Heritage High Athletes of the Week: Gonzalez, Sage, Atkins

From left: Jordan Sage, Torrey Atkins, Adrian Gonzalez are the Heritage High Athletes of the Week.

Three standout student-athletes are honored today as Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week from Heritage High School.

Junior pitcher Adrian Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 0.37 ERA for the Patriots baseball team, which took a record of 4-4 overall and 1-1 in Sunbelt League play into today's game against Paloma Valley. He is also hitting .308 on the young season.

"So far, we're doing pretty good," Gonzalez said. "The chemistry on the team has matured since last year. We play more like a family. I think we can keep winning as long as we play together."

Gonzalez plays third base when he isn't pitching.

Senior softball player Jordan Sage is the top pitcher for the softball team, which took a 1-0 league record into today's game against Paloma Valley. She originally committed to a college in Nebraska but has decided to play at Mt. San Jacinto College next year.

"Jordan has been doing a great job both offensively and defensively," said her coach, Angela Ramiro. "I don't know what we would do without her. She is truly an asset to our team."

Junior track and field standout Torrey Atkins had four first-place finishes in meets last week. He swept the 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles in a dual meet on Thursday and pulled off the same double in the Beaumont Cougar Classic last weekend.

Atkins also broke the Cougar Classic 300-meter hurdles record with a time of 39.63.

Four Standout Players Named Paloma Valley Athletes of Week

From left: Holly Oyhenart, Parker Fokken, Joseph Gildner. Not pictured: Anthony Smith.

Four Paloma Valley High School students were recognized this week for their accomplishments as Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

Parker Fokken is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA as a pitcher for the Wildcats baseball team, which got off to a fast start by winning its first two Sunbelt League games after a solid preseason. Fokken, a junior right-hander, pitched a shutout against Los Altos in a nonleague game and has been consistent at the plate as well.

"I think the coolest thing about our team is we're always up and working hard, trying to get better," said Fokken, who is in his first year on the varsity team. "We're all very humble and just want to get better."

Joseph Gildner is a senior member of the boys tennis team and has made key contributions as a doubles player.

"Joseph has really stepped up his skills and leadership, on and off the court," said his coach, Alison King. "He offers help to the younger athletes as needed. As a doubles partner, he communicates with his partner during the match to help ensure the success of the team."

"I like doubles because I have a partner who can watch my back in case I'm having a bad day," Gildner said. "You connect with your partner and become friends with them. And I like helping out the younger players. I'm a senior and I won't be here next year, so this is my way of giving back to the school."

Senior softball player Holly Oyhenart has made a big impact for the Wildcats from her outfield position. She is hitting. 579 with 10 RBIs for Paloma Valley, which is 8-5 overall and 2-0 in league play.

Oyhenart has received a scholarship to Christian Brothers University in Tennessee, where she plans to major in sports management.

Track and field standout Anthony Smith recently anchored the 4x100 relay team to a school record of 43.25 seconds. He also has excelled in the 100 and 200 this season.

"Anthony has been working very hard this year to finish his high school career with a bang," said his coach, Bert Esposito. "He has been improving his grades and his performances on the track have been exceptional. I am very proud of his work ethic and leadership."

Menifee Sports Up Close: Xcelerators Join the Parade

Members of the 12u Xcelerators team had fun during the parade of teams at Menifee Girls Softball's Opening Day Saturday at Wheatfield Park.

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to accept highlights and photos from local youth leagues for publication on our website and Facebook page. Submissions should be emailed to menifee247sports@gmail.com.

Menifee Girls Softball Celebrates Opening Day at Wheatfield

Menifee Girls Softball held its Opening Day Saturday at Wheatfield Park, with games in several age divisions and a parade of all the teams at the noon hour.

Vendor booths were set up and there were games for the kids as well as refreshments for all. Next week, Menifee Girls Softball action returns to its regular location at Winchester Fields.

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to accept highlights and photos from local youth leagues for publication on our website and Facebook page. Submissions should be emailed to menifee247sports@gmail.com.

