Eighty years ago, on January 17, 1936, the Manteca High Buffaloes defeated Patterson High 47 to 21 in the fastest game of the season in the second league tilt to be held on the local floor. The Buffaloes, led by Harold Reynolds, Ed Grant and Bev Brownell, who made 20, 14 and 10 points, respectively, were on the long end of the score from the start. This contest is the second league victory for the Buffaloes and puts them in first place. The game was fast, Manteca taking an early lead with the score at the half being 25 to 11. Milo Candini made a spectacular show at ball fighting.

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The Bulletin files:

70 years ago: January 24, 1946 – Inexperienced ball handling was once more the trouble of Manteca High as the mighty Livingston High team shot their way to a 50-26 victory over the local hoopsters in a game played here Friday night. Highpoint man for Manteca was forward Curt Patterson with nine points.

60 years ago: January 26, 1956 – The Manteca High basketball team fought down to the last thin second before succumbing to Livingston High 39-38 last Friday night at Livingston. The Wolves overcame a four-point halftime deficit to win the game. Manteca’s Don Ganes was high scorer for the game with 21 points.

50 years ago: January 21, 1966 – Don Widmer and Steve Smalley were named Manteca High’s outstanding lineman and back last Monday night at the annual Lions Club football banquet. Former MHS grid great Paul Wiggin was the master of ceremonies and the featured speaker was Cleveland Browns quarterback Frank Ryan. Wiggin is now an outstanding defensive end for the Browns.

40 years ago: January 21, 1976 – East Union High’s basketball team broke a 14-game VOL losing streak with a 62-54 win over Oakdale High Friday night. Coach Carl Bosque’s cagers finally put together their scoring potential as guards Jeff Baker and Ron Hamamoto racked up 24 and 19 points, respectively. Baker’s game-high total came in just three quarters as he was shut out in the second period.

East Union High’s Andy Franco added four more victories to his undefeated string as he grabbed the 129-pound championship of last Saturday‘s Lloyd Engle Wrestling Tournament in Escalon. Franco is 11-0 for the season.

Mid-Valley Soccer League-leading Manteca High broke open a scoreless tie in the second half with a four-goal barrage to defeat Ceres High 4-0 Friday afternoon on the Bulldog’s turf. The West brothers, Doug and Greg, each scored for the Buffaloes and Dan Gwinnup finished things up for the winners with a pair of goals.

The Manteca High cagers were hard-pressed to win Tuesday night, however, Ron Tilton’s free throw with only one second left gave the Buffaloes a thrilling 43-42 win over Los Banos High in the south valley city. Tilton led the Buffs with 15 points, with Bob O’Rourke collecting 10.

Propelled by Colette Collins’ 19 points, the Manteca High girls’ basketball team swept past a taller Davis High quintet 53-33 Tuesday afternoon on the winners’ court. Brenda Handy and Denise Martin each contributed 11 points to the win.

30 years ago: January 20, 1986 – Manteca High’s Brian Briggs dominated all four of his opponents—including a 16-1 win in the finals—to win the 121-pound class at the Woodland Invitational Wrestling Tournament. The senior wrestler, who ran his season record to approximately 35 -5, was also named the outstanding wrestler in the light-weight divisions at the 18-school tourney Saturday.

East Union High’s Ron Campos and Dale Ferguson each won one match in the Escalon wrestling tourney Saturday.

Oakdale High, the VOL’s last-place team, gave East Union High a tough battle Tuesday night before finally succumbing 58-56. Mark Waterman sank two free throws with 16 seconds left to pace EU. Waterman scored 21 points, but teammate Gary Kron led the scoring with 24.

Twin sisters Stacy and Tracy Lee each scored 17 points in pacing the East Union High girls to a 63-52 win over Oakdale High Tuesday night in league play. Kelli Horton followed with 12 and Debbie Paradzinski added 10 more.

A cool second quarter resulted in a 72-45 Manteca High loss to Sonora High’s girl cagers Tuesday night in Sonora. Joette Lucas continued to score well for the Lady Buffs, netting 20 of her team’s 45 points. Kelli Iorio added 10 points in a losing cause.

Manteca High got a 1-0 soccer win over Oakdale High on a goal by senior forward Jaime Cortez 10 minutes into a home game.

