Notebook: High school hoops players compete in All-Star Games, MJC baseball hosts playoffs

Some of the best high school basketball players in the Modesto area got a chance to put on their high school jerseys for the last time Saturday, April 27 at Modesto Junior College for the 27th Six County All-Star Games.

Girls MVP Marissa Renteria of Ceres led the Red Team to a win over the Blue Team. The guard who led the Bulldogs to their best season since 2005-06 played for her coach, Megan McGill, and scored 16 points. The Red Team took a 33-18 halftime lead and did not let up in the second half, winning 63-46.

At halftime, Ripon Christian’s Maddie Yonker and Patterson’s Siena Musson represented their respective teams in a tightly contested three-point contest. They each made 15-of-25 shots, setting up a five-shot shoot-off from the top of the key. Yonker shot first, connecting on three shots. Musson took the title, hitting four of five shots. Musson competed against boys three-point representative Peyton Nieman of Manteca. Neiman won in another tight shooting contest.

St. Mary’s guard Cayden Ward took home the Slam Dunk Contest title before the boys game.

Jeremiah Bernard of Modesto Christian is going to Cal Poly to play football, but the three-time Sac-Joaquin Section champion made his impact on the basketball court one final time.

Bernard made a floater with five seconds left in the second half of an ultra-competitive boys All-Star game that ended up being the game-winner for the Red Team, 81-79. He took home boys MVP honors.

Team Red went into halftime with a 40-33 advantage, but Team Blue quickly came out in the second half to turn the contest into a back-and-forth affair. Bernard caught the ball at the top of the key, took one hard left-handed dribble into the paint and connected on a one-handed push shot. Team Blue called a timeout and drew up an inbounds play that Bernard intercepted in the backcourt to seal the game.

Venture Academy’s Mario Williams led Team Red with 21 points and made four 3’s.

MJC baseball hosting playoffs this week

For the first time in two decades, the MJC baseball team is hosting 3C2A NorCal Regional playoff games. They host Sacramento City Thursday and Friday in a first-round series with the chance to advance in the postseason. The Pirates finished the regular season 26-12 overall and 16-8 in Big 8 Conference play, good for fourth in the conference.

Here is the schedule in the best-of-three series:

• Game 1: Thursday, May 2 at 2 p.m.

• Game 2: Friday, May 3 at 11 a.m.

• Game 3: Friday, May 3 at 3 p.m. (if necessary)

Ripon High athletes set new school records

A pair of Ripon High swimming records were broken at the Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Swimming Trials on May 1. Valerie Chun broke her school record in the 100 butterfly and girls relay teams broke records in the 200 relay and 400 relay. The playoff continues Thursday with the boys trials. Boys and girls finals are Friday, May 3 at District 56 in Elk Grove.

MJC MBB bringing in key acquisitions

New MJC men’s basketball coach Brice Fantazia and his staff are wasting no time assembling a talented roster for the 2024-25 season. On the MJC Men’s Basketball X/Twitter account, the program announced nearly 10 signings so far including bringing back Kodey Wearey and Prince Oseya, who both played at the Division II level last season. Division I section champion at Modesto Christian Dre’Von Johnson will join the Pirates next season along with Division IV section champion guard from Venture Academy, DaeLeon Neal. The Pirates are not done, and will still be signing players as the offseason continues.

Gregori High hosts signing day with 30 athletes

Gregori High School on April 16 honored over 30 of its high school athletes who are playing college sports next season. Seniors advancing to play everywhere from the Division I to JUCO levels in sports from football to cheer to water polo and everything in between met with family and friends in the school library for a signing ceremony. Each student was introduced by athletic director James Davis.

“This day is a celebration of our student athletes,” he said at the ceremony. “This is about the decision in your senior year where you decide to go on and play college sports. That is an awesome and terribly difficult decision to get to. The amount of time, effort and hours put in by this group of young men and women is an extraordinary amount.”

Here is the list of athletes, the sport they play and where they will attend college:

Logan Apodaca, Football, MJC

Conner Bailey, Football, San Diego Mesa College

Trinity Beland, Baseball, University of Wisconsin (Platteville)

Rolando Berton, Wrestling, Sacramento State

Alyssa Blanco, Softball, Simpson University

Janessa Carrillo, Cheer, Stanislaus State

Michael Daley, Soccer, Florida Atlantic University

Ryan Davis, Water Polo, Mount San Antonio College

Ashley Dumas, Wrestling, TBA

Lance Eastman, Baseball, TBA

Kailey Estes, Softball, Concordia University-Irvine

Samuel Fajardo, Soccer, TBA

Jocelyn Figueroa, Soccer, Stanislaus State

Reggieon Foster, Football, MJC

Landon Gutierrez, Football, MJCKylee Huff, Softball, Fort Lewis College

Dominic Joseph, Baseball, TBA

Mikayla Lancaster, Wrestling, Menlo College

Aidan Lovato, Football/Track, MJC

Ethan Lowell, Football, Eastern Washington University

Michael Marsden, Football, MJC

Xander Martinez, Baseball, University of Wisconsin (Platteville)

Jordan Oshana, Soccer, Menlo College

Arturo Rios-Fajardo, Football, MJC

Keenan Tumbarello, Wrestling, Avila University (Kansas City)

Caitlyn Veneman, Soccer, Umpqua JC (Oregon)

Trey Webb, Football, MJC

Deandre White Jr., Football, MJC

Rebecca Willemse, Volleyball, Cabrillo College

Adrian Yepez-Yepez, Soccer, Stanislaus State