Navarro’s defense keys Manteca win over Mustangs

OAKDALE - The Manteca Buffaloes held a slim 24-17 halftime lead and never relinquished it during a 45-34 Valley Oak League opening win over the Oakdale Mustangs Tuesday.

Sophomore T’Wolves hold on for victory

Joseph Berry led three scorers in double figures with 14 points, and the Sierra High sophomore boys basketball team repelled the relentless Sonora Wildcats for a 48-47 home win to open the Valley Oak League season.

Gardner’s future uncertain

Manteca High junior Kiwi Gardner could miss a handful of games or forfeit the rest of his athletic eligibility depending on Sac-Joaquin Section sanctions. He will likely not play in tonight's Valley Oak League opener with visiting Oakdale.

MANTECA BEGINS VOL TITLE DEFENSE

Manteca High's boys basketball team opens Valley Oak League play tonight against visiting Oakdale with a pedestrian 7-4 preseason mark, but do not be deceived into believing the Buffaloes are an average squad.

ANYBODY’S GAME

Entering a season with at least a portion of the past three Valley Oak League championships, and four of the past five, would usually make the defending champs the odds-on-favorite to close the season with another one. But the dominance the East Union Lancers have held over their VOL counterparts will hold little merit as the league season gets underway Tuesday for the nine VOL girls basketball programs.

Demolition Day

DECADE OF DOMINATION

The perception around these parts is that Manteca rules the high school football scene, Sierra reigns in soccer and the softball crown rests on the heads of the Lancers of East Union.

Current, former Lancers rule top stories of year

History was made. Dreams were realized. Others were crushed. The first decade of the 21st century ended with a bang in the world of sports here in the Manteca area and for Manteca-area natives that have moved on to great things - one being Scott Brooks, the head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. The East Union High legend tops the Bulletin's top-10 stories of 2009 in Manteca and beyond. Brooks is the first ...

Nuanez, Sierra shine in final tune-up for VOL

WALNUT CREEK - Sierra High's wrestling team brought just 11 athletes to the Bill Martell Tournament Wednesday, but that was enough for it to leave its mark in its final tune-up for the Valley Oak League season.

Montiel leads six area placers with gold

The 5th Annual Lady Lancer Tournament at East Union High Wednesday lasted just 4 ½ hours.

SEE YOU SOON

SONORA – Sierra High will open up the 2010 Valley Oak League season with a visit from the Sonora Wildcats, so the Timberwolves' 52-47 win in the third-place game of the Dominick Fuchs Classic helped Sierra close out the preseason in the best possible way.

Too Much To Handle

RIPON – When the Oakdale Mustangs turned up their full-court pressure, Ripon Christian was unable to conquer the challenge, falling to the Mustangs 47-32 in the championship of the Lady Knights Classic Wednesday at Ripon Christian.

Manteca tops Foothill for consolation championship

TRACY – Sharon Washington had another phenomenal outing leading her Manteca Buffaloes to the consolation championship of the Tracy Breakfast Lions Tournament with a 50-40 win over Foothill High Wednesday.

Area teams finish 1-3 at MC tourney

­SALIDA - Rod Wright isn't delusional. He says the goal for his Ripon High boys basketball team is to win the brutally-competitive Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic every year the Indians are in it. Ripon finished with one win out of four contests after losing to Oakland Tech 65-53 in the 11th-place game Wednesday. And what was Wright's final assessment? "It was a successful tournament for us," he said. Wright added that he is often ...

Weston Ranch hoping to close out with win

BRENTWOOD – When Weston Ranch opened the first quarter with one of its worst offensive outputs of the season, recovering from its double-digit deficit proved impossible as the Cougars dropped its loser's bracket contest 74-48 to Clovis High in their 10th Annual West Coast Jamboree contest at Liberty High.

Past, present stars honored

The past along with the present is being recognized this week in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Central California Lions All-Star Football Classic, one of the state's four original prep contests of its kind.

RC baseball highlights all-SL list

A productive year at the plate might be an understatement when referring to the type of season Ripon Christian's now-graduated senior Dominic Nelson just had.

RISING TO NEXT LEVEL

Guillermo Nunez was praised for his high basketball IQ.

Brink ends outstanding prep career at state

Backed by a good-sized contingent of supporters - including former teammates, classmates, teachers, and friends and family - Will Brink played his final round as an East Union Lancer during Wednesday's CIF/CGA State Boys Golf Championship in scenic Carmel.

Sierra named state’s D-III Team of the Year

Nick Olmo reiterated on Tuesday that he doesn't put much stock into rankings.

RIPON ON THE RISE

Ripon's softball team certainly pitched and played defense this spring.

Weston Ranch’s McDonald reaches state finals

One of just two sophomores in the sprint events, Weston Ranch High's John McDonald was understandably wide-eyed upon his rival at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis - the site of the CIf State Track & Field Championships.

Nine area players make first team All-VOL

Manteca High junior Jake Corn had an astounding season on the bump this spring.

YOUNG MCDONALD

ELK GROVE - The kid they call "Texas" is competing in the California Interscholastic Federation Track and Field State Championships for the first time next week.

BEST OF THE BEST

Allie Walljasper has already won two section titles, three Valley Oak League MVP awards, two VOL crowns and was named this year's all-league Pitcher of the Year for the first time.

Elijah, Sierra 4x100 win preliminary heats at Masters Meet

ELK GROVE - Run the straightaway or walk the podium?