Thirty years ago, on March 31, 1986, East Union High junior Frank Gonzales opened the game with a home run and then went back out on the mound and scattered six hits over 5.1 innings as the Lancers beat Los Banos High 10-4 on the EU diamond. It was the second straight year that Gonzales, an all-league player last year, led off the Los Banos game with a home run. Jon Skaggs and Mike Gase each had a pair of hits to spark the 11-hit EU attack.
In other sports stories
from The Bulletin files:
30 years ago: April 2, 1986 – When Manteca High jumped to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Sonora High on Tuesday, Buffalo coach Jack Thomson wasn’t fooled. He knew the Wildcats were better than that. Four innings and 37 runs later, the Buffs had barely escaped with a wild, come-from-behind 24-19 victory over Sonora in a five-inning marathon at the MHS diamond. The game was called because of darkness. Tom Reich collected three hits and drove in five runs, while Rob Van De Pol had three hits, including a two-run triple and three RBI, to pace the Manteca attack.
In a VOL first-place showdown at the Manteca Park Course, Manteca High’s golfers, paced by Robert Warren’s even-par 36, took a 193-208 victory over previously unbeaten East Union High. For the Lancers, Mike Battles led the way with a 40.
The East Union High tennis team rebounded from its first loss earlier in the week by beating Los Banos High 12-3 in a Valley Oak League match Friday on the EU courts. The Lancers won six of nine singles points and swept the doubles.
Number one singles player Eric Reis bounded back from an opening set loss to win the next two and the Manteca High tennisters went on to record a 9-6 VOL victory over Sonora High here Tuesday. The other two Buff singles players, Stephen Sanguinetti and Tim Ash, also took two out of three sets.
Led by senior JoAnn Estrada, both on the mound and at bat, the East Union High softball team completely dismantled the visiting Central Catholic High team from Modesto 19-0 Tuesday in a windy game that was mercifully called after five innings. The Lady Lancers are now 5-0 on the season. Estrada pitched a one-hitter for three innings and had a first-inning grand slam home run.
The East Union High track team won its first meet in at least five years, according to Coach Dave Soeth, when the Lancers outpointed Sonora High 72-63 Thursday in Sonora. David Lotman won both hurdles events, the 120 highs in 20.95 and the 330 lows in 47.39 and ran a leg of the winning mile relay team. John Fletcher also won three events, the 100 meters in 12.11, the 220 in 24.47 and anchored the 440 relay quartet. The Lancer girls lost 60-55, but Tracy Austin and the Alexander sisters, Tracy and Tina, paced the Lady Lancers.
Steve Duran won three events and the Manteca High girls had a handful of double winners to lead the Buffaloes to a thorough drubbing of Ceres High in a dual meet Thursday at the MHS track. The boys won 103-30 and the girls by a 111-15 score. Duran, a senior, won the 120 high hurdles in 15.61, the 330 lows in 40.95 and the 220 in 23.86 for the Buffs. Among the MHS girls, Tammi Madsen, Amanda Dias, Brandi Ross and Joyce Spradlin won two events each.
20 years ago: April 1, 1996 – Paul Brogan, a 29 year-old Manteca High graduate, became the Buffaloes’ new head basketball coach yesterday. He succeeds Mike Henry, who stepped down this year after 11 seasons leading the Buff cagers.
Alicia Lowry continues to win everything she swims and Troy Huperz led the three-man Sierra High boys team with a couple of wins, though the Timberwolves were swept in the team race Monday afternoon by host Oakdale High. The Sierra girls lost 124-40 to the Mustangs as Lowry won both the 100-meter butterfly (1:10.23) and the 200 freestyle (2:10.53). The SHS boys fell to Oakdale 83-30. Huperz’s two wins were in the 50 meter freestyle (29.62) and the 100 freestyle (1:10.43).
The Sierra High softball team scored all six of their runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-3 victory over Oakdale High on Tuesday afternoon. It was the first-ever varsity softball win for the Lady T’wolves, who play without seniors. Aryel Powers ripped a triple and drove in one of the SHS runs.
The Manteca High softball team put a scare into VOL-leading Ceres High before dropping a 3-2 decision to the host Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday. Audrey Jackson had an RBI single and scored a run for the Lady Buffs, now 3-7 on the season.
Jason Thompson and Andrew Pickering netted the only match points for the Sierra High tennis team in a 13-2 loss to Bear Creek High on Tuesday afternoon.
