Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s girls basketball programs had a combined seven players earn all-league honors during the Western Athletic Conference year-end head coaches’ meeting last month at Grace Davis High School.
Bulldog seniors Sovannary Carter and Lilly Staggs were both selected to the WAC First Team.
Ceres High senior Persia Rochell was named to the WAC Second Team.
Bulldog seniors Mariah Renteria and Makaela Brown, and Hawk senior Ari Martinez and Central Valley junior Emily Carranza were honorable-mention selections.
“It was great to see those girls recognized,” Ceres High head coach Megan McGill said. “They’ve been a big part of the program.”
“I’m definitely happy for them,” Hawks’ leader Derrick Goblirsch stated.
Carter averaged 13.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.7 assists per game at forward for the Bulldogs, who placed third in the conference standings with a 9-5 record.
A four-year varsity player, Carter scored 1,021 points and grabbed 615 rebounds in 106 career games.
She garnered first-team accolades as a junior and second-team honors as a sophomore.
Carter filled an instrumental role the past three seasons, leading Ceres High to a 30-12 record against WAC competition. The Bulldogs went 3-11 in league play during Carter’s first year on the team.
“Sovannary has been an integral part of Ceres High’s success these last three years,” McGill said. “She’s a coach’s dream. It’s been wonderful to watch her grow into one of the top players in the league. I wasn’t surprised that she did well. She’s a phenomenal athlete and works had, so success is inevitable.”
Staggs averaged 16.1 points, 3.4 steals, 3.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game at guard.
A second-year varsity player with the Bulldogs, Staggs scored 819 points in 53 career games.
She garnered first-team all-WAC honors as a junior.
Staggs attended and played varsity hoops at Gregori High School her sophomore and freshman years.
She piled up 1,255 career points in 106 games at the high-school level.
“Lilly is a great player,” McGill said. “She can shoot and score off the drive. She can see the floor really well. She can be a great defender and get steals that turn into offense.”
Rochell, a post player, averaged 8.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
“Persia did surprise me,” McGill said. “She’s always been able to get rebounds and defend well, but this year she became more of an offensive threat, which was great to see.”
Renteria averaged 3.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.0 assists per game at guard.
“Mariah is one of the best hustle players I’ve ever coached,” McGill said. “She will dive after every ball, and when she’s guarding someone, their points per game are going down. She’s relentless and such a tough player. It’s great to see her recognized for all she contributes to the team.”
Brown averaged 3.1 points, 3.2 steals, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game at guard.
“It’s been great to see Makaela get more comfortable with the ball in her hands,” McGill said. “She’s so quick and she’s able to finish at the rim, so that was a big asset.”
Martinez averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game at guard for the last-place Hawks, who posted a 1-13 record.
“Offensively, she was our biggest threat,” Goblirsch said. “She could shoot from the outside. She wasn’t afraid to get to the basket. She was an aggressive player. Other teams recognized that.”
Martinez filled in for Mia Muniz, who was sidelined this season with an injury.
“This year, she made an impact,” Goblirsch said. “She definitely made some big improvements. She really stepped up defensively and improved her rebounding. She was one of the better athletes on the court. She played hard for us all year.”
Carranza, an undersized forward, averaged 3.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
“She really flourished in her role,” Goblirsch said. “She’s a unique player. She sees the floor so well. She’s a facilitator. She’s a rebounding machine. She’s got the potential to be a scorer as well. She can shoot it.”
Carranza will fill a bigger role on the team in 2026-27.
“She grew so much as a player,” Goblirsch said. “She put in a ton of work throughout the year. I’m really excited to see what she can bring to the table next season.”
