Both girls volleyball and varsity football seasons ended this past week for Riverbank High School, while co-ed cross country and the girls golf squad both have a little bit more action still on their schedules. And practices are starting up for both boys and girls basketball and soccer teams.
Bruin Football
The RHS varsity football team finished up its 2018 campaign with a home game on Friday, Oct. 19. The team hosted the Hilmar Yellowjackets, falling 56-6, with the Bruins scoring on a last minute pass as time on the clock ran out.
It was the final home game of the season for seniors who will graduate next May, so both cheer squad and football seniors and their families were honored at halftime of the game.
Lady Bruin Volleyball
Coming hard on the heels of Riverbank varsity girls’ exciting 3-2 winning volleyball match on the home court against Livingston the week before, they fell 3-0 to the Lady Yellowjackets of Hilmar in the season finale on Monday, Oct. 15.
Cross Country
It has been a busy couple of weeks for the cross country teams, according to coach Monte Wood.
He said they have raced twice in the past few weeks, with the Trans-Valley League Championship meet coming up Thursday, Oct. 25.
On Saturday, Oct. 6, the Bruins ran at Half Moon Bay High School, Wood said. Several runners, however, didn’t make the trip due to the SAT and others didn’t race due to injury.
Adan Salgado and Jesus Sepulveda won medals in the frosh/soph boys race, according to coach Wood. Both of them are starting to run really well.
“Diane Murillo won a medal in the varsity girls race. She is starting to run very well also,” he said.
On Friday, Oct. 12, the team competed in the Roughrider Invitational in Fresno at Woodward Park. Overall, the team ran really well.
“The frosh/soph girls finished fourth overall behind some very good schools.” Wood noted.
He said that Aimee Rosales, Julia Kovneva, Jocelyn Ayala, Ainsley Wood, and Yara Choeb did an amazing job of running together.
“Julia, Aimee, and Jocelyn all three won medals and Ainsley and Yara just missed winning medals. There was only a six-second gap between all five runners,” the coach reported. “This group has a lot of potential and if they can continue to train and race together, great things will happen.”
He also said Diane Murillo ran a smart race.
“We talked before the race about going out a little slower to see if we can be stronger in the second half of the race. Her first mile was 7:23 and the second mile was 7:30,” he said.
The second mile of the course is the most challenging because of the turns and hills, the coach explained.
“She didn’t get passed once in the final two miles of the race. She just kept passing girls and ran a personal record for 5k. She is really improving and learning to race.”
Jesus Sepulveda ran an equally impressive race, according to Wood.
“Running in the varsity 5k, he ran the first mile in 5:59, the second mile in 6:03, and the last 1.1 miles in 6:30.”
This helped him set a big PR (personal record) for 5k, the coach noted. Ramon Rosas ran a course record for Woodward Park and so did Adan Salgado.
Thursday, the Bruins squads will race in the TVL Championships at Tuolumne Regional Park in Modesto. The race schedule is: JV girls 3 p.m., JV boys at 3:30 p.m., Varsity girls at 4 p.m. and Varsity boys kick off at 4:30 p.m.
Lady Bruin Golf
Riverbank’s girl golfers wrapped up the regular season end of the year at the Valley-Foothill League tournament at Micke Grove Golf Links in Stockton.
According to coach Ismael Mercado, “We had to two girls qualify to the Division V Section Tournament, also at Micke Grove. A third year returner, Vanessa Mercado, and Marisol Garcia will represent Riverbank. I’m proud of them because I know this was one of their goals before the season started. They both work extremely hard.”
Overall, the team did fairly well this season, he said.
“We finished with a 5-7 league record. I had one returner from last year and six new golfers. We will build off what we did well this year and continue to improve on areas we need to improve. I am very much looking forward to next year.”
Also, the team had its annual pro-am tournament at Escalon Golf Course on Wednesday.
“This is an opportunity for staff at RHS to come play a round of golf with our girls. The girls and staff had a great time,” Mercado said. “Our 2018 pro-am champions this year were Christine Facella, our assistant superintendent, and Marisol Garcia.”
