Ninety years ago, on February 1, 1924, in the roughest game of basketball seen this year, Manteca High lost to Modesto High by a 25 to 15 score in the Modesto gymnasium. “Dutch” Washington, as usual, was high point man for Manteca, making eight markers. Dutch made a hard fight but poor lighting in the Modesto gymnasium affected his eye because all his shots were hitting the ring, and he was actually robbed several times. Otherwise, the Manteca quintet would have brought home the bacon. 

In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:

10 years ago: February 11, 2004 – Sierra High’s basketball team advanced to a 23-1 record on Tuesday with a 67-25 win over Sonora High at home. The victory marked a 16-game winning streak for Coach Dan Cunial’s girls. Katelyn Quaresma scored 18 points in the first half, 20 overall, to lead the Timberwolves. Nikita Gordon added 14 points and Ana Lyons had 12 to the winning total.

East Union High scored 17 unanswered points in the first quarter and went on to a 68-43 drumming of visiting Pitman High in Valley Oak League girls’ basketball action last night. Jamie Kinlaw led the Lancers with 14 points, while going 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Ana Hasal chimed in with 10 points of her own as EU shot better than 50% from three-point land.

With only seven Manteca High players suited up, Los Banos High took a 52-33 win from the visiting Lady Buffs in cage action last night. Chrystal Castro led the locals with nine points off three-3’s.

East Union High took a 54-51 win over Buhach Colony High on Homecoming night in basketball action. Michael Nunnally led the Lancers with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while John Davis dropped in 18 more counters. Coach Eric Simoni’s boys are now 15-6 overall.

Sierra High charged ahead in the final quarter to win 51-45 over visiting Manteca High Friday in basketball action. Chris Braley scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds, while Jeff Becker and Raymond Purtle each finished with 13 points to lead the T’wolf scoring. Calvin Johnson collected 14 points for the Buffaloes.

East Union High hosted its last league wrestling match Wednesday night and dropped a 44-33 verdict to Manteca High. EU’s pins came from Kenny Keller (171), Caleb Mack (119) and Chris Osborne (130), while Buffalo pins were by Tyler McCready (215) and Ty Cox (125). The Lances gave up 18 points due to forfeiting three weight classes to MHS. 

20 years ago: February 6, 1994 – The Manteca High wrestling team nearly made up a 24-3 deficit before surrendering to Loomis-Del Oro High 33-28 in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I team tournament at Woodland High on Saturday. The lone Buffalo pin was by heavyweight Dale Underwood. 

Both Don Morgan of Manteca High and Gene Ballardo of East Union High were named to the Cal-Hi Sports Medium Schools All-State football team. Morgan was named to the All-State defensive team, while Ballardo was named to the All-State multi-purpose squad.

East Union High threw Livingston High’s girls soccer team to the wolves 8-0 on Tuesday. Freshman forward Meghan Harris scored the first three goals. Other scores were by freshmen Lyndi Saxton and Miranda Sousa, and senior Danielle Eckard. Livingston was held without a shot on goal as the Lancers advanced to 12-3-4 overall.

Maria Trevino and freshman Aryel Powers both scored a pair of goals Tuesday as the Manteca High soccer team claimed a 4-2 win at Bear Creek High. The Lady Buffs improved to 9-7-2.

Repeatedly breaking loose for easy basket s, the East Union High girls served up an easy 71-34 basketball win over Los Banos High Tuesday night at Dalben Center. The Lady lancers are 20-6 overall. Offensively, Danelle Liles (22 points, 11 rebounds), Nicole Carter (19 points) and Alicia Lyons (15 points) again led EU.

The Manteca High girls’ basketball team defeated Bear Creek High 67-29 Tuesday for its third straight win. The Lady Buffs (17-6) were led by a pair of low-post players. Center Rebecca Kemptner scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Christine Silva added 13 points.

The Manteca High basketball team got their confidence back Wednesday night in Manteca, blowing Los Banos High out of town with a 92-51 pasting. The starters spent most of the game on the bench as the subs put on a show. Levi Frisk finished with a team-high 13 points for the Buffs. John Schafer had an 11-point performance, including three 3-pointers. Tony Espinoza finished with 10 points for the winners.

