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The High Desert will be represented by four boys basketball and soccer teams in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
Those four squads all pulled off victories on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Both the Sultana and Granite Hills boys soccer teams emerged victorious at home, battling rainy and windy conditions, while Hesperia and Victor Valley both pulled off road victories inside the warm confines of gymnasiums.
More: 8 High Desert wrestlers capture CIF-SS individual titles
The boys basketball semifinals will be held this Friday, Feb. 20, while the soccer semifinals are set for this Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a look at the quarterfinals action involving High Desert squads.
At Barstow, Nick Craft scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help send the Jackrabbits to the Division 8 semifinals.
Craft, nicknamed “Nick the Quick,” wasn’t Victor Valley’s leading scorer as he ended with 13 points. But 11 of those came in the fourth quarter, coming up clutch for Victor Valley to fend off its rival program.
The Jackrabbits are now 3-0 against Barstow this season.
Jesiah Hyder led way for Victor Valley with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists; DeAnthony Dyer followed behind with 14 points and five rebounds; while Kayden Murray’s presence in the paint was the difference maker as he blocked six shots with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“This was another team win,” Victor Valley head coach Shondell Moore said. “My guys are really starting to understand who they are. They have known that they can play with almost everyone we have played this year. Through all of the adversity we have had we have handled it as a team.”
Barstow was led by Jailen Beverly, who matched Hyder for a game-high 20 points.
“He was a handful tonight,” Moore said.
Victor Valley (13-14) will be home for the semifinals against Redlands Advenist, which beat Twentynine Palms 58-48. On the other side of the bracket is South El Monte and Edgewood.
At Moreno Valley, Nolan Newman-Gomez continued his stellar play in the Division 2 playoffs. Newman-Gomez led the way with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists as Hesperia squeezed out a two-point victory.
The Scorpions last reached the semifinals in 2024, which resulted in a loss to La Habra.
Hesperia (23-8) will be home for the semifinals against Mater Dei, which beat El Dorado 82-72. On the other side of the bracket is Bishop Amat and Roosevelt.
At Hesperia, the Sultans rallied back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime and are heading back to the Division 1 semifinals for the second year in a row.
Sultana struck quickly in the second half with goals from Nathaniel Guzman, Ivan Vitela and Paulino Acosta-Arellano, while goalkeeper Ginho Franco made a pair of key saves. Julian Cesena, Jared Hernandez and Rafael Lara each had an assist.
Sultana reached the Division 1 semifinals last year, and eventually the championship game. This year’s team is made of mostly returning players with that postseason experience, which is paying dividends on this run.
"The main difference between this year’s team and last year is our ability to endure trials and tribulations together,” Sultana head coach Michael Zamora said. “We have found strength in being able to rely on each other more and we are able to hold each other accountable more."
Zamora added that Sultana’s success ultimately comes down to one simple thing, which has brought the players together in a special way.
“It’s all because of God’s glory. We are following and trusting his plan every single step of the way,” Zamora said. “We know there is a bigger place ahead and we are humble serving God every step of the way.”
The Sultana (20-2-5) will be home for the semifinals against Fontana and El Segundo, which will play Wednesday. On the other side of the bracket is Canyon and Santa Monica.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: High Desert boys soccer, basketball teams advance to CIF-SS semis
Continue reading...
Those four squads all pulled off victories on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Both the Sultana and Granite Hills boys soccer teams emerged victorious at home, battling rainy and windy conditions, while Hesperia and Victor Valley both pulled off road victories inside the warm confines of gymnasiums.
More: 8 High Desert wrestlers capture CIF-SS individual titles
The boys basketball semifinals will be held this Friday, Feb. 20, while the soccer semifinals are set for this Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a look at the quarterfinals action involving High Desert squads.
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CIF-SS Boys Basketball Scores
Victor Valley 75, Barstow 70
At Barstow, Nick Craft scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help send the Jackrabbits to the Division 8 semifinals.
Craft, nicknamed “Nick the Quick,” wasn’t Victor Valley’s leading scorer as he ended with 13 points. But 11 of those came in the fourth quarter, coming up clutch for Victor Valley to fend off its rival program.
The Jackrabbits are now 3-0 against Barstow this season.
Jesiah Hyder led way for Victor Valley with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists; DeAnthony Dyer followed behind with 14 points and five rebounds; while Kayden Murray’s presence in the paint was the difference maker as he blocked six shots with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“This was another team win,” Victor Valley head coach Shondell Moore said. “My guys are really starting to understand who they are. They have known that they can play with almost everyone we have played this year. Through all of the adversity we have had we have handled it as a team.”
Barstow was led by Jailen Beverly, who matched Hyder for a game-high 20 points.
“He was a handful tonight,” Moore said.
Victor Valley (13-14) will be home for the semifinals against Redlands Advenist, which beat Twentynine Palms 58-48. On the other side of the bracket is South El Monte and Edgewood.
Hesperia 55, Rancho Verde 53
At Moreno Valley, Nolan Newman-Gomez continued his stellar play in the Division 2 playoffs. Newman-Gomez led the way with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists as Hesperia squeezed out a two-point victory.
The Scorpions last reached the semifinals in 2024, which resulted in a loss to La Habra.
Hesperia (23-8) will be home for the semifinals against Mater Dei, which beat El Dorado 82-72. On the other side of the bracket is Bishop Amat and Roosevelt.
CIF-SS Boys Soccer Scores
Sultana 3, Sunny Hills 1
At Hesperia, the Sultans rallied back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime and are heading back to the Division 1 semifinals for the second year in a row.
Sultana struck quickly in the second half with goals from Nathaniel Guzman, Ivan Vitela and Paulino Acosta-Arellano, while goalkeeper Ginho Franco made a pair of key saves. Julian Cesena, Jared Hernandez and Rafael Lara each had an assist.
Sultana reached the Division 1 semifinals last year, and eventually the championship game. This year’s team is made of mostly returning players with that postseason experience, which is paying dividends on this run.
"The main difference between this year’s team and last year is our ability to endure trials and tribulations together,” Sultana head coach Michael Zamora said. “We have found strength in being able to rely on each other more and we are able to hold each other accountable more."
Zamora added that Sultana’s success ultimately comes down to one simple thing, which has brought the players together in a special way.
“It’s all because of God’s glory. We are following and trusting his plan every single step of the way,” Zamora said. “We know there is a bigger place ahead and we are humble serving God every step of the way.”
The Sultana (20-2-5) will be home for the semifinals against Fontana and El Segundo, which will play Wednesday. On the other side of the bracket is Canyon and Santa Monica.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: High Desert boys soccer, basketball teams advance to CIF-SS semis
Continue reading...
