Prep football roundup: Riverbank starts 3-0; Oakdale, Ceres earn non-league wins
Riverbank may be Stanislaus District’s best turnaround story.
After going 0-10 in 2022 and 3-7 last season, the Bruins have already won three games in 2024 and are off to a 3-0 start. They have outscored their opponents by 101 points and have scored over 40 points in two of their three wins. They won three straight road games and will play their home opener next week in their Mother Lode League opener against Calaveras, a game that will test how far Riverbank has come this season.
Oakdale and Ceres earned big Week 4 wins. The Bulldogs shut out Buhach Colony to advance to 2-1 and the Mustangs ran all over Vista del Lago for their third win. Both finished non-league play this week. Pitman and Johansen each fell in heartbreakers decided by less than five points.
Riverbank 47, San Juan 0: The Bruins jumped out to a 33-point lead at halftime and did not look back as they moved to 3-0 on the season. Riverbank has not allowed a point so far this season. Next week, the Bruins will play their first Mother Lode League game, hosting Calaveras.
Golden Valley 25, Pitman 23: The Pride nearly earned their first win of the season. Pitman took a 10-6 lead midway through the second quarter but allowed 19 straight points, falling behind 25-10 in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Pitman scored twice, but their final two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
East Union 50, Enochs 20: Enochs could not claim its third win of the season Friday in a home game against East Union. The Eagles will welcome this week’s bye and use it to get healthy before taking on Merced Sept. 27 in their final non-league game.
Vacaville 31, Patterson 14: The Tigers went up 14-0, scoring on a fumble recovery returned 75 yards for a touchdown and a 15-yard pass to Noah Cozart, but were held scoreless for the rest of the game. They host Central Catholic next week in their Valley Oak League opener.
Oakdale 55, Vista del Lago 21: Oakdale opened with a 28-7 blitz on their home field and never looked back. The Mustangs added 14 points in the second and 13 in the third to finish non-league play 3-1.
Folsom 56, Turlock 14: Turlock fell behind 28-7 heading into halftime of the top 15 matchup. It was able to score one more touchdown in the second half against the section’s top team. The Bulldogs travel to Clovis West next week before hosting Gregori to start CCAL play October 4.
Ceres 27, Buhach Colony 0: The Bulldogs’ defense came up big again, earning its second straight shutout to finish non-league play. Quarterback Kyle Phongsa Chhoeum completed 12 passes with three going to Reis Smith for touchdowns. Ceres travels to Livingston next week for its WAC opener.
Stone Ridge Christian 73, Modesto Christian 0: Modesto Christian could not stop the Knights’ high-powered offense Friday night. The Crusaders could not find the end zone in the Battle for the Blade.
Livermore 39, Gregori 27: The Jaguars scored all 27 points in the second half, but the scoreless first two quarters hurt them on the road against Livermore. Gregori falls to 1-3 with its third straight loss. The final non-league tuneup comes next week against Los Banos.
Bear River 13, Johansen 12: The Vikings made the long trip to Grass Valley and nearly came back with a win. They held a 12-3 lead at the half but did not score in the final two quarters and allowed 10 points in the fourth in the one-point loss.
Denair 44, Pajaro Valley 23: The Coyotes put up over 40 points for the second straight game to give them back-to-back wins and a 2-2 record to finish non-league play. Denair travels to Merced for their league opener against Stone Ridge Christian next week.
▪ Check https://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/ for results on Downey, Hilmar and Modesto high schools’ Friday night games
This story was originally published September 14, 2024 at 11:05 AM.
