The only regret that I have is that I wasn’t able to stay the whole time. I had another assignment so I missed Hanford’s Darrien Leal hit one over the right field fence with two runners on, giving the Bullpups a 4-2 win over Tulare Western. Please click on the pictures for a gallery of photographs from the game.

The TPF 9 results:

A few weeks ago I was asked to take pictures of Francine Giron, the starting catcher for Hanford High’s varsity girls softball team. She has played on the varsity team for three years. But it wasn’t until summer before her season that the her coach, Donnie Fagundes, found out that Francine was legally blind in her left eye, a problem that started when she was in third grade. However, this hasn’t really been a problem for her. She has played almost every position on the softball field. She has even learned to adjust her batting stance. A natural right-handed batter she switched to being a lefty because her left eye, her bad eye, was closest to the pitcher causing her to swing late.

The Shafter basketball team celebrates their win behind Hanford West's Kalia Parker after their playoff game on Thursday, Feb. 24.

For the past two weeks, boys and girls varsity basketball players experienced the highs and lows of the California Interscholastic Federation’s playoffs. When the dust settled two of the seven Kings County schools will  vie for a Central Section Division championship at Selland Arena. Kings Christian girls will play for the Division V championship against Central Valley Christian. And Hanford High girls will seeking their fourth title and first Division I championship with their match up against against Clovis East.

click for full gallery of Tachi Palace Fights 8 – Images by Apolinar Fonseca

Here are some of my favorite pictures from TPF 8 All or Nothing held at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. For more images from the mixed martial arts event check out the galleries.

TPF 8 results:

A lot late on posting this one. Above are a few portraits I took for the Sentinel’s picks for the fall sports players of the year. I had a lot a fun over the few day in December it took to shoot this assignment. It really brought out the Strobist in me.

Sierra Pacific High School made its first postseason and its first playoff appearance in the school’s athletic history. The school, which has only been opened for two years, defeated Minarets (O’neals) in five sets 25-27, 28-30, 25-20, 25-18, 15-11 to advance in the Central Section Division five playoffs. Read more in the Hanford Sentinel