RIPON – All that stood between Ripon and an undefeated preseason was a 5-4 shootout loss in the Big Valley Tournament championship.
CERES – Jamie Beck, a 6-foot, 2-inch junior, is leading a Ceres volleyball reawakening this season and Manteca was on the opposite end of her hard-hitting wrath Wednesday in a 0-3 (16-25, 22-25, 22-25) road loss.
Sonora showed up at Manteca High Wednesday and showed what Wildcat tennis is all about in a 15-0 win over the upstart Buffaloes.
Sierra has been a lights-out team in the second half of its games so far this season. But the second half never happened at host Manteca's Guss Schmiedt Field Tuesday. Why? The lights went out. The stadium lights began to intensify with roughly 10 minutes left in the first half, with Sierra ahead 1-0, but they abruptly shut off along with the scoreboard. Sierra head coach Jose Montes said he saw sparks and smoke coming ...
RIPON - Following a 17-25, 14-25, 20-25 loss to Escalon in the Trans Valley League opener Tuesday at home, Ripon Christian head coach Tiger Shelton said that Cougars outside hitter Kaitlin Brayton could be the best player in the conference this season.
The Manteca High tennis team continued its impressive turnaround Tuesday afternoon with a 10-5-4.5 win over visiting Central Valley.
Giovanni Marin poured in four goals in Manteca's 7-1 romp over visiting Sierra Tuesday at Guss Schmiedt Field, but only one of them scores will be remembered.
LATHROP - Considering how hotly contested the first three games were, the deciding fourth, clinched easily by visiting East Union 25-10, was somewhat of a downer.
CERES - Jose Montes hoped for a tie, and he got it in spectacular fashion. Montes' Sierra Timberwolves opened the Valley Oak League season with a 2-2 tie against defending champion Central Valley Monday despite being outshot, 16-5. David Reyes blasted home a highlight-worthy bicycle kick off Emmanuel Ortiz's throw-in to complete the second-half comeback for Sierra (1-0, 6-5 overall), which was down two goals by halftime. "It was a World Cup-class goal," Montes said. ...
RIPON – A weekend after finishing runner-up at the Big Valley Tournament in Modesto, Ripon travelled across the street to capture the Ripon Christian Invitational title with a 3-0 win over Lathrop.
MODESTO – Over 1,200 runners gathered at Legion-Tuoumne Regional Park in Modesto Saturday for the Sierra Cross Country Invitational. The host Timberwolves put on a show, winning both the small and large school divisions in both boys and girls action.
MERCED – Rack up another crown for the mighty Indians of Ripon. After sweeping aside three teams in Golden Valley Tournament pool play Friday, all that stood between Ripon and the 36-team tournament championship Saturday was five more opponents. All in a day's work for Larry Keethe's crew. Starting at Merced College Saturday morning, Ripon downed Tiger Shelton's Ripon Christian Knights 25-20, 25-14, before outlasting Atwater, 25-17, 18-25, 15-9. "Tiger was having fun and so ...
Throughout my life, in times of struggle, I've turned to my mother in search of solace. "Brandon," she often offers, "God never puts more on your plate than you can handle." I never understood exactly what that meant, and I certainly didn't believe it, because time and time again, I've felt overwhelmed by the challenges I have faced. It wasn't until I found myself travelling away from Dino Cunial Field Friday night following East Union's ...
SOQUEL – It was a long trip to the California coast Friday night for the Manteca sophomore football team, but even tired legs and a sluggish start couldn't deter the Buffaloes from picking up a season-opening win, 22-20.
The Manteca High freshman football team ran wild over Christian Brothers Thursday night at Guss Schmiedt Field, as tailback Anthony Cota scored four times in a 33-7 win.
MODESTO – Ripon's Yvette Serrano put together a respectable effort in the net Thursday afternoon at David Patton Field.
LODI - Ripon's Erika Brown qualified for the finals of the frosh-soph 100-yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke during the Sac-Joaquin Section girls swimming Trials at Tokay High on Thursday.
Jim Todd stopped practice and called for two substitutions.
The Sac-Joaquin Section's new playoff format has created plenty of intrigue.
LATHROP – Oakdale's resume speaks for itself.
RIPON - Ripon hasn't been to the Sac-Joaquin Section softtball playoffs since 1996.
Ripon resident and Central Catholic senior Aimee Rose has signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball career at Notre Dame de Namur University. She will major in kinesiology at the Belmont-based Catholic school.
Manteca was 15 outs from missing out on a postseason berth altogether after starting the Valley Oak League season with a two-game lead in the standings through eight games.
Sierra senior Gabby Olmo came up clutch during a Valley Oak League finale against host East Union at the Northgate Softball Complex Tuesday.
Ripon Christian got redemption during Tuesday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI Tournament at Stevinson Ranch Golf Course.
Ripon momentarily kept its playoff hopes alive Tuesday thanks to a 5-1 victory over visiting Hilmar, but another game in Newman ultimately knocked the Indians out of contention.
Austin Plunk nearly led Lathrop High to an upset win at Oakdale, which would have been the Spartans' first against the Valley Oak League champion Mustangs.
Courtney Range and Bri Moore were teammates for one season at St. Mary's.
The Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV and V tournaments both ended dramatically on Monday.