Local Area Sports Teams Claims Championships

CERRITOS – The Diamond Ranch boys’ volleyball team won the schools’ first divisional championship in school history after sweeping Garden Grove 27-25, 27-25, 25-20 Saturday afternoon.

Senior Caleb Cruz said at the beginning of the season that the team could make a deep run in the playoffs. Cruz, alongside with senior Faroq Giabani were freshmen on the JV team for head coach Mario Meza had the challenge of making the rest of the team buy in. After Saturday’s win, they are convinced.

“The other guys would always say, “If we win”, said Cruz of his positive outlook. “ I am the one who would say’ WHEN we win,’ ” “I am the positive guy.”

Meza said that it took Cruz some time to convince the team that they had great potential this season, but after a strong showing at the Garey tournament earlier this season proved to be the “pivotal point of the season” share in the belief of Cruz.

“He (Cruz) was trying to be the leader and the other guys didn’t really react right or buy in,” Meza said. “After that tournament they started seeing the potential. I think that was a definite turning point.”

Against Garden Grove, the game was as close as the score. The Argonauts (18-10) was up early in the first set 15-11 behind a 15-kill performance by Brandon Nguyen and 13 kills by Peselao Gauta.

It was all Diamond Ranch the rest of the way as Cruz puts away the winner to win the set 27-25.

Cruz and Giabani led the way for the Panthers with 13 kills and 3 blocks a piece and are the team leaders as well as they helped transformed a 9-21 team to a championship caliber team in the four years they played together.

“Those two are our go-tos, they’re our two seniors, they’re our leaders,” Meza said. “They’ve been on varsity for three years now. They come with experience, and the guys just know to follow them, they want to follow them.”

Diamond Ranch (22-9) seeded #3 faces Sylmar Triumph Charter in a state Division IV first round matchup Tuesday. Tipoff is at 7pm. Triumph is a City Section Division IV champions.

MT SAC WINS FIFTH STATE TITLE IN SOFTBALL

Freshman outfielder Vicky Gutierrez’s three run walk off homerun proved to be the difference as the Mt SAC softball team swept through the playoffs, winning eight straight games, culminating in its fifth state title, its first since 2009.

With left fielder Candace Haliburton (1 for 2, run) and tournament MVP Michelle Santiago on second and third, Gutierrez connected with a three-run home run to left field for the 5-4 lead. It was the third homer by Gutierrez in the playoffs.

“It’s such an incredible feeling, it’s surreal,” Gutierrez said. “With me being 0-2 coming into that at bat, my team still had my back.”

Photo: Diamond Ranch Celebrates after a point during its CIF division 5 Match (Contributing photographer Drew A Kelley for the Tribune)