The Manteca High golf team came through with a narrow 213-216 win over Ceres High to remain unbeaten in VOL play. J. R. Becko came in with a one-over-par 38 to pace the Buffalo swingers.
East Union High improved to 7-2 in league golf play with a 210-220 win Tuesday over Bear Creek High. Stan Mathews carded a one-under-par 35 to lead the Lancers on the Micke Grove course.
Despite a less than sterling performance, the Manteca High swim team coasted past host Calaveras High in a VOL meet on Tuesday afternoon. In near identical scores, the Buffalo boys powered past Calaveras 127-34, while the Lady Buffs triumphed 125-27. Both teams remain undefeated on the year. The MHS boys captured every first-place against the short-handed Redskins. Dustin Kuykendall was the lone Buff double winner, taking firsts in the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke. Like the boys, the Lady Buffs did not lose a race. Jessica Houck (200 and 500 free), Sonia Tuchtenhagen (200 IM and 100 butterfly) and Deni Lowry (50 and 100 free) were the double winners for the girls.
Tracy’s West High rallied to beat host Manteca High 8-6 in baseball action on Wednesday. The Buffaloes, now 3-8 overall, erupted for all six of their runs in the third inning. Kevin Stedtfeld, Tim Honda and Tom Tuggle all had a pair of hits in the game for the Buffs.
Sparked by home runs by Andy Martinez and Doug Brandow, East Union High exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning to pull out a critical 8-7 VOL win over host Ceres High on Wednesday afternoon. Coach Darrell Hardcastle’s Lancers are now 9-4 overall.
Jared Looney hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning Wednesday to give Sierra High a 4-2 baseball win over Los Banos High. Tim Brown and Matt Starke each collected a pair of hits for Coach Jack Thomson’s T’wolves, while Rigo Ledezma gave up only one hit and retired nine of the last 10 batters to face him.
The East Union High swim team survived a tough challenge on Wednesday afternoon to remain unbeaten on the season. At Oakdale High, the Lancer boys outstroked Bear Creek High 93-77 and thumped Oakdale 113-51. Ryan Yamasaki was the only double winner for EU. The Lady Lancers had a much easier time, beating Bear Creek 99-71 and Oakdale 112.5-56.5. Swimming to two wins each for EU were Felicia Hellums (200 and 500 free), Silke Bradford (200 IM and 100 free), Tasha Gurney (100 butterfly and 100 breast) and Tamryn Harmon (100 back and 50 free).
10 years ago: April 5, 2006 – East Union High’s Janel Parra scored both of the Lancer goals Tuesday night as the Lancer soccer squad battled Manteca High to a 2-2 tie. EU coach Vince Meyer said of his freshman, “she really did what she had to do to get the job done,”. Jen Dickman matched the double-scoring of Parra with a pair of her own for the Lady Buffs. Coach Johnny Avila’s MHS girls are now 11-2-3 on the year.
The puddle-filled quagmire at Teicheira Memorial Stadium turned into Sierra High’s playground in a 12-0 soccer throttling of visiting Weston Ranch High on Tuesday. Bri Doty scored the first five of the Timberwolves’ goals, then later added another, Cheri Deprater and Mayra Gonzalez had two goals apiece, while Andrea Pella and Lisa Garcia netted one each. WRHS had just one shot on goal and that was on a free kick.
Manteca High spotted Sierra High four first-inning runs and could not close the gap, giving the T’wolves a 4-1 win in VOL baseball action on Saturday. Tim Heinze pitched a five-hitter for Sierra. He also drove in Jake Rovig with a base hit. Cody Kasinger knocked in Gabe Dominguez with the Buffalo run.
The Manteca High swim team pulled off a thrilling VOL dual meet win over intra-city rival Sierra High on Friday. Mark Garza took home top honors in two events and Frank Ellsworth gave two inspiring efforts in a taut 89-79 win. Garza captured the 200 IM and the 100 fly, but the meet wasn’t decided until the final race—the 4x100 free relay. The Buffs won with a time of 3:53. Josh Yared (100 back and 100 free) and Nick Hafer (50 free and 100 breast) kept the T’wolves’ chances afloat with multiple victories. The Sierra girls won handily, 126-42. They had 11 victories, sweeping five events. Madison Andermahr (200 IM), Amanda Cross (200 free) and Chrissy Rotert (500 free) highlighted the win with first places. Rosalie Santiago had the best Lady Buff finish with a second in the 100 fly.
