Megan McGill has developed a winning formula during her short stint as head coach of Ceres High’s girls basketball program.
“During tryouts, I look for who is going to contribute to our team’s success,” she stated. “We want girls who understand that it’s about the team’s success and who are willing to play whatever role is necessary.”
The Bulldogs plan to continue their run of success during McGill’s fourth year at the helm.
“This team has a lot of athleticism and girls who know how to compete at a high level,” she said. “They have the ability to compete against any team they face.”
Ceres High has a nine-person roster.
“Typically, I like to have 12 girls, but our tryout numbers were really low this year,” McGill said.
Makaela Brown (Sr.), Sovannary Carter (Sr.), Jolissa Guillory (Sr.), Mariah Renteria (Sr.), Persia Rochell (Sr.), Lilly Staggs (Sr.), Presley Vierra (Sr.), Haley Clark (Jr.) and Gennevicia Martinez-Angulo (So.) earned spots on this year’s team.
Brown, Carter, Renteria, Rochell, Staggs and Vierra are returners.
Guillory, Clark and Martinez-Angulo are newcomers.
Carter, Staggs and Renteria earned Western Athletic Conference honors for their outstanding play last season.
Carter and Staggs were both selected to the WAC First Team.
Carter, a post player, averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.
She became a force in the post,” McGill said. “She mastered her moves and getting to the basket and finishing through contact.”
Staggs had a productive first season at Ceres High.
The Gregori High transfer/guard averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 steals, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
Staggs ranked first on the team in points per game, steals per game, field goals made, 3-pointers made, total points, total assists and total steals, second in assists per game, third in free throws made and total blocks, and fifth in rebounds per game and total rebounds.
“She’s just a baller,” McGill said. “She’s such a competitor, even in practice.”
Sims averaged 17.8 points per game.
The 2024-25 JV Bulldogs compiled a 13-13 overall record and finished in third place in the WAC standings with a 9-5 mark.
Carter has been named Ceres High’s team captain for the 2025-26 season.
“She is a four-year varsity player who has shown commitment and hard work all four years,” McGill said. “She is all about the team and is always willing to help her teammates.”
Ceres High will be vying for its third straight playoff berth and first league title since 2005-06 this winter.
The Bulldogs compiled a 22-8 overall record, tied for second place in the WAC standings (10-4) and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III Playoffs in 2024-25.
Ceres High earned its first postseason victory in 19 years.
Tenth-seeded Bulldogs upset the seventh-seeded Los Banos Tigers 48-30 on the road in the first round of playoffs.
Ceres High lost 67-34 to second-seeded/runner-up Ponderosa in the quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs’ WAC schedule consists of home-and-road games against the Central Valley Hawks, Beyer Patriots, Grace Davis Spartans, Johansen Vikings, Livingston Wolves, Lathrop Spartans and Pacheco Panthers.
“There’s always good competition in the WAC,” McGill said.
Pacheco (21-8, 12-2) won the league title last year.
Grace Davis (22-6, 10-4), Beyer (16-11, 9-5), Lathrop (13-14, 7-7) and Livingston (11-15, 6-8) finished second, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Central Valley (7-21, 1-13) and Johansen (7-21, 1-13) tied for last place.
The Bulldogs collected a pair of wins against the crosstown-rival Hawks.
Ceres High prevailed by scores of 58-16 and 52-30.
“The girls are always motivated with the CHS-CV game,” McGill said. “It should be a good matchup. (Central Valley head coach) Derrick (Goblirsch) has done a lot of good work with that program.”
The Bulldogs have improved each season under McGill’s guidance.
Ceres High had seven different head coaches in a 10-year span prior to McGill’s hiring.
She coached girls basketball at the lower-level for three seasons before earning a promotion to varsity.
“We’ve been lucky to get a lot of talent coming into Ceres High,” McGill said. “Having coaches that really care about kids as a whole, not just basketball, really makes a big difference.”
