Postseason action is heating up for area athletes in football, water polo and cross country, just as the weather continues to cool down.
That means the winter sports season will soon be humming at full tilt.
Official contests begin today for basketball, soccer and wrestling in the Sac-Joaquin Section, and area schools are wasting no time in getting started.
Manteca’s boys basketball team hosts Elk Grove starting at 7:30 p.m. in the first game under new coach Geoff Israel, who previously served as lower-level coach for predecessor Jason Hitt. Hitt now coaches at Lodi after leading the Buffaloes to an 86-49 record and a Valley Oak League title the five years. Manteca visits Lodi for a non-league game on Nov. 30.
East Union’s boys team welcomes Tokay at Dalben Center. Sierra is heading to Pitman.
The defending VOL co-champion girls basketball teams are on the road. Manteca, a SJS Division III finalist, opens at Tokay, while East Union travels to Ponderosa.
The East Union, Manteca and Ripon boys soccer teams are in the two-day Hughson Tournament. Jose Montes debuts as Ripon coach with previous stops at Sierra and Lathrop as boys and girls coach, respectively.
Ripon has another new winter coach in John Scheid, who takes over after Rick Inderbitzin ended an eight-year run. The Indians host Tokay next Tuesday.
Ripon Christian’s SJS Division VI champion girls soccer team faces Millennium at home today starting at 4. A block away, Ripon, which reached the SJS Division IV semifinals, plays host to Downey. Sierra takes on Turlock on the road.
East Union and Lathrop’s wrestling teams will compete in the Central Valley Girls Tournament today.
River Islands is playing its first varsity games for boys and girls basketball and boys soccer tonight. The basketball teams will hold a varsity doubleheader against Vanguard College Prep of Modesto at EPIC Academy. The girls game is scheduled for a 5 o’clock tip-off and will be followed by the boys.
River Islands athletic director Justin Graham is back on the saddle as head coach for the boys hoops squad. He previously led the boys program at alma mater Ripon High, which claimed two Trans-Valley League titles in five years under Graham. His sister Jessica Hutton, who also starred as a player at Ripon, is the River Islands girls coach.
The Riptide’s boys soccer team, led by Chris Loera, meets McNair at the River Islands football field. Marcus Miller coaches the girls team, which kicks off its season next Monday against Liberty Ranch at home.
