It’s time to confess. I love predictions. For whatever reason, reading opinions on why a future outcome will happen based on convoluted thoughts fascinates me. Read More
Eli Turnage defies gravity. The farther north the 11-year-old Oakdale resident and Hickman Charter School student travels, the higher he places in world-class BMX races. Turnage was first and second in both races of the under-12 intermediate class across two days of action at the American Bicycle Association BMX Oregon Nationals on April 13 and 14. The victories propelled Turnage up the ABA ... » Read More
The black Nike sneakers supporting 34-year-old Deonce Whitaker molded a peculiar trail of alien impressions onto the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo sod as the Riverbank resident strode toward a line of nervous and jittery greenhorns. » Read More
When the last chunk of earth finally settled back to the arena floor at the 62nd Annual Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo, New Mexico’s Jim Ross Cooper emerged as the lone cash-winner in multiple events to seal the honor as the 2013 All-Around Champion. He joined a host of buckle-winners that included Oakdale’s Norm Mendenhall, a team roping champion alongside Allen Pruitt. Local cowboys Joe Murry (Oakdale) and Frank Perry claimed top honor is the ... » Read More
Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts Academy sensation and Ultimate Fighting Championship talent Michael McDonald is rallying to combat an enemy of a different sort these days. The standout bantamweight fighter ranked third in the world by ESPN has partnered with the Christian charity organization Cure International to aid children with curable diseases and disabilities. The collaboration will be on display during a three-hour mixed martial arts clinic ... » Read More
Winners of nine straight games, Kimball High’s undefeated baseball team had played quality programs across all divisions of enrollment for an entire month. » Read More
Oakdale High softball pitcher Rylie Pena was appearing fatigued on March 28, and East Union’s Marissa Romero was looking for an opportunity. » Read More
Spectacular boys golf and track and field performances proved impressive during recent play for Oakdale High athletes. Following is a summary of results. » Read More
It didn’t take long for the 12 underclassmen on Oakdale High’s varsity girls soccer team to grasp how strong the upper tier of the Valley Oak League truly is. » Read More
Diamonds are forever. It’s not a jewelry advertisement as much as a motto for Oakdale High softball players. Lady Mustang graduates are about as common a sight on college softball diamonds as the bases. By last count, seven Oakdale alumni are currently enjoying an active position on a college roster, while Mustang grad and former Humboldt University slugger, Alicia Reid, is now an ... » Read More
The only thing missing from last year’s boy’s golf season was a glass golf shoe that could only fit Oakdale High golfer and current Modesto Junior College standout, Ryan Jones. » Read More
Between Bryce Dyrda’s no-hit baseball gem, a bounty of doubles tennis success, a spectacular junior varsity softball outing and a 12-0 soccer win, the recent exploits of Oakdale High athletes has been a thrill to follow. Below is a summary of recent action. Baseball Oakdale (2-4) went 1-2 in the Pedretti Tournament on March 7, 8 and 9 after a 3-0 shutout ... » Read More
The best wrestlers in the Sac-Joaquin Section have been systematically whittled down to the top 32 in each weight like hand-carved furniture. Action at six divisional tournaments on Feb. 15 and 16 started the process and now there are seven seats up for grabs at each weight from the SJS to the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield. The competition for state advancement begins ... » Read More
Desperate for a win that would send them into the playoffs, players on Manteca High’s varsity boys basketball team suddenly found themselves against the ropes as they trailed aspiring spoilers, Oakdale, at halftime of the Mustangs’ Feb. 12 Senior Night. » Read More
Manteca High girls basketball coach Cody Norman searched the sideline and scorer’s table for scissors. Courtney Range limped about the court in slippers, sweats and a black hooded sweater. And Jessica Hasal, the fast-action junior guard, wore street clothes, cheering on her teammates during the pregame Senior Night festivities. The Buffaloes’ coronation party got off to a subdued start and the pace never ... » Read More
The hulking frame of 6 foot, 2 inch 225-pound senior receiver/tight end Austin Jones made for a spectacular target for Oakdale High classmate Spencer Thomas, and will be an asset for Willamette University quarterbacks, going forward. » Read More
The senior to freshman connection of Jill Kahler to Madison Feuerstein was good for two thrilling scores and a 2-1 upset victory for Oakdale High’s girls soccer team in the quarterfinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs on May 9. » Read More
Soren Dickens and Joe Guerrero glided to medals in their respective varsity and frosh-soph divisions of the 100 yard breaststroke to lead the Oakdale High swim team to a terrific season finale at the Sac-Joaquin Section Finals on Saturday. » Read More
The raw athleticism of Oakdale High athletes was on emphatic display during Saturday’s Valley Oak League track and field championships at Sierra High School in Manteca, as 12 varsity competitors earned tickets to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV-V Championships and 11 frosh-soph competitors won their events. » Read More
A cheery busload of Oakdale High students will arrive at Tokay High in Lodi on Thursday, May 9, for the first day of what has become the pinnacle moment of prep swimming — the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships. » Read More
