A dozen candidates are in the running for the first area Player of the Week in 2023.
Alanis Cedeno, Santa Maria girls wrestling: Cedeno led the Saints to the championship at the California Invitational Tournament (CIT) at Morro Bay High School Saturday, winning the title at 126 pounds.
Jeremiah Villaros, Righetti boys wrestling: Villaros won the title at 145 pounds, and the Warriors won the team championship at the Redwood Invitational at Visalia Redwood High School Saturday.
Jorge Adame, Santa Maria boys basketball: The senior guard had a big week as the Saints won their first two Ocean League games. Adame dropped in six 3's en route to scoring 33 points in Santa Maria's win against Morro Bay Friday night. Adame also snared eight rebounds and had five assists. Three nights earlier, he had a big double-double, with 16 points and 15 rebounds in Santa Maria's win against Orcutt Academy.
Faye Fredrick, Lompoc girls wrestling: Fredrick won her weight class at the CIT Saturday.
Abraham Montano, Cabrillo boys soccer: Montano cleared 15 balls and made eight steals in the Conquistadores' loss against Lompoc.
Rylie Jenkins, Cabrillo girls basketball: Jenkins scored 18 points, snared four rebounds, had four assists and made three steals as the Conquistadores beat Nipomo Friday night to square their Ocean League record at 1-1.
Natalie McCune, Cabrillo girls basketball: McCune notched a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in Cabrillo's win Friday night.Â
Jace Gomez, Pioneer Valley boys basketball:Â Gomez tossed in 23 points and amassed three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Panthers' Mountain League loss against Mission Prep.
Tara Terrones, Lompoc girls basketball: Terrones, a freshman, scored 12 points in Lompoc's Ocean League loss against San Luis Obispo.
Miley DeBernardi, Valley Christian Academy girls basketball: DeBernardi scored 13 points, had five assists and held Coastal Christian's leading scorer to five points in VCA's Coast Valley League loss against the Conquerors.
Taevon Pierre-Louis, Hancock College men's basketball: Pierre-Louis chalked up another double-double, with 13 points and 12 rebounds, as Hancock rolled to a 77-58 win against Oxnard in the Bulldogs' Western State Conference North Division opener Saturday.
India Dowling-Green, Hancock College women's basketball: Dowling-Green racked up a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds as Hancock won its WSC North Division opener with a 77-44 rout of Oxnard Saturday.  Â
Kenny Cress is a sports reporter for the Santa Maria Times, covering local sports in northern Santa Barbara County. You can send information or story ideas to him by emailing it to KCress@SantaMariaTimes.com.
