Ceres High School's junior-varsity boys basketball team ended the 2014-15 season on a positive note.
The Bulldogs beat the Panthers of Pacheco 43-25 on Feb. 16 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.
"We have a talented group," Ceres High head coach Lance Hunter said. "They're a skilled bunch."
The Bulldogs posted a 15-6 overall record and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference (8-4).
Austin Crain collected a game-high 20 points for Ceres High, which posted a 15-6 overall record and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference (8-4).
Nick Jones added 10 points.
Marcellus Boykins and Jeff Lemus tallied four points each.
Wyatt Ogden and Chris Lubinsky chipped in with three and two points, respectively.
"Overall, I'm really happy with the season and the resiliency the guys showed," Hunter said. "We didn't have a full team for the whole season for various reasons. Our goal was to win a league title. Unfortunately, it didn't happen."
Ceres High led 33-15 at the end of the third quarter versus Pacheco.
The Bulldogs and Panthers each scored 10 points in the final period.
"We had a shaky first half," Hunter said. "We blew them out in the second half. We bounced back well."
Ceres High finished three games behind co-champions Central Valley (11-1) and Patterson in the WAC standings.
The Bulldogs lost twice to both teams. Central Valley rallied from a double-digit deficit en route to a 43-40 win over Ceres High on Jan. 23.
Patterson pulled away for a 55-30 victory while battling Ceres High on Jan. 14. The loss snapped the Bulldogs' seven-game winning streak. Patterson dealt Ceres High its second straight loss with a 61-49 win on Feb. 11.
"Those are the two best teams we played all year," Hunter said. "They're very talented. I'd love to play them again."
Hunter, a 2010 Ceres High grad, was a three-year varsity player with the Bulldogs.
He played for Jason Martin (2007-08) and Brian de la Porte (2008-10).
"This was my first time coaching," Hunter said. "I'd love to do it again. I tried to inspire the kids and teach them what I learned from basketball. I had a ton of fun. We didn't lose back-to-back games until the last week. It was a great experience."
