On the home court Wednesday, Feb. 4 the Oakdale High School varsity boys basketball team honored their half dozen senior players prior to tip off. Gabe Gookin, Charles Benninger, Gavin Wyatt, Niki Jones, Noa Concepcion and Griffin Galuppi were all recognized for their contributions to the program.
“These kids are hard-working and deserve the success that they are experiencing this season,” said head coach Kelly Power. “They are a special group of players, student-athletes who truly care about each other and the game.”
Following the festivities, Oakdale took on Sierra High School in the final regular season home game and captured a 72-49 victory.
With the game tied at four, Wyatt dished an assist to Benninger in the lane for a reverse layup to give the Mustangs a 6-4 advantage with 5:45 left to play in the first quarter. Oakdale continued their run when Galuppi got a steal and fast break layup with 5:06 left in the first quarter to go up 10-4. Sierra countered with a 9-2 run to take a 13-12 lead with 24.8 seconds left in the opening quarter. Jones powered his way through the lane for a basket to end the quarter with the Mustangs on top 14-13.
With 3:27 remaining in the second quarter, Wyatt hit a floater in the lane to give Oakdale a 20-19 lead. Benninger later hit back-to-back treys and Oakdale went into the locker room with a 26-23 lead.
Bryce Busam used his speed for a fast break layup to make it 35-26 game with 6:07 left in the third quarter. He continued his big second half as he hit a corner three to make it a 45-32 game with 2:46 left in the third quarter. Oakdale outscored the Timberwolves 26-16 in the third quarter to enter the final frame up 52-39. Busam hit a deep three by the student section to make it a commanding 63-44 lead with 4:18 remaining in the game. A Jones assist to Gookin put Oakdale up 65-44 with 3:19 to play and got the gym rocking. Closing out the scoring with less than 20 seconds to play, Jones hit a three-point shot at the top of the key for the final points of the evening.
Busam scored 14 second half points to lead all scorers with 18 points. Galuppi had 15 points for Oakdale.
“My teammates are incredible and when we all have the same goal and we work towards that goal, it really makes the flow of things go easier for us,” said Galuppi. “Tonight was very emotional. This is the final guaranteed home game for us and that is a hard reality to face.”
This week the Oakdale varsity caps off the 2026 campaign as they head to Manteca to face East Union on Feb. 11 and on Friday night, Feb. 13 Oakdale travels to Mountain House. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Currently Oakdale is in second place in the Valley Oak League standings with a 7-3, 22-4 record. Mountain House is in first place with an 8-2, 21-5 record. East Union is in third place at 7-3, 19-7.
“It is coming down to the wire for the Valley Oak League and the fact that we are still in the mix is exciting, it is exciting for the boys, the program, the coaches and the community,” said Coach Power.
The JV boys prevailed in a thriller, 59-57 over Sierra to improve to 8-2 in league. The freshmen were 72-42 winners over the Timberwolves.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Just one game was on the schedule this past week for the Lady Mustang hoopsters; the varsity girls battled to a tough 43-36 loss at Sierra on Feb. 3. They trailed just 16-13 at the half, but Sierra went on a 21-15 run in the third to put a little distance between the squads.
Oakdale’s JV girls, meanwhile, outlasted Sierra in double overtime, 53-50. Oakdale scored five points in the second overtime period to Sierra’s two to take the win.
GIRLS SOCCER
Scoring 13 goals while allowing just one over their final three regular season games, the Oakdale varsity soccer Lady Mustangs put together a perfect 12-0 Valley Oak League record. They shut out Mountain House, 4-0, on the road Feb. 4, then defeated visiting East Union, 7-1, on Feb. 6 and shut out Manteca in the finale, Feb. 9, by a 2-0 decision. The girls improved to 18-2-2 overall and await their playoff seeding information. Dakota Burford had two goals, Skyler Burford and Layla Garcia-Gonzalez added one each against Mountain House.
In the outburst over East Union, Garcia-Gonzalez and Jezell Perez-Andrade each had two goals, Skyler Burford, Kaia Cox and Sophia Garavaglia added one each.
Monday night’s finale, Feb. 9, saw Garcia-Gonzalez notch both goals, one in each half, in the victory.
Oakdale’s JV girls took a 2-0 loss in their Feb. 6 contest against East Union. Prior to that, they won two straight, shutting out Patterson 3-0 on the home field on Feb. 2, then earning a 2-0 road win at Mountain House on Feb. 4.
BOYS SOCCER
Oakdale’s varsity boys split their soccer games this past week, winning on the road but falling at home. They defeated Central Catholic in Modesto, 6-0, on Feb. 3. They battled at home, hosting Patterson, but lost a 3-1 decision on Feb. 5. They were slated to close out the season on the road at Mountain House on Feb. 10. Rogelio Mercado had two goals in the win over Central Catholic, while Giovanny Villalobos, Reynaldo Perez, Enrique Alcantar and Carlos Chavez added one each. The varsity boys put five goals in the net in the second half to seal the win.
Scoring the only goal for Oakdale in the loss to Patterson was Oliver Perez.
The JV boys fell by a 4-0 final to Patterson on Feb. 5.
WRESTLING
At Central Catholic High School this past week, the Valley Oak League championships saw every Oakdale wrestler advance, and they are now getting ready for the Sac-Joaquin Section D3 divisionals. That event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14 in Sacramento. Bringing home hardware from the VOL were champions Ezekiel Hernandez, Jake Simmons, Avery Jones, Zeke Meza, Jesse Meza, Cody Soares, Xander Birakos, Wes Burford and Matthew Cooley; and second place finishers Grant Dixon, Brooklyn Harper, Michaelangelo DeLeon, Israel Mercado and Griffin Gerber.
Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
