“I was going to a lot of camps over the offseason and grinding every day to get better for my junior season.”
This edition of Fresno Sports Mag’s Player Profile features a solid lineman at El Diamante, a Fresno Christian super striker, a middle school star, a resilient runner at Edison High and a goal scoring machine at Central High.
Caleb Walker
Caleb Walker has been noted for his quickness, strength and technique.
The El Diamante High School offensive lineman, who is going into his senior year, has been showing improvements in those aspects throughout his high school years.
In an interview with Recruiting News Guru, the lineman talked about the progress he saw in himself during his junior year while developing under first-year head coach Chris Frankland .
“We had new coaches, we had to get used to each other,” Walker said. “I was going to a lot of camps over the offseason and grinding every day to get better for my junior season. My stance, improved; I was open with my feet and my hand was too much on the ground. Last season my kicking improved, I got stronger, and I became more violent and nasty.”
The in-coming senior also had a chance to play some defense during the past season.
“On defense you give the blows, you don’t have to receive them,” he told
Recruiting News Guru. “Defense is more violent, playing both sides of the ball is amazing.”
Walker earned West Yosemite All-League recognition in 2019. Earlier this month, he received his third scholarship offer when Clarke University reached out.
The 6-feet-4, 305-pound lineman boasts a GPA of 3.71.
The El Diamante lineman has been working relentlessly throughout the summer.
Rylee Schwab
Rylee Schwab has been a scoring machine since she arrived on the pitch at Fresno Christian High School. The in-coming senior scored one of her many goals at the most critical time last season, converting a first-half shot which helped the Eagles capture a Central Section D5 Valley Championship.
“Probably the most amazing goal I have ever scored. The best feeling in the world,” the forward said in a postgame interview with The Feather.
Schwab made a splash during her debut as a freshman in 2017, scoring five goals to help the Eagles dominate Sierra High School 7-1. The super freshman finished her first year with 32 goals scored.
Schwab continued her stellar performance as a sophomore, scoring a total of 61 goals to finish the season as the nation’s leading scorer in high school girls soccer.
“We knew that as soon as Rylee came out as a freshman, she was going to be a special player,” head coach Matt Markarian told The Feather. “She was fast, very skilled and ahead of where we would expect a normal freshman to be when they come out for varsity soccer for the first time.”
Markarian said the striker’s best attribute is how coachable she is.
“We show her new things, new tricks, new techniques, new skills almost everyday and she will watch one of us coaches do it once or twice and she practices it ones or twice and she kind of has it down,” the coach said. “She just soaks everything up and is able to apply it. I don’t know if I have ever seen a player learn so quickly.”
The forward has scored a total of 137 goals in her first three years.
Arturo Alejandrez Jr
Arturo Alejandrez Jr is not even in high school yet, but he has already gained a reputation as a smart football player who plays both sides of the ball and makes an impact on every down. The young star from Tenaya Middle School is known as a disruptor on defense, with a knack for breaking up passes and playing with sound technique.
On offense, the young student-athlete has shown his ability to run precise routes and get himself open.
“He has good hands to snag the ball out the air,” scout Ryan Oliver said. “Once he gets the ball, he works hard to rack up [yards after catch].”
Tom Warnick, writer for Youth1, said Alejandrez isn’t very tall, “but that
doesn’t measure the size of his heart or his love of the game.”
Alejandrez has already racked up dozens of accolades in his young life. That includes Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards in middle school, as well as Offensive MVP honors at Kamp Kendricks Football Camp. The Tenaya Braves free safety has also gained experience by playing in popular events such as the USA Football Middle School Bowl Game in Frisco, Texas.
And his maturity is reflected through his confidence and willingness to overcome the challenges he’s facing.
“Some challenges I have overcome are ignoring the doubters, not letting my height stop me from playing the game and also ignoring the fact of me being deaf in my left ear,” the rising star told Youth1.
Benjamin Borchers
Benjamin Borchers has been battling injuries, but he is still proving himself as an elite runner when he is healthy. The Edison High School runner recorded the third fastest 3-mile time in the state as a freshman, clocking in at 15:27.40 during the John Seaman invitational. He was also a top-ten finisher in the 1500 meters at the 2018 USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Championships.
After suffering a knee injury during his freshman year, Borchers was on crutches for months. But he bounced back with a stellar sophomore season, finishing seventh in the 5,000-meter run at the CMAC League Championship. The Edison captain was looking forward to adding to his accolades during the track-and-field season, but his plan was derailed as school closed down due to COVID-19.
Borchers’ mom, Stephanie, said it took some time for her son to regain his confidence after the injury, but the family is excited to see him running again.
“It was so hard for him. And made him a little gun shy,” Stephanie said. “We’re just grateful he’s able to run again, doctor wasn’t sure.”
Happy 16th birthday to my super hero, Ben Borchers. Continue to be awesome, young man ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NM1RKDEEez
— Stephanie Borchers (@StephBorchers) March 25, 2020
Ciara Wilson
Ciara Wilson is coming off a sophomore season in which she earned her team’s Offensive Player of the Year award. The incoming junior totaled 14 goals and four assists for Central High School’s varsity soccer team last season.
The forward has made a name for herself by proving her drive, heart, determination and love of the game. Wilson scored a brace in back-to-back games early in her sophomore campaign and put together another two-goal performance later in the season against Clovis East. The scoring machine only failed to find the back of the net in one game during her sophomore year.
Off the pitch, the incoming junior has shown the same type of drive, earning recognition as a scholar student-athlete.
My GIRL😍 @ciarawilson_24 got OFFENSIVE PLAYER of the YR ⚽ she enjoyed her Soph yr ❤s her 🐻 teammates & can't wait to get back on the field ⚽💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/gU8Z0nSTMD
— rachel wilson🌺 (@rachwilson03) May 21, 2020