Coyotes Best Previously Unbeaten Delhi in Southern League Opener

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DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair’s defense played its best game of the season in Friday night’s 20-14 Southern League victory over Delhi. And, fittingly, it was the defense that came through on the most pivotal play.

With two minutes to play and Denair leading 14-7, Delhi was faced with a fourth-and-6 from the Denair 33-yard-line. The Hawks decided to go for a first down. But the strategy backfired when Coyotes lineman Dylan Mann broke free, sacked the Delhi quarterback and caused a fumble. Outside linebacker Juan Barrera scooped up the loose ball and raced 65 yards for the clinching touchdown, setting off a wild celebration on the Denair sideline and in the visiting stands.

In fact, Denair (2-2 overall, 1-0 SL) celebrated a little too long, drew a 15-yard penalty and had to kick off from its own 25-yard line.

Delhi (3-1, 0-1) nearly ran the kick back, then scored a few plays later to trim Denair’s lead to 20-14 with about a minute to play.

The Hawks went for an onside kick, but Denair recovered and ran out the clock to end the hard-fought game.

It was Denair’s first road victory in three tries this season, something Coach Anthony Armas said is an important sign of growth for his young team.

“We had talked about learning to travel because our two previous road games didn’t turn out the way we would have liked them to. I think we are learning how to travel,” said Armas, whose squad had sandwiched away losses to Summerville and Argonaut around a home victory over Brookside Christian. Continue reading “Coyotes Best Previously Unbeaten Delhi in Southern League Opener” »

DHS Powder Puff Game Takes the Field Wednesday Night

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Powder Puff Flyer

Submitted by Denair High School Sports Boosters

It’s that time of year where the girls kick the boys off the field and invade Jack W. Lytton Stadium, at Denair High School, for the Annual Powder Puff Game. This year’s game will be played Wednesday, September 30th, 2015 @ 6:30 pm. The 2015 Powder Puff Game between the Junior and Senior girls will be an exciting display of athleticism and competiveness. The game is always a fun time for all, including the fans in the stands cheering, the players on the field giving their all, and the all-boy cheerleading squads showing their support and their moves during half time.

The game is a fundraising event between the Denair Sports Boosters and Denair High School Wrestling. The gate opens at 5:30 pm and start time is 6:30 pm. The cost to attend the game is $7 for adults and $3 for students. There will be food available to purchase at the game.

Both teams have done an excellent job preparing for the game and both squads look like they are ready to play.   The scrimmages between the two squads have been very competitive and we could see a high scoring game.

Last year Juniors this year’s Seniors will be looking to get their chance at a victory that escaped them last year. Senior QB Cheyenne Rutherford, and Senior RB Destiny Silva, will again lead this Senior group that only lost by 2 points last year as Juniors. This year’s Seniors will have an experience line-up that hopes to continue the streak of Senior victories that have been dominate for the last 5 years.

First time players Junior QB Kelsey Park and Junior RB Eva Varni will try to break the streak of Senior victories. Both ladies have shown a lot of athleticism in practice, along with their Junior teammates, and could be the group that give the Juniors a victory to end the Senior dominance.

There are some great coaches volunteering their time to help them. Denair Head Wrestling Coach Don Helnore is coaching the Seniors along with Denair Assistant Wrestling Coach Matt Saldana and Denair Assistant Football Coach Andy Rutherford. The Juniors have Former Denair Assistant Football Coach Russell Steeley returning to coach along with Denair Assistant Football Coach Rick Snyder and Denair JV Head Football Coach and Denair Assistant Wrestling Coach Joe Prock.

It shaping up to be an exciting game that will determine who will have bragging rights for the rest of the school year.

DECA’s Dual Immersion Program Featured on ‘Good Day Sacramento’

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Good Day Sacramento

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The brand new kindergarten Spanish immersion program at Denair Elementary Charter Academy received great exposure Monday morning with a visit from a news crew from Channel 31’s “Good Day Sacramento” program.

The excited students from the classrooms of teachers Sandra Cisneros and Nancy Silva sang a song in Spanish and English as reporter Cambi Brown listened and her cameraman broadcast the events live on television.

