Ceres High’s boys soccer team didn’t perform like an underdog during last week’s game against crosstown-rival Central Valley.

The host Bulldogs elevated their level of playing while battling to a 0-0 tie versus the defending Western Athletic Conference-champion Hawks Thursday evening at CUSD Stadium.

Ceres High lost 3-1 and 3-0 to Central Valley last season.

“We went into the game as underdogs,” Bulldogs’ head coach Gilbert Zamora said. “We had nothing to lose. We tied. To be honest with you, we played better.”

“Rivalry games are different,” Hawks’ leader Horacio Garcia stated. “Everybody tends to play a lot better than they usually do.”

Sixth-place Ceres High improved to 4-6-4 overall and 2-3-2 in the WAC standings.

Fifth-place Central Valley improved to 4-8-6 and 2-2-3.

The Bulldogs have compiled an 0-5-1 record against the Hawks since the 2021-22 school year.

“Central Valley is very technical,” Zamora said. “They’re good with the ball. We had a game plan. We know how they play. Our goal was to press a lot, play on their side of the field and don’t let them control the ball. It worked out pretty good.”

“They have a talented group,” Garcia stated. “They’re fast. They’re technical with the ball. They played well. It’s disappointing we tied. We created scoring opportunities. We weren’t able to capitalize. That’s continued to hurt us throughout the season.”

Freshman goalkeeper Johan Lopez and senior team captain/center back Jayson Trevino helped Ceres High secure its second straight shutout in conference play.

Lopez made five saves against the Hawks.

Trevino prevented the ball from crossing the goal line twice during the second half. He cleared Central Valley’s Elias Godinez’s and Willy Camarena’s header attempts off corner kicks. 

Hawk goalie Osvaldo Cisneros was forced to make just one save.

“We had chances,” Zamora said. “They had chances. Our defense was really good. We were clearing everything.”

“Overall, it was a good game,” Garcia added. “It was a challenge.”

The crosstown contest was staged in front of a large crowd on Ceres High’s campus.

The two teams battled for 80 minutes.

A combined 19 Bulldog and Hawk players were recognized during Senior Night.

Ceres High will lose 14 players to graduation in June, including Trevino, Maxwell Arana, Leo Baez, Diego Bernal, Fernando Galvan, Jose Hernandez, Eli Lopez, Andres Marcial, Cris Prieto, Ismael Pulido, Anthony Savala, David Tapia, Landon Teng and Oscar Zavala.

Central Valley will graduate just five players: Cisneros, Israel Guajardo, Jayson Orque, Mahliek Smith and Damian Tafolla.

“Most of the kids know each other,” Zamora said. “They don’t want to lose against their friends. It’s all about bragging rights.”

“When there’s a crowd behind you, you tend to perform better,” Garcia stated. “We’re very lucky to have all the support.”

GIRLS SOCCER

Central Valley’s girls soccer team extended its unbeaten streak against crosstown-rival Ceres High to three games last week.

The Hawks overcame a slow start on their way to rolling to an 8-0 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday at Ceres River Bluff Regional Park.

“The girls have been talking about this game all week,” Central Valley head coach Miguel Larranaga said. “They really wanted to win. And they did.”

“It was close for a little bit,” Ceres High leader Rudy Jimenez said. “We fought hard. But we don’t have the numbers. We got tired.”

The second-place Hawks improved to 8-4-2 overall and 6-1-0 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

The fourth-place Bulldogs dropped to 3-9-2 and 2-3-2

Central Valley has collected 10 wins, five losses and three ties against Ceres High since 2014-15.

The Hawks prevailed 2-0 and battled to a 0-0 tie versus the Bulldogs this past season.

Ceres High notched its last victory against Central Valley in 2023-24.

Larranaga didn’t expect the Hawks to rout the Bulldogs during last week’s meeting.

“I thought we’d win,” Larranaga said. “But not, 8-0. Usually, the games are pretty even. It’s funner when it’s competitive.”

“We definitely had opportunities to score,” Jimenez said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

Six different Central Valley players scored goals against Ceres High.

Aaralyn Jauregui, Most Valuable Player of the WAC in 2024-25, led the Hawks with three goals.

Ashley Juarez tallied one goal and three assists.

Ayleen Apreza, Marcella Larranaga, Deanika Perez and Jocelyn Rivera all had one goal.

Amirrah Cornielle and Camila Orozco both dished out one assist.

Goalkeeper Elia Hernandez made one save.

Bulldog goalie Kassandra Chavez totaled 12 saves.

“She did a really good job for us,” Jimenez said.

Ceres High challenged Central Valley during the opening 15 minutes of the game.

“Ceres tried really hard, especially at the beginning,” coach Larranaga said.

Ceres High never recovered after falling behind 3-0 in the opening half.

“They girls got discouraged,” Jimenez said.

The Bulldogs competed shorthanded versus the Hawks.

Ceres High had just one substitute on its bench.

The Bulldogs have lost five players since the start of the season, including three starters to club soccer.

“If everybody was there, we would have done better,” Jimenez said. 

“I totally understand,” Miguel Larranaga said. “They were missing a lot of players. It makes a big difference.”

With the win, Central Valley remained in the hunt for its second straight WAC title and third consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Playoff berth.

Ceres High has no room for error moving forward.

The Bulldogs’ streak of playoff appearances could end at 10 seasons.

“We have to win our next five games to make it to playoffs,” Jimenez said. “I believe we can. We’ll continue to fight. We’ll hope for the best.”