SAN BERNARDINO, CA—The Arroyo Valley High School (AVHS) varsity softball team made school history on Saturday, May 30 when it beat San Bernardino High School (SBHS) 8-5 to earn the school’s first-ever CIF Championship.
In a thrilling extra-inning showdown between two San Bernardino City Unified School District rivals, Arroyo Valley High emerged victorious over San Bernardino High. The nail-biting contest, held at the Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine, showcased the talent, determination and resilience of both teams, with neither side willing to back down. After battling through seven innings tied, the Hawks broke through in extra innings to secure the championship victory. While Arroyo Valley celebrated the title, both schools demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and represented SBCUSD with pride on one of high school softball’s biggest stages.
“It’s a first in so many ways. It’s the first AVHS girls’ team to earn a CIF title, the first time the softball team has won a CIF title and the first CIF Championship of any kind for Arroyo Valley,” AVHS Athletic Director Angel Castro said. “This is truly a day that will go down in history for the Hawks. I could not be prouder to be part of this historic moment.”
The first and only other time AVHS made it to a CIF Southern Section championship game was the school’s 2021 baseball team.
AVHS went into the CIF playoffs with a 10-14 record. The Hawks beat Banning in the quarterfinals and Capistrano Valley Christian in the semifinals before facing off against the SBHS Cardinals at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine for the championship game.
Although there could only be one championship team, San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) had the honor of knowing they were going to win big because both teams in the final game were from San Bernardino.
“For two SBCUSD high schools to both make it to the CIF Southern Section finals and compete against each other not just for the honor of a CIF Championship but also for each school’s first softball CIF title, let’s just say that the entire community had a stake in the game,” said Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, who graduated from SBHS.
“It was an honor to be part of this special and unique moment in SBCUSD and CIF history,” SBHS Athletic Director Pat Mills said. “Our girls’ played hard, and we all wish we could have won the championship, but we want to congratulate Arroyo Valley on a well-played game.”
AVHS Head Softball Coach Nathan Barlow and Assistant Coaches Gerald Ananias, Mariana Barlow and Jasmine Berenice Almazan were proud to guide the championship Hawks team of Leila Sanchez, Jaylin Casillas, Siraya Cruz-Villegas, Amy Mendoza, Amada Miramontez, Aida Sanchez, Alexa Arellano, Camila Ramos, Tania Iribe, Alicia Arevalo, Bianca Nava, Emily Herrera, Abigail Ector and Carley Acosta.
About San Bernardino City Unified School District:
The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is California’s ninth-largest school district and is dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares students for college, career and life. With a focus on equity, excellence and empowerment, the District serves a diverse student population in the San Bernardino and Highland communities. For more information about SBCUSD and its Vision 2030: SBCUSD SHINES initiative, visit www.sbcusd.com and follow the District @SBCityUSD on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Arroyo Valley High School:
Arroyo Valley High School (AVHS) currently educates students in grades 9–12 and offers International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and career-technical education (CTE) programs. AVHS boasts five Linked-Learning Gold-certified CTE pathways. The school mascot is a hawk, and the school colors are back and gold. For more information about AVHS, visit https://arroyovalley.sbcusd.com/.
About San Bernardino High School:
San Bernardino High School (SBHS) is the oldest high school in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, having opened in 1883 and first accredited in 1893. It currently educates students in grades 9–12. The school mascot is a cardinal and the colors are red, black and white. The school is also known as Cardinal City because it is an officially recognized charter city, which is why the student body elects a mayor every year instead of just a student council president. For more information about SBHS, visit https://sanbernardino.sbcusd.com.
Arroyo Valley High School players erupt in celebration following the final out of the CIF championship game.
The victory earned the Hawks the first CIF title in school history.
