Yuma, Arizona – February 6, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that for the second straight week, AWC Women’s Basketball player Lisette Longomo has been named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Division I Player of the Week for the week ending February 4th. It’s the fifth time this season that an AWC Women’s Basketball player has won the award, and Longomo joins teammate Jolie Olingende as 2 of the four ACCAC Women’s Basketball players that have won the award twice this season. The announcement comes just two days after Longomo helped lead the Lady Matadors to an 86-55 victory over Phoenix College Saturday night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus in Yuma.

As AWC Women’s Head Basketball Patrick Cunningham said following the Matadors’ win Saturday night, “Lisette Longomo is simply playing on another level right now.” Cunningham has watched and waited as one of his prize recruits from Kinshasa, Congo, Africa has rounded out her game, and all of those growing pains of the fall semester have started to melt away. Longomo was truly the spark plug for the Matadors’ offense in each of their two wins last week, helping to instigate big second-half runs that put the games away. Wednesday night in Scottsdale, Longomo was one of several Lady Matadors that got shot attempts at close range throughout the second half, but couldn’t find a way to sink the shots. Undeterred, Longomo kept driving to the hoops, and when the shots started falling, they came in bunches. Longomo scored 10 of the Matadors’ first 14 points of the game en route to a 19-point first half (the most points she’s scored in the first half of a game this season). Coming out of the locker room for the second half, Longomo led an AWC offensive explosion, turning a 9-point halftime lead into a 19-point edge by scoring six points in a 10-0 Matador run. Longomo finished the game with a career-high 27 points (exceeding the high of 25 points she set for herself just four nights earlier) to go along with 4 steals and 3 rebounds. Three nights later, the Lady Matadors found themselves in uncharted territory at halftime, trailing for the first time all season at halftime of a home game to the Phoenix College Lady Bears. However, a five-point deficit was eradicated quickly by the Lady Matadors in the second half as Longomo uncorked for 21 second-half points as the Lady Matadors used a 24-3 run to come from behind and blow the game open. When the final buzzer sounded at ‘The House’, Longomo had set a new career-high in points for the 3rd straight game with 29 points. For the week, Longomo averaged a whopping 28 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4 steals per contest. On the season, Longomo has jumped up to 7th-best in the ACCAC in scoring (15 points per game) and 11th in assists (2.75 per contest). She’s also 2nd on the team in both field goal shooting (47%) and 3-point shooting (29.7%), and is 2nd on the team in steals (2.3 per contest).

Longomo and the 10th-ranked Lady Matadors now continue their current four-game homestand with their biggest game of the season. They’ll face off against 3rd-ranked Central Arizona College to try to avenge their only conference loss of the season to lead off the men’s-women’s basketball doubleheader. The Lady Matadors will go for their 12th straight win as they tip off the doubleheader at 5:30PM Wednesday night, February 8th, with the Matadors’ Men’s Basketball team to follow at 7:30PM on Time Warner Cable Night and AWC TV Services Night. Admission prices are as follows: $5 admission for adults, $3 for military personnel (with valid military ID), seniors and students ages 12-17, and free for AWC students, NAU-Yuma students, Matador Athletic Association members and kids under the age of 12.
 

Yuma, Arizona – February 1, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that student-athletes listed below from the AWC Football team have officially signed letters of intent today to attend school and play football for 4-year universities this coming fall part of the NCAA’s National Signing Day today. This brings the total number of Matador Football student-athletes that have committed to four-year universities since the end of the 2011 season back in December to 17.

The following Matador student-athletes officially:
Signed today:
 

Signed during the NCAA’s Early Signing Period for JC Transfers but weren’t officially announced until today:

Entered into a scholarship agreement today:

Also signed with four-year schools:
 

The announcements come just less than two months after the players made their final appearances in a Matador uniform at the NJCAA National Championship Game, the 2011 El Toro Bowl-presented by Time Warner Cable-at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Yuma.

