Giants football team pulls away from Siskiyous

By Nick Giannandrea

For College of the Sequoias Athletics

Behind two touchdown passes from Gus Villareal (Dinuba High) and a pair of scores from its defense, College of the Sequoias defeated Siskiyous 36-16 during a nonconference football game Sept. 21 in Weed.

It capped a stellar weekend for COS athletics that also saw its women's volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer teams go a combined 5-0, while it's men's cross country team finished third at an event that also featured four-year universities.

The Giants (2-1) pulled away in the fourth quarter after the Eagles (0-3) closed to within 19-16 on 1-yard touchdown run by Thomas Little with 13:25 remaining.

COS responded with a six-play, 52 yard drive capped by a 25-yard touchdown run by Davonte Green (Hammond, La.) that put the Giants ahead 26-16 with 10:10 to play.

Five plays later, Marcos Moran (Los Angeles) intercepted a Thairen Sivongsa pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown as COS stretched its lead to 33-16 with 8:28 left.

After another defensive stand from the Giants' defense, which limited Siskiyous to 240 yards total offense, Dominc Hernandez (Tulare Western) booted his second field goal of the game - a 35-yarder - to give COS a 20-point cushion with 4:42 remaining.

COS received an interception from Bobby Peele (Edison) - his third in an many games - and forced a three-and-out to stonewall Siskiyous' final two possessions.

Hernandez' first field goal - a 31-yarder - gave the Giants a lead they would not relinquish with 8:26 to play in the first quarter.

COS was credited with a team safety at the 4:25 mark of the first quarter, and Villareal's first touchdown pass - a 23-yarder to Bryson Allen (Tulare Union) - pushed the lead to 12-0 with 1:54 left in the first.

Siskiyous closed to 12-10 by halftime on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Sivongsa to D'Angelo Biggs and a 29-yard field goal from Tristan Lewis.

The Giants went up 19-10 early in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Villareal to Sergio Pena (Selma).

Villareal finished 16 of 23 for 151 yards. Green, the Giants' leading rusher from last year, had his first 100-yard game of the season, finishing with 24 carries for 103 yards. Allen led COS' receivers with four catches for 48 yards.

Defensively, Mitch Maggini (Riverdale) led the way with five tackles. Noah Wright (Lemoore) added four tackles, including two for losses. Unda Coverson (Macon, Ga.) and Moran recovered fumbles.

COS returns home Sept. 28 when it plays host to Santa Rosa. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Giant Chevrolet and Cadillac Mineral King Bowl.

The state unranked Bear Cubs enter 0-3 following a 24-17 loss to Shasta on Sept. 21.

The Giants lost 37-13 at Santa Rosa last season.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Hazel Martinez (Mission Oak) delivered a team-leading 13 kills as COS swept Porterville 25-12, 25-17, 25-15 during its home debut Sept. 20.

The Giants improved to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the Central Valley Conference to share the lead with Fresno City.

COS also received seven kills from Christa Pilgrim (Mission Oak), four kills from Madison Sousa (Hanford West) and three apiece from Mary Shoals (Hanford West), Jayda English (Lemoore) and Karen Rodriguez (Kingsburg).

Sydney Guinn (Exeter) and Kia Campbell (Coalinga) contributed 21 and 15 assists, respectively, while Alexis Carmona (Madera) had 16 digs.

The Giants opened CVC play on Sept. 18 with a 27-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-14 victory at West Hills-Coalinga in a match that featured 14 kills from Martinez.

Pilgrim added eight kills, while Sousa had six. 

Carmona had 20 digs and Guinn added 15 assists during a victory over a Falcons team that, like the Giants, are listed among the "Best of the Rest" in the California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25.

COS plays next on Sept. 27 at Columbia in a match scheduled to start at 5 p.m. The Claim Jumpers are listed among the state's "Best of the Rest."

The Giants next home match at Porter Field House is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 2 against Taft. CVC co-leading Fresno City, which is ranked third in the state, visits COS on Oct. 11.

