Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Alejandro Barajas sends a 3-pointer on target in Saturday’s loss to Lemoore. Barajas was one of nine Coyotes to score in the game.  SANGER — It seemed like the same thing that helped the Madera Coyotes boys basketball team in the first half of its match-up against Lemoore was the same thing that hurt them in the second half in a loss at Sanger’s Dean Nicholson Gym.  The Coyotes took a 31-26 lead into the halftime break. They hit four-o

The Madera Coyotes boys basketball team found itself in 12-point first half hole against the Matilda Torres Toros in a match-up before Christmas. The Coyotes battled back to tie the game and hold off the Toros for a 52-49 non-conference victory on December 23 at Torres. Stevie Estrada led the comeback with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He added four steals. Alex Rodriguez scored 14 points and Jeremiah Burk had 10 with five rebounds.

The Matilda Torres girls basketball team is looking for another run in the Div. V Central Section playoffs and took care of the Madera Coyotes before Christmas. The Toros outscored the Coyotes 39-8 in the first half and jumped out to a 51-13 third quarter lead before cruising to a 56-22 victory December 23 at Torres. The Toros had 10 different players score in victory, led by Kaylin Perez with 15 points and seven rebounds, five offensive.

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune The Liberty Hawks celebrate at center court after defeating the Yosemite Badgers, 28-26, to win the first Liberty Hawks Holiday Classic on December 20 at Liberty.  The Liberty Hawks girls basketball team were right where they wanted to be — in the championship game of its own tournament in the first year. However, they didn’t expect to be scoreless through the first quarter.  The Hawks just wanted to make things more interesting for their fans.

For The Madera Tribune Former Madera South and Fresno State baseball standout prepares for a workout as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization this summer. Gray is getting himself ready for his first full professional baseball season, which will begin in February. Madera South standout and Fresno State Bulldog Murf Gray heard his name announced in the third round of last July’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Since then, it h

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Madera freshman Janyah Spotwood shoots over a Sanger defender during the first half of Thursday’s road loss to the Apaches. Spotwood led the Coyotes with 15 points and 10 rebounds.  SANGER — The Madera Coyotes girls basketball team committed 25 turnovers in the first half that led to a 27-6 Sanger Apache halftime lead in a non-conference loss.  The Coyotes did better in the second half, but still turned the ball over 40 times in a 63-35 loss Th

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South’s Jeanette Duran connects on a mid-range jumper during the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Mendota Aztecs. The early returns looked promising for the Madera South Stallions girls basketball team in its non-conference match-up against the Mendota Aztecs.  However, after taking an 8-3 lead, the Stallions went cold and the Aztecs got hot. Mendota scored 20 straight points, including holding the Stallions scoreless in the s

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune The Matilda Torres Toros girls basketball team celebrates at center court after a 46-24 victory over the Mendota Aztecs to win the fifth annual Cen-Cal Holiday Invitational at Torres.  Mitchell scores 1,000th point With the help of J’Lynn Mitchell’s 22 points, the Matilda Torres Toros girls basketball team easily dispatched the Mendota Aztecs to win their own Cen-Cal Holiday Invitational. In what is becoming one of the best rivalries among Mati