Central Valley’s and Ceres High’s football teams couldn’t overcome offensive and special teams miscues during the opening week of Western Athletic Conference play.
The Hawks had two turnovers and bad snaps on three punts in losing 14-0 to the Grace Davis Spartans Friday evening at Ceres High School.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for,” Central Valley defensive end/tight end Nicholas Dominguez said. “Definitely a beatable team. We just got to clean up our errors. If we play to our potential, we’ll win our next games. We have the guys to do it. But it all depends on execution.”
The Hawks dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the WAC standings.
Grace Davis improved to 2-2 and 1-0.
The Spartans are coached by former Central Valley standout quarterback Trevor Mew, who improved his head-to-head record against his alma mater to 2-0.
“After the game, we talked a little bit,” Goblirsch said. “He’s doing a good job over there. The program is headed in the right direction.”
Central Valley lost despite limiting Grace Davis to 205 yards of total offense.
The Spartans managed to score just two touchdowns during five red-zone opportunities.
Hawk Cesar Pimentel had 10 tackles and one pass deflection.
Pahulu Anitelea had nine tackles.
Damian Olivares had eight tackles.
Isaac Garcia, Cristian Gudino and Erick Mendoza all had seven tackles.
“Defensively, we played great,” Hawks’ head coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “Phenomenal effort. They kept us in the game.”
Central Valley quarterback Dominic Delatorre completed 17 of 30 passes for 118 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Andre Flores had five receptions for 38 yards.
Garcia caught five passes for 33 yards.
Gudino caught four passes for 26 yards.
Mendoza rushed for 21 yards on four carries.
The Hawks had bad snaps on three punts in their own territory.
“As bad as we played offensively and on special teams, we still had chances,” Goblirsch said. “We have to figure out how to stop making mistakes and beating ourselves.”
Central Valley trailed 7-0 at halftime.
“We were having a hard time running the ball, which is something we usually do well,” Goblirsch said. “Once we finally got going in the second half, it was too late.”
The Hawks had a chance to cut the deficit to 14-6 in the fourth quarter. Central Valley’s possession ended with an interception at Grace Davis’ 10-yard line..
“We put together a really, good drive,” Goblirsch said.
The Hawks will look to bounce back this week.
Central Valley will travel to Los Banos on Friday to play Pacheco (2-2, 0-1).
The WAC contest will get underway at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs committed a season-high six turnovers en route to a 21-14 loss to the host Livingston Wolves on Friday.
“We had lots of opportunities,” Ceres High head coach Brett Johnson said. “One of the most impressive things is we didn’t get too low when we made mistakes. The kids stayed focused and played. That’s what you want to see.”
The Bulldogs dropped to 2-2 on the year and 0-1 in the WAC standings.
The Wolves improved to 2-2 and 1-0.
Ceres High kept the game close thanks in large part to its defense, which allowed just 241 yards of total offense.
The Bulldogs had four takeaways.
“It’s fun to watch them,” Johnson said. “They take pride in what they do. They know they can get better.”
Michael Solis had 11 tackles and one forced fumble.
Manny Mendoza had seven tackles and one fumble recovery.
Adrian Carrillo had five tackles, one interception and one pass deflection.
Nathaniel Macias had four tackles, one interception and one pass deflection.
Elias Carrera had five tackles and one sack.
Oscar Caro had three tackles and one fumble recovery.
Tre Karriem led Ceres High’s offense.
He caught six passes for 75 yards and one touchdown and ran for 37 yards and one TD on three carries.
Kyle Phongsa completed 10 of 20 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions.
Ceres High had an opportunity to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
With four minutes to play, Solis forced a fumble and Caro recovered the ball at Livingston’s 31-yard line.
The Bulldogs’ final possession ended with a turnover as the Wolves intercepted a pass.
Ceres High will play host to Johansen (2-2, 1-0) on Senior Night this Friday.
The WAC contest will get underway at 7 p.m.