Following successful fall seasons, Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high school sports have earned their spots in the CIF championship. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) governs California high school sports and hosts highly anticipated annual sports championships. Baldwin Park High School's football and Cross Country teams, along with Sierra Vista High School's Cross Country and Girls Tennis teams, will be competing in CIF Playoffs.
After defeating Estancia High School with a final score of 23-14, the Baldwin Park High School Varsity Football team heads into CIF quarterfinals. The team is led by student captains: Corey Lacy, Chase Blackwell, Steven Lopez, Elvis Diaz, Caleb Calvin, and Jake Garcia. Last year, Baldwin Park High School reached the semifinals of the 2022 championship. This year, the Braves are under the guidance of new head coach Robert Maxie, who attributes the team’s success to “the players' hard work, dedication to the team, and continuing to get better each day at practice.”
As the team prepares for their next game, Maxie emphasizes that "the most important play is the next play, regardless of what happened in the previous play. What matters is how you respond." The BPHS Braves will face Desert Hot Springs High School on Friday, November 10th, at 7:00 p.m. at Baldwin Park High School's Ted K. Gorrell Stadium.
Baldwin Park High School's Cross Country team has also secured their spot in CIF. The Boys Cross Country team will compete as a team in preliminaries, after achieving a second-place finish in their league. The top two BPHS runners from the league are Julio Lopez and Sergio Velazquez. Other runners competing this weekend include Nathan Esparza, Jonathon Evangelista, David Evangelista, Alexander Olea, David Olivares, and Ulysses Sibolboro. Baldwin Park High School's Cross Country athletes will participate in CIF preliminaries on Saturday, November 11th, at 9:00 a.m. at Mt. San Antonio College.
Sierra Vista High School's Cross Country teams had a triumphant league final meet at Azusa High School, earning multiple medals and securing a place in CIF preliminaries. From the Boys Varsity team, six runners finished in the top ten and received medals: Guillermo Montoya, first place (15:45), league MVP, Alan Perez, second place (17:12), Emmanuel Domingo, fourth place (17:53), Matthew Arellano, fifth place (17:57), Kevin Cardenas, sixth place (17:57), and Francisco Ramirez, seventh place (18:08). From the Girls Varsity team, four runners finished in the top ten and received medals: Sam Alday, first place (22:38), League MVP, Raylynn Montelongo, third place (23:30), Katelyn Ruiz, fourth place (24:10), and Diana Flores, sixth place (24:40). The Boys Junior Varsity team claimed all top ten positions.
Led by Boys Coach Jose Rodriguez and Girls Coach Hector Gonzalez, both Sierra Vista High School Cross Country teams maintained an undefeated record this season, with Boys Varsity finishing 20-0, Girls Varsity finishing 20-0, and Boys Junior Varsity finishing 20-0. This year's team captains are students Guillermo Montoya, Camila Guerra, and Diana Flores.
"All athletes have worked extremely hard in the last couple of weeks, and their efforts are evident in the results. They have represented Sierra Vista proudly," said Girls Cross Country head coach Hector Gonzalez. SVHS Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country teams will compete in Division 3 CIF Preliminaries on Friday, November 10th.
Sierra Vista High School's Girls Tennis athletes have also secured qualifications for CIF. Three players will be moving on to CIF individuals: Vanessa Quintana scoring second place singles, and teammates Valeria Hernandez and Isabella Cardenas scoring second place for doubles. The Lady Dons achieved a higher rank this year and qualified for CIF Division 5. This year, the Lady Dons went undefeated for a second year in a row and retained their Montview League Championship. This year’s captain is student Isabella Cardenas who leads a new team. “With a whole new team this year, the girls worked extra hard wanting to prove to everyone that we are still champions and that we are not going down without a fight,” said Girls Tennis Coach Byron Leung.
Throughout the season, Leung inspired the tennis athletes with a pregame Shakespeare quote, “Be not afraid of greatness, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, you are destined to be great and you were born great, so go out there and show them how great you really are.” The SVHS girls' tennis athletes will be advancing to individual competitions on Monday, November 20th.
PHOTOS
BPUSD_CIF SPORTS_1: Baldwin Park High School’s Varsity Football Team
BPUSD_ CIF SPORTS _2: Baldwin Park High School’s Boys Varsity Cross Country Team
BPUSD_ CIF SPORTS _3: Sierra Vista High School’s Boys & Girls Cross Country Team
BPUSD_ CIF SPORTS _4: Sierra Vista High School’s Girls Tennis Team
BPUSD_ CIF SPORTS _5: BPUSD Celebratory Image