Buchanan outfielder Josh Williams poses with his family after signing his NLI to play at UCSB. The signing event was held at First String Sports.
It goes without saying that we are living in perilous times, a global pandemic where lives have been altered, family structures have been broken down and schools are in constant flux.
We certainly need some good news and, thankfully, we have many reasons to celebrate.
Forty Clovis Unified students committed to play a college sport, signing their National Letter of Intent (NLI) at various places Wednesday and Thursday – some at school ceremonies (Clovis West and Buchanan) and some in the privacy of their own home.
Attaining a college scholarship is no easy task; the countless hours of hard work in the gym or field, those late nights hitting the books to earn those top grades and of course having the talent to stand out.
And we can’t forget the parents, often the backbone of the kid’s journey with all the road trips, the financial investments and the encouraging words when times are tough.
The Clovis Sports Report was able to attend the Clovis West signing party on campus on Nov. 11 where social distancing rules were strictly in place. In addition, they participated in a ceremony at First String Sports where nine student/athletes throughout the Valley were honored including four from Clovis Unified. Two Bullard athletes, Brady Zavorek (San Diego State, baseball) and Bryce Weiner (Cal Poly, football) were honored as well as Memorial’s Tanner Sagouspe (Cal Poly, baseball) and Eddie Salvodar (Long Beach State, baseball). Dominic Rodriguez from Turlock is attending baseball at Fresno State.
Some notable athletes moving on after this year are Maximo Renteria of Buchanan, the three time team and individual state wrestling chamnp headed to the University of Illinois, Gabriel Jett of Clovis North, the number one high school swimming recruit in California headed to Cal-Berkely, Cole Anderson of Clovis West, only 82 points away from being the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball, to UCSB and Nikki Tom of Clovis West, a major player for three-time league and Central Section champs, will be off to UC Irvine.
In addition, Venice Goings of Buchanan will graduate at 16 after skipping her junior year and will be attending Cal Baptist in the sport of stunt, one of the fastest growing female collegiant sports.
The following is a complete list of signees:
Buchanan High
- Rocco Contino – Wrestling – University of Virginia
- Raymond Lopez – Wrestling – West Point
- George Ruiz – Wrestling – Annapolis
- Maximo Renteria – Wrestling – University of Illinois
- Carlos Negrete Jr. – Wrestling – North Dakota State
- Jake Bettencourt – Golf – Fresno State University
- Olivia Garcia – Basketball – Fresno Pacific University
- Claire Raley – Softball – Utah State
- Marissa Fondtain – Softball – UC San Diego
- Taylor Phillips – Soccer – San Jose State
- Brenden Ashman – Golf – Cal State Fullerton
- Tarryn DeBenedetto – Volleyball – Colorado Christian University
- Taylor Finley – Volleyball – University of Saint Katherine
- Lauren Fowler – Track and Field – New Mexico
- Bo Olsen – Track and Field – Fresno Pacific University
- Josh Williams – Baseball – UC Santa Barbara
Clovis East High
- Kacy Wicks – Water Polo – San Diego State
- Jacob Tafoya – Football – Air Force
- Caitlyn Perales – Softball – Dominican University
Clovis High
- Keanu Williams – Football – University of Oregon
- Samantha Tristan –Soccer – Fresno State University
- Isabella Anderson –Soccer – Fresno State University
- Shaley Garza –Soccer – Fresno Pacific University
- Libby Alexander –Water Polo – UC Irvine
- Julia Price –Volleyball – Indiana Wesleyan University
Clovis North High
- Gabriel Jett – Swim and Dive – University of California, Berkeley
- Jeffrey Forbes – Swim and Dive – Washington University in St. Louis
- Rees Kent – Baseball – Saint Mary’s College
- Emma Brown – Soccer – California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Sydney Hancock – Volleyball – Colorado State University
- Christian Silva – Soccer – California State University, Northridge
Clovis West High
- Ashlynne Davis – Volleyball – West Virginia State University
- Kianna Cortez-Garcia – Soccer – California State University, East Bay
- Cole Anderson – Basketball – UC Santa Barbara
- Samuel Otta – Water Polo – UC Irvine
- Justyce Harris – Basketball – Concordia University
- Kendall Jackson – Basketball – Concordia University
- Jada Oatman – Basketball – Fresno Pacific University
- Nikki Tom – Basketball – UC Irvine
- Austin Lane – Swim and Dive – University of Pittsburgh
