When school resumes for students in the Escalon Unified School District after the long holiday break for Christmas and New Year, athletes at Escalon High School will dive in to their Trans-Valley League winter seasons.

Preseason play has featured many events already for basketball, soccer and wrestling, but the New Year brings with it the contests that truly count in the standings.

For the boys basketball program, Nate Bartelink returns as the head coach for the varsity and they open up on the road with a game at Riverbank against the host Bruins on Friday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m., after the freshman and JV games. They were to wrap up the preseason with a Tuesday, Jan. 2 game at Bradshaw Christian and the JV and varsity were scheduled to take part this week in the Oakdale Tournament while the freshmen were slated to host the Escalon Tournament.

The varsity girls basketball team, meanwhile, has head coach Joseph Dalpogetti returning for another season. The Lady Cougars are scheduled to begin league play at Riverbank on Thursday, Jan. 4 with a 7 p.m. tip off, following the JV game at 5:30 p.m. The varsity squad was to close out the preseason schedule by playing in the Ben Holt Tournament in Stockton this week and then by hosting Ceres in a Tuesday, Jan. 2 contest.

On the soccer fields, Paul Silva leads the varsity boys and they kick off the 2024TVL season at home, hosting Riverbank in a 3:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Jan. 4; the JV boys are scheduled to play at the same time.

Returning for another season to lead the varsity soccer girls is coach Jeremy Titsworth and they are scheduled to start TVL play at Riverbank with a 5:30 p.m. start time on Thursday, Jan. 4, after the JV contest.

Escalon wrestlers remain under the direction of head coach Derek Scott and they are scheduled to travel to face off with Riverbank and host Modesto Christian in a TVL match on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The wrestling program features both boys and girls competition for the Cougars.