March 25, 2016
Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com first-team all-DVAL after being on the second-team all-league squad last season and honorable mention as a freshman. In earning the honors this year she averaged over 11 points a game, was third in the league in steals (almost three a game) and assists (also three a game). The speedy 5-6 player also grabbed 3.5 rebounds a game. Her coach added, “Alyssa was instrumental in getting our team into the right sets, both offensively and defensively.” Pluth runs the 100, 200 and 400 meter sprints during spring track season. Besides athletics she is in the leadership program at Concord High.
Athlete Spotlight
Alyssa Pluth Grade: Junior School: Concord High Sports: Basketball, Track
Concord High School’s young girls basketball team made its final season in the Diablo Valley Athletic League one to remember with an undefeated regular season and then a playoff championship by beating rival Clayton Valley Charter in the finals 62-50. They broke up the domination of Northgate and
CVCHS winning all seven previous league titles while earning the Minutemen’s first North Coast Section berth since 2010. Junior point guard Alyssa Pluth “had a tremendous season for us,” says head coach Terrance O’Kelley in his third year of a second stint as Concord’s coach. Pluth was named
The Concord Pioneer congratulates Alyssa and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@concordpioneer.com.
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DVAL sails into the sunset after spring sports season JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer
Springs sports are in full bloom for the teams and athletes in the Diablo Valley Athletic League and seniors at the seven DVAL schools share something with their league: they are both getting ready to move on. Students in the Class of 2016 will matriculate to college, the military, a job or perhaps just take a break from work or education. The DVAL is an entity that will go back on the shelf after eight years hosting Berean Christian, Clayton Valley Charter, College Park, Concord, Mt. Diablo, Northgate and Ygnacio Valley high school sports teams since the 2008-09 school year. The Diablo Valley Athletic League has a rich history in the area, running from the fall of 1958 (when Clayton Valley High
School also opened its doors for the first time) through 1988. The league started with Pittsburg, Antioch and the now longdeparted Pleasant Hill and Pacifica highs competing with Mt. Diablo and CV. In its last season of 1987-88 the league included Pitt, Antioch, Northgate, Ygnacio Valley, College Park, Concord, CV and MD were in the league. As the number of schools in the North Coast Section proliferated and school enrollments ebbed and flowed the Section set up a quadrennial league align-
See DVAL, page 15
Concord schools’ athletes garner 9 DVAL, EBAL MVPs JAY BEDECARRÉ Concord Pioneer
DVAL TOP DOGS Concord High went undefeated through the DVAL girls basketball schedule with a young team led by junior MVP Ciara O’Kelley that ended up with five all-leaguers, none of them seniors. The post player for the Minutemen, O’Kelley hadn’t received any all-league notice during her first two years on varsity but this season her coach (and dad) Terrance O’Kelley said, “The huge jump in her game was due to her hard work during the last two summers with a personal trainer that she wanted to work with on her own and with more game experience due to a
Viviana Aceves, Morgan Kreamer (CVC), Sara Wheeler, Katie Hollister (NG), Deana Vander Meulen, Megan Maloney (BC), Melissa Torres, Jena Moran (CP), April Frantz, Samantha Perez (Con), Michelle Cisneros, Viviana Ramirez (MD), Megan Clifton, Alexa Jara (YV) EBAL: Carondelet - MVP Collins; 1st team - Erin Ospeck, Jade Rafallo; 2nd team- Brooke Cilley, Chelsea Bailey, Danielle Crawford; HM- Keeley Murphy, Madeline Duncan, Katie Hoyt
Jay Bedecarre
Clayton Valley Charter boys soccer had a great three-year run from 2010-2012 culminated with back-to-back semifinal runs in the 2011 and 2012 North Coast Section playoffs. The Eagles then missed out on the Section playoffs until this year when coach Guillermo Jara’s team won the DVAL title and got back in the post-season. League MVP osboldo Solis (right) and DVAL offensive MVP Pedro Hernandez played big roles in the Eagles revival.
Photo courtesy Ygnacio Valley High School
Ygnacio Valley High School‘s soccer teams this winter featured strong defenses and that resulted in Jose Diaz (left) and Jessica Jaime winning DVAL defensive MVP awards. The Warrior boys emerged as North Coast Section champions in new Division iii while allowing 11 goals all year in 23 games with 16 shutouts.
