Atkins, Eaton Named Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week

Track standout Torrey Atkins and softball star Juliet Eaton were honored by Menifee 24/7 as Athletes of the Week for their postseason accomplishments at Heritage High School.

Atkins is the only representative of the Patriots' track program still competing this spring. He finished first in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.26) and in the 300 intermediate hurdles (38.93) at the CIF Southern Section prelims May 17 at Trabuco Hills High School. With those efforts, he qualified for the CIF Finals May 24 at Cerritos College.

Last year, Atkins' season ended at the CIF Finals. His goal this spring is to finish in the top nine, qualifying for the CIF Masters Meet the following week. Top qualifiers there advance to the state meet.

Atkins' speciality is the 110 high hurdles, where his personal best is 14.1. He's hoping to do even better than that to ensure he advances against top-notch competition on Saturday.

"I want to get into the 13s," Atkins said about his goal for a time this weekend. "I'm tired of running in the 14s. The 300 hurdles, I'm not serious about it until I get in the blocks. The 110 is my favorite. I know I'm going against the best athletes."

Eaton had a huge day Tuesday in the Patriots softball team's 10-0 victory at Arroyo High in the first round of the CIF playoffs. The senior first baseman hit three home runs on consecutive at-bats -- nearly doubling her season total.

"After the third one, my teammates didn't even walk out to greet me," Eaton said with a laugh. "They just bowed down and asked me to sign their bats."

Eaton said she and her teammates are confident about the team's ability to advance further in the playoffs. The Patriots are at home against Garden Grove today.

"We have a lot of momentum," Eaton said about the Patriots, whose overall record is 18-10 overall. "Our team chemistry is great."

Heritage High Spring Sports Standouts Are Athletes of Week

From left: Jena Chilson, Chris Nile, Justin Brady, J'men Aldrete.

Four outstanding spring sports athletes were honored recently as the Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week from Heritage High School for the week of May 12.

Senior softball player Jena Chilson is hitting .436 this season for the Patriots softball team, which is headed for the CIF playoffs this week. The first baseman has two home runs and nine RBIs. The team is 17-10 overall after going 12-3 in league play.

Chilson has excelled for Heritage since moving here from Colorado. She plans to play for Mt. San Antonio College next season.

Chris Nile has had a standout senior season for the boys track team. He broke the school record in the long jump with a leap of 21-9 in the recent Sunbelt League finals. He has competed in the 4x100-meter relay, 200, 400 and high jump in the past but focused on the long jump this season.

Also a football player, Nile plans to play both sports at MSJC.

Senior Justin Brady was another standout for the boys track team this season. His personal best in the high jump is 6-2 and he placed high enough in the league finals to advance to the CIF prelims. Last year, he advanced in both the long jump and high jump.

Brady plans to attend either Riverside City College or Mt. San Jacinto College next year. He wants to study criminal justice.

Sophomore J'men Alderete became the first Heritage High golfer ever to qualify for the CIF postseason tournament. A former baseball player who suffered a knee injury, Alderete has a personal best score of 37 for nine holes and 76 for 18 holes.

Heritage High Athletes of Week Honored by Menifee 24/7

Alexandria Blevins and Brett Pendleton were selected Heritage High Athletes of the Week, along with Alejandro Castellanos Becerra and J'men Aldrete (not pictured).

Menifee 24/7 has honored four Heritage High School student-athletes as the Athletes of the Week for their recent accomplishments.

Senior first baseman Brett Pendleton is hitting .333 for the Patriots baseball team, which is 7-6 overall and 1-2 in Sunbelt League play. He also has four doubles and two triples.

Senior pitcher Alexandria Blevins has a 3.25 ERA and is hitting .421 for the softball team, which is 3-0 in league play.

Alejandro Castellanos Becerra was honored for his accomplishments on the track and field team. Also honored was J'men Aldrete of the golf team.

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.

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."

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."

