Head coach Abel Maestas and Ceres High's varsity boys golf team departed for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV Tournament at 6 in the morning on May 8.

The drive from Ceres to Auburn lasted two-and-a-half hours.

Disappointed by their fifth-place finish, Bulldog players napped during the ride home.

"When we got on the road, a half hour in, they were all sleep," Maestas said. "They were exhausted. We normally stop for dinner. We didn't this time. We went straight back to Ceres."

Ceres High posted a team score of 488 at Auburn Valley Golf Club.

Junior Jake Nevarez led the Bulldogs with a 22-over-par 94.

Senior Zac Chapman, sophomore Gary Condit, sophomore Jayden Panyanouvong and senior James Cervantez shot 95, 96, 97 and 106, respectively.
"We would have finished in the top three if we posted a score similar to what we've posted all year," Maestas said. "I'm not going to make excuses for not playing as well as we should have. We'll learn from it and get better."

Placer (414) and Union Mine (456) finished first and second, respectively, and advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament.

El Dorado (472) and Lincoln took third and fourth, respectively.

Patterson (549) was sixth.

"I did my research on the other teams," Maestas said. "I thought we'd compete and get to Masters. We just had a bad day. It happens. There's always next year."

Ceres High won its second straight Western Athletic Conference title and participated in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year this spring.

The Bulldogs placed fifth at Divisionals for the second straight season.

Ceres High will lose two players to graduation: Chapman and Cervantez.

"I couldn't ask for a better team," Maestas said. "It's an honor to coach them. We'll continue to have success in league and hopefully we can break through at Divisionals. Our goal is to win a section title."