Hundreds Enjoy Opening Day of Menifee Valley Little League

Hundreds of ballplayers, parents and friends gathered at Winchester Fields today for Opening Day of Menifee Valley Little League.

Postponed from its original schedule at Wheatfield Park because of rain two weeks ago, the league's big day was a big success. In addition to games on three different fields, there were vendor booths, a raffle, music, games and a variety of food and drink.

For some of the sights and sounds of Opening Day, check out our Menifee 24/7 video:

Carter, Lundstrom, Dreese Named Heritage Athletes of Week

From left: Jarrett Carter, Shawn Dreese, Andrew Lundstrom.

Three standout players make up the first group of Heritage High School spring sports athletes to be honored with the Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week award.

Junior Jarrett Carter set a school record in the 400-meter run with a time of 50.32 in the track team's first meet, held at La Quinta last week.

Carter also competes in the 200, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay.

"The 4x400 is my favorite," he said. "It hurts a lot doing the 400, though. You have all the lactic gasses built up in you. You can't just quit on it. You have to keep going."

Carter also competes in cross country in the fall, but he prefers sprints during track season.

"Cross country is more like duration running, keeping a pace," he said. "Sprints is more like explosive running."

Shawn Dreese is captain of the boys volleyball team. A senior in his second year of volleyball, the outside hitter carries a lot of responsibility as the team leader.

"Shawn has done a great job, both in the classroom and on the court," said his coach, Lindsey Sappington. "He is our kill leader."

Dreese plans to go into the Air Force after graduation.

Junior Andrew Lundstrom plays center field and second base for the Patriots baseball team, which is in tournament action to open the season.

"I think we're doing really well," said Lundstrom, who is in his first year on the varsity team. "The teams we're playing are really good."

Lundstrom had no trouble identifying his biggest challenge as a ballplayer.

"Hitting," he said. "It's hardest to keep that consistent."

First Paloma Valley High Spring Sports Honorees Recognized

From left: Darren Fabricante, Josh Arvizu, Kailee Smith, McKay George.

It's springtime, and a new set of teams are beginning competition at Paloma Valley High School. Today Menifee 24/7 honors the first Athletes of the Week for these sports.

Darren Fabricante is team captain of the boys volleyball team and is dedicated to helping the Wildcats get off to a fast start. He is so competitive, he suffered a gash in his chin when diving for a ball in a game against the school alumni.

"That cut later required eight stitches, but Darren insisted on finishing the game," said his coach, Katie Bradley. "He has exemplified positive leadership for our team so far."

"Both my parents were in volleyball," said Fabricante, a senior setter who helped his team win its league opener against San Jacinto on Tuesday. "My dad coached my mom. It became a family thing."

Senior pitcher Kailee Smith pitched 19 innings the first week of the season with a 1.11 ERA and 13 strikeouts. She is also batting .375 with a double and triple for the Wildcats, who are 6-3 this season.

"We're young, but I think we have a lot of potential," said Smith, who plays first base and right field when she isn't pitching. "Last year we finished second in league and made it to third round of CIF, and we want to improve on that."

Smith has received a full-ride scholarship to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa for next year.

McKay George is a senior leader for the boys tennis team, having worked his way up from a JV doubles player as a freshman to a standout singles player for the varsity.

"I did cross country my freshman year," he said. "I wasn't the best at cross country; actually I was one of the worst runners. I was determined coming into tennis that I would make something of myself. In the beginning, I was one of the worst doubles players. But we worked our way up to No. 1 on JV and finally I got to varsity."

"In his first two years, he continually worked on his skills and challenged varsity members to earn a varsity spot by the end of his sophomore year," said his coach, Alison King. "Not only is McKay leading his team in points, but he also leads his team by his character and the attitude in 'team first.' "

Senior Josh Arvizu is the starting center fielder for the baseball team, which plays Los Altos today. He moved here from Japan for his sophomore year and recently was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy.

"We did a lot last year and we have really good pitching and defense, plus good hitting," said Arvizu. "We're expected to do a lot this year."

