REEDLEY – Fans of Reedley and Sierra College got some bonus football in Rocklin on Saturday night, Sept. 16.
In the first night game ever at Sierra, the Wolverines pulled out a 26-23 double overtime win over the Tigers.
The loss dropped Reedley to 2-1 in 2023 heading into a 1 p.m Saturday, Sept. 23 battle at the Reedley High School Stadium with the 1-2 Diablo Valley College Vikings. Diablo Valley is coming off a 25-13 loss to Shasta, the same team that lost to Reedley 35-21 in the Tigers’ season opener.
The Tigers and Sierra went into last weekend’s game with identical rankings. The Tigers were ranked 14th in California by the JC Athletic Bureau and 16th by the California Community College Sports Information Directors Association. Sierra was 16th in the JCAB poll and 16th in the CCCSIDA poll.
The Tigers had a chance to win in regulation when Tiger head coach Rob Hartenfels made a decision to go for a tying Jayden Evangelo 20-yard field goal instead of gambling on fourth down from the 2-yard-line for a touchdown that would have won the game.
Reedley led once in the contest, and the game was tied three times. Both kickers missed extra point kicks.
Sierra missed a 50-yard field goal attempt on the final play of regulation.
On the second play of the first overtime, Reedley took its only lead when Nick Osho went 21 yards but Evangelho was wide right on the PAT try. Osho finished the night with 93 yards on 14 carries.
Sierra tied it again on a 3-yard pass to Dontae Robinson. But it stayed tied as Andrew Dennis’ extra point kick attempt was partially blocked.
The Wolverines picked up only eight yards on its next possession, but it was enough to get Dennis in position for the eventual game-winning 35-yard field goal.
Reedley managed only one yard on its possession and had to settle for a 41-yard potential game tying field goal, but Evangelho was short and wide to the right.
The Tigers outgained Sierra 382-322 with Stevenson passing for 228 yards, completing 13 of 21 attempts.
In other Saturday action, Contra Costa improved to 3-0 with an 18-13 win over Santa Rosa, College of the Sequoias improved to 1-2 with a 42-7 win over San Joaquin Delta in Visalia, Sacramento City picked up its first win by routing Chabot 50-7 and Fresno City College fell to 1-3 with a 28-7 loss to American River in Sacramento.
Women’s golf has two Big 8 tournaments this week
After two Big 8 Conference tournaments, Reedley College continues to chase defending state champion Modesto in the Big 8 Conference women’s golf standings.
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, Reedley traveled to Rocklin and the Whitney Oaks Golf Course for the third conference tournament. On Thursday, Sept. 21, Reedley heads to Fresno and the Belmont Country Club for a 12:30 p.m. conference tournament.
Last Thursday, Sept. 14, Reedley’s Ethel Acequia led the Tigers at Dinuba’s Ridge Creek GC by tying Delta’s Genevieve Akers for medalist honors with a 73.
Gabrielle Jasso was next for the Tigers with an 80, followed by Meghan Hansen with an 83, Ava Arredondo with an 86, Miya Zolkoskc with an 89 and Melanie Davila with a non-scoring 91.
Women’s soccer team hands Merced its first loss
After knocking off one undefeated team last week, the Reedley College women’s soccer team could host another one on Friday night, Sept. 22 in Reedley.
But before the Tigers match up with Clovis, they had to get past the College of the Sequoias Giants on Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Visalia.
The first state rankings by the California Community College Sports Information Directors Association were released on Sept. 13, and the Tigers were not on the list. But their Sept. 15 opponent, the Merced College Blue Devils, were at number 12. Reedley pulled out a 2-1 win, handing Merced its first loss of the young season.
“It was a good performance,” RC Coach Onesta Francis said in a weekend text message. “Especially the first 25-30 minutes (that) included probably the best passing sequences we’ve seen all season.”
Tamari’s scored the first goal of her collegiate career at the end of a 6-pass sequence that included some fancy footwork from Joeline Nuno (Fowler).
Francis added that after giving up a goal due to some poor communication in the back, the team took a step back and Merced started to control the play more. The Tigers showed some heart, however, and it stepped it up in the last 20 minutes, including a scrappy goal from Krysta Casas (Dinuba) after a nice through ball from Nazira Nunez (Visalia).
Jolene Tamariz (Tulare) had a big game defensively with five interceptions and five tackles. Isabella Martinez (Dinuba) also had five tackles. In her first match returning from injury, Velasquez (Santa Maria) set the tone with four headers.
In a span of just 20 minutes on Sept. 12, Reedley College’s Jessica Batres (Monache, Porterville) scored three goals to lead the Tigers to an 8-1 victory over Taft College in the Central Valley Conference opener for both teams.
The Tigers lost their shutout in the 85th minute on a team goal by Taft.
Kassandra Carbajal (Dinuba) opened the scoring in the third minute on an unassisted goal. Six minutes later, Nuno scored. Batres scored her first goal at the 20-minute mark and then again five minutes later. Casas and Batres scored before halftime to make it 6-0.
Alexa Baez and Susan Sanchez Saldana (Fowler) had goals in the second half for the Tigers. Goalie Natalie Duran was credited with six saves as Reedley outshot Taft 22-7.
Reedley (2-0, 5-1) is joined in first place by Clovis (5-0 overall) and West Hills Lemoore (3-3). On Sept. 8, Reedley dropped a 2-1 decision to a 2-3 Cabrillo squad.
