Fall sports teams at Riverbank High School are making their way through the Trans-Valley League season, some finding success and some finding the going rough from week to week. Following is a recap of the past week’s action, with teams including soccer, volleyball and football all getting some league contests on the books.
SOCCER
Starting the week off with a 4-0 win on the road, the varsity soccer Bruins got one goal in the first half and three more in the second, taking down the host Warriors in the Oct. 14 game. Putting the goals in the back of the net for Riverbank were Jose Ruiz, Garcia Noe, Rodrigo Quintero and Eric Hernandez while Hernandez, Oscar Jimenez, Emanuel Moya and Edson Duran got credit for the assists. Goalkeeper Robert Serrato made six saves.
It was a tougher battle on the home field Wednesday, Oct. 16 as the host team fought with the visiting Hilmar Yellowjackets in a game that went down as a 1-1 tie. Neither team found the net in the first half, while they traded tallies in the final 40 minutes of play.
This week, the Bruins had a league bye on Monday and are scheduled to play today, Oct. 23 at Ripon as squads look to make a postseason push. Riverbank, at 7-0-2 in league, has one of those ties against Ripon, as the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Riverbank earlier this season. This time, the Bruins will be out for a win, helping solidify their entry into the playoffs.
VOLLEYBALL
A Tuesday, Oct. 15 home match against the Escalon Lady Cougars went down as a 3-0 loss for Riverbank, but the scores are not necessarily indicative of the contest. After falling 8-25 in the first game, Riverbank gave Escalon nearly all they could handle in game two, more than once rallying from several points down to pull within just a couple of points of tying them or taking the lead. Eventually, the more seasoned Escalon squad dropped Riverbank in that game 18-25 and then regrouped to take the third in 11-25 fashion. The Lady Bruins worked hard on the court to put up a good fight and did get some outstanding play, but sometimes had breakdowns in communication that allowed balls to fall, giving points to the Cougars. The girls were on the road Thursday, Oct. 17 at Orestimba and again had their best game in the second one of the match, but lost in a 3-1 final. After a 20-25 contest to open, Riverbank got a 25-22 win in game two. Orestimba had to fight for a 24-26 win in the third game and then took the fourth with a 17-25 decision to win over Riverbank 3-1.
This week, the girls were scheduled to host Hilmar on Tuesday, Oct. 22 after The News went to press.
FOOTBALL
The going just doesn’t get any easier in the Trans-Valley League for the Bruins, who had to travel to Modesto Christian for a Friday night, Oct. 18 contest. Riverbank managed a single field goal in the game, while Modesto Christian scored in every quarter on the way to a 42-3 victory. The Crusaders had single touchdowns in the first and third quarters, two each in the second and fourth. Putting the field goal through the uprights for Riverbank was Fabian Arana, sending it in from 22 yards out. Riverbank got a couple of wins in preseason play but has gone winless so far in the TVL. This week, they host Ripon, which took its first league loss last week at the hands of Hilmar, 33-21.