-Out of all of the names on this list, and many of them had several different possibilities on their final ‘wish lists’, the one that seemed to be a mystery destination until the end was WSFL Offensive Player of the Year Damien Williams. Many thought that Williams was Arizona State University-bound around the time of the Matadors’ national championship appearance, but in subsequent weeks, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico State, Texas Tech and Arkansas made strong cases to sway the intentions of the San Diego, California native until he made the decision within the last week to become a Sooner. And why not? ‘The Mira Mesa Express’ had plenty of reasons to be as coveted as he was. He showed his prowess as a freshman by never starting a game (while backing up eventual 2010 NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year Reggie Bullock), yet earning 2nd Team All-Region I honors for racking up 716 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. After learning from Bullock for a year, this past season was Williams’ time to shine, and Williams made the WSFL Rushing & Scoring races a moot point from Week 1 on. He doubled up the rushing yardage of any of his nearest pursuers after Week 4, gained at least 100 yards or more on the ground in every game except the season opener, and exceeding the 200-yard rushing mark in a game twice. That includes a career high of 268 yards on the ground in a win at Scottsdale in late September; a 6-touchdown performance against New Mexico Military Institute (rushing for 5 and throwing his career TD pass); and then a 146-yard, 2-touchdown performance in his final game as a Matador against East Mississippi in the El Toro Bowl (and named AWC’s Offensive Most Valuable Player in the game). For the season, Williams was the top rusher in the nation with 1931 yards on 259 carries, and his 26 rushing touchdowns (30 overall with his 2 receiving TDs, 1 kickoff return for a TD and even a passing TD) helped him easily win the WSFL Scoring Title. He also was the Matadors’ 4th-best receiver, reeling 20 catches for 317 yards; and finished as the Mats’ top kick returner for the second year in a row with 365 return yards on 15 attempts. He was named NJCAA 1st Team All-American, WSFL Offensive Player of the Year, ACCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, and earned 1st Team honors on both the All-WSFL & All-ACCAC postseason teams.
-Chris Young was another Matador that many ‘experts’ prematurely nailed down his choice publicly for him… and did it erroneously. Like Williams, being as dominant a force as Young was on his side of the ball made several four-year schools go a long distance for his services, including Ohio State, Indiana, Washington, Oregon State and Arizona State. The Sun Devils were his final recruiting visit, and wound up being his top choice. ASU knows that they are getting a ferocious defender with an uncanny knack for always being around the ball. The first linebacker in AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick’s four-year tenure to be named an NJCAA 1st Team All-American, Young was converted to the linebacking corps this year-after finishing 3rd on the team in overall, solo and assisted tackles as a freshman safety in 2010-because the coaches thought it might utilize his talents better. They couldn’t have been more correct, since the native of Auburn, Washington, scored more touchdowns on defense than several of top offensive players in the WSFL this season. From the first game of his sophomore season, Young did nothing but force turnovers, quarterback sacks, and tackles for loss. 30 of Young’s tackles were for lost yardage, and the 150 yards of lost yardage those tackles accumulated actually led the nation. But it was his uncanny ability to turn turnovers into touchdowns that Matador fans will remember from ‘CY’, since he enjoyed a six-week span where he returned four fumbles & one interception for touchdowns. He also blocked a punt in the end zone that was recovered by Matador teammate Sam Wren for yet another score during that stretch. For the season, his 8 ½ sacks led the WSFL, his 45 solo tackles led the team, and he finished 10th in the nation in overall tackles with 111. He also had a total of 2 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries. Young was named NJCAA 1st Team All-American, WSFL Defensive Player of the Year, ACCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and earned 1st Team honors on both the All-WSFL & All-ACCAC postseason teams.
-The move to Ohio just continues the successful move east for Matadors’ starting center David Ke’kuewa. The native of Kea’au, Hawaii, came to Yuma two years ago looking to show those four-year schools that didn’t offer him a scholarship why they made a mistake. Two years later, there’s little question in Matador fans’ or coaches’ minds about the fact that he did just that. He worked his way up the Matadors’ offensive line depth chart as a freshman, moving into the starting center spot in early December, and starting the last three games-including the 2010 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. Ke’kuewa faced a lot of pressure coming into this season, since his three starts made him the most experienced of a young 5-man offensive line. It was obvious that he felt no pressure, becoming the anchor of the 6th-most powerful rushing offense in the nation. In fact, Matador fans were hushed when the native of went down midway through the Matadors’ game at Glendale with what was pondered to be a season-ending knee injury, yet after the results came back negative on any major damage, Ke’kuewa refused to miss more than just the second half of that game, and wound up starting all 12 games at center-including the national championship game. Ke’kuewa-or ‘The Chief’ as he was called by his teammates-was a 1st Team All-ACCAC and All-WSFL selection after the season, and was just named an NJCAA 1st Team All-American last week. Ke’kuewa will now again battle for a starting job as he moves to a Falcons’ program that is on the rise, winning three more games in 2011 than in 2010, finishing 5-7 this year, and returning eight offensive starters.
-For Josh Ford, becoming a Jayhawk certainly proves what never wavering from your focus and work ethic can bring you. Ford was part of a three-receiver package this season that saw his teammates make flashier catches than he did, yet there wasn’t anyone on 3rd down that was more coveted than the Washington, D.C. native. The only returning receiver from a year ago, Ford seemed to have chemistry almost immediately with Matadors’ QB Cameron Coffman, who split time in the first 2 games of the season before taking over as the full-time starter in Week 3. Ford began making key catches to extend Matador drives each game, and became the Matadors’ favorite receiving target overall. Ford’s 60 catches on the season not only led the team but were 3rd-best in the WSFL. Ford-whose nickname is the ‘D.C. Sniper’-also had the 3rd-most touchdown receptions in the league with 10, and finished with 845 receiving yards, which was 2nd on the squad and 5th in the WSFL. He also came up big on the Matadors’ biggest stage, reeling in six receptions for 117 yards and a receiving TD in the El Toro Bowl-along with his only career passing TD to Coffman late in the game. Ford was a 1st Team All-ACCAC and All-WSFL selection after the season.