Extra contests are a lock for Oakdale High softball, soccer and baseball players, who excelled in Valley Oak League action to earn a trip into the postseason. Following is a summary of recent action and a look at upcoming playoff games. » Read More
With four games to play, Oakdale High’s varsity girls soccer delivered a stunning flurry of goals to outscore opponents 8-1, oust Manteca 3-0 and clinch a spot in the playoffs with a clutch 3-0 win over Sonora on April 30. » Read More
Scores from Danae Rose, Gabby Acosta and Jill Kahler propelled Oakdale High's varsity girls soccer team to a 3-0 win over host Sonora on Tuesday, effectively sealing the third and final seed from the Valley Oak League into the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. » Read More
In a week where the top honor could have easily emerged from several spring sports athletes, the Oakdale High baseball team made it impossible to single out any individual. The team rallied behind tremendous pitching and timely hitting to complement flawless defense en route to back-to-back victories over previously unbeaten Manteca. » Read More
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE — The fate of Oakdale High’s varsity girls soccer team will be decided during Tuesday’s showdown, April 30, at rival Sonora. » Read More
It doesn’t get much better than this. The remaining contests on Oakdale High’s Valley Oak League sports schedules are responsible for a bubbling anticipation of finality as the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs loom on the horizon. Following is a summary of recent action, with only Oakdale boys tennis (fourth place in the VOL) out of the postseason hunt. Baseball
The Sonora-Oakdale High rivalry has only one year left, and Mustang swimmers made the most of their most recent meeting with boys and girls victories on April 19 to award the program sole rights to the Valley Oak League boys title and a girls co-champoinship with Ripon. » Read More
The winter sport season lives for Oakdale High senior DeWayne Finney on April 13. After a prestigious selection to participate in the Madness in the Mother Lode All-Star Extravaganza at Columbia College, Finney will join Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section champion coach Ben Watson of Summerville and represent the Mustangs in Oakdale’s dark uniform on the away team. Finney will play alongside 16 other players from Davis, ... » Read More
Nestled between a dozing Dr. Jerold Polterock and a giant window that revealed the sprawling Central California countryside, I began to drift into a peaceful slumber aboard one of the charter buses containing Oakdale football fans neared the final stages of its journey. » Read More
An historic and inspirational campaign by Oakdale High’s varsity football team came to an end at the 2012 California Interscholastic Federation Division II State Football Championship Bowl Game at the Home Depot Center in Carson on Saturday, where the size, speed and talents of Serra (Gardena) proved too great an obstacle, ending in a 42-15 defeat of the Mustangs. » Read More
When your fingers are buried in a three-point stance, you don’t tend to get that much ink. And when all your hard work is basically in the center of the field instead of a leaping catch in the end zone or a sweep around the left side, you don’t often get to be in the photo. » Read More
It’s no coincidence that the University of Southern California sports not one, not two, but three former players from Serra High of Gardena on their active roster. » Read More
It’s no coincidence that 10 of the 11 defensive starters on Oakdale High’s varsity football team received first team All-Valley Oak League selections. The Oakdale defense has been spectacular in 2012, and landed tremendous performances in both conference play and the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. » Read More
The two interceptions by DeWayne Finney in the semi-finals would normally be a shoe-in for Athlete of the Week recognition, but it’s impossible not to honor every member of the Oakdale High football team and coaching staff after a 12 win run that propelled the squad to a third straight trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III title game. This time, the Mustangs came away with the crown, defeating Vista del Lago ... » Read More
Nestled less than five miles from the historic Concord campus of California’s best Division I high school football team, De La Salle, is the campus of the Spartans’ younger brother — Division II Clayton Valley Charter. » Read More
A tremendous defensive performance from Oakdale High’s varsity football team was enough to seal a thrilling 22-9 victory over Vista del Lago in the championship game of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs on Friday at Lincoln High in Stockton. » Read More
This late in the year, only the best high school football teams are still playing games. Oakdale saw some serious talent from Benicia during a quarterfinal showdown on Nov. 16. » Read More
Oakdale High’s varsity football team will play Vista del Lago at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the final round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs at Lincoln of Stockton. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for seniors and students while children five-and-under receive free admission. As the higher seed, Oakdale is listed as the home team and will fill the north side of the stadium. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and ... » Read More
Friday’s forecast called for a serious chance of unrelenting showers at The Corral as Oakdale High played host to Pacheco in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III football playoffs. » Read More
There hasn’t been a much easier selection for Athlete of the Week since the invention of the wheel. Oakdale senior Marcus Northcutt ran for 221 yards on 10 carries, broke loose for rushes of 92 and 80 yards and tallied two touchdown runs in a victory over Sonora on Nov. 2. » Read More
