As the season progresses, the Dinuba High boys basketball team hosts their 10th annual Bedoya Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament to honor Andrew Bedoya, a 2009 DHS graduate who passed away two months after graduating from Fresno State in 2015. This tournament, along with other community activities, ultimately raises money to give back to the community, granting scholarships to graduating seniors and donating to Dinuba’s recreational sports programs. 

The AB3 Andrew Bedoya Memorial Scholarship Fund’s mission is to “support the hopes and dreams of the youth in the Dinuba and nearby surrounding communities by providing scholarships and financial assistance in memory of Andrew Bedoya” (Andrew Bedoya Memorial Scholarship Fund). 

The tournament took place December 10-13 and held sixteen teams in the varsity segment. With eight games a day, Dinuba High’s gym was continuously filled with supporters cheering on their team, hoping to make it to the championship and, eventually, win the entire tournament.

The Emperors played Farmersville, Sunnyside, Kingsburg, and Central Valley Christian (CVC). Winning the first two games with the scores of 58-22 (Farmersville) and 50-37 (Sunnyside), the Emperor’s third match-up was against our rival, the Kingsburg Vikings.

The gym was packed with families and friends supporting both teams, leading to an intense atmosphere as the game began. The crowd erupted, whether celebrating a basket or challenging a referee’s call. With every turnover and every made bucket, the cheers grew louder as the Vikings began to pull away, leaving Dinuba to catch up. The ending score was 40-59 with Kingsburg taking the win. 

The Emperor’s last game was against CVC, leaving them 3rd or 4th overall in the tournament. With the stands packed and the teams neck and neck, immense pressure was inflicted upon the Emperors. Alas, the Emperor’s came up 3 points short with a score of 39-42, placing them in 4th overall. 

In the championship game, Kingsburg versus Tulare Union, Tulare Union prevailed 77-65. The ending places were:

1st: Tulare Union

2nd: Kingsburg

3rd: CVC

4th: Dinuba

5th: Sanger West

Congratulations to the Emperor, Manual Pizana, for making the All-Tournament Team! 

A team leader, Alexander Barragan (senior), explains that, to improve as the season goes on, the team needs to start playing as one instead of playing individual games. “Skill-wise, I think our team needs to focus on playing as a team, you know. We play more, like, individualized, and I feel like that’s what hurts us. Some of our best games this season, we’ve played more as a team, and that’s what has led to our success,” Barragan states.

Concerning the tournament, he feels that the younger players have improved, stating that, “From this tournament, I feel like they’ve grown a lot. I think, like, team bonding-wise… I feel like the younger kids, in this tournament, gaining confidence is going to be key for us later in the season.