Heritage Athletes of Week: Heldoorn, Partida, Pace, Paris

From left: Jordan Heldoorn, Francis Partida, Andrea Pace. Not pictured: Shannon Paris.

The Heritage High School Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week include two standout soccer players, a basketball player and a championship wrestler.

Jordan Heldoorn is just a sophomore but has started the last several games for the boys soccer team, which is rebuilding for a run at the league title next year. Heldoorn is one of several underclassmen to receive additional playing time. He is scheduled to start the remainder of the games in goal.

"This year is kind of rebuilding," Heldoorn said. "We only have four seniors on the team. Coach is calling up players from the JV team to help out. Next year, I think we're going to have a pretty good chance."

Francis Partida has made an impact for the girls soccer team, scoring goals against Elsinore and Perris in recent games. The team has struggled this season but is poised for a strong finish.

"We're in the running for a wild card into the playoffs," said Partida, a center forward. "Beyond this year, I hope to continue playing in college."

Andrea Pace is a junior power forward for the girls basketball team. She averages 7 rebounds per game. This is her first season at Heritage after playing two varsity seasons in Georgia. She also competes in volleyball and track.

"Our season started off rocky, but it's getting better," Pace said. "We have a chance to finish in third place."

Shannon Paris won the Sunbelt League wrestling championship at 154 pounds last weekend. He is one of six Heritage wrestlers headed to the CIF finals on Feb. 21.

Heritage High Athletes of Week: Roberts, Gutierrez, Nevarez

From left: Amber Roberts, Raul Gutierrez, Adriana Nevarez.

Three standout players for Heritage High School winter sports teams were recently honored as the Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

Senior goalkeeper Amber Roberts recorded her first shutout of the season in a victory over Lakeside for the girls soccer team last week. She has played goal for nine years, since her early days in youth soccer.

"I was one of the tallest girls," Roberts said with a smile about her selection as a goalkeeper early in her career. "They just looked at me and said, 'You're in the box.' I quickly learned not to be afraid of the ball."

Roberts said she has been scouted by the coaches at Mt. San Jacinto College and also is considering Crafton Hills College in northern California. She plans to major in animal science.

Sophomore Raul Gutierrez has done an admirable job filling in for injured seniors on the boys soccer team. He has shown tremendous potential at midfielder for the Patriots, who are still looking for their first Sunbelt League win.

"We've never been to the playoffs, so that's a goal for us," Gutierrez said. "The players are good communicators and we pass the ball around pretty well."

Senior point guard Adriana Nevarez has spent four years on the girls basketball team, which has a goal of advancing further than last year's first-round loss in the CIF playoffs. The Patriots have never gotten out of the first round in that sport.

"My role is to make sure everything is in place," said Nevarez, a team captain, who leads the team with an average of six assists per game.

White, Gray Named Heritage High Athletes of the Week

Heritage High Athletes of the Week for the week ending Jan. 18 are Sydney White and Myasia Gray (not pictured).

Girls soccer standout Sydney White and girls basketball star Myasia Gray have been named Heritage High School Athletes of the Week for the week ending Jan. 18.

White scored two goals in a recent 3-1 win over Perris for the Patriots soccer team. Only a sophomore, she is one of the brightest signs of potential for a team that continues to compete in the tough Sunbelt League.

Gray is a junior guard who averages 12.4 points per game for the Patriots, who are 7-11 overall and 1-3 in league play.

Both players also are eligible for the school's Athlete of the Month award through the Menifee 24/7 recognition program, sponsored by Remax/Diamond Realty. That award will be announced in early February.

Heritage High Athletes of Week: Alonzo, Guerrero, Rosenbery

From left: Kaelea Alonzo, Isaac Guerrero, Jason Rosenbery.

Three standout athletes in three separate winter sports are the first Heritage High School athletes to be honored in 2014 in Menifee 24/7's Athlete of the Week program.

