Multiple South Placer athletes awarded as MVP in Sierra Foothill League

A number of Del Oro, Whitney, Rocklin and Granite Bay High school athletes received selections and some were named as Most Valuable Player on the recently-released Sierra Foothill League's All-League rosters. Del Oro High junior quarterback Caden Pinnick was given the Offensive Player of the Year award as he threw for 22 touchdowns and led the Golden Eagles to the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals. Akio Martinson was honored as the lineman of the year while Kainoa Acia, Thomas Graham, Brandon Hill and Trae Huber were also on the All-League list. Rocklin High had six players end up on the All-League roster: Mason Silva, Tom Sackinsky, Koen Bell, Austin Adams, Eli Hardy and Kaleb Larson. For Granite Bay High, Carter Jackson, Isaiah Ene, Frank Cusano and Zaire Collier earned All-League. Whitney High also had four athletes: Isaiah Bickham, Phoenix Rose, Jackson Ly and Bryce Kilkenny. Four players from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II champion Whitney Wildcats girls' volleyball team earned All-League honors, including senior Katelyn Cochran who was awarded as the Most Valuable Player. Cochran finished her final high school season with 259 kills, 94 aces and 492 assists, leading the Lady Wildcats in each category. "I was really excited to be chosen as the Most Valuable Player this season and it's something I've been hoping for since my freshman year," Cochran said. "It was a great way to end my senior year of high school volleyball. My favorite memory from this season was winning sections because that was a goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year so it felt really good to accomplish it." Alyssa Eimer, Evelyn Hendrix and Jenna Kraft were also on the list for Whitney High. Ally Chandler and Francesca Rossi received honors for Del Oro. The Rocklin Thunder had three players end up on the All-League roster: Maddie Papia, Avery Gottschalk and Cassidy Guevara. Abby Haas made it for Granite Bay High. In girls' water polo, Del Oro High senior Heidi Green was awarded the Most Valuable Player as she led the Golden Eagles with 112 goals, 87 steals and was second in assists with 26. "I put in a lot of work and really focused on improving and getting better this season, so it was really cool to be recognized and receive this award," Green said. "Some things I feel like I've improved on this season are my pool awareness, mobility/offensive skills, and overall knowledge of water polo. I've definitely gotten better at making plays and knowing where the ball needs to go in order for my team, and myself, to succeed. This past season was amazing and I'm so happy that I got to end my Del Oro water polo career with this team. I'm so proud of how far everyone's come and couldn't have asked for anyone better to help me get to where I am today." Carson Zerwas and Jane Lubiens also received All-League honors for the Lady Eagles. Kaiden Comer and Makenna Perez earned All-League honors for Rocklin High. Makena Lendahl was on the list for Whitney High. Six players from the Sierra Foothill League champion Granite Bay Grizzlies were on the All-League roster: Lola Engel, Avery Moll, Noelani Gardner, Maddie Myers, Audrey Quilala and Allie Nihart. On the boys' side, Rocklin High's Morgan Madrill was awarded as the Most Valuable Player as his 34 goals and 68 assists led the Thunder to a Sierra Foothill League title. Six other players from the Thunder also earned All-League: Jack Kimmel, Kale Irby, Dallin Poduska, Cameron Reed, Eddie Hill and Jack Mangelsdorf. For the Grizzlies, Seth Bousfield, Troy Barker, Carmelo Bangs and Cayden Williams made the All-League list. Cayden Pitzer, Bode Farren and Joey O'Shay were on the All-League list for the Golden Eagles. Rocklin High junior Nica Sobrepena was the co-Most Valuable Player in girls' tennis as she finished the season with a 16-4 record in singles action. Thunder seniors Erin Johnson and Lia Savage also received All-League honors, along with Alexandra Nguyen and Anannya Gairola from Whitney High. The Golden Eagles had four players earn All-League: Ella Edwards, Avery Phillips, Ashley Rowland and Neeka Abadi. Lila Bromfield and Elena Kugley were on the All-League list for the Lady Grizzlies. In cross-country, Whitney High senior Katie Kopec was the Sierra Foothill League's Most Valuable Player while her junior sister, Ava, also earned All-League, along with freshman Jane Landon. Carly Foster, Grace Baxter and Emily Allison were All-League for Granite Bay High while Angeline Gutierrez earned All-League for the Golden Eagles. On the boys' side, five runners from Whitney High received All-League honors: Nick Herrmann, Noah Lopez, Mateo Delgadillo, Callum Turner and David Hurren. Rocklin High senior Devin Pereira also made his way onto the All-League list. Thunder junior Lexi Booras was awarded as the Most Valuable Player in girls' golf and she made it all the way to the Masters Tournament as an individual. "Anytime you are receiving an award representing your high school at the highest level is an honor in itself and I was really excited to receive the Most Valuable Player title," Booras said. "It is reassuring to me that all of my preparation, discipline and hard work paid off, which is the key to any success. I want to continue to improve my game. I'd like to make it to the state championship, if not as a team, as an individual." Four players from the Sierra Foothill League champion Granite Bay Grizzlies team earned All-League: Tavia Burgess, Ellie Bushnell, Lauren Pierce and Taylor Peterson. Bushnell made it all the way to the state tournament.