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Valley Oak League Title For Varsity Soccer Girls
Wrestlers Pin Down Honors
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Oakdale Lady Mustang soccer seniors were recognized prior to their final home game. Shown, from left, Alondra Vigil, Trista French, Carly Silva and Melanie Cruz. They would go on to claim the VOL title in a road game Monday, Feb. 6 at Kimball. Jeff Kettering/The Leader

The job is done.

That, according to Oakdale varsity girls soccer coach Kico Monares, as the Lady Mustangs came home from Tracy on Monday night, Feb. 6 with a Valley Oak League championship in hand.

It is the first time in many years the program has reached the pinnacle of the league and they were focused throughout the campaign, battling their way to the top of the VOL standings.

It was a 6-1 win over Kimball on Monday night that secured the top spot for the squad.

“Oakdale girls knew all week what was at stake come Monday, a taste of history. The coaching staff stressed all week, rest and recovery all weekend and please be smart and take care of your bodies (ice baths) … well it showed Monday night,” Monares said. “The girls came ready to play and determined to be part of Oakdale soccer history.”

In the first half, Kyndra Obermeyer led the attack with two goals and Trista French with one goal to be up 3-0 halftime.

“The girls work ethic, intensity and pressure was too much for Kimball to handle,” noted Monares. “They had no chance in the midfield dominated by Mia Peterson and Trista French ... the back line was stingy and nothing was getting past them; it was a dominant first half.”

In the second half, Kimball came out with intensity and scored just a few minutes in to make it 3-1 but Oakdale answered, tightening up the defense and making some tactical changes. That paved the way for goal number four, from Claire McGee Brown and Obermeyer added two more to solidify the victory, scoring four total goals on the night.

The win clinched the undisputed Valley Oak League championship for the Oakdale girls, head coach Kico Monares and assistant coach Tiffani LaVelle.

Junior Obermeyer, with four goals on the evening, now has a total of 26 for the season. With the win and the VOL championship, the Mustangs (15-1-2 overall/7-1-2 VOL) should get a very strong seeding in the Sac-Joaquin Section championship tournament and will host a match in the Corral on Monday, Feb. 13.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, on Senior Night 2023, the Lady Mustangs won a 3-2 nailbiter over the visiting Manteca Buffaloes.

Following the opening kickoff, the Mustangs, using sharp passing, took the ball into Buffalo territory and appeared to be on the verge of scoring. A fine defensive play by one of the Buffalo defensive backs, however, sent a long kick down field to the swift and versatile striker, Alexia Alva, who deftly got past her defender and drove the ball past the Mustang goalkeeper, sophomore Avery Alves, for the opening score of the game with just 3 minutes, 37 seconds gone. The Mustangs responded 5 minutes, 27 seconds later when the team’s leading scorer, Obermeyer, on a feed from junior forward Brown, sent a rocket past the Buffalo goaltender, knotting the score at 1-1. The teams again traded goals to be tied, 2-2, at half.

The second half was a hard-fought chess match between two very good teams. Earlier in the year, the two had battled to a 1-1 tie in Manteca. The second half was an excellent manifestation of the term “ebb-and-flow” as the two teams battled up and down the field. With 10 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the game, Obermeyer was able to pull the Buffalo goaltender to the left side of the goal and then quickly send a pass to sophomore Kyra Binstock in the center of the field. Binstock wasted no time in driving the ball into the net for the deciding goal of the match.

 

BOYS SOCCER

On the road at Manteca on Jan. 31, the varsity Mustangs crafted a 5-1 victory. Abraham Isidro had two goals and three assists; scoring one goal each were Christopher Diaz, Jason Martinho and Ray Perez. Notching assists were Hudson Ruvalcaba and Khrystian Escalante.

They then took a loss at Kimball, 4-0, on Feb. 2.

 

WRESTLING

It was a dominant run in the Valley Oak League championships for the varsity Mustangs. Hosting the VOL tournament, the Oakdale squad saw titles won by Ezekiel Hernandez, 108 pounds; Logan Thomas, 115; Eziequel Vela, 122; Colton Silva, 147; Brodie Johnson, 154; Payne Pekins, 162; Carlos Garcia, 172; Wes Burford, 184; Elias Corona, 197; Brock Osmundson, 285. Taking second place for the varsity were Jesse Meza, 128; Samuel Neely, 132; Cody Soares, 140.

 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Starting their week off on Jan. 31, the varsity girls were on the road at Kimball and fell by a 43-28 final. They then hosted Central Catholic on Feb. 2 and battled until the final buzzer, falling just short in a 36-34 contest. The JV girls were 28-21 winners over Central Catholic and lost at Kimball. The freshmen fell 21-14 at Kimball and also lost a non-league game to Pitman, 29-12.

 

BOYS BASKETBALL

Games at home and on the road went into the loss column for the varsity Mustangs. They hosted Kimball on Feb. 1 and fell by a 67-37 decision and then played at Central Catholic on Feb. 3, losing by a lopsided 75-27 final.

The JV boys lost 56-39 to Central while the freshmen were getting a win, 68-59, against River Islands out of Lathrop.

 

Sports Correspondent Pete Simoncini and Leader Editor Marg Jackson both contributed to this report.

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Wrestling at 162 pounds for Oakdale, Payne Perkins sizes up his Kimball opponent in Friday action, Feb. 3 in Oakdale. The Mustangs hosted the Valley Oak League tournament. Perkins took first place in his weight division. Jeff Kettering/The Leader
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Honored on Senior Night for their contributions to the girls basketball program through the years were Lady Mustang seniors, from left, Ava Nadler, Brooklyn Gonzalez, and Mikayla Wyatt. Jeff Kettering/The Leader