Crystal Creamery Celebrates CIF Section Champions

Thousands of local high school student athletes gathered for long practices in the “dog days” of summer but only a select few concluded by playing in high-pressure, California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sac-Joaquin Section Championship games in early winter. Among them were the Escalon Cougars varsity football team and the Lady Cougars varsity volleyball squad.

Crystal Creamery is currently celebrating 13 teams who won Sac-Joaquin Section Championships last fall in girls’ volleyball and boys’ football on its latest set of commemorative milk cartons.

“We are proud to recognize the hard work and commitment of the student athletes and their coaches, as well as their supportive families and fellow students with these unique milk cartons. The cartons have become very popular with both the athletes and their local community,” said Brian Carden, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Crystal Creamery. “This is our way to mark one of the most memorable moments of the student athletes’ young lives.”

Crystal Creamery’s sponsorship was the result of the vision of the late Pete Saco, the former Commissioner of the Sac-Joaquin Section, who wanted to find new creative way to celebrate student athletes. Now in its 11th year as a CIF Section Sponsor, Crystal Creamery has recognized more than 575 Section Champions over the years as well as Section Hall of Fame members and scholar athletes on its milk cartons. Today, Crystal Creamery’s sponsorship helps support more than 470 high schools stretching from Bakersfield to Crescent City and from the coast to the Nevada border.

“We are so fortunate to have Crystal Creamery as one of our sponsors as these special cartons are a unique component of the first-class experience we strive to provide for our student athletes,” said Mike Garrison, Commissioner of the Sac-Joaquin Section. “These cartons have become a valued tradition of winning a Section title.”

Founded in 1901, Crystal Creamery is California’s oldest dairy with long history of involvement in the local communities. The company was founded by George Knox who started Crystal in a small grocery store in downtown Sacramento. Over the years, Crystal Creamery has expanded its capabilities, and today, it is the largest privately owned dairy in California.

Milk is the original sports drink as it is a nutrient-rich way to fuel athletic performance and to repair, rehydrate and replenish muscles and bodies. The cartons are available for purchase for a limited time at local grocery stores and convenience stores including Target, O’Brien’s Market, Cost Less, Mar Val and Holiday Markets from the Oregon border south to Kern County and from the Pacific Coast to the Nevada border.

The schools being recognized as Sac-Joaquin Section Champions for Fall Sports are:

Sac-Joaquin Section Volleyball Champions

Division 1: Oak Ridge High School

Division 2: Whitney High School

Division 3: Escalon High School

Division 4: Ripon High School

Division 5: Ripon Christian High School

Division 6: Forest Lake Christian High School

Sac-Joaquin Section Football Champions

Division 1: Folsom High School

Division 2: Manteca High School

Division 3: Grant Union High School