Good Sports: Clovis West champion Ryleigh Schoonover begins Fresno State journey

Clovis West girls basketball has built a reputation for sustained success, and that standard helped shape one of the area's top players as she begins the next chapter of her career.For the past 14 years, the Golden Eagles have won consecutive Central Section championships, a run that has established championship expectations throughout the program."We want to be good every year," Clovis West coach Craig Campbell said. "We're not going to win it every year, but we want to be knocking on the door every year."As another group of standout players moved on, Ryleigh Schoonover chose to stay close to home. The former Clovis West star is entering her first season with the Fresno State women's basketball program as part of a talented freshman class."To wear that valley 'V' on your chest, it's something different," Schoonover said. "Most people outside of the valley don't understand that," Schoonover said.Fresno State coach Ryan McCarthy praised Schoonover's accomplishments and immediate impact with the program."In my opinion, Riley was the best player in the area for her class of 2026," McCarthy said. "Riley came in and proved that right away."Schoonover brings a winning background after helping Clovis West capture section titles and now transitions to a Fresno State team pursuing a Pac-12 championship."If I didn't pay for Campbell, I don't I don't think I would have been up to McCarthy's expectation. Everything is the standard," Schoonover said.McCarthy said Schoonover's experience in a championship program has prepared her for the expectations at the college level."She played with a very good high school basketball program here, and all they did was win. And so, that's the expectation when she sets out on the floor," McCarthy said.With Fresno State's season opener against UC Merced less than two weeks away, Schoonover is preparing to make her debut at the Save Mart Center.Campbell said he believes her potential is only beginning to emerge."I think that's one of the things that's so exciting for Coach McCarthy and the staff is she's just scratching the surface on what a gifted player she could be for them," Campbell said.For sports updates, follow Parker Rehm on Facebook, X and Instagram.