Ceres High came close to not fielding a complete varsity boys golf team this spring.

“The day before our first match, we only had four guys,” said Gary Condit, a four-year standout with the Bulldogs. “We were scrambling for a little bit. I give them (Dylan Grubeck and Ramon Rodriguez) a lot of credit. If they didn’t play, we wouldn’t have had a team.”

The Courier’s Team of the Year for the 2019 spring sports season wouldn’t have claimed its first section title.

“It might be the greatest underdog story in Ceres High School sports history,” Condit said. “Nobody thought we were going to win the blue banner.”

Ceres High won the Division-IV championship a week after Johansen and Los Banos prevented the Bulldogs from earning their fourth consecutive Western Athletic Conference overall title.

“It was a surreal moment I’ll never forget,” he said.

The Bulldogs posted a team score of 513 at Divisionals.

Ceres High topped runner-up Los Banos (531) by 18 strokes.

Los Banos and Ceres High placed first and third, respectively, at the WAC Year-End Tournament. Johansen, the conference’s overall champion, shot a 583.

“We were motivated,” Condit said.

Condit, Grubeck, Rodriguez, Jayden Panyanouvong, Visanoukone Homsombath and Hayden Swanson all contributed to the Bulldogs’ success which included participating in the playoffs for the ninth straight year. 

Condit claimed the WAC MVP award for the third year in a row.

Panyanouvong earned first-team all-league honors for the fourth consecutive season.

Homsombath was a second-team honoree.

“It’s probably my favorite season,” Condit said. “There was a special bond. We’re all friends so that helped.”

“Me and Jayden helped the younger guys,” Gary added. “By far, he (Brandon Dunn) is the best coach I’ve had at Ceres High. He did a fantastic job all season. He’s very quiet but you know he cares.”

Past, present and future students and families will see what Condit and the 2019 Ceres High boys golf team accomplished when they’re inside Phil de la Porte Gymnasium. “It’s a big deal,” he said. “It’s a legacy. That banner will be in the gym when my kids go there. It’s special. It’s going to be there forever.”