With classes starting up this past week at Riverbank High School, ‘tis the season for sports, and practices are underway, preparing for the fall season.
Football, of course, along with girls volleyball, girls golf, and co-ed cross country are on the schedule for this fall. Practices have already started, and schedules have been released.
Bruin Football
Riverbank football has been busy with practices, and the players are looking forward to their first scrimmage. It is set for Friday, Aug. 11, on the road, against Liberty Ranch High School in Galt. Their first home game will be against Denair, on Sept. 1.
Other home games include Sept. 22, against Burton High from San Francisco, and Sept. 29, against Gridley High from Butte County. Oct. 27 will close out the season at home, against Mira Loma High School, from Sacramento.
The Bruins will also travel for games this season as they play as an independent, non-league affiliated team.
There’s one empty slot on the schedule that officials hope can be filled with another home game.
Lady Bruin Golf
RHS girls golf will begin their pre-season with a tournament in Turlock, at the Yellowjacket Invitational, on Monday, Aug. 21. They’ll play a couple of other matches on the road, before their first home play, on the Escalon Golf Course, against the Lady Cougars of Escalon. They’ll have five home matches on the Escalon Course up to Oct. 12.
Co-Ed Cross Country
Riverbank runners travel to Angels Camp for their first scrimmage, against Bret Harte High School on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Trans-Valley League meets will all be held in River Bluff Park in Ceres, with the first one set for Sept. 6.
In addition to a number of invitationals along the way, there’ll be two TVL meets, then a championship on Oct. 25. After that are the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sub-Sections, then Sections, then the state championship.
Lady Bruin Volleyball
Girls volleyball starts with a varsity tournament at Orestimba, on Saturday, Aug. 19, then there’s a home match against Grace Davis High from Modesto, on Tuesday, Aug. 22. After a few other pre-season matches, RHS returns home on Wednesday, Aug. 30, hosting Waterford, then at home again, the next day, against Orestimba from Newman.
The girls will play nine home matches, with the last one on Oct. 18, against Ripon High.
Another item of note, according to RHS Athletic Director Juan Harvey, is the prospect that the Lady Bruins will begin playing flag football next fall, 2024. He said the CIF has added flag football to the sports schedule for some schools around the state, beginning with this fall, but the Lady Bruins will start next year.