-The most potent 1-2 linebacker punch in the region will get their wishes granted. Once Young and his best friend on the team, Steffon Martin, started seeing the interest they were starting to garner from major four-year programs, the underlying goal besides getting there was to have the chance to go to the same four-year school. Now that Arizona State is the school that made that happen, Martin can go to work to try to be the same heart and soul of the Sun Devils’ defense that he embodied with the Matadors. Martin began his Matador career starting at outside ‘backer in 2010, and became a key component in the Mats’ C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl run. Seeing what they had in the Indianapolis, Indiana native, the Matador coaches slid Martin to the middle linebacker role to better anchor the 2011 defense, and the Matadors became the stingiest rushing defense in the country. Martin’s 81 assisted tackles placed him 2nd in the nation in that category, and he was also among the top 20 defenders in the NJCAA in total tackles (108) and tackles for loss (17). He also had a pair of interceptions, forced a fumble, and his 7 ½ sacks ranked second on the team. Martin was a 1st Team All-ACCAC and All-WSFL selection after the season.
-The second taste of NCAA Division I football is upon Tony Grimes. Grimes came to AWC after spending his freshman campaign at the University of Mississippi, and it didn’t take long for him to show what Ole Miss taught him as he got comfortable in the Matadors’ starting defensive secondary. When the Matadors began their most crucial stretch of the season-playing three nationally teams in succession-Grimes was one of those that stepped up. In fact, the native of Hollywood, Florida, changed the momentum of the game twice at Glendale with a pair of interceptions-the second one returned 59 yards for a touchdown. Grimes wound up tied for the team lead in interceptions with 4, and added a sack, 6 tackles for loss, and 36 total tackles for the season. Grimes was a 1st Team All-ACCAC and All-WSFL selection after the season.
-Tomasi Molesi was a two-year starter for the Matadors on the interior of the defensive line, and in many ways, his key to success was his lack of notoriety. The native of Oceanside, California, was as reliable as they come on the D-line, and fans could count on seeing #95 in the lineup as Molesi started every game during his two-year career. Molesi was the main stopgap in powering the nation’s top rushing defense-as evidenced by his 15 tackles for loss and 90 yards as a result of those. He was also a terror for opposing quarterbacks with 7.5 sacks (which was tied for 3rd-best on the team), forced a fumble and recovered 2 others. He finished the season with 54 overall tackles (17 solo), and in his final regular season quarter as a Matador, Molesi got a defensive lineman’s dream as he picked a Mesa pass out of the air and rumbled 28 yards for a touchdown.
-The signing of Ryan Mosby means the talented linebacker will be playing for his 2nd NCAA Division I school in a 3-year span next fall. Mosby first began his college career at the University of Kentucky. He redshirted in 2009, then worked his way into the linebacker rotation for his freshman season in 2010. He joined the Matador Football program in late July this year in much the same fashion, having to work his way into the rotation. While he began the 2011 season coming off the bench, the native of Greenville, Texas, impressed the coaches during limited playing time. Mosby got his chance to start in Week 4 with the injury to fellow linebacker Zach Quines, and was so impressive in his first start that he earned WSFL Defensive Player of the Week honors that week. Mosby became a starter throughout most of the rest of the season, and fought through some nagging injuries of his own to wind up tied for 4th on the team in total tackles with 81. Mosby was 5th on the team in assisted tackles (60), while posting a pair of sacks, two fumble recoveries and seven tackles for loss. Mosby earned 2nd Team All-ACCAC honors after the season. Mosby heads to a ULL program that is flying high, since the Ragin’ Cajuns come off a nine-win season that culminated in a thrilling last-second win over San Diego State in the New Orleans Bowl in December.
-To have one of the top rushing defenses in the nation, having those there that can immediately stop anything trying to go through the middle is essential. Calvin Tonga had no problems accomplishing that for two years in the middle of the Mats’ defensive line. Tonga came to the Matadors from Riverside, California, and didn’t take long to show the coaches that his 6-foot-3, 315-pound frame would be a major obstacle for any opposing linemen to try to create running holes past him. When rushers and quarterbacks got close to him, Tonga had a knack for creating turnovers as he forced 3 fumbles this season and recovered one of those. He also pitched in 2 ½ sacks to go along with 9 tackles for loss and 45 tackles overall. Tonga earned 2nd Team All-ACCAC honors following the season.
-Seeing the name of Cameron Coffman on this list this year will surprise many Matador fans, who were confident that he would be wearing a Matador uniform again next year. The freshman quarterback from Peculiar, Missouri didn’t really expect to be heading elsewhere, either, until the Indiana Hoosiers called him right around the first of the year, and things moved quickly from there. It’s the next step in a very quick ascension to college success for the signalcaller, who came into the regular season merely fighting for playing time. With both starting QBs graduating last May, Coffman came into camp knowing there would a dogfight for the Matadors’ starting quarterback job, and that fight didn’t end in the preseason. The coaches began the year with Cody Peterson starting the first 2 games, and then having Coffman play the 2nd half. That experiment ended when Peterson suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2nd game, but that was the window of opportunity that Coffman needed to make the job his own. From there, Coffman became the WSFL’s most accurate quarterback, throwing 21 touchdown passes while only throwing 6 interceptions. He saved his best Matador performance for his last, bringing the Matadors back from a 27-point deficit in the El Toro Bowl to throw 4 touchdowns (and catch a 22-yard TD pass) and 291 yards. Coffman finished with 2244 passing yards on 148 completions and a 61% accuracy, which all ranked 4th in the WSFL.
-For Josh Brown, it is validation for a very solid single season in a Matador uniform that he spent much of the season covering Matador opponents’ top receivers. Brown-a native of Lancaster, Texas-decided to stay home for his freshman year of college, playing for Trinity Valley Community College. Brown played seven games for the Cardinals in 2009, amassing 14 overall tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Brown transferred to AWC in time to join the Matadors for spring drills this past January, and entered preseason drills this past August battling for one of the four open spots in the defensive secondary. Brown worked hard to impress the coaching staff, and when the Matadors took the field to start the season in El Paso, Texas, against Monterrey Tech, Brown was one of the two starting cornerbacks. Brown, Nate Willis and Tony Grimes spent much of the season complimenting each other at the corner spots, and Brown wound up playing in all 12 games this season for the Matadors, starting seven of them. Brown finished with 21 overall tackles (11 solo), 1 tackle for loss, and he picked up an interception in the Matadors’ home opener September 10th against Mesa that set up a Matador touchdown. Brown now heads to a Bulls’ program that won the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl last year and went 5-7 this season.
-Meanwhile, Darwin Rogers didn’t get the chance to participate in a bowl game during his Matador career, but he was an integral reason why the Matadors got there. A transfer from the University of Illinois, Rogers walked in knowing that he’d have a good chance to start at the wide-open tight end position (with no returners from 2010) if he did what he was supposed to do in preseason drills. Rogers worked hard and was the opening-day starter at that position. The native of Chicago made his presence known to fans early in the season, making his first reception as a Matador a 19-yard TD catch in the home opener September 10th. While it would be his only catch of the season, Rogers was a big part of the Matadors’ blocking schemes and rushing success in 2011, and started all 11 regular season games for the Matadors until suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the regular season finale. Rogers now heads to a Sun Devils’ program that just played in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas in December, and he’s expected to vie for the starting tight end job with the Sun Devils under new head coach Todd Graham.
-Like Ke’kuewa, Devin Smith had the unenviable task of trying to be one of the experienced members of a completely inexperienced offensive line, and make sure that the Matadors’ preseason top-5 national ranking would stay intact. Smith came into the 2011 season having only one start under his belt, but his impressive performance in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in the final game of his freshman campaign earned him the right to start at right tackle to start 2012, and he wound up starting eight of the 12 Matadors’ games this past season. The native of Ysilanti, Michigan, was a major reason that the Matadors sported the 6th-most potent rushing offense in the NJCAA, and his potential got the attention of the Boilermakers over the summer, leading to Smith orally committing to Purdue in early fall, and making good on that promise.
-The scholarship agreement between UCM and Zach Quines is definitely a reward for the adversity that the Mililani, Hawaii native has fought through over the last several months. After earning his stripes for the Matadors as a starting outside linebacker who produced 4 sacks, 90 overall tackles (9 tackles for loss) and a team-leading 70 assisted tackles as a freshman, Quines was poised to become part of the three-headed linebacking monster (with Young & Martin) for the Matadors this year. Quines suffered a knee injury in Week 3 that lingered throughout this season. The injury limited his playing time (he missed 2 full games, and parts of 3 others), but didn’t limit his ferocity or leadership on the field in helping the Mats to the national championship game. Quines’ 64 assisted tackles still ranked 2nd on the team, and his 81 overall tackles -13 of them for a loss-ranked 4th on the squad. He also had a pair of sacks, and ‘joined the party’ with a 51-yard return for a touchdown in his lone interception of the season.
-While the interior of the Matadors’ defensive line stayed mostly constant, the outside was manned by four or five very talented individuals that competed for reps and playing time. Michael Terry was an integral part of that mix for much of the season, and may have been the one who made the most of the tackle opportunities he encountered. While Terry only recorded 20 overall tackles, over 1/3 of them-7, to be exact-were finished behind the line of scrimmage for a total of 47 lost yards for Matador opponents. He also recorded 3 sacks among those tackles, which still tied him for 6th-best on the squad. Terry also forced one fumble.
-The versatility of Chris Marez certainly was one of the components of his game that attracted Texas College in Tyler to sign the three-year Matador. The native of Long Beach, California, redshirted during his first year on campus, then fought his way up the depth chart in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He was also willing to switch to linebacker during the times the Matadors were shorthanded due to injury, and produced 20 overall tackles in 2012, including 17 assisted tackles in 9 games this season.
-Finally, like Marez, Brandon Birdsong spent his first year of college ball learning the ropes of the Matador style as a redshirt wide receiver. This past season, Birdsong got his chance to make a difference on the field, and participated in a pair of games, reeling in a 13-yard catch.
 

