After his bittersweet fifth-place showing at last month's CIF State Championships, it looked like Turlock High wrestler Fabian Garcia could no longer wrestle. His voice was low, his head was down. He couldn't hide his sadness and dissatisfaction in his post-match interviews.
For his trip to Ohio, Pitman High freshman Emilio Saavedra carried with him more than just his clothes and wrestling gear. Metaphorically speaking, he had a giant monkey on his back.
Cheyenne Perry, a four-year volleyball and softball player at Turlock Christian High, has been awarded scholarship money as one of 49 winners of the A. Dale Lacky/CSEA Scholarships for outstanding performances in athletics, community service and academics during high school.
ATWATER - Clay Cozzitorto just had one more inning left to pitch. He had shut out his opponents all afternoon, and he was mentally prepared to face them again. But there was something he wasn't ready for.
The goal is always to beat Turlock High. But for the Pitman High softball team, some years are just wishful thinking.
With one of their best pitchers on the mound, the Turlock High baseball team exacted revenge over Merced High on Wednesday afternoon in Merced. Sophomore Nick Voumard pitched three scoreless innings and the Bulldogs won 6-0 to regain control of the Central California Conference.
This is how much Turlock High junior Alexia Moreno and Santa Fe High's Tamara Tillman wanted a national wrestling title: In the second round of their 121-pound final match of the USAW Girls Folkstyle National Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., last weekend, the two bumped heads in an attempt to gain a shot at the same exact time.
It was an oh-so ordinary day for the Turlock High track and field athletes on Monday afternoon at Joe Debely Stadium. Hurdlers and jumpers loosened their limbs on an artificial turf field. Runners warmed up on an all-weather track. Pole vaulters battled a slight wind down a marked runway before extending skyward.
Swimming might be one of the tougher spring sports. It's not just because of the amount of pain a swimmer puts himself or herself through by swimming lap after lap. In this sport, there aren't too many days off.
It wasn't like Turlock High baseball didn't have opportunities.
Asked to recount her version of the goal that gave her Pitman High girls soccer team its first win over crosstown nemesis Turlock High in six years, senior forward Hannah Verschelden could not provide all the details. All she remembered was she wanted to lace the ball with some power and kick it away from the goalkeeper.
It's still early in the track and field season, but athletes from Pitman, Turlock, Turlock Christian, Denair and Hilmar high schools have already been challenged. It's not just all the time and effort they have to put in that will help them become faster or stronger. It's the weather.
Here's the scoop on this season's softball teams.
To say the least, there will be some shakeups in high school girls soccer this season.
In the 27th Atch Pedretti Tournament last week, the Turlock High baseball team outscored opponents 34-3. That's just one example of how dominant the Bulldogs have been.
Pitman High positioned itself atop the CCC with a 51-38 win over Golden Valley High on Tuesday. The Pride (5-9 overall) utilized a strong defense to hold the Cougars at bay and remain undefeated in league play. Marissa Marable finished the night with 10 points and Parmine Randhawa finished with eight in a performance that saw a total of nine Pride players find the basket. Golden Valley trailed by double digits the entire ...
Wrestlers from 23 schools, including Turlock, Denair and Hilmar High, crowded into Turlock's Bulldog Stadium Saturday morning to compete in the 20th annual Bulldog Classic. After dozens of matches and more than nine hours of wrestling, the Bulldogs claimed their third tournament title of the year with a total of 18 and half points and three champions. "We've gone to four tournaments and won three of them," Turlock's head coach Mike Contreras said. ...
It wasn't looking good for Pitman High's boys basketball team when they hosted Merced High Wednesday night. The Pride's first half was a slow one chocked full of missed shots and turnovers. Despite the rough start Pitman was able to battle back after halftime and defeat the Bears 57-44. "Merced is a lot better than their record. They came out with a high level of intensity that we didn't match (in the first ...
Pitman High's girls basketball players entered their second league matchup against Atwater High on Thursday with a heightened sense of confidence. Two days after defeating a highly athletic Merced High team, the Pride won its second game in the CCC, beating the Falcons 59-38. "They're understanding their roles," Pitman's head coach Keith Larsen said. "We're getting better, a lot better than we were a month ago." The Pride opened up the game ...
