For the second time in three weeks, Ceres High's varsity football team struggled mightily against Western Athletic Conference competition.

The Bulldogs never posed a threat in losing 45-7 at Patterson Friday night.

"Obviously, it would have been great to beat a team like Patterson," Ceres High junior quarterback Chris Lubinsky said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen. It seemed like every time they touched the ball, they made big plays. We made too many mistakes. We didn't capitalize on our opportunities. It was a frustrating game."

The Bulldogs dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Tigers improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the WAC.

Ceres High lost 42-0 at Los Banos on Sept. 25.

"Patterson and Los Banos are the two best teams in the league," Lubinsky said. "They're extremely talented. Hopefully, we'll bounce back against Pacheco."

Lubinsky totaled 212 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 21 of 29 passes against Patterson.

Seth Gibson led the Bulldogs' receiving corps with 81 yards and one touchdown on three receptions.

Marcellus Boykins finished with 61 yards on four catches.
Aaron Black caught two passes for 28 yards.

Conner Johnson grabbed four passes for 17 yards.

Austin Stiles, Ceres High's star receiver, mustered just 19 yards on four grabs.

The Bulldogs netted minus-1 yard rushing.

Lubinsky was sacked multiple times for a total of minus-26 yards.

Bulldog standout running back Johnni Smith-Willis managed to gain just 8 yards on nine carries.

Black collected a team-high nine tackles on defense.

Wyatt Ogden had seven tackles and one fumble recovery.
Aiden Moore added six tackles.

Patterson racked up 430 yards of total offense, including 357 on the ground.

The Tigers thrilled their Homecoming fans with a dominant performance.

Patterson outscored Ceres High 28-0 on its way to building a 42-0 lead in the opening half.

"We moved the ball down the field," Lubinsky said. "We just didn't put points on the board. We need to do a better job finishing once we get in the red zone."

Ceres High will host Pacheco (3-4, 2-1) this Friday at 7 p.m.

"We'll be extra motivated to play better," Lubinsky said.