Notes: Downey baseball beats Beyer for Windemuth Tournament title
The Downey High baseball team took a week off from Central California Athletic League play and came home with a title in one of the most historic tournaments in the Stanislaus District.
The Knights, along with a number of schools from Modesto and surrounding cities, competed in the Dick Windemuth Easter Tournament, which has been around for more than half a century. Teams played Monday through Thursday in the event, which started with pool play and ended with the championship in the final game of the week.
The Knights met Beyer High in the tournament finale, both teams entering on win streaks. The Patriots won six straight, including this week over Modesto, Orland and Delhi to enter the title game 3-0 in tournament play. Downey lost the first game of the tournament to Davis but went on to shut out Ceres and beat Modesto Christian in a forfeit. The Knights earned a spot in the title game despite an opening-day loss because they held a run differential advantage in a three-way tie.
The Knights went down early, but quickly responded, tying the game at 1-1. From that point on, they outscored the Patriots 5-2, securing the tournament title with a 6-3 win.
The tournament reunited old Modesto Metro Conference foes in Downey, Davis and Beyer. Downey played the Spartans and Patriots regularly for years, but then it moved from the MMC to the CCAL because of section realignment. Downey’s last matchup with Davis was a league game in 2018. The Knights and Patriots played twice since the 2018 final MMC days, in 2022 and 2023.
“It was fun,” Downey head coach Justin Schwitters said. “We hadn’t played Beyer in a long time, that was a fun inter-city matchup. We hadn’t played Davis in a long time, so playing them was fun. It was a cool vibe.”
Senior Jayceon Sloan earned his first varsity start in Thursday’s championship game. The two-year varsity player spent most of his junior season in the outfield and was an outfielder and relief pitcher this year. Sloan pitched five innings and earned the win.
The tournament wins give the Knights a three-game win streak heading into their most important week of the season, a series against league leader Turlock. The Knights are tied with Gregori for second place in the CCAL (8-4) while the Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat and are the favorites to secure a second straight league title (11-1).
“Baseball is a confidence sport, so any time you can win some games and get some momentum, it’s good,” Schwitters said. “Our boys will be ready to roll and I’m sure Turlock will too.”
Modesto high schools honor college-bound student athletes
Two Modesto high schools hosted signing day ceremonies Thursday on their respective campuses. At Gregori, student athletes were joined by friends and family as they were honored for their commitments to continue their sports at the collegiate level. At Enochs, football player Davian Garcia signed to play at George Fox University in Oregon.
Gregori Class of 2025 College Athletes:
Arianna Aguire, Softball, Hope International University
Xzavier Ahumada, Football, Modesto JC
Canon Buttell, Baseball, Merced College
Allyson Conway, Softball, Reedley College
David Cortez, Soccer, Merced College
Daniel Harter, Football, Modesto JC
Braden Herline, Soccer, Merced College
Dominic Hernandez, Baseball, Merced College
Alison Hou, Soccer, USC
Eris Lombrana, Track, Stanislaus State
Juliet Lopez, Soccer, University of Jamestown
Azzan Mendoza, Baseball, Modesto JC
Izaia Perez, Baseball, Merced College
Avyn Redoble, Baseball, Merced College
De Andre Rich, Football, El Camino Junior College
Erick Rosas, Baseball, Merced College
NeVaeh Scheper, Softball, Chico State
Charlotte Tooze, Cross Country/Track, Georgia State University
Gerardo Vasquez, Football, Modesto JC
Isaac Vasquez, Football, Modesto JC
Natalie Vergara, Wrestling, Walorf University
Alton Williams, Football, Modesto JC
Erick Winchester, Baseball, Modesto JC
Downey High graduate impacts winning in Ivy League
Former Downey High three-sport athlete Camden Rush picked the perfect time to hit his first career college home run for Dartmouth. With The Big Green trailing 6-3 and runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth inning against Harvard, Rush launched a pitch over the left-centerfield fence, tying the game. Dartmouth went on to win the game 7-6, securing the series win, 2-1. Rush finished the game with two hits in four at bats and four RBI.
On the season, Rush is hitting .306 with two home runs, 19 RBI and a pair of doubles. He has 19 hits on the season and has scored nine runs. He has started in 15 of the 22 games he’s played, mostly in the infield. He has a .962 fielding percentage.
Gregori wrestling coach honored by section
Gregori wrestling coach Mike Cantwell was named one of this year’s Sac-Joaquin Section model coaches, the section announced in February. Cantwell was one of six coaches named for the 2024-25 year. The award honors coaches who are positive role models at schools and in the community. Cantwell and the other coaches were honored at the scholarship breakfast hosted by the section at District 56 in Elk Grove on April 2. Each model coach received a plaque and a lifetime Sac-Joaquin Section pass.
