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Junior Bruin Varsity Pulls Out Win For Homecoming
Jr defense
Riverbank defenders surround the Gaucho quarterback, preventing a long fourth down conversion toward the end of the final home game of the season on Saturday. The Jr. Bruin varsity posted an 18-13 win over the visiting El Capitan team.News Photos By Ric McGinnis

Riverbank’s Youth Football teams had a hard day of it this past Saturday, but the Junior Bruin varsity team was able to nail down a win in their game, to cap their last home game of the season. The game was also their Homecoming celebration, with a theme of those ‘Oldies but Goodies.’

The bad news first: all the other Riverbank Jr. Bruin teams suffered defeats in their Saturday contests.

The Futures lost 38-7; the Starts fell by a 40-6 decision; the Rookies lost by a 33-6 final and the JV team was shut out, 46-0.

At the varsity level, the Jr. Bruin team battled to an 18-13 victory.

The visiting varsity El Capitan Gauchos, from Merced/Atwater, were first on the board, with about five minutes left in the first quarter, but a missed extra point left it just 6-0 until the second quarter.

A long scamper down the near sideline, by running back Jordan Picho, 4, put Riverbank close to the goal line, with quarterback John Wallace pushing it through the middle from about five yards out for the touchdown. A failed PAT attempt left the score 6-6 at with 2:50 left in the half, and it ended the same way.

A touchdown and missed PAT in the third quarter put the Jr. Bruins ahead 12-6.

Jonathan Haggerty put the final Riverbank points on the board with a solid run through the middle with about seven minutes left in the game, but the Gauchos fought back with seven points of their own towards the end, but it was too little, too late. The Jr. Bruin defense pushed them back repeatedly, forcing a loss of possession after a pass from 20 yards behind the original line of scrimmage was contained.

The final score was 18-13 Riverbank, putting the ‘Good’ in ‘Oldies but Goodies’ theme for Homecoming.

Riverbank finishes up the youth football season on the road at Lodi next Saturday, Oct. 28, then it could be on to the playoffs for some of the teams, officials said.

As part of the Homecoming celebration, there was a coronation. Kayci Blevins and John Wallace, respectively, were named varsity Homecoming Queen and King.