Giants raise the bar in 2018-19

By Nick Giannandrea

Jamal Britt's trifecta of California Community College Athletic Association individual track and field titles in May capped a bar-raising year for College of the Sequoias' athletics.

And as it prepares to launch the fall season, COS looks to build off a 2018-19 campaign that saw Giants' teams or individual athletes advance to Northern California, state or even national playoffs in 12 of the school's 16 sports.

The Giants were successful in the classroom, too, producing 133 student-athletes who earned Associates of Arts degrees. That number is up from 57 in 2014.

"We're really proud of the success our student athletes had both on and off the field," athletic director Brent David said. "We are in a good position to continue to make improvement in the future."

Britt's gold-medal performances in the 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles and triple jump, along with his contribution to a fifth-place in the 4x400 relay propelled COS' men's team to a fourth place finish at the state track and field meet.

Here's a look back at the year that was in COS athletics:

FALL

Volleyball: The Giants advanced to the NorCal Regional playoffs for the fourth straight season while going 21-9 overall and 14-4 in the Central Valley Conference. 

The team featured eight freshmen - Madison Sousa (Hanford West High), Peighton Sisk (El Diamante), Jillian Nyberg (Redwood), Alexis Carmona (Madera), Sydney Guinn (Exeter), Christa Pilgrim (Mission Oak), Karen Rodriguez (Kingsburg) and Mikayla Grimes (Edison) - who are all returning for COS, which opens its season Wednesday, Aug. 28, with matches against Monterey Peninsula (4 p.m.) and Cuesta (6 p.m.) in San Luis Obispo. The Giants home opener is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 20 against Porterville in a Central Valley Conference match.

Following a season that saw COS reach the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2004, athletic director Brent Davis announced the elevation of  Kim Rix to the school's first full-time women's volleyball coaching position in nearly 30 years. Rix had been a walk-on coach for her first five seasons at COS.

Football: During a season of transition, the Giants went 2-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play with a freshman heavy roster under first-year head coach Joe D'Agostino.

COS welcomes many of those freshmen back, including leading rusher Davonte Green (Hammond, La.), receiver/kick returner Jupri Hughes (Hanford), defensive lineman Corleone Peters (New Orleans, La.), linebacker Mitch Maggini (Riverdale) and defensive back Bobby Peele (Edison).

Highlights from 2018 include a 35-27 home victory over Siskiyous that saw Peele record two of his team-leading five interceptions, and a 34-9 win at San Joaquin Delta in Stockton that featured 201 yards rushing from Green. The Giants closed the season with a last-seconds, 28-21 loss to bowl-bound Sacramento City.

COS will scrimmage Reedley at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Reedley, before turning its attention toward its season opener, set for 11 a.m. Sept. 7 against Feather River at the Mineral King Bowl.

Men's cross country: Behind then freshman Ismael Ramirez's eighth-place finish individually, COS placed 10th at the state championship meet with 280 points under first-year coach David Sanchez.

Ramirez (Redwood) returns, as do four others who raced at the state meet last season in Oscar Perez (Dinuba),Joel Garcia (Porterville), Luciano Linares (Exeter) and Christian Gonzales (Corcoran).

The Giants' men and women open the season Sept. 7 at the Fresno Invitational. COS does not have a home cross country meet this season.

Women's cross country: Despite a small number of runners, the Giants still made an impact at the state meet, where sophomore Lidia Briseno finished 31st overall individually.

COS' only other state qualifier, Courtney Santos (Hanford West) returns this season. Santos finished 100th at state in 21:05.5.

Men's soccer: Then freshman Andrew Garcia (El Diamante) was the leading point producer for a COS team that went 2-15-2 overall and 0-8 in conference play.

Garcia, who scored four goals and produced two assists, is expected back along with Oscar Diaz (Delano), another top point producer.

Highlights from the season included a 3-1 win over Siskiyous that featured a goal from Garcia, and  3-1 defeat of Modesto behind goals from Garcia and fellow returner Desi Daniels (El Diamante).

Coach Scott Rogers' team opens the season at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Allan Hancock at Riverway Sports Park.

Women's soccer: Goalkeeper Janet Rodriguez (Farmersville) made nine saves while leading COS to its marquee moment of the 2018 season, a 2-0 home shutout of Cerro Coso.

The Giants' only other victory of a 2-15 overall and 2-10 conference season -- a 3-2 defeat of Cerro Coso) featured a goal from Stefani Gomez (Golden West).

Both are back for COS coach Ryan Rowland-Smith this season, along with returning regulars Briana Guerra (Woodlake), Shanik Plascencia (Mt. Whitney), Natalie Yanez (Caruthers) and Shaylize Davis (Tulare Western).

COS hosts Allan Hancock at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27 at Riverway Sports Park in its season opener.

