Sixty years ago, on December 13, 1956, Stanford University tackle Paul Wiggin of Lathrop, a Manteca High graduate, has finished his college football career with a string of post-season honors. Wiggin, who was selected as an All-American in his junior year, was also chosen by Sporting News as an All-American this season. He was also All-Coast and was selected by his teammates as Stanford’s outstanding player.
In other sports stories
from the Bulletin files:
10 years ago: December 13, 2006 – Tuesday’s Valley Oak League wrestling opener between East Union High and host Manteca High at Winter Gym ended in a 40-40 tie. The tie-breaker was determined by the criterion of most wins by major decision. That gave the Buffaloes the victory. MHS pins in the event were by Zach Williams (hvywt), Eric Culpepper (189) and Jory Burns (125). Lancer pins were by Robert Russell, Eric Brown, Michael Thomas, Justin Dover and Teddy Anderson. EU had to forfeit two matches and the Buffs, one.
East Union High’s girls’ basketball team played it s fifth game in six days, but the grueling schedule ended on a happy note as the Lady Lancers trounced Chowchilla High 74-39 on Tuesday in Chowchilla. Christin Gowan led four EU girls in double-digit scoring with 14 points, including four consecutive three-pointers. She was followed by Ellen Parker with 12 counters and Kathy Stephenson wit h 10. Every EU player scored in the game.
Manteca High’s Kym Gause grabbed four rebounds and a steal down the stretch to help the Buffaloes fend off an upset bid by Stagg High in the 29th annual Delta Queen Basketball Tournament on Saturday and bring the first–place trophy to Manteca with a 46-48 victory. Sughey Cervantes (13 points) led the MHS board assault with 17 rebounds out of a total of 72 on the night. Alex Gonzalez paced the scoring with 15 points.
Eleven different Sierra High players scored in the T’wolves’ 72-42 non-league basketball win over visiting Riverbank High last night. Adonis
Brown led the SHS scoring with 16 points, while Brett Paige collected 14 more in the win.
20 years ago: December 7, 1996 – Center Dave Neuman broke loose for 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and led the East Union High basketball team to a 53-42 win over Turlock High in Dalben Center on Friday night. The 6-7 senior had been forced to sit out most of the second quarter because of early foul trouble. Teammate Bryan Snitselaar also scored 15 points.
Using a perfect mix of pressure defense and pin-point shooting, the Manteca High basketball team stampeded over Ripon Christian High Tuesday at home in a one-sided contest. Three players scored in double figures as the Buffaloes easily defeated the Knights 57-37 before a packed house at Winter Gym. Nate Lohman led the Buff scoring with 12 points, while Jarred House and Jarrod Schwartz added 10 each.
The Sierra High basketball team notched its first win of the season Tuesday by edging Riverbank High 48-45 on the strength of a 17-point fourth quarter. Russell Stewart and Daniel Touchstone each scored 11 points to lead the Timberwolves to an impressive come-from-behind win. Stewart added 11 rebounds to go with his scoring total. Coach Frank Triglia’s T’wolves trailed by five points at the end of the third quarter.
The Sierra High girls’ basketball team rebounded from an earlier disappointing loss by dominating Sacramento High 52-33 in the second round of the Linden Tournament yesterday. Coach Dan Cunial’s Lady T’wolves (3-5) took down 56 rebounds against the Lady Dragons. Liz Nuttmann led the way with 19 boards. Kristen Huntley scored a game-high 10 points.
Two players each from Sierra High and East Union High were selected to the All-VOL football team. T’wolf seniors John Thomson and Eli Campbell claimed first-team offensive honors at quarterback and running back, respectively. Both of EU’s first-team selections were on defense. Both defensive end Adam Rabusin and defensive lineman Kyle Westmoreland were chosen.
30 years ago: December 7, 1986 – East Union High watched an eight-point lead evaporate in the second half, then stole the show in the final three minutes of overtime to post a dramatic 61-53 win over Modesto High, claiming EU’s first-ever Modesto City Basketball Tournament championship Saturday night at Beyer High. Gary Kron paced the Lancers with 26 points in the title game, followed by Dwight Young’s 17 points and Anthony Garcia with 12 counters. Kron was the tournament’s high scorer with 71 points.
