Gomez, Stafford Named Heritage High Athletes of Month

Heritage High School Athletes of the Month Niko Gomez and Lauren Stafford accept their awards from Cynthia Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Football standout Niko Gomez and tennis star Lauren Stafford were recognized this week as the Menifee 24/7 Heritage High School Athletes of the Week, sponsored by RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Gomez, an offensive tackle and nose guard for the Patriots, has played a key role in the success of the team this fall. After missing two games with a leg injury, he battled back and gave a boost to both the offense and defense in victories over Paloma Valley and Lakeside.

Thanks to his leadership on and off the field, Heritage is 8-1 overall this season and undefeated in Sunbelt League play, one win away from the league title. The regular-season finale is Friday night at Elsinore High.

"Elsinore's a great team," Gomez said. "You can't just go into a game thinking you're going to win. You have to have a great week of practice and when it comes game time, you have to be well prepared for it. Our coaches will have us ready because they know what this game means."

Although he continues in physical therapy to strengthen his leg, Gomez feels ready for Friday's game and the upcoming CIF playoffs.

"Last week against Lakeside, it felt perfect," he said. "The game before that, Paloma, it was really good. That's the game I wanted to be back for.

"I was being smart about it, staying off of it. When it came time to put the cleats on, I was really ready to go."

Stafford, also a senior, swept her singles matches against Paloma Valley recently and went on to finish second in the Sunbelt League finals, putting her in a good position for the CIF individual tournament later this month.

First, however, is the CIF team playoffs. Stafford and the Patriots defeated Shadow Hills 17-1 in a wild-card match Tuesday to open the playoffs.

"I was surprised at league finals because Elsinore, every one of their girls had beaten me before," Stafford said. "But when it came down to league finals, I beat two of them. I was pretty proud of myself.

"I feel like I've improved a lot this year. Overall, I've learned how to play against each player better and adjust to their game."

Each athlete received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and a VISA gift card from the award's sponsor, Cynthia Nemelka of RE/MAX Realty.

"I think it's really a great idea to have this award," Stafford said. "It gives the athletes a good feeling about themselves."

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."