WINTER

Men's basketball: In the finale of Rusty Smith's 18 seasons as COS' coach, the Giants went 22-9 overall, 13-3 in the conference and reached the state elite eight.

Smith stepped down after compiling the most coaching wins in the 92-year history of COS' men's basketball program. He went 352-205 with two conference titles and four state final eight appearances.

Dallas Jensen, who turned Gavilan into a state contender during his two season at the Gilroy community college, was named Smith's replacement in May.

Among potential returns include last season's starting point guard Bobby Santos (San Jose), as well as key reserves Garrett Shelton (Houston), Dewayne Holmes (Temecula), Roy Salinas (Corcoran), Savion Johnson (Hanford West), Elihu Cobb (Santa Maria) and Jarell Holmes (Atlanta).

COS will open its first season under Jensen in November.

Women's basketball: COS reached the state final eight for the third straight season and fourth time in the past five years under coach Ray Alvarado, finishing 28-4 overall and 11-1 in conference.

Then freshman point guard Alaysia Reed had 13 points, three rebounds and two steals during the Giants' 66-58 loss to No. 1-ranked and eventual state runner-up Moorpark.

Reed is among a group of potential returners that includes Elyssa Brumfield (Golden Valley-Bakersfield), Taja Bell (Golden Valley) and Kayla Tillery (Golden West), who all saw significant action for the Giants last season.

COS, which will open the 2019-2020 season in November, was the only school in California to advance both its men's and women's teams to the state final eight.

SPRING

Baseball: Nine freshmen were major contributors to a team that went 23-16-1 overall and finished one game behind Fresno City for the Central Valley Conference title at 16-5.

The Giants made the Northern California Regional Playoffs for the third straight year and 16th time in 26 seasons under coach Jody Allen.

Allen's son Payton Allen (Golden West) is among a group of potential returners who played crucial roles last season. Others include Andrew Valdez (El Diamante), Isaac Gonzalez (Redwood), Ryan Tucker (Tulare Western), Donte Valdez (Redwood), Cade Sakamoto (Highland), Zach Mccorvey (El Diamante), Izaiah Davis (Tulare Western) and Jaylen Rodriguez (Redwood).

The Giants will open their season in late January.

Softball: COS captured a second straight Central Valley Conference title at 19-2 and advanced to the Northern California Regionals for the third consecutive season during a 28-16 season overall.

The Giants reached the Super Regional round, where they dropped a pair of 1-0 games to San Mateo for a spot in the state final eight.

COS featured three freshmen starters and potential returners in Audra Pratt (Golden West), Callie Vincent (Woodlake) and Amanda Ojeda (Golden West).

Men's track and field: In addition to Britt, the state fourth-place Giants also received points at the state meet from freshmen Berry Randle (McFarland), Ismael Ramirez (Redwood), Oscar Perez (Dinuba), Ian Kelly (Golden West) and Cameron Haynes (Tulare Western).

Randle placed third in the discus and fifth in the hammer throw. Kelly was fourth in the long jump, Perez was sixth in the 10,000, Ramirez was ninth in the 1,500 and Haynes was 11th in the shot put.

The Giants begin their season in February.

Women's track and field: Then freshman Taylor Nelson (Redwood) placed ninth in the long jump to highlight COS' 34th-place finish at the state championships.

Nelson was also part of an all-freshman 4x100 relay team that finished seventh at state. The team also features potential returners in Elizabeth Bienvenue (Reedley), Melyna Head (Tulare Western) and Kassandra Sanchez (Mt. Whitney).

Coach Kenny Jackson's team opens the season in February.

Men's swimming and diving: A pair of freshmen and expected returners -- Tim Van Scyoc (Mt. Whitney) and Chase Canterbury (El Diamante) -- qualified for the state championships, helping the Giants finish 31st overall.

Van Scyoc placed 11th in the 1-meter diving competition and 14th in he 3-meter dive, while Canterbury had the 18th fastest time in the 100 back.

The Giants, under coach Ally Briano, will open the season in January.

Women's swimming and diving: COS finished 29th at the state championships behind then freshman and potential returning diver Hailey Silva (Hanford West).

Silva placed seventh in the 3-meter and 10th in the 1-meter. 

The Giants open the season in January.

Equestrian: As a freshman, Cheyenne O'Dell (Golden West) reached the national semifinals in the Class 15/16 Open Horsemanship division.

O'Dell, a potential returner, gave COS a rider in the national semifinals for the 11th time in the past 12 years, according to coach Kim Pitigliano.

Women's tennis: The Giants went 4-13 overall and 3-9 in the Big 8 South Conference under coach Jay Johnson.

Potential returners include Viviana Alvarado (Tulare Western) and Logan Mann (El Diamante) when COS opens its season in January.