Between the cap to a perfect season by Oakdale High’s freshman football team and a stunning victory by the junior varsity squad, it was a terrific closing week for Mustang lower level gridiron programs. » Read More
Oakdale High’s standout fullback and defensive lineman, Nikk Ryan, came through with a huge performance on Oct. 26 as the Mustangs battled to a 28-7 win over Manteca. Ryan ran for 117 yards and two scores to expose a rare weakness in a stout Manteca defense. » Read More
The Sac-Joaquin Section revealed placements in the 2012 playoffs across all six divisions on Saturday. At 8-1 overall, Oakdale was the outright selection as the No. I seed in D-III after undefeated Placer was designated for a tough D-IV bracket. The Mustangs host an upstart Pacheco (5-5) team that qualified for the postseason in the program’s first year with seniors on Friday at 7 p.m. The Mustangs are on the opposite side ... » Read More
With the abdominal muscles of a Spartan warrior, the athleticism of a gymnast and a strange fiberglass boneyard indicative of a daring professional skateboarder, 12-year-old Oakdale Junior High student Savannah Manning may be the Cowboy Capital of the World’s best young athlete. » Read More
The 2013 March Meet represents the opening of the National Hot Rod Association Heritage Racing Series season and is held at the famous AAA of Southern California Raceway in Famoso (just North of Bakersfield). Each year hundreds of drag racers from across the county and often form overseas, arrive to do battle on the famous quarter-mile dragstrip. The event is rich in drag racing history, having held some of the most historic races ... » Read More
My first impression of the Delta was that as long as I stayed within sight of where I launched my boat, that I would be able to find my way back. I was also frustrated with all the vegetation making it nearly impossible to fish my favorite baits. My navigation problem was solved with experience and the help of a GPS and after a while I learned to read the ... » Read More
Last week I was able to get out for a few days of fishing on the Delta. The bite wasn’t the best but we did manage to catch our limits. As far as the weather, it was absolutely amazing. I was also able to fish Lake Pardee, we didn’t get a single bite but once again the weather was great. What I did find humbling about my trip to Pardee ... » Read More
Blood from open cuts streamed down the face of Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts Academy Fighter Justin Smitley like war paint as he was hoisted up by his brother Brad McDonald after a thrilling three-round battle in the main event of the Art of War Stand and Deliver fight card on Saturday. » Read More
Keeping it simple often is the key ingredient to an angler’s success out on the water. Of all my boxes and boxes of tackle I still find myself going back to my old faithful lures when the latest and greatest stuff just isn’t working. Any top pro will tell you that he or she may use a variety of different techniques but owes a lot of their success to one or two ... » Read More
I was looking through some of my tackle the other day and it was sad to see once popular baits that were no longer being used. Like most hobbies there’s always something better that comes out that you just have to have. For a while there I was obsessed with having the latest and greatest until I fished with a guy called Bill. Bill was in his 60’s and I heard from ... » Read More
Lodi fighter Josh Thornburg of the famed Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu academy (the home of Nick and Nate Diaz) will attempt to reignite his once-promising career at the expense of former Oakdale High wrestler, football player and undefeated Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts Academy fighter Buddy Wallace. But Wallace will be no easy task. The well-rounded welterweight fighter of Oakdale dispatched a previously unbeaten Beau Hamilton (2-1) with ... » Read More
Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts Club fighter and Ultimate Fighting Championship sensation Michael McDonald has a chance to make history early next year. » Read More
I’m not sure the exact reason but this is the time of year when I see the most arrests being made for poaching on the water. The following information was taken from the California Department of Fish and Game website: “If you witness a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation, or have information about such a violation, immediately dial the toll free CalTIP number: 1 (888) DFG-CALTIP 24 ... » Read More
Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas was the place to be if you considered yourself either an avid gin rummy player or fan. The Gin Rummy Association presented The Holiday Classic Tournament from Nov. 11 through the 14 for gin rummy partners and singles and one Oakdale man walked away with top honors. Greg Anderson came home with the world title in hand. » Read More
With fight leagues like Strikeforce, Pride and World Extreme Cagefighting now merged with the pinnacle conference of MMA — the Ultimate Fighting Championship — the list of quality fight leagues outside of the UFC have dwindled down to just a few. » Read More
I can’t remember how many times over the past year that I’ve emphasized being prepared for the unexpected while out fishing. The unexpected happened to me a few years ago while out on the delta. Fishing out of a relative’s fairly new boat we were surprised to hear the ever so dreaded “click, click” sound when attempting to start his boat at the end of the day. His batteries had died and ... » Read More
Fish attractants have been used in some form or another for many years. In the middle 1980s I can remember there being a big interest in fish attractants as several major tackle manufacturers added fish attractants to their product line. I can remember one specific brand that comes to mind “Bait mate,” it was in a liquid form with a consistency that was similar to vegetable oil. One quick spray of this supposedly would create ... » Read More