Ceres High and Central Valley each earned bragging rights in girls flag football in 2025.

The Bulldogs and Hawks split their two-game crosstown series.

Ceres High won the first meeting between the two teams this fall in thrilling fashion.

Backup quarterback Gabriella Cole’s 10-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter propelled the Bulldogs to a 20-18 win over the host Hawks on Sept. 28.

“It’s always a battle,” Ceres High head coach Curtis Hulstine said. “The girls play hard.”

“Whenever we play, it’s always a big game,” Central Valley leader Tony Cordova said. “It’s very competitive.”

The Bulldogs improved to 5-10 overall and 3-4 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

The Hawks dropped to 4-12 and 3-4.

“The girls were focused on playing well and trying to get the win,” Hulstine said.

“They’re really good,” Cordova stated. They’re fast.”

Cole and freshman Evelyn Sciosciole split playing time at quarterback.

Cole rushed for 78 yards and one touchdown, caught three passes for 25 yards and completed 2 of 2 passes for 52 yards.

Sciosciole moved to running back/receiver in the second quarter with a sore shoulder.

Sciosciole completed 7 of 7 passes for 61 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, gained 50 yards and scored one touchdown on three carries and hauled in two passes for 52 yards.

Maria Bravo totaled 16 yards and one touchdown on two receptions.

“There’s really no limit for that kid (Cole),” Hulstine said. “She keeps getting better every game. The other girls feed off her.”

Samantha Alcarez led Ceres High’s defense with four flag pulls and three sacks.

Jazlyn Cisneros and Alyssa Arbaugh had eight and seven flag pulls, respectively.

Hailey Iniguez and Daisy Leon each had four flag pulls.

Central Valley freshman quarterback Nelmarie Diaz completed 6 of 13 passes for 141 yards with one touchdown and rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries.

Alexa Palacios had a breakout game for the Hawks as she carried the ball 17 times for 117 yards and one touchdown.

“She was so effective,” Cordova said.

Serath Birring caught two passes for 32 yards and one touchdown.

Ayleen Apreza totaled 88 yards on three receptions and 41 yards on seven carries.

Pearl Ramirez added 36 yards on two catches.

Analia Diaz led Central Valley’s defense with three flag pulls, one sack and one interception.

Apreza had three flag pulls, one interception and one pass deflection.

Alicia Torres had two flag pulls and one pass deflection.

Ceres High’s defense forced three turnovers on downs with goal-line stands.

“We didn’t punt the ball once,” Cordova said. “We moved the ball at will. We just couldn’t punch it in. We didn’t execute in the red zone.”

“We stepped up in big moments,” Hulstine added.

Ceres High’s game-winning drive covered 77 yards.

Cole completed a 40-yard pass to Sciosciole prior to accounting for the go-ahead touchdown with less than one minute left in regulation.

“I didn’t call a single play the last drive,” Hulstine said. “The girls were on a roll. I could see the momentum. I didn’t want to interrupt it.”

Central Valley trailed 13-6 at the break.

The Hawks swayed the momentum in their favor by scoring back-to-back touchdowns during the second half.

Down 18-13, Cole directed a 77-yard scoring drive late in the game to secure the comeback victory.

“The girls were super resilient,” Hulstine said.”

“It’s a rivalry game,” Cordova stated. “I was expecting it to be close. We played a lot better in the second half. If we did that from the beginning, the score would have been different.”

Several Hawk players shed tears after the rivalry game, which was staged at Central Valley’s newly-opened stadium.

“That’s passion,” Cordova said. “That’s what I want to see. We’re not too thrilled we lost. We should have played better. We have to get better.”

Ceres High improved its head-to-head record versus Central Valley to 5-1.

“I try not to feed too much into it,” Hulstine said while talking about the crosstown rivalry. “I try to treat it like any other game. But I know it means a lot to the kids.”

“It’s always special to play against Ceres High,” Cordova said. “It’s a competition. But it’s friendly. Everybody knows each other. There’s no hatred.”