Boys Soccer The Winters High School boys soccer team took to the road one last time on Tuesday for a Sacramento Valley League contest. The Warriors (16-2) traveled to Pierce High School to compete against the Bears (10-8). The game was close throughout, but the Warriors came out victorious with a 2-1 win.
Against the Bears the Warriors started with a more relaxed manner until the Pierce made the first goal. The Warriors responded with two goals of their own. In the second half, the Bears put a five-man defense on the field, making any more goals that much more difficult. The Warriors continued to control the field keeping the ball in offensive play.
Jose Escobedo played 80 minutes as goalkeeper and had a strong match. He made five saves and only allowed one ball past into the net.
Closing out the week the Warriors hosted the Live Oak Lions (10-6-4). The Warriors took the lead early when Daniel Borges put the first ball into the net. He was followed by Kevin Reyes and Oscar Sanchez each with two goals in the first half. The second half would bring the Warriors one more goal by Noel Gutierrez, giving them the 4-0 win.
Finishing the regular season with a record of 18-2, the Warriors took second place in league and will move on to the playoffs.
Girls Soccer The Warriors (14-1) hosted the Live Oak Lions (15-0). Earlier in the season the girls soccer team experienced their hardest loss (score 5-1) the last time the two teams faced off. Hungry for the win and defending their league title, the Warriors took the field with an offense and defense that would hold the Lions at bay.
The teams battled for control of the ball, and made multiple attempts at the goal. The Warriors, ended the game in a 0-0 tie, and ended their league in second place with a record of 14-1-1.
On Monday they traveled with the boys team to Pierce High School, where they took on the Bears (2-9-3). The girls soccer team controlled the field from the beginning, with their strong passing game. The first goals were scored by Mallory Layne and Molly Moore. Hannah Flores also earned her first hat trick of her high school career.
In the goal, Guzman had 40 minutes as goalkeeper with one save. She was relieved in the second half by Marta Silva who made three saves. The game was an 8-1 win for the Warriors.
Wrestling The WHS wrestling team sent their qualifying member to the Sac-Joaquin, Northern Section California Interscholastic Federation Regionals.
Valeria Ceja worked hard on and off the mat in her new weight class during the two-day meet. She competed in the 137 pounds weight class, and went 3-2 in the competition taking fourth place for the weight class. Ceja won all three matches by a pin.
Placing in the top eight Ceja will move on to the masters event, and one step closer to the state competition.
Girls Basketball The junior varsity girls kicked off their final week of the regular season last Tuesday against Pierce. The Bears’ ravenous offense never settled, however, as they picked up a 33-18 win over the Warriors.
A few days later the Warriors faced the visiting Live Oak Lions for their final game of the season. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be a storybook ending as the Lions tore up the Warrior defense and won 40-11.
“Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” head coach Tom Crisp said as he summarized the season with a quote from the great Don Meredith.
The varsity girls also laced up in an away-game against Pierce and were outmatched on both sides of the ball. After a tough four quarters, the Warriors would lose 52-7.
Live Oak came into town a few days later for the final game of the season and the Warriors would not go down without a fight. Although the Lions had the game in-hand, the Warriors celebrated the season with a final battle-cry as Audrey Saecho swished a three-pointer in the final seconds of a 54-42 loss.
“Lot of ups and downs emotionally. Five players injured, others sick, and it’s really tough when you don’t know who is going to show up,” head coach Matt Cooley recalled the teams’ difficult season. “Hopefully Gianna, Mickayla, Xiomara, Autumn, Ruby, Yolonda and the junior varsity players will come back and stay healthy next year.”
Boys Basketball The junior varsity boys started their week of play against Pierce. After solid gameplay from both teams, the Bears narrowly escaped with a 44-36 win.
Later that week, the junior varsity boys would travel to Live Oak to cap off their season. The Lions’ claws and offense were sharp, however, as they’d end the Warriors regular season with a 64-36 loss.
“There’s nothing better than looking back and seeing how far we’ve come. We battled all year long and faced challenges like injuries and the flu,” head coach Jon Davis commented on his team’s improvement over the season. “I’m really proud of our team and look forward to coaching these young men in the future.”
While making their playoff push, the varsity boys squared off against the Pierce Bears last Tuesday. Brandon Gomez led the team with 18 points, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Bears took home a 71-55 win over the Warriors.
A road trip to Live Oak would mark the end of the regular season for the varsity squad. The game was neck-and-neck, however the Lions pulled away to snag a 67-53 victory. Even though the season ended in the loss, the Warriors are primed and ready to take on the playoffs.
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