Some Riverbank sports teams have begun their league contests, with girls volleyball seeing some success and football doing better on the field, according to coaches.
Lady Bruin Volleyball
The volleyball girls traveled to Modesto Christian High School on Monday, Sept. 9, coming away with a Trans-Valley League victory, although no scores have been reported.
On Wednesday last week, Riverbank fell in a three-game match, 25-11, 25-3, and 25-18, at home against the league favorite, Ripon’s Lady Indians. The JV squad dropped two straight games, 25-15 and 25-16, earlier.
This week, they were to host Hughson’s Lady Huskies on Monday, Sept. 16 then travel to Escalon for a Wednesday, Sept. 18 contest.
Bruin Football
Riverbank traveled to Tracy to take on the Millennium Falcons, playing in the West High School stadium.
The varsity team got on the scoreboard on the first play of the game, with De’Ondrey Davis returning the kickoff all the way back to the end zone. They also blanked the Falcons in the first quarter and scored again in the second frame.
However, Millennium put 20 points up in that second quarter and went on to dominate the third quarter but were held scoreless in the fourth. The Bruins fell, 41-13, in the non-league game. The JV game found Millennium on top, as well, at 26-0.
Varsity head coach Anthony Buich said “we played our best game yet” against the Falcons.
“We played so hard, we ran out of our shoes,” Buich said, referring to a play sweeping around the left end of the line of scrimmage.
Video of the play showed a shoe left behind after the run.
The Bruin teams open up their league season on the road at Modesto Christian on Friday, Sept. 20.
Cross Country
On Saturday night, Sept. 14, the team competed at the Kim Duyst Invitational, sponsored by Stanislaus State University, at the River Oaks Golf Course in Ceres, coach Monte Wood reported.
“The team ran great on the 4k course under the lights. Ramon Rosas was the highest finisher for RHS all night by placing seventh overall in the varsity boys race. Adan Salgado also placed in the top 10,” said Wood. “Alejandro Rangel ran a great race and is really starting to put things together as a runner. They led the team to a third place finish over some very good competition.”
The varsity girls, made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, placed sixth overall in the team competition. Wood noted that they ran a great race with most of them running the last 2k faster than the first 2k.
“Freshman Livi Fernandez paced the girls team with a time of 17:00 in only her second high school race. She ran the second 2k 30 seconds faster than the first,” explained Wood. “Miriam Albor came in second for the team and Marissa Cruz was close behind her.”
This Friday, Sept. 20, the frosh/soph girls and varsity boys will be racing in Norco, CA, at the prestigious Woodbridge Invitational.
Saturday the junior varsity boys and girls and the frosh/soph boys will be competing at the Tiger Invitational in Stockton.