Enrique Segura Wins Male Athlete of The Year

On Tuesday, May 26th, Enrique Segura was announced as the male athlete of the year. Segura, Coach Watts, and Coach Allen reflect on this great achievement.

By: Fabian Anguiano

During his time at Redwood, Enrique Segura, ’26, played football for Redwood as a linebacker, and qualified for state in wrestling his freshman and senior year.

Segura’s reaction when he found out he won was, “A little bit shocked. I feel like it could have gone to a lot of people in our class. Really grateful that they decided that person overall was me, I’m really happy it was,” said Segura.

Segura deeply believes that his hard work contributed to his winning this award, from the weeks leading up to a wrestling tournament to the hard weeks leading up to a football game.

Segura’s favorite part about competing for Redwood was, “Definitely the people around, they definitely made it special. There are a lot of people who support us, and even the people who hate us. It’s a fun place to be because we’re always winning.”

Segura’s coaches have shaped him into who he is today, “My coaches did a lot, starting with football. David Clements, (defensive coordinator), sometimes you can be called a crazy guy, but that’s what you need. You need a coach to be in your head and tell you what you’re doing wrong in a mean way,” said Segura.

Everybody has been there for Segura, everyone who was there for him since the start have shaped him into the person he is today in the four years he has attended Redwood.

Football head coach, Curtis Allen, knew it was either going to be Segura, Jimmie Burk, or Luke Sanchez running away with the award, as they all had good years, and they are all good athletes.

When Allen found out that Segura had won, he was happy, as it was well deserved.

Allen’s favorite part about coaching Segura is that he is, “A smart leader and coach on the field. He gives is 100% every time he steps on the field, don’t matter for special teams, defense, offense it don’t matter. He was a good leader for our team, and kind of rubbed off on all of our players,” said Allen.

What Allen believes Segura did best was his leadership qualities. He got everybody on the team to participate, and he got the team motivated to practice every day. Segura led by example, not exactly a guy that gets all pumped up, but being the team player and captain.

What Allen is going to miss most about Segura is, “Experience playing that position, we got to find somebody else to get in there and get it done. When somebody’s starting for three years, that gives you a hit when they leave. His ability to make us a better football team. I’ll definitely miss that, and his leadership qualities.”

Allen had more to say, “He’s well deserved, as a leader for us, well deserved to be the athlete of the year.”

Head wrestling coach, David Watts’ reaction to Segura winning athlete of the year was, “Excitement and pride. It is always rewarding to see one of your athletes’ hard work, dedication, and character recognized, especially when you have watched the countless hours they put in behind the scenes,” said Watts.

Segura earned the respect of his teammates, coaches, and the school community. To Watts, it was great to see him get honored in that manner.

Watts’ favorite part about coaching Segura was the consistency and leadership he held throughout his time here at Redwood. Segura showed up every day prepared to work, compete, and improve. Segura set a great example for younger athletes with his willingness to do whatever the team needed.

Watts believes Segura deserved to win because, “He represented everything you want in a student-athlete. He was successful in competition, but more importantly, he was dependable, coachable, and a positive influence on the people around him. His commitment both in athletics and as a teammate separated him from others.”

Another one of Watts’ favorite parts about Coaching Segura was watching him develop over time. Watching his confidence grow while overcoming obstacles and impacting his teammates at the same time made coaching him rewarding.

What Watts will miss most about Segura is his presence in the program. Athletes like Segura set the bar every day with the leadership, competitiveness, and energy he has. He helped improve those around him, and an athlete like him is really difficult to replace.

Watts had one more thing to say, “He should be very proud of everything he accomplished. Awards like this reflect not only athletic ability, but also character and commitment. I’m excited to see what the future holds for him because he has all the qualities needed to be successful in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Tags: Athlete of the Year awards, football, gigantea, Gigantea athletics, Redwood, redwood athletes, redwood athletics, sports, visalia ca, wrestling