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Modesto High Panthers top Ceres
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In August, the Ceres High boys soccer team edged Modesto High 1-0 at an exhibition tournament at Grace Davis High School. Fernando Vargas scored the game-winning goal in the final minute.

Vargas and the Bulldogs lost 2-1 to the Panthers in conference play on Friday in Modesto.

"We made sure we were in shape," said Modesto coach Matt Mendez. "They mopped the field with us in our last two meetings last year."

Said Ceres coach Joe Byrne: "They deserved it. They played harder than us in the second half."

Ceres fell to 7-3-1 overall, 0-1 in the Modesto Metro Conference.

Modesto improved to 2-2-1 overall, 1-0 in league.

"That's the kind of game we're going to have to win if we're going to challenge for the league championship."

Ceres had a chance to salvage a tie but Vargas failed to convert a penalty kick in the 72nd minute. Modesto goalkeeper Peng Yang made a spectacular save.

Victor Perez, Ceres' leading scorer, would have taken the free kick but wasn't in the game.

"I'd taken him out in the 68th minute," Byrne said. "I wanted to give him five minutes to cool off and get some water."

Modesto broke a 1-1 tie in the 65th minute.

Eric Aragon scored from 20 yards out. He beat three defenders and booted the ball into the upper-left corner of the goal.

"I was really disappointed we weren't taking any outside shots in the second half," Byrne said.

Each team scored once in the first half.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Diego Dorado delivered a perfect pass from the left side of the field and Asoun Chanthavong finished inside the box with his left foot.

The Bulldogs evened the score at 1-all in the 35th minute. Modesto defender John Quaresma tried to clear Perez's crossing pass and knocked the ball into his own goal.

JV booters blank Panthers

A.J. Salgado scored twice, Samuel Saldate scored once and Edgardo Yepez made seven saves in leading the Ceres High JV boys soccer team to a 3-0 victory over the Modesto High Panthers in Modesto on Friday.

"Modesto's a very good team," said Ceres coach Armando Martinez. "And we dominated them."

Ceres improved to 4-2-1 overall, 1-0 in the Modesto Metro Conference. Modesto fell to 0-1 in league.

The Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 2-0 in the second half.

In the 58th minute, Salgado dribbled past several defenders and ripped a 15-yard right-footed shot past Modesto's goalkeeper.

Saldate scored from two yards out off a rebound in the 63rd minute.

Salgado scored the game's first goal. He scored from 20 yards out in the 14th minute.

The Bulldogs edged the Panthers 1-0 at the Spartan Classic on Sept. 3.

Ceres will play at Downey today and at Johansen on Friday. Both games start at 4 p.m. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier