Patterson spoiled Central Valley's bid for Western Athletic Conference perfection in freshman football with a 27-13 win on Oct. 27.

The Hawks closed out the 2016 season on Nov. 3, thumping crosstown-rival Ceres High 40-8 at Bulldog Stadium.

The lopsided victory gave Central Valley a share of the WAC title.

"To be honest, I didn't know how the kids would respond," said Abraham Navarro, first-year head coach of the Hawks. "We didn't have that great a week of practice. I tried to motivate them as much as I could."

Central Valley posted an 8-1-1 overall record and tied for first place with Patterson in the WAC standings (4-1).

Ceres High finished 0-9-1 and last in conference play (0-5).

"A team like this doesn't come around every year," Navarro said. "They had a lot of passion for the game. That's the part you can't coach. A lot of the kids were committed. It started during the summertime."

Central Valley avoided a major letdown by beating Ceres High.

The Bulldogs could have prevented the Hawks from winning a share of the WAC title.

"The kids were hungry," Navarro said. "Our plan was to run the ball. They couldn't stop us."

Central Valley's Josiah Ramos rushed for 1,000-plus yards and more than a dozen touchdowns this year.

"He definitely carried us on offense," Navarro said. "He never got tired. He's a prime-time player."

Bulldog quarterback Jacob Ingraham completed 16 of 31 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Hawks.

Fernando Sosa caught seven passes for 166 yards and one TD.

Aaron Delgado totaled 62 yards on three receptions.

Roy Cabral rushed for 83 yards on five carries.

"A very, long season," Ceres High head coach Darrell Long said. "But many lessons learned."

Central Valley met Navarro's expectations this fall.

"I'm not surprised," he said. "We had a lot of talent. But we had heart. It was an honor to be able to coach kids that wanted to play and win. They had ambition. They're competitors. That's the bottom line."