Arvizu plans to play baseball in prep school in Rhode Island next year before entering the Naval Academy.

Paloma Valley Softball Team Gets Off to a Strong Start

The Paloma Valley High School softball team opened the season on a positive note last week, winning three games in the Stu Penter Classic tournament in Corona.

The Wildcats are 3-2 as they prepare for the Diamond Valley Tournament in Hemet, where they play Rancho Verde Monday at 3 p.m.

In the tournament opener against Rancho Verde March 4, Paloma Valley scored a 10-3 victory behind Kailee Smith, who pitched a strong four innings with six strikeouts. Karynne Johnson pitched the last two innings and struck out four. Kiana Broderson Jones went 2 for 4 with 2 steals, Caila Lopez homered, Alexis Beckham was 23 for 3 with 2 triples and Smith went 2 for 3 with a triple.

Errors plagued the Wildcats in a 10-2 loss to Yucaipa later that day. Karynne Johnston had 10 strikeouts and five innings. Faith Schreiber had a double.

Smith came back with nine strong innings pitched March 6 against King, but Paloma lost a 1-0 decision. The same day, the Wildcats beat Kaiser 6-3 with Johnston getting the win and Smith the save.

On March 7, Paloma Valley beat Heritage, 4-3. Smith earned the win and Johnston received the save. Holly Oyhenart went 3 for 4, Beckham had a triple, and Abigail Callais also had a triple.

Menifee Sports Up Close: Getting a Kick Out of Soccer

Williams Reeves knows how to move the ball upfield for his under-12 AYSO team. Thanks to Jason and Adrienne Reeves for sending in this picture.

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to accept highlights and photos from local youth leagues for publication on our website and Facebook page. Submissions should be emailed to menifee247sports@gmail.com.

Menifee Sports Up Close: Let's Hear One for the Cheerleaders!

Makyla Moody, 13, of Menifee and her cheer team Lithium from Intensity All-Stars just took first place at the NCA nationals in Dallas. Congratulations to Makyla and her team members.

Menifee Sports Up Close: Menifee Yard Dawgs

The Menifee Yard Dawgs 10u baseball team has quite a collection of trophies. Congratulations to the team members and thanks to Betty Bouris for sending this to us.

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to accept highlights and photos from local youth leagues for publication on our website and Facebook page. Submissions should be emailed to menifee247sports@gmail.com.

Menifee Sports Up Close: Mother-Daughter Connection

Nicole Gutierrez is having a blast coaching her daughter's T-ball team, the Little Mermaids, in Menifee Girls Softball. The weather is great today and everyone is out playing ball!

Menifee 24/7 is pleased to accept highlights and photos from local youth leagues for publication on our website and Facebook page. Submissions should be emailed to menifee247sports@gmail.com.

Acosta, Pacheco Named Santa Rosa Athletes of the Month

From left: Marissa Acosta, Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty, Timothy Pacheco.

Basketball standout Marissa Acosta and soccer star Timothy Pacheco were honored for their accomplishments in February as the Santa Rosa Academy Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Month, sponsored by RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Pacheco, just a sophomore, played a key role for the Rangers as a midfielder. He scored 14 goals with 6 assists to help the team to a 13-2-3 record in a freelance schedule. Next year, he will be back to help the team in its first league season.

Having a new home field to play on also makes a big difference, he said.

"We got to use the new field for about half the season," Pacheco said. "It's way better than not having a home. I think we had a really solid season and we have a lot of players back for next year."

Acosta made a difficult transition in her first season of organized basketball. Although the team didn't win a game, she and her teammates have grown together as a unit and are excited to all be back next season.

"Even though we didn't win a game, it was nice to start off the first year of a girls basketball team," said Acosta, a junior. "This was my first time playing ever. I had to get used to the fast pace and intensity of the game. No matter what happened, we always kept a positive attitude looking forward to the next game."

Pacheco and Acosta each received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and a Target gift card from Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Cota, Prewitt Named Paloma Valley Athletes of the Month

From left: DeMarco Prewitt, Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty, Principal Don Williamson, Ashlynn Cota.

