Central Valley High School's varsity boys basketball team thoroughly entertained its homecoming crowd last week.
The Hawks overcame a slow start and demolished Livingston 83-52 Friday night in Ceres.
"We might have been feeling a little bit of pressure," Central Valley head coach Darryl Dickson said. "It was homecoming. There were a lot of people there."
The third-place Hawks improved to 17-5 overall and 5-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.
The top three teams in the WAC advance to the playoffs.
Central Valley trails Patterson (6-2) and Central Catholic (9-0) in the league standings.
"We're really excited," said Dickson, whose team's vying for its first-ever trip to the postseason. "I like our dedication and focus."
Ryan Donnelly and Jaron Dickson led the Hawks in scoring with 21 points apiece last week.
Daevon Brown, Kendel Johnson and Alexis Villa added 18, 11 and four points, respectively.
Manuel Garcia and Parker Griffin both tallied three points.
Ja'Quan Gardner had two points.
"Livingston is a lot better team than their record indicates," Dickson said. "Our kids did an excellent job."
Central Valley faced a 9-2 deficit early in the first quarter.
The Hawks turned the tide with a 24-12 run in the second period.
Central Valley outscored Livingston 24-11 in the fourth quarter.
"We came out a little too amped up because it was homecoming," Dickson said. "We played exceptionally well once we calmed down. That was good to see."
Donnelly, Dickson, Brown and Johnson totaled 71 points against Livingston.
"Those four guys played very well," coach Dickson said. "Any time we have that type of scoring, we'll be tough to beat. The key for us is Kendel. He's increased his scoring the last few games. Ryan, Jaron and Daevon will continue to be consistent."
Central Valley has never qualified for the postseason.
The Hawks could make history this year.
"I see us making playoffs and going far," Brown said.
Central Valley will play at Los Banos today and Patterson on Friday. Both games will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
