Ceres High’s varsity football team remained winless on the year after losing by shutout for the third time, 22-0, at West Friday night.

“I thought we were well-prepared,” first-year head coach Matt Chachere said. “Our players practiced hard all week. We had a good game plan. Things just didn’t go our way.”

The Wolfpack improved to 2-2 overall.

The Bulldogs dropped to 0-3.

“We can’t think about the big picture,” Chachere said. “We got to take small steps.”

Added Ceres High junior lineman Elias Saldana: “We’re already at the bottom. All we can do is go up. Our first goal is to score.”

Junior Isaiah Alcorn started at quarterback in place of senior Felipe Martinez, who did not play due to a coach’s decision.

Martinez filled in the previous seven-plus quarters for senior Clayton Taylor, who suffered a season-ending leg injury against Central Valley.

Alcorn completed 4 of 5 passes for 15 yards.

“We played Isaiah the whole game,” Chachere said. “I got to give him credit. It was his first time starting at quarterback. He showed a lot of guts.”

Added Saldana: “It was a good learning experience for him. He’ll get better.”

Ceres High all-purpose player Andrew Alcala ran for 22 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for 17 yards.

The Wolfpack piled up 316 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs, including 278 rushing on 54 carries.

“They were always gaining yards little by little,” Saldana said. “Eventually, that led to them getting into the end zone.”

Ceres High limited West’s quarterback to just 38 yards with no touchdowns and one interception on 8 of 18 passing.

Bulldog defensive back Dylan Grubeck exited the game with a concussion and will not play this week.

The Bulldogs fell behind 14-0 in the opening half.

Ceres High trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs had a drive stall deep inside West territory as Gustavo Hernandez missed a 22-yard field goal.

The Wolfpack scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“We were excited for the game,” Saldana said. “Our effort was great in the first half. We did all we could. We gave 100 percent.”

Ceres High contributed to its own demise.

West scored a touchdown off a turnover and another four points on a pair of safeties.

“We allowed the game to get away from ourselves,” Chachere said. “We have to keep working hard at practice to get better. There’s a sense of urgency to get things going. We’re going to see a huge jump this upcoming game.”

The Bulldogs have been outscored 93-0 this season. “When Clayton got hurt, it set the team back,” Chachere said. “It changed our offense. We had a set of plays designed around him. We just need to find what we’re good at. Usually teams find it out by now.”

“We haven’t scored three weeks in a row,” Saldana said. “All we can do now is get better. We have to stay positive.”

Ceres High will begin Western Athletic Conference play this Friday.

The Bulldogs will face the Lathrop Spartans (0-3) on the road.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

“It will be two teams trying to get their first win,” Chachere said. “They’re 0-3 but they’ve been in close games. They’ve played good opponents. It will be interesting to see what happens.”