Kaelea Alonzo is a third-year varsity player for the Patriots girls basketball team. The senior plays both guard and forward and is a leader for the team, which played Temescal Canyon today and is preparing for a game against crosstown rival Paloma Valley Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Heritage

"We have a new defense which will help for the game on Friday," said Alonzo, who is averaging 13.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

She hopes to earn a scholarship in basketball to college.

Junior Isaac Guerrero is a captain of the wrestling team and placed third in the Riverside County Championships last week. Wrestling at 120 pounds, he will be a team leader again Thursday when the Patriots wrestle against Paloma Valley.

Guerrero is in his second year as a high school wrestler. He focuses on the sport year-round.

Junior Jason Rosenbery is in his third year on the varsity soccer team, which opened league play with a home game against Perris today. In their last two nonleague games, the Patriots beat Hillcrest 7-0 and played Murrieta Valley to a scoreless tie.

Rosenbery, a sweeper, made a big defensive play in the second half to help preserve the scoreless tie, said his coach, Thomas La Rochelle.

"We had kind of a rocky start, but we're starting to pick it up," said Rosenbery.

The athletes received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and are eligible for the school's Athlete of the Month award.

Palmer, Taoete Named Heritage High Athletes of the Week

Matt Palmer and Dayanerrah Taoete pose with their Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week award certificates.

Two of Heritage High School's most consistent athletes this fall have been honored as the Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

Senior defensive back Matt Palmer has been one of the leaders of the Patriots' defense all year long. He had one of his biggest games of the season in last week's 21-7 playoff win over Arlington, intercepting three passes. That gives him seven for the season.

The week before, in a victory over Elsinore, Palmer had two interceptions. He appears to be peaking at just the right time.

"I'm just doing my job as a DB," he said. "It's just getting into my zone and looking for the ball. Sometimes it's being in the right place at the right time, too.

"Last year was my first year playing DB ever. Before that, I was just a receiver. That helps me now as a DB because I know what receivers like to do. That gives me an advantage."

Senior outside hitter Dayanerrah Taoete just completed an impressive season for the volleyball team. She was a steadying influence for the team, which came together under new coach Lindsey Sappington.

"I've learned a lot from our new coach," Taoete said. "I can definitely use those things in club."

Taoete hopes to continue her career in college, so she will play a full season of club volleyball through July.

"In club, you face better competition," she said. "Those are the people who are really serious about going on. I'm looking forward to it."

Taoete said her highlight of the season was when the Patriots beat crosstown rival Paloma Valley for the first time ever.

Rodriguez, Arredondo Named Heritage High Athletes of Week

Evan Rodriguez and Bailey Arredondo have some fun with the camera while accepting their Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week awards.

Two of the top performers in Heritage High Athletics were honored this week as the Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

Evan Rodriguez of the Patriots football team won the award for the second time this fall. The senior tight end had another big game against Elsinore last week, catching four passes, including a touchdown pass, to help Heritage wrap the Sunbelt League title with a 37-14 victory.

"They were stopping the run pretty well and doing some things with their linebackers," he said about the game. "Going into the game, we didn't take them lightly at all. But we have a lot of weapons this year, so we started passing the ball more and opening things up.

"They were keying on Limihai (Hifo) a lot. It kind of freed me up a little bit. I always run my routes like I'm going to get the ball every time, and it worked out. It was a fun game."

Rodriguez has caught 19 passes for 363 yards and 4 touchdowns this season for the Patriots, who are in action tonight against Arlington in the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Sophomore Bailey Arredondo had never played tennis before this year, but she quickly worked her way up to the No. 1 singles spot on the JV team. By the middle of the season, she had joined the varsity team and has a bright future ahead of her the next two years.

"I wasn't very interested in it until my friends suggested it," said Arredondo, who previously played soccer. "I ended up really loving the sport so I stopped playing all other sports to be committed to tennis."

Although her season is over, Arredondo continues to practice with the team and is working on improving her game for next year.

"I want to work on my forehand and my serve," she said. "I'm just having fun."

