Women’s Basketball: Brian Tessler

This season the Women’s Basketball Team finished the season on a strong note with an overall record of 26-4. The Rams also finished with a perfect record in the Central Valley Conference (CVC) going 10-0.

The Rams were the recipients of a number of awards given out to outstanding players and coaches in the CVC. This season the team was honored with four first team all-conference selections. The players named to that list were Lacey Gibbons, Marlee Wilkinson, Kayla Clement, and Ebone Brown.

Players are named to the all-conference team by coaches from across the conference, and are chosen on how they performed individually throughout the conference season. Head coach Brian Tessler said “The coaches did a nice job of recognizing that we did have talent. They recognized the right players and I was proud.’

Sophomore Lacey Gibbons was unanimously named the CVC Player of the Year by the coaches of the conference. Gibbons was named First Team All-State and Player of the Year by coaches from the entire state. Gibbons finished the season with 492 points scored, averaging 17 points per game.

“It was a nice compliment to her that all of the other coaches in the league recognized that she was the most valuable player in the league,” said Tessler

Sophomore Marlee Wilkinson was named named Third Team All-state  and recieved all-conference honors. Wilkinson ranked fourth in the conference, scoring a total of 379 points, averaging 13 points per game.

Tessler who was named Conference Coach of the Year,  constantly emphasizes “team as a whole,” and is not very big on individual awards.

Now that the regular season is over, the Rams are preparing for the start of the playoffs. The Rams earned the No.1 seed in the playoffs this season, courtesy of their admirable 26-4 overall record. The team has a first round bye as well as home-court advantage throughout the course of the playoffs.

Tessler said, “Our goal wasn’t to be the No.1 seed, our goal was to make it to the state tournament.”

This season marks the fourth consecutive year that the Rams finish undefeated in the CVC.

With home-court advantage, making a deep run in the playoffs looks even more promising .

In Tessler’s tenure at FCC, the Rams have never had a playoff game anywhere else, which indicates the amount of success necessary for that to happen.

“I’ve always believed in playing at home in front of your home crowd where you’re comfortable and used to the circumstances,” said Tessler.

For the FCC Women’s Basketball team, the road to the state tournament continues.

Cheer: Hope Villines

What sport practices year-round, spends countless hours perfecting technique and skill that requires muscle and endurance, a sport where athletes are pushed to their limits?

The sport is cheer.

The Cheer and Stunt team here at Fresno City College works throughout the year perfecting their skills and getting all of their performances ready for the enjoyment of spectators.

This season the Cheer and Stunt team has 25 members consisting of tumblers and stunt specialists.

“I have a very athletic and talented team this year. I am very proud of them,” said Head Coach Hope Villines. Along with the pride comes enjoyment on the part of the athletes as well. Jannah Balaga said, “I enjoy the camaraderie, it’s like a second family.”

Every year the season begins in the same way, try-outs in April, followed by training through the spring in order to prepare for summer cheer camp. After, the team gets ready for football season which is then followed by basketball season. Cheer practices 11 months out of the year.

Adversity on this team is created by athletes from 12 different high schools in the valley all with different experiences and diverse cheer backgrounds. Through the course of the first couple of months together the team focuses on getting to know each other.

Balaga said, “Our squad is really great, we can change the whole momentum of a game by just cheering.”

This year’s goal was to have more tumblers, and more male cheerleaders in order to be able to do more stunting.

Some of the athletes that have stood out this year are some of the veteran team members. The athletes that Villines pointed out are this years captains.

“Some athletes that have really stood out are Michael Snapp and his flyer Stephanie Woo.”

Another standout on the team Villines said is, “Alyssa Rodriguez, she is a very strong tumbler and a great flyer, she can do pretty much anything.”

When it comes to talent and reaching new heights, the Cheer and Stunt team here at FCC are pushing the limits. With their three-tier stunts and the 30 feet high basket tosses, this team is definitely showing their dominance in the stunting aspect of the sport. The “one-manning” part of stunting is also one of the teams strong points said Villines. “We have very strong girl stunts as well as very strong co-ed stunts. Our basket tosses are very good.”

One of the stunt specialists this year is Sean Henderson who has been on the team for two seasons now. “He is being recruited by Sacramento State. He will be trying out in April” according to Villines. He may be the first athlete to go on to cheer in D-1 in Villines tenure as head coach.

Standout athlete Alyssa Rodriguez hopes that cheer starts getting the recognition that Rodriguez feels it deserves. “We are a part of the school, we are not something that is just thrown together, we are a team that works hard at doing what we do.”

Baseball: Ron Scott

Tyson Perez, second year out of Hanford High School has been named to the Pre-Season All-State baseball team by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association.

Perez was nominated due to his exceptional season that he had in 2010. According to head coach Ron Scott, the award is special, “It is the coaches from around the state who have recognized him as one of the top players in the state.”

Perez has come a long way in his tenure at FCC. “His development as a person is much more determined,” said Scott. Perez has also committed to playing for one of the top baseball programs in the state next season at the University of Southern California.

He also overcame a recent surgery to repair a torn back muscle.

“Tyson h as worked harder than most people to get where he is,” said Scott.

According to Scott, Perez has come a long way since he arrived from Hanford High School. “He is a man now, when he came out he was just a little boy. Now, he is a fine young man that will represent us, himself, as well as his family.” He has always been a really good athlete,” said Scott. “Now he has become an even better person.”

Perez is having another successful season, and is one of the starting pitchers on this year’s rotation .

An integral part of the Rams pitching rotation, Mike York is in his second year out of Chowchilla High School.

York was voted to the Pre-Season All-State Team by the baseball coaches from up and down the state. He was chosen on the basis of how he performed last season where he finished with a 2.78 ERA (8-2), as well as how they think he will perform this season.

York is already off to a good start this season with an ERA of 2.42 and a perfect record (3-0) in his appearences on the mound.

According
to Scott, York has matured like anyone else. “The more they start understanding about the game the more they understand that you have to work harder in order to move up to the next level. It does not come easy you have to work for it.”

Some of the things that set York apart and got him on this pre-season all-state list is the fact that he is a really good athlete.

“He can throw any pitch for a strike at any time, which is different,” Scott said.

Having this ability is also one of the attributes that earned York on the All-Conference team last year. Scott said he sees York going to a top Division 1 baseball program here in the state. “He wants to stay somewhere close to home.”

Clay Cederquist has been on  a journey to get where he is. The second year player out of the baseball powerhouse Fowler High School first played at Fresno State before he found his way here into the Rams line-up.

Cederquist was also voted to the pre-season All-State baseball team by coaches from around California. According to Scott, Cederquist’s is like a young veteran guy out on the diamond, “He’s been around and been really successful, he has played at Fowler, he has played at the D-1 level at Fresno State so he comes in with a really good work ethic.”Cederquist is making quite an impact on the Rams line-up this season.

He currently has a .318 batting average with a .455 slugging percentage. Cederquist currently leads the team in triples and walks, as well as in on-base percentage.

According to Scott, Cederquist is one of the reasons that the team is successful. Scott also said, “He’s a really good hitter, he has a cage at home and when other guys are messing around he’s hitting.” This take on the game helped Cederquist be as successful as he is.

One of the things that Cederquist offers the Rams this year is an experienced and accomplished bat.

“He is not intimidated by anyone, he’s a mature hitter,” said Scott. Cederquist is a player that has come to be regarded as the “go-to” guy by his teammates and coaches. “If we need a fly-ball or to move a guy over, he’s the guy. He plays the game the way that it is supposed to be played,” said Scott.