Brown, who is bilingual, spoke in Spanish and English to the students. She also interviewed DECA Principal Sara Michelena. To watch the fun segment, go to http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/category/spoken-word-good-day/3299824-spanish-immersion/. Different versions of the report also will be featured on Channel 31’s noon and 4 p.m. news programs Monday.

The kindergarten Spanish immersion program began this year and already has proven to be especially popular with parents. Thirty-two youngsters signed up, creating the need for a second class. An additional teacher has been hired. There still is room for another dozen or so students in the program.

The classes follow the 90% Spanish and 10% English dual immersion model, Michelena told Brown. There is an equal mix of English and Spanish speakers. The intent, she said, is to add a dual immersion class at successive grade levels each year as the first group of kindergartners gets older. Michelena said by the time the first group of students become second graders, they will be completely bilingual.

Cherie Gresham Takes Helm as Denair High Counselor

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Cherie Gresham

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Cherie Gresham really enjoys being around high school students – these “little adults,” as she respectfully refers to them. But until she was hired as Denair High’s new counselor, she assumed most of her interaction with teens would be confined to the soccer field and her role as a coach.

Even while working for the state Department of Social Services the past few years, Gresham applied for school jobs in Merced, Los Banos and her hometown of Manteca. But most districts have reduced their counseling staffs in the past decade and the few opportunities that came open attracted many experienced applicants.

It took a tip over the summer from her former college roommate and CSU Stanislaus soccer teammate Breanna Vaughan – now a science teacher at Denair High — to create the break Gresham needed.

She applied in July and interviewed in August for the position, impressing Principal Alecia Myers and the others on the search committee. A few days later, Gresham got the call she had been waiting for. Her first day was Sept. 4 – three weeks after classes began.

“We are so excited to have her on board as she brings a wealth of experience serving students, parents and colleagues from her previous position as a social worker,” Myers said. “She comes to us with the highest of recommendations and is a self-starter who strives to seek the best way to serve others with an excitement and energy that makes you want to work with her. Her natural curiosity is infectious and has already begun creating energy in our students and staff.”

School counselors wear many hats and it’s no different for Gresham. She will play a key role in assuring all students are on track to graduate and those bound for college are in the right classes. She will advise students and their parents when it comes to college applications and applying for scholarships and grants. She will work with Myers to build class schedules that provide the most flexibility. And she will be in charge of state testing, student awards and recognition, and the career fair. Continue reading “Cherie Gresham Takes Helm as Denair High Counselor” »

Mistake-Prone Denair Football Falls to Argonaut, 35-12

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DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Mistakes and missed assignments doomed Denair in its 35-12 preseason loss Friday night to Argonaut, which played an inspired game in the midst of the Valley fire that has ravaged more than 71,000 acres in and around Calaveras County.

Many of the players, coaches and fans of the Argonaut team no doubt have been affected by the wildfire, which has destroyed more than 500 homes. But Friday night, it was the Coyotes who got burned by too many self-inflicted errors.

Denair (1-2) will be focused on cleaning up those mistakes this week at practice, said head coach Anthony Armas.

“Alignment and assignment,” said Armas when asked what the emphasis will be this week. “Knowing where we align, what our assignment is on each play and executing that assignment.”

On deck for the Coyotes in their first Southern League game is unbeaten Delhi, which has outscored its three non-conference opponents 142-35. Kickoff is Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Delhi.

“I know that Delhi is undefeated and they’re physical. Every game from here on out will be tough,” Armas said.

Against Argonaut (2-1), Denair scored on a 29-yard run by Juan Berrera in the second quarter and a 1-yard run by Chase Pritt in third period. That wasn’t nearly enough to overcome a motivated Mustangs team that had played and lost just five days earlier. Argonaut’s game against Bear River was moved from Jackson to Grass Valley because of the fire.

“We didn’t execute very well,” Armas said. “We made a lot of mistakes and we can’t afford to do that against a team like Argonaut.”

Armas said the fire had “zero affect” on the game, though it wasn’t far from anyone’s mind.

“It was a nice evening,” he said. “It was their homecoming, so there was a lot going on, but they certainly paid tribute to the firefighters. I believe their coaches were wearing shirts with the Fire Department name on them.”