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CHS girls compile 8-17 overall record
• Hawks lose two games
cvseniors.jpg
Central Valley senior girls basketball players posed for a group photo following their final game of the 2018-19 season. Front row (left to right): Lupita Becerra, Nina Knights, Izzy Andres. Back row: Alyssa Maeyama, Jennifer Novoa, Sue Dhillon and Maycie Guinn. - photo by Dale Butler

Ceres High’s youth-laden varsity girls basketball team compiled an 8-17 overall record and won four of 14 games en route to a sixth-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference standings this season.

The Bulldogs totaled just five wins, including three in WAC play, a year ago.

“It was nice to see the whole team compete and improve."
Coach Mike Estrada

“It was nice to see the whole team compete and improve,” first-year coach Mike Estrada Jr. said.

Ceres High dropped its season finale, 48-45, to visiting Los Banos on Feb. 6 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs had a chance to win the game despite falling behind 25-19 in the first quarter. 

“I’m just glad our team kept fighting,” Estrada said. “They could have let the game get out of hand.”

Sophomore Catryna Marquez tallied 16 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists in defeat.

Freshman Mia Rodriguez had 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal.

Sophomore Lysaida Munoz had nine points, four rebounds and one steal.

Freshman Celeste Leon had eight points, five rebounds and one assist.

Senior Courtney Ford had five rebounds, three steals and one assist.

Senior Lauren Gonzalez had five rebounds, three steals and one assist.

Ceres High lost 69-59 to visiting Mountain House on Feb. 4.

The Mustangs spoiled the Bulldogs’ senior night.

Ford, Gonzalez and Camryn Silva, Ceres High’s three upperclassmen, were honored prior to tipoff.

Silva totaled 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists while suiting up for the Bulldogs for the final time. 

Ford had two points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.  “That’s one of the bad things about coaching,” Estrada said. “You lose players all the time. They (Silva, Ford and Gonzalez) will be missed. They brought a lot of experience to the team. Their work ethic was great.” 

Leon led the Bulldogs in scoring with 21 points. She also collected six rebounds and one assist.

Marquez had 11 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Munoz had seven points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Rodriguez had four points, two assists and one steal.

Ceres High had just seven players on its roster this season, including a handful of underclassmen.

“The expectation is to always improve,” Estrada said. “If all four of those girls (Marquez, Munoz, Leon and Rodriguez) return next year, we should do a lot better.” 

CV posts 2-22 record

Central Valley’s varsity girls basketball program closed out the 2018-19 season with back-to-back losses last week.

Sue Dhillon and her Hawk teammates remained upbeat while posing for a group picture following their 60-38 setback versus El Capitan Thursday evening in Ceres.

“Being that most of us our seniors, we wanted to make sure we gave it our all today,” Dhillon said. 

Central Valley struggled to a 2-22 overall record and finished in last place in the Central California Conference (0-12) this year.

The Hawks lost their final 15 games.

“It’s been a tough season,” Dhillon said. “It was frustrating at times. But I’m really proud of all the hard work everybody put in. This year, we got really close. We had fun together. We’re all pretty much best friends. It’s sad we didn’t have as many wins as we wanted to.”

Dhillon scored a team-high 16 points during her final game with Central Valley.

“I’m really proud of how I played,” she said. “All the credit goes to the other girls. They helped me score.”

Alyssa Maeyama added eight points.

Nina Knights and Izzy Andres collected six and three points, respectively.

Andrea Cortes and Preet Sangha chipped in with two points apiece.

Norma Vera had one point.

Host Central Valley lost 61-24 to Buhach Colony on senior night on Feb. 5.

Dhillon, Maeyama, Knights, Andres, Sangha, Jennifer Novoa, Lupita Becerra and Maycie Guinn were recognized before the game.

Dhillon tallied a team-high 10 points against the Thunder.

Maeyama totaled four points.

Andres and Knights both contributed three points.

Novoa added two points.