Yuma, Arizona – February 1, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the annual Great Western Shootout will begin at 11AM this Thursday, February 2nd, and will continue through Saturday afternoon, February 4th. The 3-day tournament will take place at Joe Henry Park (North 23rd Avenue & West Colorado Street (near 1st Street & Avenue B) in Yuma) and the AWC Softball Field on the AWC campus (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma). The AWC Lady Matadors will kick off the tournament Thursday morning and play a total of eight games before the tournament concludes.

Besides the host Lady Matadors-who come off their second straight Region I Semifinals appearance last May, the tourney will also feature none other than the two teams who faced off against each other in the 2011 NJCAA Division I Softball National Championship Game last May, and are ranked #1 & #2, respectively, in this year’s NJCAA Division I Softball Preseason Poll: defending champion Yavapai College and Salt Lake Community College. Also in the field is the team that the Lady Matadors will open up tournament play against Thursday, the College of Southern Idaho, a 44-win team a year ago that finished 2nd to SLCC in the Scenic West Conference. Fellow Region XVIII foe College of Southern Nevada, who won 37 games a year ago, also returns to Yuma for the second straight year, along with a pair of Region XVIII teams that are newcomers to the field this year, Western Nevada College and Colorado Northwestern Community College. Region I is not only represented by AWC and Yavapai, but also by the Mesa Lady Thunderbirds, who wound up one game away from the Region I Division II Championship in 2011; and the always-formidable Eastern Arizona Lady Gila Monsters from Thatcher. Rounding out the 11-team field is a pair of perennial Great Western Shootout attendees, El Paso Community College from Texas, and California’s Golden West College.