Heritage High Athletes of the Week: Lepro, Scharer, Fowler

Heritage High School Athletes of the Week, from left: Alejandro Lepro, Simoriah Scharer, Zahria Fowler.

Standout athletes in football, tennis and volleyball make up this week's group of Heritage High School Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

Senior offensive lineman Alejandro Lepro had a big game against Paloma Valley, helping to anchor the offense in a 48-25 victory.

"I feel like I played one of my best games against Paloma," he said. "I was able to execute to help our running backs do what they had to do."

Lepro, who is considering a career in the Marines after graduation, said the hype surrounding the Menifee Bowl is a great motivating factor.

"I did feel the competition part of it because it's such a big rivalry," he said. "It's pretty important for us on the line to keep our quarterback safe, and anyone behind us."

Junior Simoriah Scharer has made a smooth transition to tennis, a new sport for her. After a knee injury interrupted her cross country career, she found that tennis would enable her to continue in athletics. She is excelling in doubles for the Patriots.

"I found out I needed knee surgery if I continued in cross country," she said. "I moved on to tennis. I was taught about tennis the last week of school last year and just jumped into it. My doubles partner is a girl I've known since I was 6. We work really together."

Scharer and her teammates are preparing for CIF postseason competition, which begins on Tuesday.

Zahria Fowler, just a sophomore, has taken on the important position of libero for the Patriots' volleyball team. Her versatility has been a key to the team's success.

"Libero is a really important position," Fowler said. "If the setter doesn't get the second ball, it's my ball to get. It's my first year playing libero. I really like it."

"I've definitely improved as passer," added Fowler, whose team is in second place in the Sunbelt League. "I'm really short, 5-2, but I've worked hard and I'm so much better at passing and communicating now."

Heritage Athletes of Week Honored for Individual Success

Heritage High Athletes of the Week, from left: Kyle Hernandez, Christin McGrath, Jarrett Carter, Nerrah Taoete. Not pictured: Samantha Munoz.

Five outstanding athletes at Heritage High School have been honored with Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week awards for their recent performance.

Christin McGrath of the Patriots' girls tennis team played singles last season. She teams with Brianna Thompson in doubles this season. Thanks in part to their leadership, Heritage is one of the top teams in the Sunbelt League.

"This year has been great," McGrath said. "It's been the best experience of my entire life. Tennis really changed my high school career, I started out as a little freshman, you don't know anyone. Then I started tennis and met so many girls, we all just clicked and bonded. It really defined me as a person."

Nerrah Taoete is a senior outside hitter and back row player for the volleyball team, which is battling for the league lead heading into the second round of league play. Taoete, who also plays club volleybal, hopes to attend Cal State Dominguez Hills next year.

"Over the summer, we all just kind of played for ourselves," she said. "We didn't really create that bond on the court. We didn't know how each other played. We only had four returning players. But we've come a long way.

"The outside hitter is your go-to player, mainly," she said. "The job is to put away the ball and play hard every point."

Jarrett Carter ran a personal best time of 17:40 for the boys cross country team in the Inland Empire Cross Country Challenge against top competition from across the Southland last week.

"I was told the fastest runners in the whole Inland Empire were there, so I just tried to do my best and keep up with the rest of them," he said. "That was my motivation."

Carter is preparing for the challenging course of the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, where rugged hills serve as the ultimate test for runners in this meet and the CIF postseason competition.

Kyle Hernandez was thrust into the starting role as placekicker for the Patriots football team last week when Tyler Baca went out with an injury. He responded by making 6 of 7 PAT attempts.

Hernandez didn't have much time to be nervous at the start of the game. Jalen Glover returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, sending Hernandez right out for his first kick -- which he made.

"I found out Wednesday I was starting," said Hernandez, a senior in his first year on the varsity team. "I didn't know I would get in the game that fast. You're on the sidelines and you have to be aware of what's happening. Your team could score at any time and you're out there."

Samantha Munoz is the team captain for the girls golf team. In helping the team to a second-place finish in league with wins over Lakeside and Elsinore, she shot a round of 49 in her last match of the regular season.