The Manteca High girls jumped off to an early lead and then held off the one-woman Turlock Christian High team in a 51-46 victory for the title of the Livingston Tournament. Joette Lucas put in 20 points for the Lady Buffs, pulled down 19 rebounds and was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player.
Modesto High scored with just two minutes left to play to steal a 2-1 soccer win from Manteca High Tuesday in Modesto. Buffalo booter Melvin Armstrong got his team on the scoreboard first with a goal at the 20-minute mark in the first half.
East Union High’s wrestlers received a rude awakening when they fell to O. H. Close School 51-24 in Stockton Tuesday night. Lancer wins were by Ricky Wells (98), Pat Fore (105), Eric Schwertsharf (132) and Inez Hernandez at 191.
East Union High riddled Riverbank High with a 64-19 loss Wednesday in the first round of the Linden Tournament in girls’ basketball action. Carey Pulliam ended up with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Kelli Horton had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Tracy Lee had 14 points and Stacy Lee had 13 counters for the Lady Lancers.
East Union High’s soccer opener was a 4-0 loss to Davis High of Modesto, but Lancer coach Jeff Poulos was very happy with what he saw. Gabriel Granados and Gabriel Gutierrez were the offensive leaders for the Lancers.
After dueling Oakdale High through the first seven bouts, the Mustangs demolished Manteca High in the heavier weight classes en route to a convincing 37-24 VOL wrestling win Wednesday in Oakdale. Buffaloes pinning their opponents were Clyde Trent (98), John Perez (132) and Dave Jones in the heavyweights.
Manteca High had to hold on in the final minutes to post a 58-50 win over Liberty High in the basketball tournament at Brentwood Friday night. Chad Johnson paced the Buffaloes with 14 points, Kevin Wentworth added 13 and Marshall Cannon had 11.
40 years ago: December 8, 1976 – Only 86 points separated Manteca High from the rest of the field during last week’s fourth annual Lancer Invitational Tournament. During t he Buffaloes 65-34 win over Escalon High and 90-35 win over Linden High, Coach Pat Douglass had ample time to give his reserves playing time. Two Buffaloes, forward Bob O’Rourke and Steve Cimoli, were all-tournament choices, as was center Don Joseph, the Most Valuable Player. Among the other selections was East Union High’s shot–blocking Russell Stewart.
Brad Steele scored two goals and Jack Van Strijp and Greg West tallied one each as Manteca High took a 4-1 soccer win from St. Mary’s High last Wednesday in Stockton.
East Union High’s soccer team, under Coach Herb Danielsen, has victories so far this year over Sonora, Downey and St. Mary’s High Schools, with its lone loss to Davis High.
50 years ago: December 13, 1966 – The Manteca High matmen evened their season record at 1-1 Tuesday night with a rousing 32-21 win over Franklin High as the locals recorded four pins to do the trick. George Torres was the first Buffalo to score a clean win with a pin in the 103-pound division. Walt Ott got a pin at 162 pounds and Phil Brown, a 175-pounder, added more points to the Manteca total with another pin. Mike Jaramillo rounded out the successful Buffalo effort with a first-round pin in the heavyweight class.
60 years ago: December 13, 1956 – The Manteca High grapplers took all but two matches while trampling over Tracy High 42 to 8 in the second meet of the year for both squads. This evened off Manteca’s record at one win and one loss. Pinning their men for Manteca were Ronald Smith (133), Jack Lewis (138), John DuVal (154), Lauri Filippini (165), Phil Hoot (175) and Allen Elliott (191).
The Manteca High cagers dropped their first game to the Panthers of Modesto High by a score of 51 to 36. Leo Valenzuela was high scorer for Manteca with 15 points.
80 years ago: December 10, 1936 – The Manteca High School quintet got their basketball season off to a bad start when they were defeated 29 to 12 by the Ripon High School Indians in their opening game played Friday afternoon on the local court. The visiting Indians had a distinct height advantage that the Buffaloes could not overcome. This, coupled with the fact that the localites were not breaking fast, were the main factors in the Green and White downfall.