The tournament officially commences tomorrow at 11AM at Joe Henry Park with a tripleheader on two different fields, with AWC facing CSI, Western Nevada and Colorado Northwestern in succession on Field 1. Friday’s and Saturday’s action will start at 9AM (and last through approximately 7PM), and will be divided between Joe Henry Park and the AWC Softball Field (where the Lady Matadors will play their remaining five games of the tournament over 2 days). Admission to the tournament is just $5 per day (at each venue), and the single admission fee allows fans to see every game at that venue during that day. Fans looking to obtain more information about the Great Western Shootout can access the GWS page by clicking on the link below:
2012 Great Western Shootout
 

Yuma, Arizona – January 31, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Women’s Basketball player Lisette Longomo has been named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Division I Player of the Week for the week ending January 28th. It’s the fourth time this season that an AWC Women’s Basketball player has won the award, and Longomo is the 3rd Lady Matador to earn the accolade in the last 4 weeks, following the lead of teammates Jolie Olingende and Jade Washington. The announcement comes just three days after Longomo helped lead the Lady Matadors to a 59-43 victory over Mesa Community College Saturday night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus in Yuma.

It can seem puzzling to say that a team that already sports an 11-game winning streak earlier in the season, and a nine-game winning streak at the moment, would still be spending the last month trying to put things together. The defense has created huge success so far for the Lady Matadors while AWC Women’s Head Basketball Coach Patrick Cunningham has patiently waited for his freshmen players to come around offensively to assist Olingende, the lone returning sophomore from a year ago. The emergence of players like Washington and Longomo has come about during the current winning streak, with Longomo actually leading the Matadors in scoring average over the last 6 games. Last week, it was obvious from her first shot that Longomo’s comfort zone has improved drastically, since she started the Lady Mats off on the right foot in Thatcher last Wednesday by hitting four shots in the first seven minutes of the game… 3 of them from 3-point range. The native of Kinshasa, Congo, Africa, did the same thing for the Lady Mats to get the 2nd-half offense going, hitting 3 field goals in the opening minutes to help propel AWC to an insurmountable 23-point lead. Longomo led the way for AWC in the 63-55 win over Eastern Arizona College with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a pair of steals. Three nights later against arguably the Lady Mats’ toughest home opponent this season, Mesa, Longomo did the same thing coming out of the locker room: hit a long trey to get the Matadors off on the right foot. Then, in the second half, as the Lady Thunderbirds began to claw their way back from an 18-point Matador lead, Longomo helped stem the tide by hitting four big field goals in the final 10 minutes of play. She finished the game with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the victory. For the week, Longomo averaged 20 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2 assists. On the season, Longomo is 11th in the ACCAC in scoring (13.8 points per game) and 9th in assists (2.9 per contest). She’s also 2nd on the team in both field goal shooting (45.8%) and 3-point shooting (29.3%), and is 3rd on the team in steals (2.1 per contest).

Longomo and the 11th-ranked Lady Matadors now head back out on the road to the Phoenix area to face off against the Scottsdale Lady Artichokes and lead off the men’s-women’s basketball doubleheader. The Lady Matadors will go for their 10th straight win as they tip off the doubleheader at 5:30PM tomorrow night (Wednesday, February 1st), with the Matadors’ Men’s Basketball team to follow at 7:30PM. Fans that can’t make the trip to Scottsdale Community College (9000 East Chaparral Road in Scottsdale) can catch the action on the Matador Sports Network’s radio (SportsRadio 560 KBLU in Yuma) and internet audio (www.azwestern.edu/athletics & www.kbluam.com) legs beginning at 5PM Wednesday afternoon. The Matadors will then host the Phoenix College Bears this Saturday night, February 4th on Yuma Sun Newspaper Night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma). Admission prices are as follows: $5 admission for adults, $3 for military personnel (with valid military ID), seniors and students ages 12-17, and free for AWC students, NAU-Yuma students, Matador Athletic Association members and kids under the age of 12.
 

Yuma, Arizona – January 26, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the AWC Baseball team will officially open their 2012 regular season schedule tomorrow morning, Friday, January 27th, as they take part in the four-team, two-day Coyote Border Battle Baseball Tournament, hosted by the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Matadors will play four games over the two days, facing the 2011 Western District Runners-up from Salt Lake Community College tomorrow and Saturday, while squaring off against Region XXVIII foes College of Southern Idaho tomorrow night and the host team from the College of Southern Nevada to wind up play Saturday night.

For the Matadors, taking the field tomorrow signals the beginning of ‘The Drew Keehn Era’ as they’ll begin the regular season with a new Matadors’ Head Baseball Coach for the first time since 1984. Keehn spent last year as the lead assistant under 27-year head coach John Stratton, and was handed the reins to the program just one day after Stratton announced his retirement last April. Keehn and his new-look coaching staff have gone to work bringing in fresh talent, and only six players actually return from the 2011 roster. That includes the ace of last year’s pitching staff, Kahana (kuh-HAH-nuh) Neal, as well as part-time starter Ryan Malmstrom (MAHLM-struhm). It also includes ’11 Mats’ stolen base leader Hunter Zwart (ZWAHRT), who’s expected to anchor the outfield, as well as 2011 part-time starter (and Kofa High alum) Simon Corea (koh-REE-uh).

