WINTER WARRIORS DOMINATING Led by the Lady Warriors' Soccer first ever SSL Title, three Tehachapi varsity teams have locked up league and are now ready to turn their attention to a strong playoff run.

**LADY WARRIORS SOCCER ADVANCED TO THE CIF CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 4-0 WIN OVER YOSEMITE, BUT LOST A CLOSE MATCH TO #1 LEMOORE, 1-0, IN THE TITLE GAME...**

Posted 02-19-05

   For as long as Tehachapi has been in the South Sequoia League, the tables of consistent league victories laid in the footsteps and ball movements of the Garces Rams.

Much to the satisfaction of Tehachapi, the departure of Garces from the sequoia division has given way to a new sheriff in the OK-SSL corral.

While the rest of the league may be gun-slinging, it's Tehachapi, particularly Lady Warriors Soccer, Lady Warriors Basketball, and Warriors Basketball, that have been the dead-eye sharpshooters.

Probably the most celebrated of the trio have been the Lady Warriors Soccer team, who are blasting their way through the season with a 23-4-5 (9-0-1 SSL) record.

In a recent article in the Bakersfield Californian, Lady Warriors' Soccer Coach Tom Franchere was quoted saying, "We've had eight second-place finishes, and I think we're finally due for a first-place finish...we're ready to make the next jump," referring to the drought of no SSL titles for soccer.

The Lady Warriors are saturated with senior talent, led by recent Bakersfield Californian Player of the Week Amanda Brochu, who helps lead Tehachapi with 9 goals and 11 assists on the year.  Also strong contributors for the Ladies' include Ashley Haight, Celeste Torres, Sammy Mellinger, Cassie Smith.  Candice Schlecht, Danielle Reichenberg, Vikki Rowe, Monique Hernandez, Kim Green, Chesalon Goodell, and Rachel Avery have also made Tehachapi one of the valley's best, with Schlecht leading the entire valley in goals scored at 17 including nine assists through the middle of last week.  Brochu, Goodell, and Mellinger are also among the county's leaders in the scoring and assist category, while Reichenberg and Avery have been unforgiving as keepers.

Ironically, an SSL title in 2005 will not be the Lady Warrior's first championship celebration, with the 2000-2001 season brining Tehachapi a Large-School CIF Valley Championship in the programs' ninth year of existence.  Garces, the 2000-2001 SSL champion, went on to win the small school sequoia CIF title that year.

"I believe this year's team is the best during my 10 years as coach because we're deep and it helps that we don't have to worry about Garces anymore," Franchiere also told the Bakersfield Californian.

The ladies have already taken care of #14 seeded Arvin, #11 seed El Diamante, and most recently #2 seeded Yosemite in the playoffs, and will look to make a strong bid toward second CIF Championship title on the road this Thursday, Feb-23 against #1 seed Lemoore at 6pm

Hopefully this season an SSL championship confidence booster will help the Lady Warriors bring the program's second valley title home to Tehachapi....

Lady Warriors soccer won league with a 20-4-5 (9-0-1 SSL) record, and have breezed through their first three opponents in the Division III playoffs.  Above is action against El Diamante (Visalia), a game where the Ladies won 7-1 to move on to the section-semi's.  In the ladies' most recent match, Tehachapi downed Yosemite in Oakhurst 4-0 to get a berth in a third CIF Championship.

Even though their season might not be in the same line as the Lady Warriors, the Men's soccer team has received strong performances from Daniel Smith and Stefan Wulf, who are both among the counties leaders in goals scored.  Smith has rung in 18 goals and two assists on the year, while Wulf has 12 goals and six assists through Friday's game against Taft.  Overall, Tehachapi has a 5-16-2 record.

IN-BOUND: The Warriors send the ball towards the pitch in second-half action against the Wildcats.  Tehachapi put through a strong run to try and tie the game in extra minutes, but Taft would go on to record their first SSL win on the year with a 1-0 victory.

For Tehachapi Basketball, the accolades are far and deep...along with the marks.  The Lady Warriors have won their 20th consecutive SSL game dating back to last season, compiling a 22-6 (10-0 SSL) record.

Sophomore Katie Avila has been leading the Lady Warriors in scoring, while Senior Megan Terle continues to lead in the rebounding category.  Jana Smith and Sami Janzen, two freshmen for Tehachapi, have been steady contributors to the Warrior cause as well.  In the rankings category, Tehachapi is ranked 8th in Bakersfield Californian/Kern County polls, while Bob Barnett has Tehachapi as the second-best team in the valley in the Sequoia/Sierra teams, right behind defending Division III CIF champion Yosemite.

UNDEFEATED AGAIN: The Ladies wrapped up their second consecutive year going undefeated in the SSL wiht a 51-6 victory over Golden Valley on 19-Feb.  Above, Kellie Davies (#40), Sami Janzen (#22), Lindsey Romo (#32), and Chelsea Barcelona (#24) go up for a rebound against the Lady Bulldogs.

In men's basketball, the stats have been steady and consistent throughout the year, with a deep bench contributing to a 21-3 (10-0 SSL) season so far. 

Like their female counter-parts, the guys have wrapped up an undefeated SSL title, and look to better their Division III CIF semi-final appearance from last year.  The Bakersfield Californian/Kern County polls have Tehachapi as the 10th best team, while the Sequoia/Sierra division poll has the Warriors sitting at no.8 overall.

Senior Nick Gaeta leads the team in scoring and blocked shots, while Senior Ryan Darling leads the team in rebounds.  Sophomore Vincent Saavedra leads in the steals and three-point category, while junior point guard Bennie Dunn is tops in assists.