Munoz placed in the top 10 in the league finals this week and was named first-team all-league.

Heritage High Athletes of Week: Stafford, Rodriguez

Lauren Stafford of the tennis team and Evan Rodriguez of the football team are the Heritage High Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week.

A standout tennis player and star football player are this week's representatives of the Heritage High School athletic department in the Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week award program.

Lauren Stafford has excelled as the No. 2 singles player for the Patriots in just her first year of playing organized tennis. After spending the preseason on the JV team, she won a challenge match against a varsity player and earned a spot on the varsity team.

To what does Stafford credit her quick success in a new sport?

"I think it's more my athletic abilities than anything specific in tennis," she said. "Plus, I'm a fast learner."

Stafford has competed in the jump events for the Patriots track team the last two seasons and plans to do so again. She hopes to attend UC Santa Barbara next year and study engineering.

"I was kind of nervous in the challenge match, but I was also excited for the chance," she said. "It seemed like they didn't notice anybody on JV, and that gave us a chance to show what we can do."

Evan Rodriguez plays tight end and defensive lineman for the Heritage football team, which is 5-1 this season. He is part of the strong side of the offensive line that includes nose guard Caleb Marquez and tackle Niko Gomez.

With Gomez sidelined last week because of a leg injury, Rodriguez stepped up to protect the offensive backfield in the Patriots' 56-3 rout of visiting Perris.

"When Niko first got hurt, I was like, 'Who's going to play next to me?' But Paydin (Derrick) was getting the job done and we all worked together well," said Rodriguez, who played the first three quarters of the one-sided game.

Rodriguez also had a big game in the Patriots' last nonleague game Sept. 27 at Rialto, making two catches and performing well on both sides of the ball. He said he has no concerns about the fact a sophomore quarterback, Brett Virgil, is playing behind him.

"I'm really close with him, just like I was close with his brother Chad," Rodriguez said, referring to former Patriots QB Chad Virgil. "I know he's always looking for me and I look out for him."

Heritage Athletes of Week: Ibarra, Briseno, Thompson, Gomez

Heritage High School's Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week (from left): Jesus Ibarra, Kristen Briseno, Brianna Thompson, Niko Gomez.

From enduring distance runners to a versatile tennis player to a tough member of the football team's offensive and defensive line, Heritage High is well represented by Menifee 24/7's Athletes of the Week.

Jesus Ibarra, a freshman, ran a personal best of 17:38 at the recent Bulldog Invitational in Hemet for the Patriots' boys cross country team. That was well below his previous personal best of 18:51.

Ibarra has a goal of improving his three-mile time to the low 16's in an attempt to qualify for the CIF postseason later this fall.

"I run to stay in shape, but also to go to CIF," he said. "I just have to do extra training and pick up the pace to go faster each meet."

In the same meet, Kristen Briseno established a personal best as well with a time of 19:48 for the girls cross country team. The junior, who also plays soccer, is disciplined in her physical and mental approach to the sport.

"I just set a goal of going a few seconds faster each time," she said. "A lot of it is mental. Sometimes in the middle of the race you're just tired of running, but you have to keep going."

Brianna Thompson was a standout singles player for the Patriots girls tennis team last year. This year, the senior was asked to team with Christen McGrath to help strengthen Heritage's doubles play. The two have responded with some impressive victories.

"She brings out the best in me as a tennis player," Thompson said about McGrath. "It's the trust factor. Now you have two people to get the point instead of just yourself, and I can play to my full potential without being as nervous."

Thompson would like to attend college at Old Dominion University in Virginia. She hopes to participate in NROTC in preparing for a career as a Naval nurse or ER physician.

Niko Gomez has been an anchor on the football team's offensive and defensive lines as a tackle and nose guard. He has been one of the main reasons the Patriots are 4-1 heading into Sunbelt League play Oct. 11.

