The fall high school sports season was a particularly great one for desert athletics.
We had history-making performances, epic winning streaks, personal bests and even the ultimate prize of a CIF-SS championship.
There were many great performances, but these seven athletes were the best. The Desert Sun has chosen its top athletes in all seven fall sports, and that sensational seven-pack has been named The Desert Sun’s All-Fall Team.
Let’s meet the top stars in volleyball, cross country, girls’ golf, girls’ tennis, flag football and boys’ water polo:
Why Juliette: The reason Rothe was the choice for the second year in a row can be expressed in one specific play during a rivalry game against Palm Desert this year. Rothe, the team’s setter, ran full speed and dove outside the court near the scorer’s table to keep a ball alive. As the play continued, the Aztecs hit a return to what appeared to be an open area in the Saints’ defense, but before the ball could hit the floor it was Rothe again now diving on the opposite side of the court to keep the ball alive. The point continued and finally it came back to Rothe, who set her teammate for a winning kill. The senior was named co-MVP of the Desert Empire League and helped the Saints continue their 33-game league winning streak. She finished the year with 842 assists, 199 digs and 90 kills for good measure.
CHATTING WITH JULIETTE
Why Will: Make that CIF-SS champion Will. Yes, Walz and the Aztecs went all the way to the CIF-SS finals this season and came home with the Division 5 trophy. Walz was named the Desert Empire League defensive MVP. And it’s his ability to do whatever it takes to win in the pool that makes him a special player. He could’ve scored more goals, but on certain nights he focused his energy on defending the other team’s best player. Other nights his goal-scoring was needed. He had the goal of the year when he scored with one second left in the semifinal against Garden Grove to give the Aztecs a remarkable 10-9 win. In the championship game, Walz had three goals and played constricting defense in the team’s 10-4 win over Warren. Walz then drew the highest honor, being named the Division 5 All-CIF-SS Player of the Year.
CHATTING WITH WILL
Why Saveyra: Guerrero won both Desert Empire League meets, each time besting not just everyone in the DEL, but everyone in the DVL, too, as the leagues ran together. Under the sweltering sun in the first meet, Guerrero ran the three-mile race in 18:55.2 in brutal conditions. In the second meet, she was the one that was scorching, winning again, this time with a personal-best time of 17:43.14. She led the Blackhawks to another league title along the way.
CHATTING WITH SAVEYRA
Why Joanna: Crist, a junior, returned to the top of the Desert Empire League girls’ golf chase this year, winning the DEL individual title for the second time in three years. After leading the La Quinta Blackhawks and the entire DEL in scoring average, Bushnell Crist shot rounds of 70 and 75 at Cimarron Golf Resort in Cathedral City to win the league individual title by two shots over Palm Desert’s Sophia Waddell. Bushnell Crist did not advance in CIF-Southern Section individual play, but she did lead the Blackhawks to a team postseason berth, where she shot the team’s best score, a 77 in the Division 3 team regional in Victorville.
CHATTING WITH JOANNA
Why Allison: This was a pretty easy choice as Smith was the top singles player in the desert throughout the year. She won the Desert Empire League individual finals 6-1, 6-1 and helped the Aztecs to an undefeated league season. Smith is a talented player, of course, but also has a level-headed temperament on the court that goes a long way to her success. She never gets too high or too low, always focused on the task at hand.
CHATTING WITH ALLISON
Why Luis: Fernando-Martinez, a junior, made this an easy choice by outdistancing everyone in his path all season. Fernando-Martinez won both Desert Empire League meets in runaway fashion. In the extreme heat of the first one, he finished in 15:57.42, more than 30 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. In the second meet, he shaved 27 seconds off his time with a finish in 15:30.02.
CHATTING WITH LUIS
Why Jaeda: Diaz, known to most as a softball stud, decided to give flag football the old college try and she fell in love with it. She did a little bit of everything for the Rajahs both offensively and defensively. She was the key cog in their undefeated run to the first-ever girls’ football Desert Empire League title. She was named the league’s defensive MVP for her efforts.
CHATTING WITH JAEDA
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.