Natalie Hastings (YV), Ancelica Suttice, Alexa Soto (MD), Nerisa Yokoyama (CVC) EBAL: Car – MVP – Cruz; 1st team – Maaeva Dwiggins; 2nd team – Brianna Simonich; HMMichaela VanderKlugt
BOYS BASKETBALL
DVAL: MVP- Watkins (CP); 1st team – Garrett Pascoe, Matt Osterkamp (CVC), Dru Solis, Romeo Campbell (Con), Andrew Leonard (YV), Dre Sunga (CP), Naj Singh (NG); 2nd team - Alex Schaufler (NG), Josh Lunsford BOYS SOCCER (BC), Nick Klarman (CVC), Zyon DVAL: Player of the Year - Pullin (CP), Patrick O’Shea, T. J. Solis (CVC); Offensive MVP- Her- Quezon (Con); HM- William nandez (CVC); Defensive MVP- Kresch, Andres Capener (NG), Diaz (YV); 1st team- Taylor Heuer- Tarof Rovers, Joseph Lawrence man, Jesus Martinez, Elham (MD), DeAndre Morgan, Marqel Rahiq (CVC), Kaei Kamiya (BC), McCoy (Con), Eli Zurita-Haber Dean Lewis (NG), Agustin Mejia (YV) (MD), Jorge Regalado, Jonathan EBAL: De La Salle – MVP – Negrete (YV), Roberto Barahona Ratinho; 1st team- Nikhil Peters, (Con), Justin Bedig, Krisofer King Emeka Udenyi; 2nd team – Con(CP); 2nd team – Duncan Morri- nor O’Dea; HM- Nick Macarchuk son (BC), Peyton Rhodes, Miguel Hernandez (CVC), Eric Zaragoza, Jose Geronimo (YV), Sean Roarty,
Jay Bedecarre
Winter sports honors have been doled out by coaches in the Diablo Valley and East Bay athletic leagues and Concord’s six high schools dominated the list of basketball and soccer most valuable players. In the final year of the DVAL before its seven schools move into the new Diablo Athletic League this fall, Clayton Valley Charter (3), Ygnacio Valley (2) and Concord (1) took six of the eight MVP awards with College Park claiming the other two. De La Salle won the EBAL basketball title and Spartan senior Jordan Ratinho was again the league MVP. Carondelet was undefeated in soccer and basketball league play and seniors Kaylie Collins and Vanessa Cruz, respectively, were named MVPs from the Cougars.
“Savannah was the pinnacle of our defense. She controlled the defensive line and provided vocal leadership,” Ballard added. Her twin sister Madison Pomeroy was a goalkeeper on the undefeated league championship team. The league’s soccer coaches recognized Ygnacio Valley’s Jessica Jaime, a senior, and junior Jose Diaz as DVAL defensive MVPs. The Warrior boys were seeded No.1 in the new Division III of the NCS playoffs and upheld that placement CONCORD HIGH JUNIOR CIARA O’KELLEY by winning three straight literally and figuratively towered over games by shutout after an the opposition as the 6-2 center Jay Bedecarre opening-round bye for the helped power the young Minutemen SAVANNAH POMEROY (left) was master of the Clayton Valley Concord school’s first NCS team to an undefeated league and Charter soccer defense as the Eagles won their second team championship since foot- DVAL playoff record. Playing for her straight Diablo Valley Athletic League title before getting ball captured the 2005 East dad and head coach Terrance o’Kelbounced in the second round of the North Coast Section ley she was named the league MVP. Bay 2A title. playoffs. She was named league MVP for her efforts as CHS ended up 23-6, including a spot College Park sophomore in the NCS playoff quarterfinals. CVCHS held half of their 22 opponents scoreless this seaJasmine Safarians was the son. Goalkeeper Kaylie Collins was the anchor of CaronDVAL offensive MVP. She was delet’s defense earning her East Bay Athletic League MVP the only underclassman in league game since 2008-2009 Reece Burkhart (CP), Enrique Porfor the Cougars who went all the way to overtime of the NCS championship game before tasting defeat this season. either EBAL or DVAL to be with six undefeated seasons in tillo, Marvin Navarro (Con), seven years. Cruz