MEN'S SOCCER

COS' offense exploded for 10 goals, one more than its first five games combined, while winning its first two games of the season over the weekend.

The Giants (2-3-2) received goals from five different players - Cesar Lopez (Mt. Whitney), Kevin Barajas (Porterville), Rogelio Bedolla (Porterville), Alexis Cabrera (Redwood) and Alex Saldana (El Diamante) - during a 5-1 victory over visiting Victor Valley on Sept. 20.

Cabrera also contributed two assists, while Saldana had one.

COS was even better on Sept. 20, rolling over Siskiyous 5-0 behind two goals and an assist from Jose Cardenas (Delano).

Saldana, Ismael Moreno (Dinuba) and Julio Godoy (Lindsay) also scored goals for the Giants, while Cabrera and Cesar Melgar (Monache) had assists.

Goalkeepers Eduardo Manuel Angeles (Porterville) and Damian Rodriguez (Strathmore) combined on the shutout.

COS returns to action Sept. 27 with a nonconference match at Compton, scheduled to start at 3 p.m. 

The Giants' next home match is set for 4 p.m. Oct. 1 when it hosts Taft in a Central Valley Conference opener at Riverway Sports Park. The Cougars are ranked No. 17 in the California Community College Sports Information Association poll.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Kamryn Berry (Tulare Western) scored a combined three goals as COS (4-2-1) won a pair of game over the weekend.

Berry connected on a penalty kick during the Giants' 2-0 home victory over Cerro Coso on Sept. 20.

Natalie Yanez (Caruthers) added a goal off a Gloria Silva (Mt. Whitney) assist, while goalkeeper Ciana Koo (Woodlake) made four saves in 60 shutout minutes.

Berry and Maria Corral (Farmersville) each scored two goals, with Corral also added three assists, as COS rolled past visiting Siskiyous 6-0 on Sept. 21.

Silva and Joana Guerra (Woodlake) also scored goals for the Giants, with Guerra also adding an assist.

Koo and Maria Camacho (Lindsay) combined for 45 shutout minutes apiece, with both making one save.

COS will play at state No. 19-ranked Chabot at 2 p.m. Sept. 24 and at Cerro Coso at 5 p.m. Sept. 27.

The Giants' next home match is Oct. 15, when they open Central Valley Conference play against top-ranked Fresno City at 1 p.m.

CROSS COUNTRY

Competing against a field of predominantly four-year universities, COS' men's team finished third at the Coyote Invitational in San Bernardino on Sept. 21.

The Giants scored 111 points, finishing behind NCAA Division III Claremont-Mudd-Sscripts (16) and NCAA D-II Concordia (90).

Ismael Ramirez (Redwood) was the Giants' top individual, finishing fifth during the 134-runner, 8K race in 24:28.68.

Oscar Perez (Dinuba) had COS' second-best finish, crossing the line in 15th place in 25:00.76.

The rest of the Giants' top five included: Evan Loftin (El Diamante), who was 30th in 25:32.81; Cristobal Vasquez (Lindsay), who was 40th in 25:45.44; and Christian Gonzalez (Corcoran), who was 50th in 26:00.51.

COS also had Zackary Woods (Frontier) place 53rd in 26:05.67, Victor Cisneros (Lindsay) finish 62nd in 26:19.49, Luciano Linares (Exeter) place 63rd in 266:22.79, Angel Barajas (Mt. Whitney) place 84th in 27:06.19, Dominic Izquierdo (Hanford) place 97th in 27:57.78, and Jacob Garcia (Farmersville) place 105th in 28:27.75. 

This was the first time this season the Giants competed against four-year universities while running a race that was a mile longer than their opening meet at the Fresno Invitational on Sept. 7.

State No. 7-ranked COS placed better than the two other community college teams in the field, No. 6 San Bernardino Valley (seventh with 157 points) and No. 8 Glendale (sixth with 139 points).

On the women's side, Courtney Santos (Hanford West) was the Giants' only competitor, finishing 107th in a season-best 21:30.63.

COS' cross country teams will compete next Oct. 4 at the Nor-Cal Preview in Salinas.