Ceres High turned away visiting East Union High 65-41 Wednesday night. Center Bob Orr led the Lancer scoring with 15 points, 13 of those coming in the first half.

30 years ago: February 7, 1984 – The Manteca High Lady Buffs, riding a balanced attack led by Alexia Poulos and Marilyn Elkins, blitzed Modesto High 58-41 Monday night to clinch their first-ever VOL championship. Poulos and Elkins both scored 13 points. Ranata Scholl chipped in 12 points and four assists in the win. Manteca High is now 20-1 on the season.

At East Union High’s Dalben Center, Oakdale High held off the Lady Lancers for a 51-45 VOL victory. Nancy Nunes again topped EU in scoring with 17 points. Patty Ott added 16 in a losing cause.

Last night in a Winter Gym packed to the rafters with a nearly hysterical crowd, Modesto High’s 20-game VOL win streak and two-y ear domination of Manteca High came to an abrupt end. Cal Farrow led the Buffaloes to a stunning 43-40 victory over the visiting Panthers. He had a game-high 14 points.

A quick-strike force engineered by Paul Emperador enabled East Union High to beat Oakdale High 44-42 in Oakdale Tuesday night. Emperador paced the Lancer scoring with 13 points. Coming off the bench, Jeff Hammond contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.

Carrie Nepote, the lone girl on the Manteca High soccer squad, took a perfect pass from Torven Madsen and drilled the first, and eventual winning, goal Tuesday as the Buffaloes blanked Modesto High 4-0 in VOL action. Greg Goodwin notched a pair of goals and Chris Hedberg booted another for the Buffs.

Manteca High junior Robert McGhee pinned an Oakdale High wrestler with 40 seconds remaining in the 101-pound division final Wednesday afternoon to become the only local prep wrestler to win a VOL championship.

East Union High’s soccer team traveled to Modesto High and fell 5-2 at the hands of the Panthers. Wade Johnson and Jimmy Green scored the Lancer goals.

40 years ago: February 6, 1974 – Despite a sub-par performance, the Manteca High soccer team edged East Union High 2-1 to regain the Baldwin Cup, symbol of soccer supremacy in Manteca, Tuesday night. The Buffaloes scored on two penalty kicks, both by Rafael Nunez. Luis Mercado kicked the EU goal.

A winless, but scrappy, band of Sonora High Wildcats came out of the hills Friday evening to battle the East Union High cagers and when the final buzzer sounded, theWildca ts had their first VOL win of the year, a 71-69 thriller. A pair of juniors, Ray Miller and Chris Elliott, led the Lancer scoring with 17 points apiece. They were followed by Pat Pagnucci with 15 and Doug Stone, who had 12 counters. Elliott hooped a school-record 13 straight free throws and is working on a string of 15 without a miss.

East Union High finished its dual wresting meet season on a sour note by dropping decisions to Ceres and Oakdale High Schools. The losses gave the locals a 2-4 league record. In the Ceres meet, Ed Franco (112) and Rick Mora (165) registered EU pins. Franco had the lone pin as EU was defeated 56-8 by Oakdale.

50 years ago: February 11, 1964 – In the final meet of the year, Lincoln High fell to the strong Manteca High wrestlers, 42-9 last Friday. A near-capacity crowd was on hand to see the Buffaloes take all but three matches. The wins were by Harold Grimm, Bob Woodward, Mike Thurston, Jim Camper, Don Widmer and Bob Ramirez. Joe Widmer, 165-pound senior, is still undefeated in 12 outings, pinning 10 of the 12 opponents.

60 years ago: February 11, 1954 – Manteca High made it just as tough as they could on the Tracy High Bulldogs before finally losing the hard-fought contest in an intensely exciting double-overtime, sudden-death battle by a score of 50-49. Monte Kinsley played his best game of the season as he replaced Neil Rudd when he went out on fouls and got the rebounds for Manteca, while at the same time being high-point man for the evening with 17 points.

80 years ago: February 8, 1934 – The Manteca High cagers defeated the Turlock High quintet last Friday night 21 to 14. The Buffalo defense worked well, holding Turlock to no field goals in the first half. Larry Giminez shot eight for Manteca.