Basketball season is over at Paloma Valley High School, but accomplishments of two standout players have not been forgotten.

Senior Ashlynn Cota and sophomore DeMarco Prewitt have been selected as Paloma Valley's Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Month, sponsored by RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Cota is a third-year varsity player who led the girls basketball team in scoring at 14.3 points per game. She helped lead the Wildcats into the CIF playoffs.

"Ashlynn's offensive abilities have helped her to excel as a player," said her coach, Romeo Galbreath.

Cota is considering offers from Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay and Whittier College. She hopes to study kinesiology in preparation for a career as a chiropractor or physical therapist.

"I'm going to go to the gym and work out, hopefully get into a college program where I can work out with other recruit," she said. "I want to work on my defense. It's been important ever since I was little, but I'm more of an offensive threat, so I know I need to work on my defense and my speed."

Prewitt is a three-sport athlete who also completes in football and track, but most recently his talents were utilized by the boys basketball team. Coming back from an early-season injury, he led the team in scoring and served as a captain of the team.

"DeMarco is a strong student and athlete," said his coach, Michael Pfeiffer. "He is a high character young man."

Prewitt made first-team all-league as a freshman and came back with a strong sophomore season.

"We're a young team; we only had two seniors on the team," Prewitt said about the Wildcats, whose season ended short of the CIF playoffs. "At the end of the season we won three in a row. Our morale was good."

Cota and Prewitt received certificates from Menifee 24/7 and were presented Target gift cards from Larry Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty.






She is considering offers from Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay and Whittier College. She hopes to study kinesiology in preparation for a career as a chiropractor or physical therapist.

"You talk about having two shining examples of our student body right here," said Paloma Valley Principal Don Williamson. "This is awesome."

Chavez, Richard Named Heritage High Athletes of the Month

Tim Richard receives his Athlete of the Month Award from Larry Nemelka of REMAX/Diamond Realty. Chelsea Chavez (below) was also honored.

Wrestlers took center stage representing Heritage High School sports in February, and two of those standouts have received the Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Month Award, sponsored by REMAX/Diamond Realty.

Senior Chelsea Chavez, who competed in the CIF girls state meet last year, repeated that feat this year, competing again in the state meet in Visalia. She has advanced further than any other wrestler in Heritage's brief athletic history.

Senior Tim Richard finished fourth in the Sunbelt League finals at the heavyweight division but didn't stop there. Taking advantage of an alternate's qualifying position in the CIF finals the next weekend, he placed fifth and earned a spot in the Masters meet.

Richard didn't make it to the state meet, but he added to the strong reputation the Patriots are building in the sport of wrestling.

Chavez and Richard received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and a Target gift card from Larry Nemelka of REMAX/Diamond Realty.

Heritage Athletes of the Week: Richard, Bonilla, Magana

From left: Tim Richard, Evelyn Magana, Josue Bonilla.

The final group of Athletes of the Week from Heritage High School's winter sports class represent the finest in accomplishments at the school and is deserving of recognition from Menifee 24/7.

Senior wrestler Tim Richard displayed his determination in the postseason, making the most of a fourth-place finish at heavyweight in the Sunbelt League finals. Earning a place as an alternate in the CIF finals, Richard got a chance to compete and placed fifth, qualifying for last weekend's Masters meet.

"I didn't do that hot at Masters, but I'm just glad I made it to there," Richard said. "That was my goal."

Richard, who wrestled all four years at Heritage, hopes to attend an art institute after graduation.

Sophmore midfielder Josue Bonilla was one of the leaders of the Patriots boys soccer team. Heritage struggled in league play and didn't make the playoffs, but Bonilla helped build the foundation for future success.

Junior Evelyn Magana was one of the main reasons the girls soccer team showed a big improvement over last season. She looks forward to contributing to further success next season with her versatile talents.

"I play every position on the field," Magana said when asked her position. "My favorite is defense. I like seeing the look on the other person's face when they can't get through me."