Liberty wins first-ever girls basketball tournament

2013

With a 40-37 victory over Kings Christian-Lemoore, the Liberty Hawks girls basketball team won the school’s first girls basketball tournament, taking the Parlier Tournament championship.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Lilly Hernandez led the team with 19 points, including 7-of-10 from the free throw line. She also had 13 rebounds.

Estephania Medrano added 11 points and 8 rebounds. Two other Hawks recorded double-digit rebound totals. Shelby Gee had 10 boards with four blocks and All-Tournament selection Rosanna Garcia had 11 rebounds with three steals.

2015

Hawks down Div. I Clovis

Despite a tough loss to Buchanan-Clovis, the Liberty Hawks girls soccer team rebounded with a 2-0 victory over the Clovis Cougars in a non-league match.

In their third straight match against a team from a higher division, the Div. III Hawks scored in the 14th minute against the Tri-River Athletic Conference’s Cougars, a Div. I team, and didn’t allow a goal for the second time in three matches.

The Hawks scored in the 14th minute on a goal by Raina Wristen. After Clovis hit the ball out of bounds, Haylee Hoelzel quickly retrieved the ball and launched a pass over Wristen’s head. Wristen got behind her defender to get to the ball and beat the keeper for the goal.

Coyotes tie 3-time defending champs

While ties in sports aren’t generally celebrated, the Madera girls soccer team had a big reason to be excited when the scoreboard read 1-1 at the end of overtime.

After holding three-time defending Div. I champion Buchanan-Clovis to one goal in 100 minutes of play, it was completely understandable why the 1-1 overtime tie was satisfying for the Coyotes.

For first-year Madera head coach Samantha Gillis, a tie against a dominant team from the Tri-River Athletic Conference was definitely a confidence booster for her girls.

2016

Coyotes win intense matchup

FRESNO — By the time the Madera Coyote boys basketball team put away the Sunnyside-Fresno Wildcats, 49 fouls were called, two technical fouls were issued and three players fouled out.

Madera’s all-time leading scorer Ethan Richardson scored a game-high 30 points with the last eight coming at the free throw line to lead the Coyotes to a 68-53 victory.

Richardson, who didn’t start because he missed practice, came off the bench to lead the Coyotes. Although he was held to just 4-of-10 shooting from the field, he was 21-of-28 from the free throw line and pulled down nine rebounds.

Hunter Gacayan added 14 points with four 3-pointers and Travon Ray added seven points.

Stallions outlast Tigers in double OT

Although the Madera South Stallions seemed to give Los Banos the opportunity to keep the game going, the Stallions held tough at the end for a double-overtime non-league victory.

The Stallions led by three with 9.7 seconds left in regulation, but Los Banos made three free throws to send the game into overtime. Madera South led by two with 41 seconds left in the game and missed three shots in the final 18 seconds to force a second overtime.

Madera South then led by three with 10 seconds left in the game and held on for a 68-64 victory.

The Stallions had three players score in double-figures, led by Brianna Hyatt’s 13. Lanaye Brewer recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Aleecia Rosel added 11 points with seven rebounds.