30 years ago: March 22, 1983 –  The East Union High badminton team dropped an 11-5 non-league match Tuesday to Edison High in Stockton. Annette Menchaca, the No. 3 player for the Lancers, was the only local bright spot, winning both of her matches.

The Manteca High gymnastics team didn’t celebrate Friday night as Tracy High took an 83.4-39.95 decision. The brightest spot for Manteca in the novice match was Jennifer Keller, who took a first place on the bars and a first place on the balance beam.

Jack Thomson and his Manteca High baseball team waited and waited for their opportunity to play their first league game. Friday, after nine innings of baseball against Oakdale High, the Buffs are still without a league win or loss. They played an 8-8 tie, called because of darkness. Scott Willis contributed two singles and three RBI’s. Third baseman Leo Martin added a double and two singles for the Buffs.

 

40 years ago: March 21, 1973 – The Manteca High swimming team ended a five-match win drought and registered their first meet victory of 1973 with a 47-42 come-from-behind triumph Friday afternoon. The meet was against Escalon High. Don Cabral continued his winning ways by doubling up in the 105 butterfly and the 105 breast stroke, along with the meet-winning relay quintet.

Sparked by the timely hitting of Keith Rankins and Dave Myers, and the clutch pitching of Ted Jacks and Kevin Allsup, Manteca High registered its first win of the 1973 campaign with a convincing 9-3 verdict over Davis High of Modesto. Rankins and Myers each had three hits with their totals each including a double. Jacks and Allsup combined to strike out nine batters. 

 The Manteca High track team opened the 1973 VOL dual meet season on a sour note last week when they journeyed to Oakdale High, only to suffer a defeat at the hands of the Mustangs. The Oakdale thinclads posted an 85-51 win. The Buffs had several bright spots in Mark Duncan, John Peters and Frank Rodriguez. Duncan, a high-jumping junior, took the long jump (20-8) and the triple jump (41-7.75), while Peters snatched the 100 (10.5) and the 220 yard dashes (23.3). Rodriguez, the Buffs’ premier distance runner, took the two-mile in 10:06.4.

 East Union High’s Lancer golf team set a school record by defeating Sonora High 202-221 in the mountain city last Friday afternoon. The victory evened EU’s league mark at 1-1. Ken Webb, a Lancer junior, topped all golfers with a 36.

Manteca High’s golfing Buffaloes braved cold, blustery skies to open their assault on the VOL title with a lopsided 211-263 win over visiting Oakdale High. Dave Haggerty had a 39 for the Buffs.



50 years ago: March 21, 1963 – Once again showing surprising power, Manteca High took an easy 10-1 win over Modesto High last Friday afternoon. The win was the second in a row for the Buffs over a Central California Conference team and their only other contest this year was a 3-3 tie with Lodi High. The Buffaloes used the home run to good advantage as Ken Uehling and Paul Goodwin both had three-run homers to spark the easy win.

The Manteca High tennis team dropped a 5-1 decision to Turlock High last week in their first match of the season. John Rhodes was the only local winner.



60 years ago: March 19, 1953 – Manteca High’s local Buff baseballers opened their 1953 baseball season last Friday by dropping an 8-4 verdict to the visiting Modesto High Panthers. The inability to produce a hit with men on base proved to be the downfall for the locals as they had base runners in every inning, with the exception of the second and eighth inning. Johnny Pappas scored two runs for Manteca and Jim Goodnight smashed a double.



80 years ago: March 23, 1933 – Playing good early season baseball, Manteca High defeated Denair High last Friday afternoon by the score of 10 to 0. This was the first league game for the local boys and was played on the home diamond. With only three days of practice, Coach Maurice Tracie’s boys completely outplayed the Coyotes. The pitching of Joe Escobar, star Green and White hurler, held the Denair team to two hits, while his teammates gathered 12. Ray Forsell led the hitting with three safeties in four at-bats.