shared the Jonathon Plasencia (MD), Zack named an MVP. league MVP award with Caro- Lamb (NG); HM- Ronaldo Herton of AAU and varsity offensive MVP. line McMorrow of runner-up nandez, Isaac Salcedo (CVC), SPARTAN, COUGAR MVPS Erik Ochoa, Ramiro Andrade games.” Solis had eight assists and De La Salle began a new era Foothill. (10), Ryan Jones, Ray MuhAnother junior, Raazhel three goals as a defensive midDVAL and EBAL after the unexpected departure lenkamp (CP), Miguel Avalos, Watkins of College Park, was fielder for Clayton Valley socof long-time basketball coach (Carondelet and De La Hunter Johnson (Con), Nick the boys basketball MVP as the cer. The team ended the season Frank Allocco and Ratinho Salle only) winter sports Giannini, Ryan Roo (NG), FerFalcons upset regular-season with an 18-2-3 record for was a key figure on the court. all-league honorees: nando Artiga, Jack Sodergren champ Concord in the DVAL coach Guillermo Jara with the (BC), Kevin Mendez, Alberto New coach AJ Kuhle enjoyed playoff finals. second loss coming in the secGIRLS SOCCER Romo (MD) that USF-commit Ratinho didClayton Valley Charter’s ond round of the NCS playDVAL: Player of the Year – EBAL: De La Salle – 1st teamn’t rest on the laurels from his two varsity soccer teams lost offs to defending champ San Pomeroy, (Clayton Valley CharKai Squires; HM- Omar Jiron, junior season when he was only one of 24 Diablo Valley Ramon Valley. Hernandez, a ter); Offensive MVP - Safarians Marco Monti, Will Birna, James EBAL co-MVP. He led the (College Park); Defensive MVP – Person, Jackson Still Athletic League games while junior forward, had 14 goals Spartans to a 14-0 league mark Jaime (Ygnacio Valley); 1st teamwinning girls and boys champi- and two assists. and the North Coast Section Taylor Chaplin, Hunter Kenney GIRLS BASKETBALL onships and moving into the Last year Pomeroy was Division I championship. (Northgate), Kaci Trujillo, Emma DVAL: MVP – O’Kelley (Con); North Coast Section playoffs. injured in the middle of her Carondelet, with Collins in Nelson, Julia de Jesus (CVC), 1st team –Bridget Hyland (CVC), That success was reflected in first varsity season, didn’t play goal, won its first EBAL regu- Sabrina DeBardeleben (Con- Megan Ikeda (NG), Jessica Solis, the all-league teams with sen- much towards the end of the lar-season soccer title since cord), Alejandra Rosas-Gomez Alyssa Pluth (Con), Allison Lo iors Osboldo Solis and Savan- year and wasn’t even menback-to-back championships in (Mt. Diablo), Sofia Campos (YV), (BC), Casey Doronkina (CP); 2nd nah Pomeroy DVAL MVPs. tioned for all-league. This year 2010 and 2011, giving the Emily Dutton (Berean Christian), team- Meilin Bruder (CP), Kelly Adding to the laurels, junior coach Cristina Ballard said the unbeaten Cougars the top seed Olivia Gin, Marianna Giovannetti Osterkamp, Katriel Segovia Pedro Hernandez was the boys senior central defender saw a in NCS DI. Collins will be (CP); 2nd team – Sierra Bruni, (CVC), Celestina Olquin (NG), chiropractor regularly to keep playing college soccer in the Emily Kaleal (CVC), Charlotte Maki Ngirabedechal (MD), GraBueno, Madison Cantrell (CP), cie Mitchell (BC), Franchesca her back pain away and it fall for USC. Ana Carabez, Madalina Chaney resulted in the league’s outCruz and the Cougars this (YV), Lauren Conley, Carley Orte- Calagui (Con); HM- Gaby Lomeli (Con), Jackie Ocoa, Dariana standing performance with the season ran their EBAL unbeat- ga (NG), Sabine Silva (BC), Ally Mihalache (CP), Kylie Tamura, Eagles posting 11 shutouts in en basketball streak to 53 Roberts (Con), Daniela Estrada Julia Gamez (NG), Haley 22 games. games. They have lost one (MD); Honorable Mention - Robertshaw (BC), Isela Garcia,