The top feel-good sports stories of 2020

The Rays went on to play in the World Series, which they lost to the LA Dodgers, just months after selecting St. Joseph grad Hunter Barnhart in the third round of the MLB Draft in June.

Barnhart eventually signed with the Rays weeks later. The Paso Robles native was selected with the 96th overall pick.

The right-hander had 18 strikeouts in 11 innings with a 0.64 ERA, making a pair of starts in a shortened spring season. Scouts filled the backstop bleachers at all of Barnhart's pitching performances during this truncated spring season.

Barnhart became the second St. Joseph baseball player to be drafted out of high school, joining Bill Simas (1990). Dustin Kelly was drafted out of Cuesta College by the Red Sox in the 15th round in 2004. Former Knight Doug Bernier made the majors after being undrafted. 

St. Joseph pitcher Hunter Barnhart selected by Tampa Bay Rays

• Joe Bailey

Very early in 2020, Righetti girls basketball coach Desiree Hitch passed the 100 career win mark. She achieved that milestone on Jan. 3, 2020 with a Friday night win over Mission Prep.

“I’ve been very fortunate to coach players like Zane Sheckherd, Ashley Reynoso, Danita Estorga, Alijah Paquet,” Hitch said after the Warriors rallied for a 61-57 Mountain League win at crosstown rival Pioneer Valley, notching her 101st career win on Jan. 4.

Hitch and the Warriors went on to win a Mountain League title and make the CIF semifinals. Hitch did all that while expecting her first child, which was delivered not long after the season.

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Girls basketball: Righetti's Desiree Hitch races past 100 wins with Warriors

Desiree Hitch raced past the century mark as Righetti's girls basketball coach. She earned her 100th coaching win at Righetti when the Warriors won 55-40 at Mission Prep Friday night, then got her 101st career win the following night in a 61-57 win over Pioneer Valley. 

Arroyo Grande's boys basketball team had a state title in its grasp before the pandemic forced the cancellation of all the state's CIF championship games in March. 

The Eagles won a Mountain League title behind the play of Gage Gomez, Robert Hutchens, Connor Angle and Michael Atherton. They were then selected for the CIF Central Section Open Division playoffs, where they lost to Clovis West in the semifinals.

They were moved on to the state playoffs and won five regional games, concluding with a 79-69 win over Burbank Providence. The Eagles were supposed to play Albany St. Mary's for the state championship in Sacramento three days later, on March 13. The entire slate of state games were canceled a day before the Eagles were set to play in their game. 

The team was later featured on ESPN's SportsCenter, which highlighted teams affected by the pandemic.

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Arroyo Grande High basketball team featured on ESPN's SportsCenter after having CIF State title game canceled

Scott Van Pelt, the longtime ESPN anchor who hosts the popular late-night edition of SportsCenter, has spent the past few nights highlighting high school or college teams and athletes who have had their seasons or careers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. He picked up the Eagles' story Tuesday night.

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Basketball: Arroyo Grande beats Providence, wins regional title and advances to CIF State championship game

It wasn't supposed to be this easy, but the Eagles have made a habit of making difficult tasks appear effortless. 

Meanwhile, the Orcutt Academy girls basketball team enjoyed its most successful season in its history, winning an Ocean League title and advancing to the CIF semifinals, where the Spartans lost to eventual CIF champ Caruthers. 

Tom Robb was named the All-Area Coach of the Year and standout sophomore Giselle Calderon was voted the Defensive Player of the Year. 

“My first year here, we won one league game,” Robb said back in February. “My second year, we won two. The next year, we finished third (behind Ocean League co-champs Pioneer Valley and Nipomo). This year we won the Ocean League championship.”

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Orcutt Academy's Giselle Calderon voted Defensive Player of the Year

In addition to averaging 5 steals a game, Calderon also averaged 14 points a game for the Ocean League champs (10-0 in league games), made 74 percent of her free throws and was pretty adept at running an offense. She averaged as many assists a game as she did steals.

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All-Area: Orcutt Academy's Tom Robb voted Coach of the Year

Robb’s team got that first girls basketball league title in school history by rolling through a 10-0 league campaign. Orcutt finished 24-5 overall.

The Lompoc High girls soccer team also had a memorable season, winning the Channel League title behind the stellar play of Ayziah Simmons, who was voted the All-Area MVP. 

The Braves went 6-1-3 in league games.

On the season, Simmons scored 18 goals in 16 games for the Braves and also dished out six assists. Lompoc won the league title as Simmons scored 10 goals in 10 league games with one assist.

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Soccer: Lompoc's Ayziah Simmons is our All-Area MVP

For her efforts, Simmons has been voted the All-Area MVP by the sports staff at the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record and Santa Ynez Valley News. On the season, she scored 18 goals in 16 games for the Braves and also dished out six assists. Lompoc won the league title as Simmons scored 10 goals in 10 league games with one assist.

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Central Coast Classic: Hancock made playoff run despite only having six players

The Hancock women’s basketball team carried six players most of the season. The Bulldogs still made it to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California women’s basketball regional.

Despite only having six healthy players for much of the season, the Hancock women's basketball team still made the CCCAA playoffs.

“I’ve had small rosters before,” coach Cary Nerelli told the Times early in 2020. “But nothing like this.”

The Bulldogs actually had five players during one game. Point guard Aryanna Gonzales was out for that one with an injured ankle. The Bulldogs finished 14-16 despite those obstacles.

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Difference-makers: Cary Nerelli's coaching career spans more than 40 years

For all of his success, Nerelli was inducted into the CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame in 2014 and then the Northern Santa Barbara County Hall of Fame in 2018.

With an assist, Santa Maria girls win first Masters wrestling title

The Saints had a remarkable 2020. They won an area meet, the Central California Athletic Association meet, the regional meet and at the Masters. 

Santa Maria athletic director Brian Wallace said it was the school's first girls CIF championship since the Saints girls basketball team won a title in 1975.

Santa Maria senior Mariana Tello advanced to the CIF State Tournament, as did teammate Jennifer Lopez. 

Girls wrestling: Santa Maria crowned top team in Central Section with win at Masters Meet

Santa Maria High School has the top girls wrestling program in the Central Section.

The school across town also had some wrestling success in 2020 as Pioneer Valley's boys took their divisional title.

The Panthers edged Porterville Monache 183-181.5 at Madera South High School to win the CIF Central Section Division 2 championship in February. 

Jacob Velasquez, Giovanni Castaneda, Juan Orozco, Alejandro Zepeda and Vicente Wilson all had key finishes to help the Panthers claim the title. Andy Ojeda (134 pounds) and Eric Guerra (152) finished fourth in their weight classes. The Panthers' Adrian Salazar finished eighth at 160.

One wrestler also had a stellar individual postseason. Righetti sophomore Dominic Mendez earned league MVP honors and advanced to the state semifinals.

Mendez finished in fourth place at 108 pounds in the state tournament at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield.

He was also the Mountain League champion at 108 pounds and won at the CIT meet at Morro Bay early in 2020.