A week removed from suffering a 42-0 loss at Los Banos, Ceres High School's varsity football team sought to bounce back in a big way versus Livingston.

The Bulldogs piled up a season-high 614 yards and nine touchdowns on their way to annihilating the Wolves 64-36 Friday evening in Ceres.

"We had a good week of practice," Ceres High senior receiver Austin Stiles said. "There was more focus. Nobody was screwing around. We were mad. We're tired of losing."

The Bulldogs improved to 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.

Livingston dropped to 1-5 and 0-2.

Stiles has developed into one of the top receivers in the Stanislaus District despite being new to the sport.

He caught seven passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns against the Wolves.

"Last year, I didn't even know how to put my pads on," said Austin, who played organized football for the first time as a junior. "I felt like a newborn kid learning to walk. I feel a lot more comfortable on the field now. I'm not scared of contact at all."

"Austin pushed himself really hard during the offseason," Ceres High junior quarterback Chris Lubinsky said. "That's a big part of his success. There are so many different areas he's so strong in. That's what makes him such a good receiver."

Lubinksy completed 21 of 28 passes for 390 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions last week.

Seth Gibson grabbed two passes for 43 yards and one TD.

Conner Johnson added 26 yards and one score on two catches.

Ceres High totaled 224 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Johnni Smith-Willis gained 191 yards and scored two touchdowns on just 10 attempts.

Aaron Black ran for 31 yards and two scores.

"The Los Banos game helped me with my preparation and knowing what I needed to do to play better," Lubinsky said. "I take the tough games as learning experiences instead of getting frustrated. There's always room for growth."

Ceres High took its frustration out on Livingston following a disappointing showing against 2014 WAC-champion Los Banos.

The Bulldogs outscored the Wolves 51-14 in the opening half.

Ceres High tallied 37 points during the second period.
The Bulldogs also avenged a 26-21 loss from the 2014 season.

"We were all motivated to bounce back this week," Lubinsky said. "We took the Los Banos game as a learning experience. It was crucial for us to set the tone early in the game on offense against Livingston. We kept scoring. It was crazy. It's nice to be surrounded by so many playmakers. Numbers are nice to have. But the most important statistic is winning. We want to finish the season strong."

"Chris has been doing great this year," Stiles said. "We have a good connection. We're good friends off the field, too."

Ceres High will face unbeaten Patterson (5-0, 1-0) on the road Friday night.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 42-20 last fall.

Ceres High will look to spoil Patterson's homecoming this year.
"They're a really good team," Stiles said. "They're physical. It should be fun. We'll see what happens."

Added Lubinsky: "Maybe they'll come in a little overconfident and we can take advantage of it."