Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s girls water polo teams had a combined seven players earn all-league honors during the Western Athletic Conference’s year-end head coaches’ meeting staged last month at Beyer.

“I’m really happy with that,” Bulldogs’ leader Emiliano Ortega said.

Ceres High’s Jessie Blevins and Layla Abraham, and Central Valley’s Lilyanna Madrigal were selected to the WAC Second Team.

Blevins, a senior, led the Bulldogs in goals with 37 and ranked second in assists with nine.

She totaled 15 goals in a pair of wins versus the crosstown-rival Hawks.

“She was the leader of the team,” Ortega stated. “She’s just a great player, extremely well-conditioned. She made it look easy.”

Blevins was a four-year standout with the Bulldogs.

She earned second-team all-conference honors this year and as a freshman.

She was an honorable-mention selection junior and sophomore years.

Abraham, a senior, led Ceres High in assists with 11 and ranked second in goals with 30.

She totaled 13 goals against Central Valley.

Abraham was an honorable-mention pick junior year.

“Layla’s very smart in the water,” said Ortega. “And because of that, she made her teammates better.”

Madrigal was Central Valley’s top player on offense for the second year in a row.

The junior scored a team-high 110 goals, including 14 versus Ceres High.

Madrigal led the Hawks in scoring while earning honorable-mention recognition as a sophomore.

Ceres High’s Heaven Vasquez and Jaelyn Silva, and Central Valley’s Joellene Roton and Natalie Southavongsa were honorable-mention selections this season.

Vasquez, a junior, ranked third on the team in scoring.

She collected 15 goals and one assist.

Vasquez scored eight goals versus the Hawks.

“She made the biggest jump from last season to this year,” Ortega said. “A lot of it came through confidence. It allowed her to be our third-leading scorer.”

Silva, a junior, ranked third on the team in assists (5) and fourth in goals (8).

She totaled five goals against Central Valley.

“She’s extremely coachable and hard working,” said Ortega. “Her play this season defined our success in a lot of ways. She’ll be the team leader next year.”

Roton, a junior, ranked third on the team in goals (12).

Southavongsa, a senior, was the Hawks’ fifth-leading scorer.

She had nine goals.

Ceres High (6-8) tied for fourth place in the WAC standings with Pacheco.

Central Valley (3-11) finished seventh in league play.

The Bulldogs improved their head-to-head record against the Hawks to 4-0.

Ceres High prevailed this year by scores of 24-14 and 19-9.

“It’s always nice to get a win against Ceres High,” Ortega said. “A lot of the coaches and players know each other.” 

“It’s different from other games because we’re crosstown rivals,” added Abraham. “The energy is definitely higher. There’s tension.”

Blevins, Abraham, and Southavongsa will be lost to graduation in June.

“Losing them (Blevins and Abraham) is going to be tough,” Ortega said. “They set a good example.”