Ceres High School's varsity football team proved to be its own worst enemy during Friday's setback.
The Bulldogs turned the ball over four times en route to a 49-8 loss at Central Catholic.
"That's not what the score should have been," Ceres High junior quarterback Blake Hurst said. "They're a good team. But we should have played better. There's a lot more I could have done."
The Bulldogs dropped to 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.
The Raiders improved to 4-2 and 1-1.
Ceres High won its previous two games.
Hurst finished 14-of-27 for 114 yards with one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles.
James Rice caught seven passes for 103 yards.
Nick Welsh totaled 45 yards on seven receptions.
Zach Naylor hauled in a 9-yard TD pass and rushed for 30 yards on nine attempts.
Jermaine Ruffin completed a 58-yard pass on a trick play.
Central Catholic quarterback Chris Sauls completed 6 of 14 passes for 99 yards with TD strikes to John Mundt and Ray Lomas.
With Lomas, Craig Jones and Sterling Shaw leading the way, the Raiders piled up 386 yards on the ground.
Jones ran for a team-high 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Lomas gained 83 yards and scored once.
Shaw, formerly of Central Valley High School, added 75 yards and one TD. He also registered five tackles and 21/2 sacks on defense.
Sterling made plans to hang out with Ceres High's Welsh, Ivan Raya, Michael Vasquez and Shannon Dinsdale following the contest.
"I grew up with those guys," Shaw said.
The Bulldogs showed signs of life at times against the Raiders.
Ceres High had four possessions end in Central Catholic territory thanks to a pair of turnovers and failed fourth-down conversions. The Bulldogs' defensive unit also made several key stops.
"We moved the ball," Hurst said. "We just struggled putting it in the end zone. I'll take responsibility for that."
The Bulldogs trailed 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
It took Central Catholic just a little over a minute to get on the scoreboard. Jones' first carry resulted in a 5-yard touchdown.
The Raiders increased their lead to 14-0 with 5:20 to play in the opening period.
Sauls completed a 38-yard, play-action TD pass to a wide-open Mundt on fourth down.
Ceres High's subsequent possession ended in disaster.
Rice lost a fumble at Central Catholic's 40-yard line. The Raiders found the end zone six plays later on Lomas' 9-yard run.
Ceres High forced a turnover on downs at its own 24 with 7:14 to play in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs proceeded to give the ball right back.
Central Catholic's Andrew Betschart, another former CV player, recovered Hurst's fumble. Blake dropped back to pass and was blind-sided.
The Raiders quickly capitalized. Shaw scampered 26 yard for a TD on second down.
Naylor's TD reception and Devon Ruger's 2-point conversion catch made it a 42-8 game with 11:08 left in regulation.
"There was some chippiness out there," Shaw said. "That's what you expect when you play against people you've known your whole life. It's always fun to think about the what-ifs. They got a lot of athletic guys."
Ceres High will play host to Los Banos (4-1, 1-0) this Friday at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs turned the ball over four times en route to a 49-8 loss at Central Catholic.
"That's not what the score should have been," Ceres High junior quarterback Blake Hurst said. "They're a good team. But we should have played better. There's a lot more I could have done."
The Bulldogs dropped to 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.
The Raiders improved to 4-2 and 1-1.
Ceres High won its previous two games.
Hurst finished 14-of-27 for 114 yards with one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles.
James Rice caught seven passes for 103 yards.
Nick Welsh totaled 45 yards on seven receptions.
Zach Naylor hauled in a 9-yard TD pass and rushed for 30 yards on nine attempts.
Jermaine Ruffin completed a 58-yard pass on a trick play.
Central Catholic quarterback Chris Sauls completed 6 of 14 passes for 99 yards with TD strikes to John Mundt and Ray Lomas.
With Lomas, Craig Jones and Sterling Shaw leading the way, the Raiders piled up 386 yards on the ground.
Jones ran for a team-high 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Lomas gained 83 yards and scored once.
Shaw, formerly of Central Valley High School, added 75 yards and one TD. He also registered five tackles and 21/2 sacks on defense.
Sterling made plans to hang out with Ceres High's Welsh, Ivan Raya, Michael Vasquez and Shannon Dinsdale following the contest.
"I grew up with those guys," Shaw said.
The Bulldogs showed signs of life at times against the Raiders.
Ceres High had four possessions end in Central Catholic territory thanks to a pair of turnovers and failed fourth-down conversions. The Bulldogs' defensive unit also made several key stops.
"We moved the ball," Hurst said. "We just struggled putting it in the end zone. I'll take responsibility for that."
The Bulldogs trailed 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
It took Central Catholic just a little over a minute to get on the scoreboard. Jones' first carry resulted in a 5-yard touchdown.
The Raiders increased their lead to 14-0 with 5:20 to play in the opening period.
Sauls completed a 38-yard, play-action TD pass to a wide-open Mundt on fourth down.
Ceres High's subsequent possession ended in disaster.
Rice lost a fumble at Central Catholic's 40-yard line. The Raiders found the end zone six plays later on Lomas' 9-yard run.
Ceres High forced a turnover on downs at its own 24 with 7:14 to play in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs proceeded to give the ball right back.
Central Catholic's Andrew Betschart, another former CV player, recovered Hurst's fumble. Blake dropped back to pass and was blind-sided.
The Raiders quickly capitalized. Shaw scampered 26 yard for a TD on second down.
Naylor's TD reception and Devon Ruger's 2-point conversion catch made it a 42-8 game with 11:08 left in regulation.
"There was some chippiness out there," Shaw said. "That's what you expect when you play against people you've known your whole life. It's always fun to think about the what-ifs. They got a lot of athletic guys."
Ceres High will play host to Los Banos (4-1, 1-0) this Friday at 7 p.m.