MOUNTAIN D: Justin Dock (#35) pulls down a rebound while Nick Gaeta (#23) and Ryan Darling (#52) box out in the paint.  Tehachapi went on to throttle the Wildcats at Taft, 61-38.

In wrestling, a big congratulations also goes out to Joe Smith and Ryan Sullivan, who both won SSL titles in their respective weight classes to help Tehachapi to a second place league finish.  Arvin won the team championship with five SSL title-takers and 104 points overall, followed closely by second place Tehachapi with 64 points.  Smith won the 217lbs. weight class, while Ryan won at 137lbs.

If you get a chance, come out to Tehachapi High School to see our Warrior teams in action!

	The Lady Warriors basketball team had a reprieve of sorts in the second half of SSL play when Taft forfeited their final five games.  The Lady Wildcats' Head Coach Shawn Dayton was ejected in a Feb-1 game against Wasco after receiving two technical fouls in what ended up being Taft's final game of the year.  Tehachapi received an automatic win-by-forfeit Friday, Feb-11 with the decision by the Taft High School administration to cancel the Varsity Girl's Basketball season.  The Gusher, Taft High's newspaper, reported that racist gestures were made toward the Wasco crowd while one Taft player made a "white power" hand gesture.  Both sides were also told to have used inappropriate language with each other towards game end.  Six players for Taft were suspended for the incident.
	A big congratulations goes out to our Warrior football players who turned in strong performances collegiately. Former Warriors Chris Denman and Jerad Romo turned in outstanding years for Fresno State and Southern Methodist, respectively.  Denman helped the Bulldogs to 9-3 overall record and a MPC Computers Bowl win against no.18 ranked Virginia 37-34 OT.  It was the second straight year that Denman helped Fresno State to a bowl victory, with the first in the 2003-2004 season against UCLA in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Romo was mister-everything for SMU in another down year for the Mustangs, with SMU finishing with a 3-7 record.  The good news is though that the win total was three more than the 'Stangs had without Romo in '03.  Although Jerad didn't start, he finished most of the games played, seeing action in nine contests at quarterback and compiling a 48-85 passing rating for 599 yards and four TD strikes.  Romo was also the leading rusher on the team (not very good news if your the quarterback), running 87 times for 512 yards and scoring four touchdowns. For New Mexico, Jon O'Brien was a solid contributor as the team's long snapper, while John Sullivan served as the teams place kicker in '04.  New Mexico ended the regular season with a 7-4 record, good enough for an Emerald Bowl berth against Navy in late-December. On the junior/community college level, Antelope Valley's Keith Noonan and Richard Munoz turning in strong years, while Bobby Unger contributed even though he was injury-plagued in '04.   Noonan was a mainstay on defense, coming in second on the team with 30 unassisted tackles and leading the team in assisted takedowns at 52.  Noonan was the leading tackler in a 17-14 loss against San Diego-Mesa and 27-13 loss against San Bernardino Valley.  Munoz was fifth on the team overall  in catches at seven, with a fourth-team best 7.3 yards per catch ratio.  It is rumored that Class-of-2004 Warriors Tanner Hutchinson and AJ Barcelona might come out for the Marauders in 2005, but that will all depend on their schedule in pursuit of a fire-fighting career. At Bakersfield College, only one Warrior suited up for the Renegades in '04, Tyler McCann.  McCann was a strong asset for BC on the offensive line, helping his team to a 7-3 overall record.  Tehachapi's Gary Evans was on the team early in the season, but injury forced him to bow out during the regular season. Stay tuned in the off-season for news of some more former Warriors making a claim for the next jump in football!
	It was history in the making for Tehachapi basketball, with both the Warriors and the Lady Warriors having undefeated SSL records in the same year.  The last time both basketball teams went undefeated in league dates all the way back to the Desert-Inyo League in the 80's, when Tehachapi were playing the likes of Rosamond, Mojave, and Kern Valley in league play.  Comprehensive statistical re-cap of each of the Warriors and Lady Warriors Basketball games can be found by going to Maxpreps.  Click on the link to see the stats on all the Tehachapi sports for 2004-2005!  Hopefully as maxpreps grows stats for soccer and wrestling can be posted on the site in future years. Seedings for all three Tehachapi playoff teams can be seen by following the links below.  Check out where the Warriors and Lady Warriors are pitted on their road to CIF Valley Titles... DIVISION III MEN'S BASKETBALL BRACKET DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BRACKET DIVISION III WOMEN'S SOCCER BRACKET The #4 Tehachapi Men's Basketball team has already fended off two foes in the playoffs, taking care of #13 El Diamante 70-68 and #5 Hanford West 60-58.  El Diamante was led by an Argentinean foreign exchange student named Francisco Bide, who averaged 21.2 points per game this year coming into the game against Tehachapi.  Bide almost proved to be the difference, but Tehachapi still prevailed to help set up their next game, against #1 Washington Union in Fresno on Wednesday, March 2nd. ARGENTINA MINER: The El Diamante Miners may have been a low seed, but the Warriors found difficulty handling one of the valley's best players in Francisco Bide, a foreign exchange student from Argentina.  Bide is averaged 21.2 points per game this year, which included a season-high 41 points against Dinuba in a pre-season contest back on 20-Dec, and 23 against Tehachapi in the playoffs. The Women's Basketball team got a favorable seeding at #3 and have already taken care of #6 Hanford, 56-47.  The ladies next test will be a semi-final game against the East Yosemite League co-champion #2 seed Chavez-Delano Titans (22-4).
	There will be more Weekly Warrior articles to come infrequently throughout the off-sesaon, be sure to tune in to get the latest new, highlights, and commentary!  Thanks to all of you for logging in and supporting Tehachapi High School Warrior athletics!