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Ceres High girls exact revenge
CHS boys lose to Livingston, miss playoffs
csilva.tiff
Cole Silva and Ceres High Schools varsity boys water polo team lost 9-5 to visiting Livingston on Oct. 29. The Wolves spoiled the Bulldogs Senior Day en route to capturing the Western Athletic Conferences second and final playoff berth. - photo by DALE BUTLER/The Courier

The sound of Livingston players celebrating could be heard in the background as Ceres High's Tim Campbell talked about his team's performance.

The visiting Wolves ended the Bulldogs' season with a 9-5 victory and earned the Western Athletic Conference's second and final playoff berth for varsity boys water polo on Oct. 29 in Ceres.

"There was a lot of pressure," Campbell said. "It was either go or don't. It got to a lot of our players."

Ceres High compiled a 4-4 record on its way to a third-place finish in the WAC standings.

Livingston had a 5-3 mark.
"I thought we were going to get to playoffs this year," Campbell said. "We've beaten Livingston every year. They got stronger."

Bulldog goalkeeper Blake Borba accumulated 15 blocks versus the Wolves.

Campbell paced Ceres High on offense with three goals.

Tristan Freitas-Scott and Cole Silva both scored once.

Ceres High trailed 4-3 at halftime.

The two teams battled to a 2-2 tie in the opening period.

Ahead 6-4, the Wolves outscored the Bulldogs 3-1 in the fourth period.

Livingston shut out Ceres High for five-plus minutes.

"I thought it was going to be a better game," Campbell said. "We just didn't work well together. They wanted it more. They played a better game. That's why they won."

Ceres High had its Senior Day spoiled and season cut short by Livingston.

Bulldog upperclassmen Campbell, Silva, Borba, Bobby Baranksi and Myron Sichanpheng were recognized prior to the start of the game.

Ceres High lost its final three games.

The Bulldogs advanced to the playoffs the previous three seasons.

"We wanted to go," Campbell said. "We could have played better as a team."

Bulldogs exact revenge
Ceres High School's varsity girls water polo capped off the 2015 Western Athletic Conference season with a 9-7 revenge victory over visiting Livingston on Senior Day on Oct. 29.

The Bulldogs didn't give up cheap goals.

"We played a defensive game to match their cherry picking," Ceres High head coach Stephen Dias said. "It took me three weeks to re-teach this concept but they played it well and realized the value."

Ceres High goalkeeper Camryn Elness totaled 12 blocks versus the Wolves.

Ashley Schmidt and Julia Pata both scored a team-high three goals.

Annie Connors collected two goals.

Noelia de Leon added one goal.

Livingston edged Ceres High 5-3 at home on Oct. 13.

Schmidt, Connors, Katie Allen, Chelsea Amerson and Alissa Coker, Ceres High's five seniors, were recognized before last week's game.

"I'm proud of them," Dias said.

The Bulldogs compiled a 3-5 record on their way to a third-place finish in the WAC standings this season.

Ceres High tripled its win total from a year ago. The Bulldogs placed last at 1-7 in 2014.

"They performed much better this season," Dias said.