Central Valley’s football team closed out its preseason with a 34-14 win against visiting Modesto High on Friday at CUSD Stadium.

Ceres High lost 26-9 to Buhach Colony in non-conference play last week in Atwater.

The Hawks committed just one penalty and no turnovers en route to securing their first victory of the 2025 campaign.

“It’s the best we’ve executed this year on both sides of the ball,” Central Valley head coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “We played almost mistake-free. It shows how good we can be if we don’t beat ourselves.”

The Hawks improved to 1-2 overall.

The Panthers dropped to 2-2.

Central Valley lost its first two games by a combined six points.

“We’re a couple plays away from being 3-0,” Goblirsch said. “I think we’ve learned from those setbacks. The biggest thing is we’ve been competitive in all three games. We’ll continue to build on that and get better.”

Modesto High’s defense had trouble slowing down Central Valley’s running game.

The Hawks totaled 154 yards on 34 carries.

Central Valley attempted just four passes.

William Montez, Adrian Vega, David Alvarado, Edhen Alvarez and Dominick Delgadillo dominated the line of scrimmage.

The Hawks had two scoring drives of at least nine plays, including one that lasted seven minutes and another one that lasted six minutes.

The two drives consisted of a combined 21 plays. 

“Our game plan was to control the clock,” Goblirsch said. “We had a lot of success rushing the ball. It’s a credit to the offensive line. We lean on them heavily. They’re the key to our success.”

Hawk Sebastian Maldonado ran for 53 yards and one touchdown on five carries.

Erick Mendoza rushed for 23 yards and one touchdown on six carries.

Elizjha Casteel had 28 yards on eight carries.

Emanuel Luna had 22 yards on four carries.

Ivan Quezada added 14 yards on four carries.

Central Valley sophomore Junior Gomez completed 3 of 3 passes for 79 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Caden Mendonca caught two passes for 52 yards and one touchdown.

Cristian Gudino caught one pass for 27 yards and one touchdown.

Josiah Armenta booted four of his five point-after kicks.

The Hawks seized the momentum by scoring four straight touchdowns on their way to building a commanding 27-8 lead in the opening half.

“To go out there and execute the way we did, I’m very happy with that,” Goblirsch said. 

Central Valley will battle Grace Davis during Friday’s WAC opener at Johansen High School.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

Ceres High dropped to 1-2 on the season following its 17-point setback at Buhach Colony.

The Thunder seized control after a competitive opening half.

“The key is playing solid football for four quarters,” Bulldogs’ head coach Brett Johnson said. “You can’t play well for two quarters and expect to win. You have to be consistent. You have to start fast and finish strong.”

Ceres High first-year starting quarterback Parker Borges finished 16 of 27 for 214 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

“Parker had his best game of his career,” Johnson said. “He made some really nice passes.”

Adrian Carrillo caught six passes for 119 yards and one touchdown while enjoying his most productive game to date on offense with the Bulldogs.

Eric De Lozada totaled 82 yards on eight receptions.

Nathaniel St. Macias added 13 yards on two catches.

Ceres High rushed for 94 yards on 24 attempts.

Adrian Huesca set career-high marks in both rushing yards (80) and carries (12).

Leo Ayala kicked a 26-yard field goal.

Bulldog linebacker Abijah Bratton racked up a career-high 16 tackles and forced one fumble against the Thunder.

Elias Phillips collected seven tackles.

Nathaniel Macias had seven tackles

Adrian Carrillo totaled six tackles and one fumble recovery

Caelen Eskridge had five tackles.

Malachi German had two tackles and one sack.

Ceres High held a slim 3-0 lead at intermission.

Ayala drilled a 26-yard field goal while starting in place of injured kicker David Rodriguez.

He also handled kickoff and punting duties.

“Leo had just one day of practice kicking,” Johnson said. “He really stepped up.”

The Bulldogs were outscored 28-6 during the second half.

Borges threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Carrillo in the fourth quarter.

“It was a very competitive first half,” Johnson said. “They played better than us in the second half. They did a nice job attacking us.”

Buhach Colony dominated time of possession during Ceres High’s preseason finale.

The Thunder piled up 367 rushing yards on 46 carries.

Buhach Colony attempted one pass play.

“It’s disappointing,” Johnson said. “Going into the game, I felt pretty confident. We had a decent week of practice. I thought we matched up well with them. Game-plan wise, I felt pretty good about it on both sides of the ball.”

Ceres High will begin the WAC portion of its schedule this week.

The Bulldogs will play host to the Livingston Wolves (0-3) this Friday.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.