Brad and Brent Bussard, Angelo and Domingo Bermudez, Ozzie and Jairo Ramos, Anthony and Adrian Calvo, Tomas and Moises Rocha, Ethan and Timothy Campbell, Emily and Kyndal Chapman, Jordan and Julia Pata, Sarah and Annie Connors, Justine and Jolyce Vega, and Ali and Claudia Martinez will always have a special bond.
They're siblings.
They play varsity sports at their respective high schools as well.
"You might be talking with Ali, then you think it's Claudia," said Mike Rodriguez, Central Valley High School girls tennis coach. "Personality-wise, they're so similar. They're outgoing. They like to joke around. I don't think I've seen either of them get upset. They're upbeat all the time. They keep everyone relaxed out there."
FOOTBALL
Junior twins Brad and Brent Bussard were key players on Ceres High's varsity football team.
Brad started at quarterback for the 2-8 Bulldogs.
Brad, a 6-foot 160-pounder, passed for 2,853 yards with 25 touchdowns and 16.
Brent started at running back and linebacker. The 6-foot 180-pounder rushed for a team-leading 394 yards and three touchdowns on 109 carries. He totaled 38 tackles, 11/2 sacks and one forced fumble.
The Bermudez brothers, Angelo (Central Valley) and Domingo (Ceres High), played for rival schools.
Angelo racked up 1,312 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns for the Hawks, who posted a 6-5 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history.
The 5-foot-9 160-pound junior led Central Valley in receptions (18), and receiving yards (368) and TDs (5).
Domingo, a 5-foot-8 134-pound senior, contributed at defensive back. He collected 47 tackles, defended two passes and forced two fumbles.
BOYS SOCCER
Central Valley's roster consists of 20 players, including two sets of brothers.
Twins Ozzie and Jairo Ramos are senior midfielders.
Ozzie, 2012 Western Athletic Conference MVP, ranked first on the team in assists (29) and second in goals (31) this year.
Jairo accumulated three goals and eight assists off the bench.
Anthony Calvo (Sr.) tied for first on the team in assists (29). The standout midfielder also scored six goals.
Anthony's younger brother, Adrian (Fr. MF), had one goal and one assist.
The Hawks posted a program-best 26-2-0 record, finished second at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III championships, captured their sixth straight league title (12-0-0) and participated in the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.
The Rocha siblings, Tomas (Sr.) and Moises (Jr.), helped Ceres High extend its postseason-appearance streak to six years.
The Bulldogs compiled a 13-6-1 record, advanced to the semifinal round of the Division-III playoffs and placed second in the WAC (8-3-1) behind Central Valley.
Tomas was selected to the WAC First Team as a junior.
WATER POLO
Ceres High's girls water polo roster features 14 players, including three sets of siblings in Emily (Sr.) and Kyndal (Jr.) Chapman, Jordan (Sr.) and Julia (Fr.) Pata, and Sarah (Sr.) and Annie Connors (So.).
"All six of us are really competitive," Emily said. "We have great communication. We help each other out. We have a lot of fun."
A dominant force on offense in the hole-set, Emily led the Bulldogs in scoring this year.
Kyndal (Jr.) split playing time at goalkeeper with Jasmine Moore.
Emily and Kyndal both started playing water polo as freshmen.
"When I see her in the water, she's a teammate, not my sister," Emily said. "She's grown to be her own player. She's stood out on the team. She's a great goalie."
Ethan (Sr.) and Timothy Campbell (So.) played important roles on Ceres High's boys team.
Emily and Ethan were both named to the WAC Second Team as juniors.
Ceres High's boys placed second in conference play (6-2) and qualified for the playoffs for the third time in four years.
The Bulldogs' girls squad finished third in league (4-4) and fell one win shy of advancing to the postseason for the second consecutive year.
"They've played extremely well for us," Ceres High boys head coach Tracy Bull said. "Ethan is the captain on the defensive end of the pool. What he does is so unsung and important. Tim's stepped right in and done a great job. He's got great potential to be a scorer."
GIRLS TENNIS
Twins Justine and Jolyce Vega played doubles for Ceres High in 2012.
The juniors had different roles this year.
Justine filled the No. 6 singles spot in the Bulldogs' lineup.
Jolyce split playing time on Ceres High's No. 1 and 2 doubles teams.
Ali Martinez (Sr.) played No. 4 singles for the Hawks.
Claudia Martinez (Fr.) teamed up with Celest Lepe at No. 1 doubles.
"Ali is usually done playing first," Rodriguez said. "She watches her sister play and tries to help her out. She gives her advice. She played doubles for two years.
Claudia is a pretty good athlete as well. She'll have a good career if she sticks with it."