As far as newcomers to the staff are concerned, sophomore transfer Cyle (KYL) Bettis, Kofa High alum Blake Johnston, Mexicali product Angel Olivas and California native Mario Morales should push Neal & Malmstrom for spots in the Matadors’ starting rotation. In the bullpen, fellow Kofa King Claudio Valencia will take over as the closer, with Utah righty Jake Hewitt, Yuma High alum Francisco Gomez (who may also be the designated hitter) and even converted 2011 backup middle infielder Martin Chacon (mahr-TEEN chuh-KOHN) providing plenty of middle relief. Keehn’s put a big emphasis on defense during the fall, and his new charges have responded. The main guy calling pitches and directing the infield from behind the plate could be a couple of guys, since San Luis’s own Benito Garcia has impressed in camp, but has been pushed for the starting job by southern California natives Jacob Dominguez and Nathan Orozco. The rest of the infield will be completely new, and has been a spirited battle from September on. When Valencia’s not on the hill, he’ll be at 3rd base, but after that, the race for the starting middle infield jobs will be decided early in the season between Kofa High alum Hector Valenzuela, San Luis native Antonio Mendoza, Colorado Rockies’ draftee Casey Scott and midyear transfer Oscar Fitch. On the other corner, the first base job has been a two-man race between Tucsonian Dylan Dyson and midyear transfer Jordan Atkinson. Moving to the outfield, after Zwart, there’s little margin for error for the five guys that could wind up flanking him: Corea (who started 18 games for the Mats last year), Las Vegas product Xavier Palmer, southern Californians Juan Avena (uh-VEE-nuh) and Dallas Hessler, and even Aussie import Hayden Calvert.

The Matadors are seeking their first Region I Playoff berth since 2006 as they kick things off tomorrow. The Mats will face off against 17th-ranked Salt Lake in single games tomorrow (10AM) and Saturday afternoon (2PM), Southern Idaho tomorrow night at 7PM, and then the hosts from CSN Saturday at 7PM (all times listed are Arizona time). The Matadors will come home after the tournament and prepare for next weekend’s Caballero Classic, which will be held next Friday and Saturday, February 3rd & 4th at Desert Sun Stadium (Avenue A south of 32nd Street in Yuma). Fans can get more details on the schedule by clicking on the page below:
2012 AWC Baseball Schedule
 

Yuma, Arizona – January 26, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the AWC Softball team will officially open their 2012 regular season schedule tomorrow morning, Friday, January 27th in Las Vegas, Nevada, by taking part in the two-day CSN Softball Kickoff Classic hosted by the College of Southern Nevada. The Lady Matadors will play five games over the two days of the tournament, starting with North Idaho Community College tomorrow morning at 9AM Arizona time.

Expectations for the Lady Matadors are naturally high, since they’ve yet to finish lower than the semifinal round of the Region I Playoffs in the two years under Nikki Bethurum. They’ll also bring their entire starting infield from a year ago back for 2012. Marina Quijano (muh-REE-nuh kee-HAH-noh), Whitney Campagna (kam-PAGG-nuh), Brittany Vanderdrink and Tori Rich were all integral parts of the Lady Matadors’ drive to the 2011 postseason as freshmen, and all return with a full year of starting experience under their belts. Quijano, Vanderdrink and Rich finished 3, 4 and 5 respectively in hitting for the Lady Matadors in 2011, while Quijano also was the team’s home run leader, and Rich was the only other Lady Matador player (other than recordsetter Jessica Soria) to finish in double figures in steals (16) last season. Rich may be the team’s most versatile player, since she’ll likely be the opening-day catcher, but also play plenty at first base and in the outfield.

Those four will have the task of training the new recruits, including Cibola High alum Myliah (mye-LEE-uh) Ramirez, who will be at 1st base when Rich is behind the plate; California natives Savanna Baggett (suh-VAN-nuh BAG-geht) and Abrianna Palacio (AH-bree-AH-nuh pah-LAH-see-oh), who battled it out in preseason camp to take the spot of Rich at catcher for the second game of the doubleheader; Kofa High alum Madison Tracy, who will keep Quijano & Vanderdrink on their toes pushing for a middle infield spot; and sophomore returner Jennifer Duenas (DWAYN-yahs), as well as freshmen Breanna Delgadillo (bree-AH-nuh DEHL-guh-DEE-yoh) and Cibola High alum Alex Roman (roh-MAHN), who all had impressive stints at third base during ‘fall ball’. Moving to the hill, there wasn’t anyone better last year for the Lady Mats than Amber Taynton, and she returns to be the ace of the staff for her sophomore campaign. Unlike 2011, Taynton won’t be alone in experience, since fellow sophs Trish Porter and Yesenia Perez return as well. Pushing them for starting spots are Blythe native Courtnie Ploesch (PLOWSH) and El Centro’s own Megan Lerno (who fans will also come to know as the team’s main source of power at the plate).

That’s where the experience ends, though, since their two-year starting outfield of Soria, Amanda Soedjadi and Marquis Lozoya has graduated, leaving starting spots up for grabs. That list starts with the lone returner, Taylor Bashor (BA-shur), who saw plenty of time in right field in 2011. She’ll likely start in right, but has been challenged for that spot by Palacio and fellow southern California native Morgan Paul. Rich could split time in center field with San Diego native Julia Shrum. And in left field, Lauren Miranda-who may be the fastest player on the team-has battled throughout the fall with fellow newcomer Ploesch.

