Central Valley’s baseball and Ceres High’s boys track and field programs have been named the Courier’s co-Teams of the Year for the spring sports season.
Marcos Duran, first-year leader of Ceres High’s softball squad, was named Coach of the Year.
Central Valley’s baseball team enjoyed its best season to date.
The Hawks earned their first home playoff win and third postseason victory on the same day.
Central Valley claimed its second straight Western Athletic Conference title in undefeated fashion.
The Hawks also tied their single-season record for wins.
“It just shows all the hard work we’ve been putting in is paying off,” Central Valley head coach Brad Bussard said. “We take a lot of pride in having one of the best programs in our area.”
The eighth-seeded Hawks edged the ninth-seeded Lincoln Trojans 3-2 in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I playoffs on May 6 in Ceres.
Central Valley compiled a 21-9 overall record.
The Hawks won all 14 of their conference games for the second straight year.
Eight Central Valley players earned WAC honors, including Mason Whitworth, Ezequiel Verduzco, Tyson Hunt, Noah Maldonado, Dominic Delatorre, Fernando Dominguez, Isaias Valdovinos and Adrian Vega.
“This is the most successful season we’ve had in school history,” Bussard said. “We returned a lot of guys from the previous year’s team. We had experience. We had a deep lineup.”
Ceres High’s boys track and field team capped off the Western Athletic Conference season in unprecedented fashion on May 2 at Johansen High School.
For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs finished first overall at the WAC Championships.
A week earlier, Ceres High claimed its second consecutive conference dual meet title with a 7-0 mark.
The Bulldogs finished the WAC season undefeated.
“In my time here, this hasn’t happened,” Ceres High first-year leader/former Bulldogs’ assistant coach Paul Smith stated. “This is my six season in Ceres. Our depth, work ethic and commitment are what did it. The kids have delivered consistently all year.”
Ceres High totaled 123 points on its way to finishing ahead of Lathrop (110), Beyer (99), Livingston (86), Grace Davis (69), Central Valley (51), Pacheco (15) and Johansen (11) at the 2026 WAC Championships.
The Bulldogs finished third at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV finals.
Ceres High also claimed the Hughson Vintage Invitational title and posted the third-best team score at the Stanislaus County Meet during the regular season.
Sergio Torres, Jamesdean Robertson, Andrew Alfaro, Julian Barrera, Cashton Almeida, Leo Baez, Estevan Diaz, Anthony Santillan, David Rodriguez-Ochoa, Josiah Martinez, Sam Nieto, Adrian Huesca and Saragun Singh led the Bulldogs.
“The team worked so hard and remained flexible and resilient given the challenges we faced with injuries and midseason changes to our postseason format and calendar,” Smith said.
Ceres High’s softball team continued its winning tradition this spring under new head coach Duran’s guidance.
The Bulldogs compiled a 17-7-1 overall record, claimed their third consecutive WAC title and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for the sixth straight year.
“I’m very proud of the team,” Duran stated. “To accomplish some of your goals is always a good thing.”
Ceres High won 13 of its 14 league games. The Bulldogs were awarded a home playoff game after reeling off seven straight victories versus conference opponents.
Ceres High claimed the WAC title with a 9-8 win against crosstown-rival Central Valley in extra innings during the final day of the regular season.
The Bulldogs avenged a 2-1 loss.
“We had a bump in the road against CV and didn’t give up,” Duran said. “We stayed the course.”
Seven Ceres High players earned WAC honors, including Elizabeth Figueroa, Bella Bravo, Gabriella Cole, Kyleigh Robinson, Samantha Alcarez, Briona Bravo and Sophia Alcarez.
“We had girls that could play multiple positions,” Duran said. “That helped a lot.”
Duran also had two assistant coaches with college playing experience, including Rayohna Sagapolu (CHS class of 2017) and daughter Andrea Duran (CHS class of 2018).
Sagapolu and Andrea Duran were both members of Ceres High’s 2016 Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III championship team.
Sagapolu and Andrea Duran played college softball at NCAA Division-I San Jose State and Division-II Cal State Monterey Bay, respectively.
“It’s a luxury to have those two ladies on my coaching staff,” Marcos Duran said. “They know what they’re talking about. I trust them.”
