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Youth football season nears opening kickoff
Youth football
Manteca's Roman Duvernay (10) fights off the defense of the River Island Riptide's Kyle Malone in a controlled scrimmage on Oct. 9, 2021. - photo by Dave Campbell

Youth football season is upon us.

The seven Manteca-area youth football organizations have begun practice and will shortly kick off the 2022 campaign.

Youth football
Nikko Juarez (6) of the Manteca Cowboys leaps past the Jr. Buffaloes' Noah Navarro (27) during the Central Valley Youth Football and Cheer Super Bowl on Nov. 13. The Cowboys won the varsity title, 34-8. - photo by Dave Campbell
There are three local teams in Central Valley Youth Football and Cheer — the Manteca Cowboys, Lathrop Jr. Spartans and Manteca Jr. Buffaloes.

On Saturday, August 13, the three CVYFC teams will participate in two jamborees. The Jr. Buffaloes will host one and the Cowboys and Jr. Spartans will travel to Lodi for the other. The regular season begins Saturday, April 20, with the Cowboys hosting the Jr. Buffaloes and the Jr. Spartans traveling to the Central Valley Gladiators in Stockton.

The Delta Youth Football League boasts Manteca’s elder statesman and its newcomer. The Manteca Chargers have been in continuous operation since 1993 and this is the second season for the River Islands Riptide.

The two teams will participate in jamborees the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 13. That Saturday, the novice and junior varsity will be at Kimball High School in Stockton and on Sunday the junior novice and varsity will travel to Chavez High in Stockton.

On Saturday, Aug. 20, the Chargers kick off the regular season hosting the South Stockton Bengals at Sierra High and the Riptide travel to Chavez to face the Jr. Titans.

The Ripon Knights participate in the Trans-Valley Youth Football League and have their jamboree on Saturday, Aug 6 at Denair Middle School and travel to Patterson High to open the season against the Patterson Ravens on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The Ripon Chiefs are in the Mountain Valley Football League and travel to Hughson for their jamboree on Saturday, Aug. 13 with their opener on Saturday, August 20 at Summerville High School in Tuolumne against the Tuolumne Bears.