A string of eight unanswered points proved to be too much for Manteca High to handle as Sonora High fought to a 68-60 league cage win Wednesday night. Joe Dias led the Buffaloes with 17 points, with Kevin Frisk scoring 14 and Chad Johnson 10.

Tim Hamm scored his second goal of the game in the second half to break a tie and lift East Union High to a 3-2 victory over Oakdale High in a league soccer game on Friday. Jimmy Green scored the other Lancer goal.

20 years ago: January 20, 1996 – Both East Union High and Manteca High girls’ soccer teams had a case of nerves in their 1-1 deadlock at Guss Schmiedt Field on Friday afternoon as both sides fell victim to missed opportunities more than anything else. The Lady Lancers gained the first advantage on Ja’Rue Mamorno’s goal midway through the first half before the Lady Buffs’ Maria Trevino tied it up 10 minutes into the second half.MHS Coach Bill Noceti’s team, now 5-1-2 in league, had the clear advantage in shots taken, including a couple that bounded off the crossbar, but EU (5-2-1) was quicker on its counterattacks.

East Union High’s Tina Simoni tied a school record with six 3-pointers and the Lady Lancers coasted to a 69-45 victory over Merrill West High of Tracy last night. The Lancer senior scored a career-high 22 points and tied the 3-pointer school record set by Danelle Liles two years ago. Besides Simoni, also in double figures for EU were sophomore Cynthia Mathews and junior Jessie Hardcastle with 11 points apiece.

Ceres High overpowered Sierra High 60-35 in girls’ basketball action last night. The senior-less Lady Timberwolves (1-14 overall) were led by freshman Christi Goodhart with 10 points.

While the Sierra High boys almost blew the game at the free-throw line, Ceres High did--missing twp charity shots with .1 second left on the clock—as the T’wolves held on for a 58-57 victory on Friday night. John Thomson finished with a game-high 12 points to pace the SHS scoring. Sierra, now 7-9 overall, was a miserable nine-of-22 from the free throw line.

Joe Torrice scored 10 of his game-high24 points in the final eight minutes to lead Manteca High to a 57-53 win over Bear Creek High at Winter Gym last night. Bryan Lucas, battling the flu, added 17 points to the winning total as Coach Mike Henry’s Buffaloes are now 5-1 in league.

Sierra High survived a lackadaisical performance to beat West High 4-2 in girls soccer action yesterday. The Lady T’wolves are now 17-1 overall and undefeated in league play. Monica Pires scored twice and Aryel Powers and Angela Allgaier added a goal each to the winning total.

Manteca High dropped a 61-55 decision to first-place Ceres High in girls’ basketball action Tuesday night at Winter Gym. Audrey Jackson paced the Lady Buffs with 13 points, followed by Nicole Cardona with 11 counters.

Sierra High racked up seven pins and one technical fall en route to a 45-30 victory—its first-ever win in the VOL—over Bear Creek High in Stockton Tuesday night. The T’wolves, now 4-10 overall, got pins from Nate Gillian (103), Brett Gebhardt (119), Philip Bogdanovich (112), Preston Pate (135), Jeremy Lum (140), Albert Hernandez (145) and David Castro (152).

The Manteca High wrestlers came out and took care of business and put East Union High away 56-13 Thursday night at Dalben Center. Buffalo pins were by Jeremy Nuding (119), Nick Haas (125), Elizar Ceballos (145), Robert Miller (175), Dustin Kuykendall (189) and Leland Campbell (215). Lancer heavyweight Matt Meninga made short work of Buff Brian Durbin, pinning him in 51 seconds of the first period.

10 years ago: January 26, 2006 – The East Union High basketball team kept itself within striking distance of yet another Valley Oak League title after dropping Oakdale High 56-46 on Wednesday. Reigning league MVP Steffen Spinks scored a game-high 21 points for Coach Eric Simoni’s Lancers, while Ryan Fisher added 14 points to the winning total. EU is now 12-8 overall.

Christin Gowan scored 11 points in the second half as the East Union High girls’ basketball team maintained its spot atop the VOL standings Thursday. But it wasn’t easy. The Lancers trailed visiting Buhach Colony High by one point at the intermission and then rode a tough-as-nails defense to a 44-33 victory. Gowan finished with a game-high 23 points.