Fresno State Freshman Schoonover Joins Bulldogs After 14 Clovis West Titles

Ryleigh Schoonover enters her first season with Fresno State after four years at Clovis West, where the Golden Eagles won 14 straight Central Section championships.

The Bulldogs open their season Oct. 30 against UC Merced at the Save Mart Center, a game scheduled less than two weeks from Oct. 24. Fresno State is chasing a Pac-12 championship. Clovis West has taken the section title every year for 14 seasons.

Coach Craig Campbell of Clovis West said the program aims to contend annually. "We want to be good every year," Campbell said. "We're not going to win it every year, but we want to be knocking on the door every year."

Schoonover chose to stay in the area as other standout players left the program. "To wear that valley 'V' on your chest, it's something different," Schoonover said, adding that most people outside the valley do not understand that. She credited Campbell with preparing her for the demands of coach Ryan McCarthy's program, saying that at both levels, "Everything is the standard."

McCarthy said Schoonover stood out among local players. "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." He added, "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."

Campbell said he expects more growth from Schoonover at the college level. "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," he said.