Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s inaugural girls flag football teams faced off for the first time this past week.

The visiting Hawks scored a touchdown on their opening possession but struggled to keep pace with the Bulldogs the rest of the game.

Ceres High pulled away for a 38-12 non-conference victory over upset-minded Central Valley on Wednesday at CUSD Stadium.

“You could tell the game was a big deal to the kids,” Hawks’ head coach Tony Cordova said. “There was a lot of excitement. It was very fun to be a part of it.”

“The girls were excited to play,” Bulldogs’ leader Curtis Hulstine said. “We went out there and showed everybody what we’re made of.”

Ceres High improved to 5-2 overall.

Central Valley dropped to 0-6 on the season.

“We have really good chemistry,” Hulstine said. “They all play very well together. And they’re hungry for playing time.”

“The girls are starting to understand the game,” Cordova said. “The mentality and attitudes are changing for the better.”

Bulldog quarterback Marissa Renteria had three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores versus the Hawks.

Madeline Schultz, Savannah Leifried and Hailey Tsurui all had one receiving touchdown.

“We’re really lucky to have her (Renteria) on the team,” Hulstine said. “She’s an all-round athlete. She’s definitely the key to our offense. Her football IQ is very high. She really understands the game.”

Central Valley generated 209 yards of total offense against Ceres High.

Hawk quarterback Dulce Del Valle completed 10 of 17 passes for 93 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Kalli Hoffman caught five passes for 79 yards and ran for 63 yards on five carries.

Tarnjot Kaur totaled 49 yards on seven receptions, completed 3 of 3 passes for 38 yards and rushed for 15 yards on two carries.

Alexa Alberto caught one pass for 3 yards and one touchdown.

Itzel Romero led the way on defense with a 45-yard interception return touchdown and one pass deflection.

Alexa Cadenas had two tackles and two pass deflections.

Alicia Espinoza had two tackles and one pass deflection.

“Kalli is an exceptional athlete,” Cordova said. “It was pretty exciting to see her move the football. She’s fast. She cuts. She’s fearless. She has a work ethic I wish everybody had. She’s a true asset to the team. She can be way better.”

Ceres High fell behind 6-0 early in the first half.

Central Valley relied heavily on Hoffman during its first possession of the game.

Del Valle capped the scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alberto.

“At the beginning of the game, the girls were on the same page,” Cordova said. “They had the same mentality. Everybody was talking. They were upbeat. They were moving the ball. That was exciting to see. The magnitude of the game started to get to them. They didn’t play as loose as the very first drive. It was nerves. It was their first time playing at Ceres High.”

The Bulldogs didn’t underestimate the winless Hawks, who trailed 18-6 at halftime.

“I knew it was going to be a competitive game,” Hulstine said. “Whenever it’s Ceres High versus Central Valley, it’s competitive.”

“I knew it was going to be a tough game,” Cordova stated. “They have a good quarterback. They have some girls that are athletic. We needed to bring our A game. We had to score to keep up.”

Ceres High played shorthanded against Central Valley as receiver Makenna Azevedo and defensive back Emily Esparza both exited the game with finger injuries in the opening half.

“Everybody stepped up,” Hulstine said. “We have that next-man-up mentality.”