Atwater junior is the Sun-Star Boys Basketball Player of the Year after special year
Atwater High basketball star Colton Dukes put together a junior season that will be hard to follow next year as a senior.
Dukes averaged 19.3 points per game to help lead the Falcons to a share of the Central California Conference championship. He was selected as the CCC Most Valuable Player along the way.
Dukes can add another accolade to his list. He’s the Merced Sun-Star Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Dukes already has big expectations for next year.
“I’m very excited for next year,” he said. “Hopefully we can win a section title and go on a run in the state playoffs.”
Dukes certainly will be the center piece.
Despite being the focus of opposing teams, Dukes played the key role in leading the Falcons to three consecutive wins to close out league schedule that earned a three-way tie for the CCC championship with El Capitan and Merced.
“It was special the way we won it,” said Dukes, who scored 66 points in those three games. “We had to win our last three games. We knew it was going to be tough but we were prepared for it.”
Dukes said being at the top of the scouting report for opposing teams took some adjusting for him.
“It was frustrating at times,” he said. “Over time I just learned to relax. There were times in the game when I was still able to get my shots up or make the plays I needed to make.”
Dukes said the season was made even more special going through it with the group of teammates Atwater had.
“I’ll always remember the way we got after it in practice every day,” he said. “We pushed each other. That made it easier when we played other teams. We trusted each other because we were put in tough situations.”
To improve his game Dukes said he practiced his ball handling and worked on his decision making during the offseason.
“I took a lot more pride in my defense too,” Dukes said. “I also improved him shot selection.”
CCC teams should expect an even better version of Dukes next year.
“It’s going to be my senior year and I want to go out with a bang,” Dukes said.
Soccer
Daniel Cruz, Livingston
Livingston High senior Daniel Cruz called his senior season for the Wolves “unforgettable.”
Cruz scored 22 goals to help lead Livingston a 9-0-1 record and Trans-Valley League championship and was named the TVL Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
Cruz is also the Merced Sun-Star Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
“It was really important to me that my last season be unforgettable and we all get what we wanted and I think we did that,” Cruz said.
The Wolves absolutely dominated the TVL, outscoring their opponents 65 to 6.
Cruz moved into a leadership role this season as a senior.
“For me it was about reminding other players to have fun and remember what was important,” he said. “We were able to achieve what we wanted to achieve.”
This season didn’t end the way the Wolves wanted with a second-round loss to Dixon on penalty kicks. Livingston went into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs as the top seed and had visions of winning a section championship.
So the second-run upset was hard to swallow.
“That loss stung,” Cruz said. “Dixon was a good team with a good goalie. It wasn’t the way we wanted to end the season but we still had a great season.”
Wrestling
Larry Borelli, Los Banos
Larry Borrelli’s season ended right where he wanted it to end. The Los Banos sophomore made it to the CIF State Tournament in Bakersfield, considered one the toughest high school tournaments in the nation.
And there was Borrelli — just a sophomore — sharing the mat with the top wrestlers in the state.
Borrelli went 2-2 at the state tournament and finished the season with a 39-10 record.
Borrelli is the Merced Sun-Star Boys Wrestler of the Year.
“Making it to state was definitely one of my biggest goals so to make it there felt amazing,” Borelli said. “What made it even better was that we had a couple other teammates make it so it was exciting for our team.”
Borrelli finished fourth at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championship in the 145-pound division. He won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship.
Borrelli liked the challenge that the postseason presented to him and it’s the challenge of the sport that drew him to wrestling.
He enjoys pushing himself to the limit mentally and physically.
“This year I didn’t really know how to gauge myself after having a couple tournaments canceled,” Borrelli said. “Next year I want to try to place at state. I’m going to work hard in the offseason to do that.”
Borrelli’s has long-term wrestling goals and he’s dedicated to make that happen.
“I’m always pushing myself in practice,” he said. “My goal is get a scholarship to wrestle in college and I’m going to work hard.”
All-Area Honors
Basketball
Brody Collins, El Capitan
Mateo Tangaan, Golden Valley
Tyler Parr, Atwater
Jaylen Thao-Booth, Merced
Will Bain, El Capitan
Seth Mays-Meneley, Merced
Lance Dondero, Mariposa
Cam Frazier, Atwater
Brayden Fountain, Mariposa
Brock Richards, Buhach Colony
Soccer
Lorenzo Jorgenson, Merced
Jesus Jacobo, Atwater
Landon LaPlante, Buhach Colony
Jordan Figueroa, El Capitan
Juan Silvar, El Capitan
Jake Perkins, Pacheco
Egar Joel-Vazquez, Merced
Malachi Wright, Golden Valley
Allieu Kondoh, Pacheco
Jimmy Perkins, Pacheco
Ezekiel Padilla, Livingston
Arturo Herrera, Livingston
Rigo Ayala, Delhi
Wrestling
Elijah Valencia, Merced
Isaiah Serena, Merced
Abraham Granados, Merced
Devin Fagan, Golden Valley
Noble Santos, Hilmar
Travon Moore, Golden Valley
Ezekiel Trevino, Golden Valley
Joel Lara, Buhach Colony
Ian Thor, Golden Valley
Jacob Magana, Los Banos
Abram Nisse, Livingston
Raymond Fernandez, Los Banos