The Lady Mats will play three games on Friday, facing off against NIC at 9AM, El Paso Community College at 11:30AM and then Chattanooga Community College from Tennessee at 7PM. Saturday, the Lady Mats will face a pair of teams that were nationally ranked at the end of last season: Odessa College from Texas (ranked 16th last May) at 11:30AM, and then winding up play against NJCAA Championship Runnerup Salt Lake Community College at 2PM (all times listed are Arizona time). The Lady Matadors will come home after the tournament and prepare for next weekend’s Great Western Shootout, which will feature 11 teams from three different time zones for a three-day tournament that will be played at both Joe Henry Park (North 23rd Avenue & West Colorado Street in Yuma (near 1st Street & Avenue B)) and the AWC Softball Field on the main campus (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma). The Lady Mats will play 8 games over the length of the tournament, which happens Thursday through Saturday, February 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Fans looking to obtain more details on schedules can click on the following two pages:
2012 AWC Softball Schedule
2012 Great Western Shootout

Yuma, Arizona – January 24, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Women’s Basketball player Jade Washington has been named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Division I Player of the Week for the week ending January 21st. The announcement comes just three days after Washington helped lead the Lady Matadors to a 63-54 victory over Glendale Community College Saturday night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus in Yuma.

With much of the focus of the past two months on the success of Jolie Olingende (who has won this award twice this season) and her fellow AWC forward/centers, Washington has quietly flown under the radar of many opponents. That is, until the Lady Matadors unleash their full-court defensive pressure early in the game, since Washington has become the most dangerous part of the Matadors’ ‘D’. That fact came to the forefront in both of the Lady Matadors’ wins last week. Wednesday night against 12th-ranked (and three-time defending Region I Division II Champion) Pima Community College, Washington’s offense got the Lady Mats on the right track as she sank her first four shot attempts from the field-including a pair of three-pointers in the first five minutes of play-to stake the Lady Mats to an early lead. But it was the Matadors’ late 1st-half run that gave them a big halftime cushion-thanks to Washington’s steals at midcourt that led to easy buckets on the offensive end. By the end of AWC’s 71-51 win over the Lady Aztecs, Washington had racked up 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Three nights later, the defensive skills of the Las Vegas, Nevada native would come up huge in the late stages of the Matadors’ win over Glendale. Once again, Washington was a spark plug early in the game, hitting five shots from the field in the first half (including a 3-pointer) and sparking another late 1st-half rally with several steals in the final five minutes to stake the Matadors to a 15-point halftime lead. The Lady Gauchos fell behind by 17 points early in the 2nd half, but then began to turn the tide and cut the Lady Mats’ lead to 8 points with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. That’s when Washington and Company turned it up a notch defensively, and many of Washington’s season-high seven steals in the game came during that final stretch to seal the victory. She also rang up 15 points (on 6-for-9 shooting from the field) to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. For the week, Washington averaged 17 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 steals and 3.5 assists. On the season, Washington is 2nd in the ACCAC in assists (4.7 per game) and 3rd in steals (3.2 per contest). She’s also 3rd on the team in scoring at 9 points per game.

Washington and the Lady Matadors now head back out on the road-for the first time in two weeks-to renew their rivalry with the Eastern Arizona Lady Gila Monsters and lead off the men’s-women’s basketball doubleheader. The Lady Matadors will go for their 8th straight win as they tip off the doubleheader at 5:30PM tomorrow night, with the Matadors’ Men’s Basketball team to follow at 7:30PM. Fans that can’t make the trip to Guitteau Gymnasium at Eastern Arizona College (615 North Stadium Avenue in Thatcher) can catch the action on the Matador Sports Network’s radio (SportsRadio 560 KBLU in Yuma) and internet audio (www.azwestern.edu/athletics & www.kbluam.com) legs beginning at 5PM tomorrow afternoon. The Matadors will then host the Mesa Thunderbirds this Saturday night, January 28th on Edward Jones Investments Night and Radisson Hotel Yuma Night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma). Admission prices are as follows: $5 admission for adults, $3 for military personnel (with valid military ID), seniors and students ages 12-17, and free for AWC students, NAU-Yuma students, Matador Athletic Association members and kids under the age of 12.
 

Yuma, Arizona – January 19, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the 10th Annual John Stratton AWC Alumni Baseball Game will take place this Saturday afternoon, January 21st at 1PM at Kammann Field, the Matadors’ home baseball field. Over 50 past & present players are expected to take part in the event. The game is a culmination of the 10th Annual Diamond Classics Weekend, which gives past AWC Baseball Alumni a chance to catch up with old classmates.

It will be a strange yet wonderful day for this event, since there will be more new-look things about this game than ever before. First, the game will celebrate its 10th Anniversary with a name change-and a new head coach manning the home dugout. This game originated from John Stratton, who helped bring in the alumni to play against his new team for the first 9 years. Now, after stepping down last April after 27 years at the helm, he’s back today-to coach the Alumni team for the first time. The idea to rename the game after Stratton was hatched by the man he handed the reins to the program to at the end of last season: Drew Keehn. After spending a year as Stratton’s lead assistant, Keehn will bring a new-look 2012 squad to the table on Saturday that features six returning sophomores, and will coach against his former boss from the ’12 Matadors’ dugout.

