Fifty years ago, on June 1, 1961, John Holbrook was named the “Outstanding Athlete of the Year” at Manteca Union High School. The award was made at the school’s annual awards assembly. He was given the award after starring in three major sports for the Buffaloes during the 1960-61 year. Holbrook starred at the fullback spot in football, was a catcher in baseball and wrestled in the 154-pound class for the Buffaloes.



In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:

60 years ago: June 7, 1951 - Manteca’s Junior Legion baseballers jumped on the winners’ bandwagon last Saturday as they collected a 12-11 victory over Karl Ross Post in a twelve-inning ball game on the local high school diamond. Bob Turk pounded out a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the twelfth to score Pete Arizcuren with the winning run. Turk led all batters for the day with four hits in five trips. Gerald Teague had two hits for Manteca.

50 years ago: June 8, 1961 - For the second consecutive year, the Manteca Junior Legion team defied the experts by winning the Archie Clossen Memorial Baseball Tournament in Lodi. The locals won the tournament Saturday night by taking a 5-2 decision from Manuel Roxas Post of Stockton. Tim Brumley and Bob Teicheira led the locals in the hitting column by collecting two hits apiece.

The Manteca Merchants busted loose for a 23-hit attack Sunday afternoon to take an easy 19-5 win over the Stockton Merchants. The win gave the locals a 4-2 Rural League record and left them only one game behind the league-leading Lodi Wine Guild. The hitting stars for the locals were John Holbrook, Gary Heaton and Dick Merenda, who all picked up four hits apiece. Heaton had two triples, a double and a single. Holbrook drove in four runs.

30 years ago: June 8, 1981 - The three local teams involved in Senior Babe Ruth opened their 1981 seasons Sunday afternoon, with all three playing doubleheaders. Ace Tomato, under the coaching skills of Jack Thomson, took two from Downey of Modesto, 4-0 and 6-2. Souza’s Air Conditioning, coached by Darrell Hardcastle, split with Westurf, losing the first game 14-4 before winning the second game 10-4. Tradeway Chevrolet, under the skillful hands of Dino Ratto, fell twice to Superior Concrete 7-0 and 12-8. In their opening game, Ace got brilliant pitching from Manteca High ace Brian Keeney, who gave up just thee hits while striking out 11 and walking no one. Tomato pounded out six hits in the game, the big blow being a fifth-inning double by Darren Swift, who also had a single. In the second game, Mike Womack and James Matas combined to hurl the win and Russell Delnero led the hitters with two blows.

Souza’s first game saw Randy Blandino collect two hits in a losing cause. Winning the second game, Souza’s was led at the plate by Mike Delmanowski with a double and two singles. Todd Hardcastle crashed a homer and a triple. Finally, Tradeway Chevrolet managed just five hits in their opening loss to Superior Concrete, all of them singles. In the second game, Tradeway jumped off to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a double by Andy Rivera, but it didn’t hold up.

Manteca’s Ted Nuce is picking up right where he left off. The 20 year-old Nuce--the 1980 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the Year--has earned over $11,000 this season in bull-riding.

Katy McKenzie, Julie Brinton and Kevin Wentworth copped three victories apiece and the Manteca swimmers captured 14 of 21 relay races en route to an overwhelming 410-178 victory over the West Side Swim Club Saturday morning in Newman. McKenzie, one of a handful of 15-18 age group swimmers under coach Terence Fix and assistant David Breitenbucher, won the 50 free in 39.1, the 50 back in 51.02 and the 50 breaststroke in 52.4. Brinton, competing in the 13-14 group, swam to victory in the 50 free (33.4), 50 butterfly (39.6) and 50 back (39.65). Wentworth, in the 11-12 group, tripled in the 50 free (33.8), 50 butterfly (42.73) and individual medley (1:34.39).

20 years ago: June 9, 1991 - Oklahoma State University senior Kevin Wentworth shot a one-over-par 73 yesterday to help this team win its first NCAA Division I golf championship since 1987. The three-time All-American, a Manteca High graduate, tied for 28th individually at the Poppy Hills course at Pebble Beach.

The Manteca Athletic Booster Blue team blew a five-run lead, with Modesto scoring 11 consecutive runs, and the local nine dropped a 17-7 game Sunday afternoon on the East Union High field in Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball action. Gene Ballardo went 2-for-2 to lead Blue at the plate, but Modesto’s Tony Graziani collected three hits, including a triple, for his team.

Paul Gutierrez tossed a five-hitter and MABB Green took advantage of 10 Reeves and Associates’ walks to take an easy 11-1 win Sunday at Tracy. The game was called after five innings of play. Brian Burger had two singles and a double for the Green nine.

The district’s sole representative in the National Basketball Association, Scott Brooks, has always been willing to give back to the community that he grew up in. Now, Lucky Stores and Coca-Cola are co-sponsoring Scott Brooks Appreciation Day to honor the Lathrop-based professional basketball player. The special event will be held June 29 in the Lucky Store parking lot for the East Union High graduate who currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

10 years ago: June 15, 2001 - The prep volleyball season begins on August 21, so that means the three Manteca high schools have barely two months to train for the coming season. For East Union High’s team, last year was the first year that they did not make playoffs in 15 years. This year they’re going into league with the goal of finishing in the top three. “It’ll be fun, I’m looking forward to it,” said returning player Amy Haapanen. “I’m ready to learn a lot this year.” Sierra High’s volleyball team has to get the summer rust out of their joints, too. “With volleyball, it’s the first sport of the year so this gets their timing right,” Sierra coach Tevani Liotard said of the summer workouts. Manteca High’s volleyball team offers open gym during the summer to its players, but for the most part, the gym is empty because a majority of the girls are on club volleyball teams during the summer. Coach Kevin Bolding doesn’t mind the vacant gym and is happy that his girls are staying active during the summer.

The Sierra High football team has started training to get ready for the coming season. “The things we are doing right now are getting us ready for the coming season,” Sierra coach Greg Leland said. They are doing four days of workouts, Monday through Thursday from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Former Sierra High standout Christi Goodhart has received a full-ride basketball scholarship to Minnesota’s very own Bemidji State University. Goodhart played out her first two years of college at San Joaquin Delta College where she graduated with her two-year degree earlier this month.

In Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball action, East Union dropped two close ones in a doubleheader against Tracy Blue on Sunday. The opener’s score was 2-1 in a great pitching duel. Tracy came up with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ryan Garibay collected two hits in the game. The second game was not as close as EU fell 8-3. Troy Daniels singled in the fourth inning and later scored on John Gonsalves’ sacrifice fly for one of the EU runs.