There wasn't else much Manuel Pires could say to his players except, "Thank you," after Sierra cruised to a 5-0 victory over visiting El Dorado of Placerville to open the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs Tuesday.
RIPON - Heading into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs, the Ripon Indians were looking to get back into the flow of things after a loss to Hughson at the end of the Trans Valley League season had exposed a few previously unseen flaws in Ripon's team game.
The glass slippers appear to fit. Now it's just a matter of Cinderella dancing her way into the championship round. After sneaking out of a wild Trans Valley League race and into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs, the battle-tested Ripon Indians - making their first postseason appearance since 2005 and first under second-year head coach Mark Whelan - have to like their chances when they open with Western Athletic Conference two seed Patterson tonight ...
WOODLAND - In a rematch of last season's Sac-Joaquin Section Division II first round, Pioneer of Woodland exacted a little revenge on the Manteca Buffaloes Tuesday, claiming a 5-4 victory.
OAKDALE - Scores of area athletes had what it took to qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Championships Saturday at Oakdale High, the site of the 2009 Valley Oak League Track & Field Championships.
OAKDALE - While Oakdale was busy racking up the win on the junior varsity boys' side Saturday at the Valley Oak League Championships, a couple of Lathrop jumpers had impressive days.
The 2009 East Union freshman softball team finished a perfect season at 21-0 that included an undefeated run through Valley Oak League play and an elusive win against Tracy High, the first of head coach Ron Kackley's career.
A coin flip, as it turns out, will not decide the Sierra High baseball team's postseason fate.
Just call her the "Cookie Monster." Despite a forfeiture request from Oakdale High spawning from an incident that happened in Sonora on April 20, the East Union Lancers set aside all the distractions Friday night at Northgate Park and sent off five seniors in style with a 10-0 blanking of Manteca. Alicia Cook, a four-year starter affectionately known as "Cookie" in Lancer circles, led the emotional charge with the first home run of her career. ...
Word came down well before game time Friday at Sierra High that the Oakdale Mustangs were requesting a forfeit because of a situation with an East Union player, and that if the forfeit is upheld, Sierra's season would come to a close following seven innings with Weston Ranch.
RIPON - Senior ace Sarah Nieweg took her final bow, and freshman Katie Thomas gave Ripon Christian a promising glance into the future as the Knights ended both the season and a 30-game Trans Valley League losing streak with a 10-4 victory against rival host Ripon Friday.
Sierra High's girls track and field team returns to the site where it suffered its only Valley Oak League loss today.
SALIDA - Mark Whelan didn't bother to congratulate and thank Hughson coach Bob Etcheverry after the Huskies pulled off a dramatic 7-6 victory over Modesto Christian Friday.
Jenny Ketner tossed a complete-game, six-hitter and struck out seven as the East Union sophomore softball team knocked off Manteca, 7-0, Friday night at Northgate Park.
Arnie Morales and Yassen Aniss combined forces on the doubles court for the first time this season Thursday at East Union High and the result was magic, as the duo took down Sonora's Eric Segerstrom and Luke Bergen, 6-4, 7-5, in the Valley Oak League doubles championship match.
LODI – Jake Corn had confidence in his fastball.
LODI - Chandler Bengston woke up Central Catholic's bats with a loud two-run dinger that sparked a game-breaking, two-out rally.
STOCKTON - Allie Walljasper had plenty to do with Sierra punching its ticket to the semifinal of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV softball tournament Wednesday night.
RIO LINDA – Teagan Manus scored a hat trick and Bryanna Heida earned the clean sheet as Ripon Christian moved within one win of its first Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
LODI – The Ripon Christian Knights used their 12-day layoff to get back to the fundamentals.
Sierra High's 4x100 boys relay team broke the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV/V Meet record Tuesday on its home track.
Ashley Almeida dove to her left, batting a rocket shot out of bounds.
STOCKTON - There was no fist pump. No twirl of the putter. Not even a smile cracked the face of the always even-keel Will Brink.
On a championship-caliber team with no Sac-Joaquin Section championships, Jim Todd isn't leaning on a rich core of veterans for the missing ingredient.
Sierra High has built it.
Manteca and Ripon Christian begin the Sac-Joaquin Section Division playoffs against familiar foes next week.
The road to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship appears to go through the Valley Oak League once again.
Ripon High's Zach Scudder and freshman Scott Tolman of Sierra are two of the favorites in today's Sac-Joaquin Section frosh-soph final in the 100-yard breast stroke.
RIPON - It was two years ago on this same field that four current Ripon Christian seniors experienced heartache.
Meghan Wallace stood at the edge of the penalty area in stunned disbelief - hands atop her head, mouth agape.