The AWC Baseball program’s storied 48-year history began in 1964 under current AWC Assistant Baseball Coach (and former AWC Athletic Director) Jack Watson. Watson’s 11 years of building the program from scratch was highlighted by winning seasons throughout his tenure before he stepped down as both Matadors’ Baseball Coach and Athletic Director in ’75. Stratton took over the baseball program in 1984, and built a winning tradition that has seen several Matador players head to major league organizations. Many former players return each January to the AWC campus to play in the annual event, including: current San Francisco Giants’ relief pitcher (and 2010 World Series Champion) Sergio Romo; fellow 2010 World Series participant (and past World Series champion) Bengie Molina, who sat out the season as a free agent last year after playing for the Anaheim Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers over the 13 previous seasons; AWC’s first NJCAA All-American (and longtime Detroit Tigers’ Director of Player Personnel) Glenn Ezell; former Dodger minor leaguer Gary Pullins, who coached baseball at Brigham Young University for over 20 years and was recently inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame; current Dixie College president Bob Huddleston; former Orioles’ minor leaguer Brad Drysdale and former Royals’ minor leaguer (and Kofa High alum) Bryan Casey; and current minor league prospects Michael Jones (Braves) and Stephen Smith (Dodgers).

Many listed above have already confirmed their appearances for this weekend, which begins at the batting cage at 11:15AM Saturday morning with alumni batting practice at Kammann Field. Fans are welcome to come enjoy the festivities at that time to get autographs and listen to the swapping of old stories, and the media is encouraged to get interviews with players-past and present-at that time. After that, the fans will get treated to an action-filled afternoon as the Alumni battle the 2012 AWC Matadors’ baseball team in the 10th Annual John Stratton AWC Alumni Baseball Game at 1PM. Admission to the game is absolutely free. Organizers are asking the media to get the word out about the game so that local alumni who might not have had the chance to get involved in the past can get into the mix for 2011 and beyond. Those looking to get involved can call Drew Keehn at (928) 344-7538 for more information. FFor more information, click on the link below:ans can log onto the Alumni Baseball 10th Annual John Stratton AWC Alumni Baseball Game

Yuma, Arizona – January 17, 2012 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Men’s Basketball player Renan Lenz (heh-NAHN lenss) has been named the ACCAC Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending January 14th. It’s the first time this season that a Matador Men’s Basketball team has won the award, and it’s the second time that Lenz has won the award during his two years as a Matador. The announcement comes three days after Lenz and the Matadors fell to 10th-ranked South Mountain Community College, 58-56, in a thrilling ACCAC Men’s Basketball game Saturday night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus.

Lenz has been the focus of many an opposing defense since he first arrived on the AWC campus in the summer of 2010. However, over the last few weeks, AWC Men’s Head Basketball Coach Charles Harral has challenged his sophomore forward/center to be more aggressive in his play. Lenz certainly responded to the challenge in the Matadors’ two games this past week. First, Lenz helped the Matadors finish off a string of five consecutive conference road games on an up note in the Phoenix area. The Matadors got a strong test from Chandler-Gilbert Community College-especially when the Coyotes cut a 13-point halftime deficit to just one midway through the 2nd half. Lenz, though, helped keep the Coyotes from ever taking the lead in the 2nd half. His impressive work underneath with hook shots and aggressive moves to the hoop on offense-as well as 3 blocked shots to go along with 13 rebounds on defense-were key elements in the Matadors’ 72-57 win. Saturday night, the Matadors returned to the friendly confines of ‘The House’ for a challenging test against South Mountain. Despite the fact that the Cougars continually changed defenses mostly to take away the interior presence of the Matadors, Lenz stayed steady, including making a couple of hoops down the stretch when the Matadors were battling back from behind. Lenz posted his third straight ‘double-double’ by the end of the night, racking up 10 points to go along with 11 rebounds (and 4 more blocked shots). For the week, the native of Santo Angelo, Brazil, averaged 15.5 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. For the season, ‘The Renan Factor’ is easily the ACCAC Leader in blocked shots (2.4 per game) and is now 3rd in the league in rebounds (9.3 per contest). He’s also raised his scoring average to 13.3 points per game (3rd-best on the team).

Lenz and the Matadors will continue their current 3-game homestand with a pair of home games this week. The Matadors will host the Pima Aztecs tomorrow night, January 18th on 1st Bank Yuma Night, before winding up the home this Saturday night, January 21st, as they host the Glendale Gauchos. Both games are 7:30PM starts that will be the second half of the men’s-women’s basketball doubleheader each night, with the 12th-ranked AWC Lady Matadors tipping the evening off at 5:30PM at ‘The House’ (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma). Admission prices are as follows: $5 admission for adults, $3 for military personnel (with valid military ID), seniors and students ages 12-17, and free for AWC students, NAU-Yuma students, Matador Athletic Association members and kids under the age of 12.
 

Colorado Springs, CO (January 11, 2012) – Arizona Western College’s Jolie Olingende (JOH-lee OH-linn-GEHN-day) has been named the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending January 7th.  In three wins last week, Jolie Olingende (6' 1") made her mark with two ‘double-doubles’ and another impressive outing. Olingende was held to 12 points, but pulled down eight rebounds and dished out four assists in an 80-47 win over Division III No. 1 Anoka-Ramsey Community College (MN). The sophomore then posted 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-53 win over Homenetmen ARARAT, and 20 points and 14 rebounds in a 67-38 win nover Cochise College. The Matadors and Olingende hit the road Wednesday (tonight) to face Chandler-Gilbert Community College before returning home to face South Mountain Community College Saturday night at ‘The House’ on the AWC campus.