As the Season Two schedule continues for the Escalon Cougars, many teams reported in on their play this week. Sports not included in the wrap did not have scores available or coaches did not return calls to The Times prior to this week’s deadline.
BOYS SOCCER
On the pitch for a trio of games this week, Escalon’s varsity boys lost two and tied one.
They started out the week with a 2-2 tie at home against Central Catholic on Tuesday, May 11. Escalon scored one goal in each half; Central tallied both their goals in the second half.
CJ Borrego and Rey Torres had the goals; Torres also had an assist. Brayan Barrientos had seven saves.
“Against Central, honestly, we played very poorly,” admitted head coach Paul Silva. “On a different day, I believe we would have won that game.”
His team hit the crossbar a couple of times and has been struggling to score goals lately, he said.
Thursday, the Cougars traveled to face off with Manteca in Valley Oak League play and lost a 2-0 decision, with Manteca scoring both their goals in the second half.
“Our whole forward line seems to be out with injuries.” Silva noted of the scoring drought. “But we definitely played better than we did on Tuesday; we rattled the bar a few times.”
Aldo Yepiz had five saves; Barrientos added three and each gave up a goal.
Able to add a game with East Union late in the week, the Cougars traveled to Manteca for that contest on Friday, May 14.
Silva said East Union was able to control the tempo of the game but he also had some issues with the way the game was refereed, feeling it was tilted in East Union’s favor on a couple of occasions.
East Union had three first half goals; Escalon countered with a singlet tally in the second half, on a penalty kick by Luis Flores.
“In the second half, we really stepped it up,” Silva said. “Aldo Yepiz had a tremendous game in goal, even though they scored three, he had at least 10 saves.”
The boys are on the road again this week; they were slated to play at Weston Ranch on May 20 and will be at Kimball on May 22.
BOYS GOLF
The Cougar boys golf team had two matches during the week of May 10. They started out on Monday, May 10 against Ripon High at Jack Tone golf course, par 31.
“The boys had trouble finding the greens as the breeze created problems with their ball flight,” noted co-coach Dale Clayton.
Escalon was paced by Bryce McKenzie and TJ McNeil, each carding a 40; Jacob Dugo 41; Kaden Schrotenboer 42; Ben Millard 44; and Austin Schweickert 51.
“We were on the losing end with a total of 207 to Ripon’s 180,” Clayton added.
Wednesday, May 12 the boys played at home against East Union High School, which they won by forfeit. East Union wasn’t able to bring the minimum of five golfers.
“However, we played the match and the boys played well with Zach Smallwood shooting a personal best of 44,” Clayton said. “All the other boys shot in the thirties.”
McKenzie and McNeil were at 33; Schrotenboer at 36; Dugo with a 37; and Millard at 38.
Earlier in the month, in a match with Sierra High at home, Escalon won by a score of 182 to 219. Pacing the effort were Schrotenboer and McNeil at 35; Millard with a 36; Dugo 38; Schweickert also at 38, which was his personal best, and Matt Smith at 44.
The team now has an overall record of 7-3 with four matches remaining.
GIRLS TENNIS
Facing off on the road with Central Catholic on Tuesday, May 11 it was a 5-1 loss for the Lady Cougars. The win came in number one girls doubles, as Ella Adams and Mikayla Wentzell prevailed in an epic match, 3-6, 7-5, 13-11.
Taking losses were singles players Madelyn Page, 1-6, 0-6; Isabella Nalbandian, 0-6, 0-6; Madi Faria, 0-6, 2-6; and Lily McCracken, 2-6, 0-6.
The number two girls doubles pairing of Laura Thompson and Faith Reyes took a 0-6, 1-6 loss.
Thursday on the road at Weston Ranch, the girls came away with a convincing 6-1 victory.
In singles play, Page was a 6-3, 6-0 winner, starting off a Lady Cougar sweep. Also winning were Nalbandian, 6-0, 6-1; Faria, 6-0, 6-0; and Rylie Lattig, 6-2, 6-0.
McCracken and Adams were winners in girls doubles, as were Wentzell and Martin, winning their match in straight sets. Thompson and Reyes battled to a 6-3, 4-6, 3-7 loss on the afternoon.
The girls were scheduled to wrap up their season this week, playing Manteca at home Monday, May 17 and traveling to East Union on May 18 for the finale.
