The winter sports season was filled with many highlights. Now is the perfect time to recollect and celebrate.
Top male athlete- Adrian Vizcaino made history by becoming Central Valley High School's first-ever state-meet qualifier in varsity boys wrestling. The 182-pound senior compiled an 0-2 record at the CIF State Championships. Vizcaino captured his third consecutive Western Athletic Conference title. He placed fourth at Masters and second at Divisionals. Adrian won 34 of 50 matches this year. He had a career record of 116-55.
Top female athlete-Central Valley High School senior Lexy Cordova qualified for the CIF Girls State Wrestling Championships. Cordova won five of six matches while finishing in third place in the 121-pound weight division at Regionals. She compiled a 30-12 record during her final season with the Hawks.
Male newcomer-Daevon Brown, formerly of Modesto Christian, had a memorable first season with Central Valley's varsity boys basketball team. The junior guard was selected to the Western Athletic Conference First Team. He ranked third in scoring in the WAC, averaging 15.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Brown buried four treys and totaled a career-high 28 points during the Hawks' 63-44 win over Patterson on Feb. 18 in Ceres. Ethan Rotondo didn't perform like a freshman while starring on Central Valley's varsity wrestling team. The 108-pounder qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament, took second at Divisionals (2-1 record) and claimed a first-place medal at the WAC Championships. Rotondo posted a 32-13 overall record.
Female newcomer-A new addition to Central Valley's varsity girls basketball team as a sophomore, Turlock High transfer Mikayla Mabie contributed at point guard. She averaged 4.7 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Mabie's arrival allowed Hawks head coach Jesse Padilla to move three-year standout Mia Lorenzo to shooting guard.
Coach-Ceres High's youth-laden varsity girls basketball team endured an 0-5 start to the Western Athletic Conference season under interim head coach Heather Jones' guidance. Determined to right the ship, the Bulldogs won five of their final seven games to secure a tie for third place in the Western Athletic Conference standings (5-7) with crosstown-rival Central Valley. Nicole Bates, Perla Vargas and Jessica Arreola led the way.
Team-Central Valley High School's varsity boys basketball and wrestling programs both made history. The Hawks' hoops squad qualified for Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for the first time, posted a 22-7 overall record and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference (9-3) under head coach Darryl Dickson's direction. Coached by Rob Beckhart, Central Valley's wrestling squad compiled a perfect 6-0 record during the WAC dual-meet season. The Hawks qualified one individual for State, four for Masters and 10 for Divisionals. Central Valley teammates Ethan Rotondo, Adrian Vizcaino and Rick Brown all claimed titles at the WAC Championships.
Game-Central Valley High School's 11th-seeded varsity boys basketball team upset No. 6 Sierra 60-43 in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III playoffs. Brown and Jaron Dickson both tallied a team-high 15 points for the Hawks, who stormed to a 25-11 lead in the first quarter. Ryan Donnelly had 13 points. Central Valley limited Sierra's Devin Nunez to just one point.
Honorable mention-Ceres High's Nick Santibanez (boys wrestling), Abel Morales (boys wrestling), Harman Chung (boys basketball), Nicole Bates (girls basketball) and Perla Vargas (girls basketball), and Central Valley's Mia Lorenzo (girls basketball), Jaron Dickson (boys basketball), Ryan Donnelly (boys basketball), Rick Brown (boys wrestling) and Cristian Garcia (boys wrestling).
