Bryce Piatt, Verlis Smith and Montrell Block all showed promise while making their debut with Ceres High’s varsity football program last week.
“I was pretty impressed with their playing ability,” Bulldogs’ head coach Matt Chachere said. “That was great to see. They can only get better as the season goes on.”
Piatt, a sophomore quarterback, completed 11 of 22 passes for 119 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
“At the beginning of the game, I was pretty nervous,” Piatt said. “After the first snap, everything settled down. It’s a lot different from JV to varsity level. The speed of the game is a lot faster. I definitely have higher expectations now.”
“Bryce did amazing for his first varsity game. He was focused. He was not worried about other things. He was confident. He proved himself. If he keeps putting football first, he’ll keep improving.”Ceres High senior receiver Fernando Sosa
“Playing quarterback is a huge responsibility,” Ceres High senior receiver Fernando Sosa said. “Bryce did amazing for his first varsity game. He was focused. He was not worried about other things. He was confident. He proved himself. If he keeps putting football first, he’ll keep improving.”
“He played a good game for about three quarters,” Chachere said. “He made smart decisions. Hopefully, his ceiling keeps going up and he keeps getting better.”
“He (Piatt) did a good job,” Central Valley head coach Scott Edwards said. “He looked poised. If he sticks with it, he’ll start to see big improvement.”
Smith, a sophomore receiver, caught five passes for 58 yards.
“The times I targeted him, he was a monster,” Piatt said. “He knows he’s good and can make plays.”
“That’s what we expected from him,” Chachere said. “He used his body and made some nice catches. He’s competitive as heck.”
“He is pretty tall,” Sosa said. “That’s a huge advantage. It’s hard for corners to cover him.”
“I had no idea he was a sophomore,” Hawks’ senior receiver Erick Martinez-Stucchi said. “He’s a big guy. He reminded me of me. He has a lot of room to grow.”
“Moving forward, I hope they (Piatt and Smith) continue to grow, get stronger and build their chemistry together,” Chachere stated.
“They should be able to develop a nice connection,” Edwards said.
Block, a junior transfer from Weston Ranch, rushed for 64 yards on 16 carries.
“He’s the type of player who can bust loose for a long gain every time he touches the ball,” Chachere said. “He has that type of speed and explosion to him. It’s fun to watch. I’m excited to see him and the offensive line gel together.”
“He was impressive,” Edwards said. “He had some jets. He’s definitely talented.”
“He was fast and able to break tackles,” Central Valley junior running back Isaiah Hidalgo said. “It was hard to bring him down.”
Piatt, Smith and Block all garnered praise from their head coach, teammates and opponents in Ceres High’s 55-13 loss to crosstown-rival Central Valley on Friday at CUSD Stadium.
