have the opportunity to play college football.

“I will do whatever I can to help the football team. And if I end up helping them win games, I will end up on scholarship. I just have to take advantage of my opportunity when I get it.”

Clovis North hires tennis coach

Clovis North has made its third splashy coaching hire of the summer, bringing on Bryan Juinio as the head of its girls tennis program.

A former Fresno State standout, Juinio previously coached two section D-I title-winning boys teams at Clovis West.

Juinio’s hiring follows the additions of Dave Steele and Ben Holscher as assistants in football and wrestling, respectively.

Steele won three section titles in seven seasons at Kingsburg before being removed as coach in April for what Steele said was a disagreement with district officials over the hiring of his assistants. Holscher was part of six state title-winning teams in nine years at Clovis, where he started as an assistant and worked his way up to co-head coach.

Juinio also has coached at Fresno State, Pepperdine and Fresno Pacific, and has won the Fresno City Amateur eight times.

Buchanan’s Gambrell named All-State

Buchanan junior Grant Gambrell was the only section baseball player selected to the first-team of Cal-Hi Sports’ All-State Underclass Team.

Gambrell was a multipurpose pick for his hitting and pitching.

Sanger sophomore infielder Jamal O’Guinn, Clovis North junior outfielder Matt Frazier and Centennial junior infielder Colby Freeman were on the second team.

Cal-Hi Sports’ All-State Small Schools team featured Firebaugh senior infielder Jason Allen and teammate Sal Alaniz, a senior multipurpose player, as well as Dos Palos senior multipurpose player Efrain Del Rio, Chavez senior outfielder Will Ruiz and Kern Valley senior infielder Dalton Gallis.

Garces’ Hudson Hartley, a senior infielder, was the only section player on the All-Medium Schools team.

▪ Buchanan senior Zach Ashford made the MaxPreps All-America baseball list as a second-team outfielder.

He was the only section representative among the 60 players from across the nation named to the first- or second-teams.

All-America honors for Clovis softball duo

Cameryn Reichle and Cayla Broussard – who helped lead Clovis to the section D-I title – have been named All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Reichle, a senior catcher headed to Fresno State, was selected to the second team. Broussard, a senior shortstop bound for Azusa Pacific, made the third team.

They were the only section players recognized among 48 honored nationwide by the NFCA.

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Dinuba football star switches up at Sac State."