Hernandez earns state medal

Madera Tribune File Photo

Madera South’s Josue Hernandez works his opponent into a pinning position in a 2012 match. Hernandez earned a top 10 at the CIF State Wrestling Championships and a berth into the national championships.

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2012

With a school-record four wrestlers at the California State Wrestling Championships at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena, Madera South coach Jason Gaeth-Pearce was confident about getting one of his wrestlers on the top 10 podium.

At 138 pounds, Josue Hernandez picked up wins in his first two matches and earned a trip to the quarterfinals. He lost to eventual State Champion Brian Sergi of College Park and advanced two rounds in the consolation bracket before falling to Alta Loma’s Jacob Leon, who ended up third.

Hernandez pinned Clovis West’s Chris Garcia in the second period in the seventh place match.

“He wrestled pretty doggone tough,” Pearce said. “The only kids he lost to were the state champion and the third place wrestler. He wrestled great, the best I have seen him. He couldn’t have picked a better tournament to have his best day at.”

2013

Hawks upset Miners in long tourney day

CLOVIS — Before starting its third game of the Buchanan Preseason Tournament, the Liberty Hawks softball team’s level of play could best be defined as lackluster.

After a 14-0 thrashing at the hands of the Buchanan Bears in the morning and a 6-2 loss to the Clovis North Broncos in the afternoon, the evening was looking darker than usual as the Hawks took to the field.

However, after an hour and a half of play, the Div. IV Hawks claimed victory over their final Div. I opponent of the day, handing the El Diamante Miners their first loss of the season in a 4-2 upset.

El Diamante was batting in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and El Diamante leading 7-4 before a “drop dead” time stoppage was called, as is usual with tournament play, and the score was reverted to the last completed inning.

2014

Stallions bail out coach with win

Most of the time, it’s the coach that has to work to get his players into the best position to succeed.

However, it was the Madera South Stallions baseball players that worked to get out of a hole that coach John Fernandez dug for the team.

Twice in the first three innings, Madera South runners were tagged out on the bases after Fernandez tried to get an extra base in a 5-3 victory over the Caruthers Blue Raiders at Eddie Chapa Field in the Central Baseball Classic.

“I take responsibility for the slow start,” Fernandez said. “The kids saved me today. I made some poor baserunning decisions early on and some bad strategy decisions. The kids still battled so they saved me. I credit them. The kids rallied for me. I took us out of scoring positions early in the game. Coaches are normal and screw up. Thank goodness our kids stayed with the plan and came through when they needed to.”

Darrien Gray got the start on the mound and picked up the win with five innings of work. He allowed seven hits, but just two after the first two innings when he allowed all three of his runs. Cristian Ochoa tossed the final two innings and picked a save while striking out three.

Brian Guerrero drove in three runs, including the game-tying run. Ezekiel Gallardo scored two runs as the Stallions banged out six hits in the game.

2015

Stallions take down Central

After losing its first set of the match, the Madera South boys volleyball team realized that visiting Central-Fresno wasn’t going to lay down.

Although the Stallions had already beaten the Grizzlies in the Sanger Slam, Madera South head coach Steve Guglielmana knew that if his team couldn’t control the ball against Central, then it would be anybody’s game in the rematch.

Despite a slow start, the Stallions finished strong in each of their final three sets to pull out a 3-1 (17-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22) win over the Grizzlies at Madera South’s East Gym.

Stallions salvage tie with Hanford

The Madera South Stallions came from behind twice and forged an eight-inning tie with the Hanford Bullpups in the Central Baseball Classic at Eddie Chapa Field.

Both teams were deadlocked at four after eight innings when the game was called because of darkness.

The Stallions spoiled a solid pitching performance from starter Uriel Conde, who threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed three hits with four strikeouts. Two of his four runs allowed were unearned.

Madera South answered a two-run Hanford second with three runs in the bottom of the inning. When Hanford took a one-run lead in the fifth, Madera South answered with the tying run in the sixth inning to get the tie.

Conde also led the Stallions with two hits and two runs scored to lead the bottom of the order that had five of the Stallions’ six hits and scored all four runs with four RBIs.