Ceres High’s football team staged its Senior Night during the opening day of the 2025 season.
A total of 21 Bulldog upperclassmen were recognized prior to kickoff versus three-time reigning Sac-Joaquin Section champion Hughson, which pulled away for a 37-7 victory Friday evening at CUSD Stadium.
Ceres High’s Alex Alvarez, Joseluis Arreola, Danny Benavidez, Parker Borges, Abijah Bratton, Adrian Carrillo, Ricardo Cruz, Eric De Lozada, Tavian Ellis, Elijah Herrera, Roman Hinojosa, Adrian Huesca, Mauricio Leon, Angel Neang, Samuel Nieto, Elias Oliveras Sanchez, Jorge Ortega, Denairo Osorio, Elias Phillips, David Rodriguez and Nathaniel St. Macias were honored before the contest.
“It was my idea to do it (have Senior Night on opening day),” head coach Brett Johnson said. “I thought it was a positive thing. It brought a lot of people to the first game.”
The Bulldogs dropped to 0-1 on the season.
The Huskies improved to 1-0 overall.
Ceres High has compiled an 0-3 record versus Hughson since the 2023-24 school year.
“Our opponent was Hughson,” Johnson said. “No disrespect but it’s just another team we have to play. Last year is in the past. All we do is play the best we can.”
Carrillo accounted for the Bulldogs’ lone touchdown.
He returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 89 yards for a touchdown.
Borges completed 5 of 16 passes for 38 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions while making his first start at quarterback.
He was a backup QB last fall.
“It’s his first start,” Johnson said. “It’s a learning experience. There’s no position in football that has more pressure than quarterback does. I can only imagine what Parker was feeling stepping out there for the first time. He’ll get better.”
St. Macias led the Bulldogs’ defense with six tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two pass deflections.
Carrillo had five tackles, one interception and two pass deflections.
Caelen Eskridge had seven tackles and one pass deflection.
Dakota Pickett had six tackles and one pass deflection.
Osorio had two tackles and one fumble recovery.
Isaiah German had six tackles.
Hughson quarterback Russell Spaulding completed 6 of 13 passes for 133 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
He also rushed for 43 yards on five carries.
Backup Hudson Baldwin finished 10-for-16 with 95 yards.
Bryce McDaniel caught four passes for 91 yards and one touchdown.
Riley Clark totaled 13 yards and one TD on one reception.
Lawson Aviles grabbed four passes for 62 yards.
Lincoln Sousa added 49 yards on six catches.
The Huskies piled up 156 yards on the ground.
Eli Wilbanks did most of the damage as he ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.
Isaac Garcia had one rushing touchdown.
“There were areas in the game we competed in,” Johnson said. “I thought our effort on defense was on-point. They were swarming. We just have to fix a few things. We can only improve on offense. That’s where we’re at.”
Ceres High thrilled its fans when Osorio recovered the opening kickoff of the game at the 50-yard line.
Borges completed his first pass attempt to Julian Barrera.
The possession eventually ended with a Bulldog punt.
“We got the momentum,” Johnson said. “It was almost identical to last year.”
Ceres High fell behind 20-0 in the opening half.
The Bulldogs were outscored 17-7 after the break.
Ceres High fumbled four times during the game.
“When you play a good football team, and make mistakes, they’re going to capitalize,” Johnson said. “You have to be disciplined and execute your game plan to a T.”
Ceres High is competing with a revamped roster this season.
The Bulldogs have seven new starters on defense and five on offense. They gained valuable experience against Hughson.
“We have a bunch of young kids,” Johnson said. “They weren’t intimidated. They showed a lot of growth and potential. We got to build on that.”
Ceres High has a bye this week.
The Bulldogs will return to the gridiron next month.
Ceres High will travel to Stockton on Sept. 5 to face McNair.
