Central Valley’s and Ceres High’s football programs inched one step closer to the start of the 2026 season last week.

Hawk and Bulldog players completed their first week of practice since returning to campus for the 2026-27 school year.

“The excitement to get out there was great,” Central Valley leader Derrick Goblirsch said. “We had our best practice, by far, on Tuesday. The energy was so much better.”

“You could sense in the air the season is right around the corner,” Ceres High first-year head coach Debin Cowell stated. “The kids are excited. It’s a little bit of a challenge coming back to school and getting used to the time change and heat. We had to switch two of our practices to nights because it wasn’t safe for the kids to practice in the heat. It was really hot. We practiced in the mornings all summer.”

The Bulldogs and Hawks have roster sizes of 36 and 44 players, respectively, this fall.

Ceres High and Central Valley players lifted weights before dedicating time to conditioning, individual position drills and offensive/defensive team work.

“This week was about wanting to see depth at certain positions,” Cowell said. “I’m pretty confident where we’re at in terms of our installs.”

“One of our strengths is our depth at skilled positions,” Goblirsch said. “We need to find a way to be more effective up front.”

A week removed from celebrating the completion of the first phase of Central Valley’s athletic stadium, quarterback Junior Gomez and his teammates practiced on the revamped field for the first time.

“Everybody was excited to finally get out there,” Gomez stated. “It was a good experience. It’s an adjustment playing on FieldTurf. We’ve never had something like that to practice on. It will benefit us.”

“I’m just happy for the kids,” Goblirsch added.

Central Valley’s old field consisted of grass and dirt.

“It feels real when you have lines, hash marks and numbers,” Goblirsch said while talking about the stadium’s new playing surface. “It helps with situational football.”

Ceres High and Central Valley capped off last week with intra-squad scrimmages at their respective stadiums.

Players competed against each other.

Ceres High’s scrimmage got underway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

“Once you get the pads on, and start flying around, it’s a different game,” Cowell said. “We’re going to be young at the skill spots. Our offensive line is going to be one of our strengths. They communicate well.”

Tyler Phongsa Chhoeum and Anthony Santillan took snaps at quarterback for the Bulldogs.

“They’ve made some huge strides over spring and summer,” Cowell said. “They both bring something different to the team.”

Santillan also contributed at receiver, along with Julian Barrera, Jonathan Marquez and Dakota Pickett.

Jayden Carrillo and Alex Ramirez got the majority of carries at running back.

“It was definitely different,” all-purpose player Anthony Santillan said while talking about returning to the sport following a two-year break. “It’s my senior year. It’s my last chance to play football. I can still run, catch, throw and do everything I excelled at when I was younger. Being able to spend more time with my friends has been fun.”

Central Valley’s Black/White scrimmage started at 8 in the morning on Saturday.

“The teams were evenly split,” said Gomez, who led the Black squad. “It was good competition. It was super fun. There were a lot of positives. We’re finally starting to play as a team. We’re communicating a lot. Everything is starting to click.”

Junior QB Julian Perez led the White squad.

“They (Gomez and Perez) both looked good,” Goblirsch said. “They both bring a different skillset to the team.”

Victor Altamirano, Elizjha Casteel, Jeremiah Moreno and Edgar Rivera all contributed out of the backfield.

“We had four different running backs score,” Goblirsch said.

Jayden Casillas, Julian Gonzalez, Max Gonzalez and Terrance Wethington all contributed at wide receiver.

“The overall goal was to split up the team and create some competition,” Goblirsch said.

The 2026 season will get underway on Aug. 28.

The Hawks will play host to the Pitman Pride at Central Valley Stadium.

The Bulldogs will face the Hughson Huskies on the road.

Both games will begin at 7 p.m.

Central Valley posted a 4-6 overall record and placed fifth in the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 3-4 mark last fall.

Ceres High (3-8, 2-5) finished sixth in the WAC standings.

“We’re in a good spot right now,” Gomez said. “We’re going to improve throughout the season.”