JONAMAR JACINTO

Ja’Leiyah Ray punctuated a productive week on Thursday, batting down a potential game-winning touchdown in the end zone as time expired, as Lathrop held on for the 7-6 win over visiting East Union.

First-year River Islands coach Nicolas Kendall wasn’t ready to believe the hype behind his prized transfer. All he had known about Darien East was from press clippings and word-of-mouth.

Arianna Pale carded a 3-over-par 39 Tuesday at Manteca Park Golf Course in a tune-up for the first of three Valley Oak League Tournaments.

In an alternate universe, Lathrop and Ripon Christian are Central California Conference football rivals. Meanwhile, Ripon is duking it out with Manteca Unified’s East Union and Sierra in the Valley Oak League. And Manteca High must go through the likes of St. Mary’s and old-school foil Tracy in the Tri-City Athletic League. Additionally, some historic leagues in this half of the section don’t even exist. This could be the new reality if the Sac-Joaquin Section’s initial realignment proposal for the 2028-2032 cycle passes. The plan was presented on the section’s YouTube channel Thursday morning.

Justin Muschott would have preferred to get his first win as Lathrop coach last week. It just so happened to come Friday at the expense of a good friend he succeeded, and on the campus where he got his start coaching high school as an assistant. His Spartans washed off the stink of their frustrating zero-week defeat by rolling past homecoming celebrant Sierra, 33-14.

For the first time in recent memory, Manteca is 0-2 to start a season. The Buffaloes faced another formidable opponent on the road Friday, yielding to Buchanan in Clovis, 56-34.

Manteca is 0-2 to start the season for the first time in 30 years. The Buffaloes will look to end the streak in their home opener Friday when they welcome Chavez and celebrate the 100th season of football at the school.

When Eric Reis took over as head coach of the Manteca High football team in 2002, part of his mission was to connect the past with the present, introducing his players to the traditions and legends of old while creating their own.

Manteca appeared to be on its way to capping off a celebratory night with its first victory of the season on Friday, but the mood quickly changed in the second half when gun shots near the stadium sparked a brief moment of chaos. The game was suspended with 4:57 left in the third quarter and the Buffaloes leading Chavez 29-7 at Guss Schmiedt Field.

A shooting involving three juveniles on the Manteca High campus Friday night led to the Buffaloes football game against Cesar Chavez High of Stockton being called with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.