Central Valley’s boys water polo program improved its head-to-head record against crosstown-rival Ceres High to 3-1 on Oct. 27.

The Bulldogs continued their unbeaten streak with their fourth consecutive victory versus the Hawks in girls water polo. 

Central Valley’s boys team faced little resistance while cruising to an 8-3 win over Ceres High on Senior Night during the final week of the Western Athletic Conference season.

The Hawks led from start to finish as they limited the Bulldogs to just one goal in the opening half.

“The game plan going into it was to be really aggressive and score right away,” Central Valley head coach Tyler Bolton said. “They didn’t pose too much of a threat after that.”

“It just wasn’t our night,” Ceres High leader Sebastian Huerta-Alvarado stated. “We didn’t have any answers in the beginning. We were a little late with our execution.”

Central Valley compiled a 4-10 record on its way to a sixth-place finish in the WAC standings.

Ceres High (2-12) took seventh. 

The Hawks swept the Bulldogs and Lathrop Spartans.

Ceres High’s two wins came against Lathrop. 

The Hawks bested the Bulldogs twice (4-2, 8-3) this year.

“We battled through adversity,” Huerta-Alvarado said. “We had to deal with only having seven players for most of the season. There were some glimpses of gold in the water. We’re young. We’ll get better eventually. I know the culture has changed.”

“It’s been really cool to see the progression from last season to this season,” Bolton added. “The games were much closer. Hopefully, we can keep being competitive.

Caleb Beckhart scored a team-high three goals during Central Valley’s season-finale versus Ceres High.

Ari Luman added two goals.

Adolfo Diaz and Ezekiel Castorena Manzo, Adolfo Diaz and Sean Vernon all contributed one goal.

Bulldog substitute Julian Hernandez scored a career-high two goals against the Hawks.

Jaxon Merrill added one goal.

The Hawks outscored the Bulldogs 7-1 in the opening half.

Ceres High had trouble dealing with Central Valley’s size and strength during the game.

“You can’t play man (defense) against them,” Huerta-Alvarado said. “You have to play zone.”

Central Valley has won its last three meetings against Ceres High.

“Of course, we hope it continues,” Bolton said. 

“It’s been a little one-sided so far,” Huerta-Alvarado added. “It’s a wakeup call. The kids want to get better. They’re taking the right steps. They’re hungry.”

The Hawks will lose six players to graduation, including Beckhart, Vernon, Salvador Almazan Valdovinos, Nick DeLeon, Noe Lomeli Gutierrez and Isaiah Shirley.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Bolton said. “I want to keep them for longer. It was so great to see their growth. They fell in love with the sport.” 

Ceres High graduates one player in Abel Samaniego. He missed the Bulldogs’ final eight games due to a hand injury.

“We’re going to miss him a lot because of his contributions, experience and work ethic,” Huerta-Alvarado said. “He took it serious.”

Ceres High’s girls team coasted to a 24-14 victory over Central Valley last week.

“We played our best game of the season on the last day,” Bulldogs’ first-year head coach Emiliano Ortega said. 

“It’s different from other games because we’re crosstown rivals,” Ceres High senior Layla Abraham stated. “The energy is definitely higher. There’s tension. We were hoping we would win.”

The Bulldogs (6-8) tied for fourth place in the WAC with Pacheco.

The Hawks (3-11) finished seventh in the league standings.

“We were definitely better my senior year,” Abraham said. “We worked harder. Our coach pushed us to win.”

Abraham and Jessie Blevins both scored a team-high seven goals during Ceres High’s season-finale versus Central Valley.

Heaven Vasquez and Jaelyn Silva added five and four goals, respectively.

Rhylie Houtchens had one goal.

Hawk Lilyanna Madrigal scored a team-high eight goals against the Bulldogs.

Isabella Madrigal and Natalie Southavongsa added three and two goals, respectively.

Joellene Roton had one goal.

“Our players had tons and tons of energy,” Ortega said. “I’ve never seen them swim like that. They wanted to win.”

The Bulldogs improved their all-time head-to-head record against the Hawks to 4-0.

“It’s always nice to get a win against Ceres High,” Ortega said. “A lot of the coaches and players know each other.” 

The Bulldogs will lose three players to graduation, including Abraham, Blevins and Jordan Applegate.

“All of them played a huge part on the team,” Ortega said. “They will be missed because of their experience and how confident they are in the water.”

The Hawks will graduate four players, including Southavongsa, Kadynce Piceno, Dulce Renteria and Mikayla Young.