Stallions outlast Coyotes in rivalry matchup
Wendy Alexander./The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Rondell Jordan drives past Madera’s Jazir Alejandre and goes over J’Sean Gonzalez to score two of his 10 points in Friday’s victory over the cross-town rivals.
The Madera South Stallions boys basketball team came out on top in a contested 59-35 match against next-door rivals Madera at home that not only saw the home team get one over on the Coyotes, but continued its push within the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
Madera South’s Joe Galvan helped pace the Stallions with 15 points, Rondell Jordan chipped in 10 points and Lucas Samaniego added 11.
The Stallions utilized a team-first approach as they took down the Coyotes.
“I was a little worried in the beginning because they were super fired up and that’s not really the way we start games, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just tried to get across to them that it was just like any other game because we still have to do all the things we normally do,” Corey Edmiston said.
The Stallions turned their energy into a strong defensive effort as they held the Coyotes to less than 10 points in each quarter of play.
An 11-9 first quarter by the Stallions set them on their way for the rest of the game.
Madera’s freshman guard Elias Torres opened the game with a spark on offense as his hot shooting led to five points in the quarter, on a night where the Coyote freshman had 18 points, leading the team and game overall. However, Torres was the only Coyote to reach double-figures in scoring.
Torres’ smooth-shooting stroke allowed him to no only pop up in the paint for a short shot, but also on the perimeter as his first quarter jumper gave the traveling crowd an early boost.
Jordan countered with two buckets of his own in the first quarter, utilizing his height and toughness to get his points in the paint. Both Jordan and Galvan proved to be too much for David Lozano and his boys.
Leading 11-9 heading into the second quarter, Erik Cervantes, Samaniego and Galvan began to heat up.
Galvan used his size and athletic ability to force three trips to the line including an and-one layup. The Stallion flexed his strength on offense and defense as he recorded a block in the fourth quarter as well as using his length to disrupt the Coyote game in the paint.
Madera recorded only two baskets outside the free throw line in the second quarter. Three-point shots from Torres and Jazir Alejandre gave the Coyotes nearly all of the team’s nine points while the Stallions put up 17, increasing the lead to 10, 28-18.
With a double-digit lead heading into the third quarter, the Stallions continued to pour it on. Jordan brought the crowd to its feet with a dominant drive to the basket before following that up minutes later with a second bucket in the paint.
Cervantes connected on a three-point shot and the Stallions were cruising along as the fourth quarter loomed. Torres did his best with four points in the third and Baez chipped in as well with a layup and a three-point jumper, but it was too little too late as the Stallions were energized and locked in on both ends.
Samaniego and Galvan closed out the game with a combined 13 points in the fourth quarter, beating their Madera, 59-35.