It was a successful day Wednesday for the wrestlers at Turlock, Pitman and Hilmar highs. The three teams won their first league duals against Merced, Atwater and Orestimba High, respectively. Turlock's first CCC win was also its 20th straight dual victory this year. The Bulldogs defeated the Bears 46-16 in another dominant performance. Jason Valdovinos, Rico McCombs and Jessey Velasquez all recorded pins against the formidable Merced team. Pitman's 44-33 victory over ...
Turlock High's first league opponent was Buhach Colony High, one of the projected front runners for the CCC title this season. The Bulldogs faced the Thunder Wednesday night at home in a confidence building 62-56 win. "It felt good to get that first league win," Turlock's head coach Doug Cornfoot said. "We came together and played better than we had in the preseason." The matchup was a competitive one; both teams pressed ...
The beginning of league play can be a stressful time for teams in the Valley. Although the first couple of games won't break a team's chances at a league title, they can serve as the foundation for future success and indicate what the rest of the season holds. After losing to Buhach Colony High by four points on Tuesday night, Turlock High's girls reversed roles in a four point win over Merced High. ...
After 20 years at Denair High School Therion Gregory has retired. Gregory turned in his resignation in December and has since moved to Utah where he plans on finishing his education. "It was just time for me to call it quits and take a little break," Gregory said. "I'm going to miss that camaraderie we had. I really enjoyed coaching there." During his time at Denair Gregory wore many hats, coaching girl's ...
Denair High's girls basketball team had an easy time defeating Waterford High Tuesday night. The Coyotes finished 49-22, securing the win in their first league game. The Coyotes (3-7) and Wildcats (3-11) met less than a month ago in a close game that was decided by three points. Denair hit the court determined to come away with a more convincing win and did so with an impressive offensive performance. In the first half ...
Young men often turn to athletics in pursuit of confidence and camaraderie. Some simply want to have fun, but most athletes strive to compete and have a deep desire to win. They follow in the footsteps of their role models and try to emulate the things they've seen, hoping their efforts will parlay into future success. Erick Parsons is no different. Erick, a standout linebacker and wrestler for Turlock High, found his ...
I didn't know what to expect out of this year's basketball season; before December I hadn't watched a high school basketball game for at least four years. I did know that Turlock and Pitman would be in constant competition with each other for bragging rights and that Turlock, as defending CCC champions, would be the team to beat. As I spoke with coaches from both teams before the season began, I got the ...
Turlock High's wrestling team continued its streak of success Wednesday morning during a four-way dual that included Freedom High, Oak Ridge High and Central Catholic High. The Bulldogs (19-1) dominated the event that lasted well over four hours, defeating the Falcons 47-9, the Trojans 51-24 and the Raiders 48-17. "We expected to win," Turlock's head coach Mike Contreras said. "Our kids wrestled well and overall it was a good performance for us." <p ...
One of Pitman High's goals coming into this year's basketball season was to earn a first place tournament finish before league play began. After finishing 3rd in the Frank Godinez tournament the Pride's last shot at their short-term goal was the Ceres tournament, where they got off to a shaky start. Pitman fell to Modest Christian High in the first round but was able to bounce back, defeating Ceres High 68-50 in the ...
Pitman, Beyer, Modesto Christian and Ceres High all gathered together Tuesday for this year's Ceres Basketball Tournament. Pitman (6-4) faced off against Modesto Christian (3-2) in the first game of the round-robin style tournament and was bested by the Crusaders 38-48. "MC is one of those teams where you have to maximize your opportunities," Pitman's assistant coach Undrea Walker said. "The kids seemed to have the jitters, which is not common for how ...
Both Pitman and Turlock High will need to find head coach replacements for their water polo teams by next season. Drew Clute, who graduated from Turlock High and played for Steve Feaver, announced that he would be vacating his current position as Pride head coach for a coaching position with the SoCal water polo club in Orange, Calif. Clute spent four years at Pitman where he served as both the water polo and ...