With one game remaining in Valley Oak League play Sierra kept itself in contention for the league title with a 6-0 win over visiting Central Catholic at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.
Weston Ranch is in first place with 31 points, followed by Oakdale with 30 and the Timberwolves are in third place with 29 points. The Mustangs wrap up league play with the Raiders on Wednesday and the Sierra and the Cougars will square off on Thursday.
Eddie Aguilar had a hat trick for the Timberwolves (9-2-2 VOL, 15-7-2 overall) along with two assists. Pedro Maciel added two goals for Sierra and David Lopez one. Jesse Semenza, Jairo Zarate and Juan Guzman each had an assist.
The Raiders fall to 4-8-0, 5-8-0.
Oakdale 4, Weston Ranch 2
The Cougars (10-2-1) kept a point ahead of the host Mustangs (9-1-3) with one league game remaining.
Weston Ranch took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute when Joseph Mayorca scored on an assist from Omar Centeno.
The game was tied 1-1 at halftime but Oakdale took a 3-1 lead in the second half before Mayorca scored again in the 51st minute to make the score 3-2.
“After Mayorca’s second goal we had some momentum going,” Cougars coach Francisco Cisneros said. “But we couldn’t capitalize.
“We let a few one-on-ones versus their goalie get away early in the game.”
East Union 5, Kimball 3
Eric Flores scored two second-half goals at Dino Cunial Field for the host Lancers (7-3-2, 9-3-2) who are securely in the fourth and final VOL slot for the playoffs.
Gerardo Romero and Tomas Suarez gave East Union a 2-0 lead before the Jaguars (2-9-1, 3-15-1) scored late in the first half. Luis Cortes had the last goal of the night for the Lancers.
“We had senior night tonight and we were thinking more of senior night than the game,” Lancers coach Victor Polanco said. “Kimball played well and moved the ball well. We played OK – not what I expected – but at least we were able to score.”
Manteca 2, Lathrop 2
The host Spartans (0-11-1) took leads at 1-0 and 2-1 but could not hold the leads at Bennie Gatto Field.
Kevin Rodriguez scored the first goal for the Buffaloes (3-8-2, 6-11-2) on a penalty kick and Josh Kong tied the game for Manteca in the 78th minute.
Manteca took eight shots and Lathrop six.
Ripon Christian 3, Denair 3
Despite a hat trick from the Knights’ Jake Van Vuren, Ripon Christian (3-9-1 Southern League, 5-14-1) and the Coyotes (3-9-1, 8-10-1) finished the game the same way they started – with identical league records.
The Knights struck first in the 13th minute on a cross from Cole Brouwer to Jake Van Vuren who brought the ball down and touched it to his right putting it in the far side of the net. Denair began to work around the Knights defense, feeling out its options during the rest of the half, but Ripon Christian led 1-0 at halftime.
“I had a feeling it wasn’t enough. Knights coach Keith Terpsma said. “A 1-0 lead is never enough in high school sports.”
The Coyotes scored the 44th minute off a long cross toward the far post to tie the score at 1-1.
In the 52nd minute Brock Nunes earned a penalty kick for Ripon Christian after a weakside run when the Denair goal keeper took him out of the play. Van Vuren put in the go-ahead penalty shot for the Knights for the 2-1 lead.
Twelve minutes later, the Coyotes scored on lead from the arc to tie the game 2-2.
“The Denair offense has some great offensive players, and they passed the ball around for a while to find the holes in our defense,” Terpsma said.
Denair scored on a penalty kick In the 68th minute to take a 3-2 lead. In 78th minute, defender Van Vuren made an offensive run, made his way around a Denair defender along the right wing and then was tripped, earning another penalty kick. Van Vuren netted the free kick to knot the score at 3-3.
