It was all Sierra after that, getting goals from its three standout attackers in a 3-1 win.
College-bound seniors Tiana Cello (San Jose State) and Jenna Villanueva (Cal State East Bay) scored one apiece for the Timberwolves (7-0-2 Valley Oak League, 9-0-2 overall), while sophomore standout Jocelin Roa added a goal and an assist. Alexus Rossi had two assists.
Annika Beall held off the Lancers (6-3, 7-3) with eight saves. Hailey Sims accounted for East Union’s goal.
BOYS HOOPS
Modesto Christian 75, Manteca 33
This battle between two ranked squads wasn’t close, as freshman Jaden Phillips blew up for 32 points on the strength of 10 made 3s for the Crusaders (13-0).
Modesto Christian is No. 3 in Northern California on the SportsStars Magazine, while Manteca entered the top-20 at 19 coming off a sweep of reigning Valley Oak League champion Central Catholic and weekend blowout of West.
Nick Bell paced Manteca (8-3) with 13 points, and Bobby Martin had 12.
“(MC coach Brice Fantazia’s) guys were up for it and my guys found out what a top-five team looks like,” Manteca coach Jason Hitt said. “They knew it would be a tough battle and this was a reality check. It was a good gauge to see where we are at and I appreciate him giving us the chance to test ourselves and push to be better.”
Manteca 91, West 52
The Buffaloes celebrated Senior Night on Saturday with a highlight at the end of the contest. Team manager Yogi Dhillon, who had never previously played in a game, hit a long-range jumper in the closing seconds before getting mobbed by his teammates.
Bell amassed 27 points to lead the way. Other seniors contributing to the score were Mike Arriola with seven points, Brogan Kilgore with five and Martin with eight.
Ripon 86, Beyer 66
The Indians (4-3) took advantage of Beyer’s shorter bench and smaller post players, racing away with a 21-point outburst in the fourth quarter.
Malik Taylor thrived in the high-paced non-league affair on Saturday, accumulating 28 points, including four 3s, 13 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Logan Gillespie added 18 points and seven rebounds. Nolan Young had 12 points and eight boards. Bronson Burrow chipped in eight points and nine rebounds.
Lathrop 58, Beyer 55
The battle-tested Spartans (5-3) earned a split for a third straight week, this time needing a long-distance 3-pointer from Camryn Hayes last Friday to get it.
As time whittled away, coach Charles Roth instructed his sophomore point guard near midcourt as Beyer’s defense sat in a zone at the 3-point arc. Then with 4 seconds left, Roth gave Haynes the green light to launch the stunning 25-footer from the deep right wing.
Haynes finished with 15 points, hitting five 3s. Daniel Whaley led the way with 16 points.
BOYS GOLF
Ripon 188, Sierra 218
Sierra’s Zach Van Zwaluwenburg finished as co-medalist with Jeremie Little of Ripon at Jack Tone Golf Course, each scoring a 3-over 34.
The host Indians also got a pair of 37s from Kenneth Johnson and Trent Vink. Evan McKeon ended with a 39, and Gage Anderson scored a 40. Konner Spear carded a 39 for Sierra.
BOYS SOCCER
Weston Ranch 6, Ripon Christian 1
Last Friday, the Cougars (5-2-1) bounced back from a frustrating loss at Kimball with a one-sided win.
Aaron Silva set the tone for himself and the Ranch, scoring the first of his three in the opening minutes. Angel Zapata finished with two goals, and Edwin Rivera banged one in from outside the penalty box.
Julian Hernandez contributed two assists, while Dannick Hernandez and Silva each had one. Goalie Bernardino Ramirez secured 12 saves.
Ivan Guerra and Mauro Valdez keyed the win with their work on defense.
SOFTBALL
Beyer 4, Lathrop 3
Lathrop mounted a late comeback in Game 1 of the Western Athletic Conference doubleheader, coming up short after scoring three times in the seventh inning.
Ariana Fuentes did well to keep her team in it from the pitcher’s circle, striking out 10 in a six-hitter. Ishmeet Uppal finished 2 for 4 with two runs. Shelby Aquino contributed a hit and a run. Outfielder Shelby Aquino put forth a big effort defensively, making highlight catches and throwing out two runners at home.
Lathrop 5, Beyer 2
The Spartans did not slow their roll from the end of Game 1, doing much of their damage early while riding pitcher Emma Grisham the rest of the way. Grisham went the distance and allowed eight hits and struck out four.
Aquino led the attack, going 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI. Fuentes added a double, run and RBI. Lathrop ended the game in style, executing a 6-4-3 double play.
Between the two games, seniors Amanda Fernandez, Teaghan Sharifnejad, Madison Brown and Grisham were recognized.
JV BOYS HOOPS
Manteca 55, Modesto Christian 34
Micah Crawford’s 14 points and 10 rebounds highlighted a balanced effort for the Buffaloes (8-2).
Blake Goss contributed 14 points, Braden Nussbaumer had 13 and Elijah Nelson pitched in nine points and 10 boards. Ramesh Kabiri was a stabilizing force as facilitator, distributing seven assists while scoring seven points.