Last week, Gomez had to leave during a dominating performance in a win over Rialto when he took the brunt of a helmet on his left leg, which had previously been fractured. His leg was splinted to reduce swelling after he was helped off the field. Fortunately, he suffered no broken bones.

The injury is diagnosed as a sprained ankle. An MRI is scheduled for Friday, but Gomez is hopeful of returning in two to three weeks. The Patriots have a bye this week and should be the favorite in their league opener against Perris Oct. 11. After that, Gomez hopes to be back.

"It's not like I'm looking to get more time to recover from my injury," he said about the team having the week off. "You kind of want to man up and play the next week, but I have to be smart about it. I'm confident about our team's chances against Perris and I hope I can come back after that."

Heritage Athletes of the Week: Castellanos, Marquez, Chilson

Heritage High School Athletes of the Week (from left): Alejandro Castellanos, Caleb Marquez, Nicole Chilson.

Alejandro Castellanos, Caleb Marquez and Nicole Chilson have been honored as the Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Week for Heritage High School.

In last week's Sunbelt League cross country meet on the three-mile course at Paloma High, Alejandro Castellanos finished third among all runners with a time of 16:13. The senior is in his third year on varsity and has a personal best time of 15:35, established in the Bulldog Invitational in Hemet last year.

"My goal this year is to get under 15," Castellanos said.

Castellanos worked hard in training during the summer, running miles through open fields near his home. He continues to build endurance during the season. Every Monday, he and his teammates run a half-marathon in training.

"We're out there in the dirt and hills," he said. "I want to succeed and help the school look good."

Caleb Marquez had a big game at strong guard on the offensive line for the Patriots' football team Friday night in a narrow loss to Great Oak. In addition, he came into the game on defense in the closing minutes and made a major impact.

After making tackles on second- and third-down plays, Marquez blocked a punt on fourth down, keeping the game close.

"They put me at nose guard, which I don't normally play," Marquez said. "But they told me I would be a utility player on defense, so I could end up anywhere, and I have to be ready. I noticed there was some really big splits in their line, so I decided to try to get in there."

Marquez, who hopes to earn a football scholarship to play in college, said he is excited about the team's 3-1 start this year.

"We're doing fantastic," he said. "We just need to get started sooner in the game and stay consistent."

Nicole Chilson is the No. 1 singles player for Heritage's girls tennis team this fall. She won both her matches Tuesday in the team's first league match, a shutout victory over Perris. Chilson is captain of the team in her senior year.

She credits much of her success to an improved backhand shot.

"Last year I would avoid the backhand, but now I don't," she said. "Now I have a backhand slice that spins away from you."

Heritage, which is one of the favorites to win the league title, will play host to Temescal Canyon on Thursday.

Heritage High School Athlete of the Week: Brett Virgil

Quarterback Brett Virgil is the first recipient in Heritage High School's Athlete of the Week program, sponsored by Menifee 24/7.

Each week, one athlete from each sport in season will be honored for their athletic accomplishments, potential and sportsmanship. Menifee 24/7 has added this awards program to its Athlete of the Month Award, which honors one male and one female athlete from the school each month.

Football was the only sport in which an official game was played last week. Virgil, a sophomore, made his first varsity start a memorable one, leading the Patriots to a 37-13 victory over San Jacinto Friday night.

Virgil completed all six of his pass attempts for 116 yards and two touchdowns in Heritage's season opener. One of his biggest fans was seated in the stands -- his older brother, Chad.

Chad Virgil led Heritage to the CIF championship game two years ago. His advice and encouragement meant a lot, Brett said.

"He came down and talked to me before and after the game," said Brett Virgil. "He gave me some ideas and what to watch for. That made it an even greater night."

Virgil gave a lot of credit for his first starting performance to his offensive line, which kept the San Jacinto defense away from him.

"I didn't get hit at all," Virgil said. "Those guys did a great job. I was kind of nervous about executing all the plays, but as the game went on, I got more comfortable.":

Virgil's second start will come Friday night, when Heritage plays at JW North of Riverside.