To date, according to the section, 146 coaches have been honored from 82 schools.
Modesto Christian forward makes college hoops choice
Modesto Christian senior forward and Bee All-District Honorable Mention player Ry Atkins will be playing for a college close to home as he announced on X that he would attend Columbia College. Atkins transferred to the Crusaders as a junior after two seasons at Summerville High. He helped Modesto Christian win a third straight section title in 2024 and helped it to two straight CIF Northern California Open Division playoff appearances.
During his senior season, Atkins averaged six points and 5.5 rebounds. In this year’s Division I section title game loss to Folsom, he had an impressive 16-point, 15-rebound double double.
Annual 6 County All-Star Game Saturday
A pair of Division I state champion runner-up teammates will take the court on opposite sides Saturday night when Lincoln’s Anthony Moore and Donez Lindsey suit up as members of the Blue and Red teams, respectively in this year’s 6 County All-Star basketball game. The event, organized by Modesto Slam-N-Jam founder Bobby Cole, is Saturday at Modesto Junior College. This year’s event will feature boys and girls high school girls games and will also feature for the first time boys and girls middle school games. Doors open at 2 p.m. for the eighth grade boys and girls games. The high school girls game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the boys game is scheduled to start at 7:30. The night will also feature a high school 3-point contest, slam dunk contest and cheer performance.
Modesto Christian, Modesto High, Davis, Gregori, Enochs, Johansen and Pitman are among schools represented in the boys game. In the girls game, Davis, Riverbank, Enochs, Escalon, Ceres, Beyer and Oakdale and other Stanislaus District schools will be represented.
Boys Rosters
Blue Team
Coaches: Derek Jacobs (Golden Valley), Jordan Boreman (Mountain House)
Blake Colbert, Modesto Christian
Anthony Moore, Lincoln-Stockton
Andrew Poulsen, Modesto
Damien Rease, Weston Ranch
Josh Banks, Weston Ranch
Isaiah Carter, Golden Valley
Diego Ultreras, El Capitan
Jeff Tangaan, Golden Valley
JP Motta, Davis
Jon Curran, Sonora
Manjot Mann, Central Catholic
Vince Arnaudo, St. Mary’s
Marcus Madoski, Ripon
Red Team
Coaches: Kyle McKim (Beyer), Ernesto Ruiz (Gregori)
Donez Lindsey, Lincoln-Stockton
Darrion Lilly, Weston Ranch
Mitchell McMahan, Argonaut
Boston Williams, Bret Harte
Avery Sanchez, Pitman
Manny Ortega, Ceres
Mason Galvan, Enochs
Wilbert Gaxiola, Johansen
Caynan Gardner, Davis
Kaleb Smith, Gregori
Raphael Rosas, Gregori
Jaiden Sahota, Stone Ridge
Shemar Jones, Mountain House
Girls Rosters
Blue Team
Coaches: Tracy Cole (Davis), Joe Dalpogetti (Escalon)
Kaliyaeni Saykao, Davis
Karissa Hukill, Atwater
Sasha Siemiller, Pacheco
Michailla Springs, Manteca
Aliyah Felix, Riverbank
Destiny Ngo, Enochs
Aiden Hohenwarter, Escalon
Leila Sanchez, Ripon
Tatyana Johns, Davis
Alexis Felix, Riverbank
Shantelle Magana, El Capitan
Red Team
Coaches: San Kao (Beyer), Janelle Luu (Riverbank)
Taylor Macias, Riverbank
Kylie Kulina, Beyer
Niaja Harris, Mountain House
Hailey Tsurui, Ceres
Cami Gibson, Atwater
Avah Luu, Riverbank
Brynn Begovich, Argonaut
Alana Dancer, Beyer
Alison Cozby, Sierra
Cassidy Terry, Oakdale
Stan State distance runner a national champion
Former Ripon High distance runner Annie Wild is making a name for herself at the hometown school, Stanislaus State. Wild qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. in mid-March and advanced to the finals in the mile run. Wild in the final few meters hunted down the leader and rushed past her, finishing in a time of 4 minutes, 40.62 seconds. In winning the title, Wild became the first first Indoor Track & Field National Champion in Stan State history.
Just this season, the sophomore cemented her name in the school’s record books, recording the fourth-best time in the 800-meter run (2:10:34 seconds) and becoming the school record holder in the mile, finishing in 4:39.92 at the 2025 Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier at Boston University.
Also in March, Wild was named a 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Women’s U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) First Team All-American.
