Ceres High School's varsity boys tennis team lost its top four players to graduation, including Luis Ochoa, Wilson Liang, Harman Bains and Raul Massie.
The quartet helped lead the Bulldogs to the Valley Oak League championship and Sac-Joaquin Section playoff appearance last year. Ochoa also successfully defended his conference singles title.
"We had a very talented group of kids," head coach Bryan Harden said. "It's going to be hard to fill their spots. We're going to have some growing pains."
Ceres High's rosters consists of 22 players: Bobby Bahia (Sr.), Victor Cruz (Sr.), Javier Garcia (Sr.), Matt Mey (Sr.), Nick Serratos (Sr.), Justin Virk (Sr.), Esteban de la Torre (Jr.), Victor Pimentel (Jr.), Onkaar Puttar (Jr.), Gurman Bains (So.), Gabriel Balderas (So.), Trevor Brazil (So.), David Cisneros (So.), Mark Piceno (So.), Sergio Zepeda (So.), Heath Adrian (Fr.), Eric Bejaran (Fr.), Joel Bhatti (Fr.), Shane Kumar (Fr.), Alick Liang (Fr.), Jordan Mey (Fr.) and Josh Simas (Fr.).
Bahia, Bains, Brazil, Cisneros, Cruz, de la Torre, Pimentel and Serratos are returners.
Adrian, Balderas, Bejaran, Bhatti, Garcia, Kumar, Liang, Jordan Mey, Matt Mey, Piceno, Puttar, Simas, Virk and Zepeda are newcomers.
Bains, Liang, Bahia, Matt Mey, Brazil, de la Torre, Serratos, Virk, Cruz, Pimentel, Zepeda and Garcia start.
Gurman, Alick, Bobby, Matt, Trevor and Esteban are singles players.
Nick, Justin, Victor Cruz, Victor Pimentel, Sergio and Javier play doubles.
The top three teams in the WAC qualify for the Division-II postseason tournament.
Ceres High's conference schedule includes matches against Central Valley, Central Catholic, Livingston, Patterson, Los Banos and Pacheco.
"I expect to be competitive," Harden said. "You should always strive for the best scenario for your kids. I do think we have a legitimate shot at making playoffs based on our depth."
Hawks moving forward
Central Valley High School's varsity boys tennis program graduated all but two of its players from a season ago, including Alex Cunningham, Will Berryhill, Trinidad Sandoval, Javier Molina and Gary Ney.
Veteran Heath Sousa joined the Hawks' golf team.
"We have a lot of beginners out here," head coach Mike Rodriguez said. "They're still learning the basic skills."
Central Valley's starting lineup features Favian Rojas (Sr.), Cristian Villa (Sr.), Larry Hernandez (Sr.), Max Perez (Sr.), Samuel Martinez (So.) and Issac Vazquez (Sr.) at singles, and Eddie Perales (Jr.), Rohit Kumar (Jr.), Alex Sanchez (Jr.), Ernesto Gonzalez (Sr.), Alexis Zigala (Fr.) and Gerardo Cazares (Sr.) at doubles.
Perez and Kumar played for the Hawks last season.
Rojas, Villa, Hernandez, Martinez, Vazquez, Perales, Sanchez, Gonzalez, Zigala and Cazares are newcomers.
"We're really athletic," Rodriguez said.
Cazares, Hernandez, Martinez, Vazquez and Sanchez suited up for Central Valley's varsity boys soccer team during the fall sports season. The Hawks secured their third straight league title and fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
"They come in with a winner's mentality," Rodriguez said. "You know they're going to go out there ready to compete."
Central Valley has yet to experience a breakthrough campaign in boys tennis.
The Hawks finished in last place in the VOL standings (0-14) in 2010.
"We should be a lot more competitive this year," Rodriguez said.
The quartet helped lead the Bulldogs to the Valley Oak League championship and Sac-Joaquin Section playoff appearance last year. Ochoa also successfully defended his conference singles title.
"We had a very talented group of kids," head coach Bryan Harden said. "It's going to be hard to fill their spots. We're going to have some growing pains."
Ceres High's rosters consists of 22 players: Bobby Bahia (Sr.), Victor Cruz (Sr.), Javier Garcia (Sr.), Matt Mey (Sr.), Nick Serratos (Sr.), Justin Virk (Sr.), Esteban de la Torre (Jr.), Victor Pimentel (Jr.), Onkaar Puttar (Jr.), Gurman Bains (So.), Gabriel Balderas (So.), Trevor Brazil (So.), David Cisneros (So.), Mark Piceno (So.), Sergio Zepeda (So.), Heath Adrian (Fr.), Eric Bejaran (Fr.), Joel Bhatti (Fr.), Shane Kumar (Fr.), Alick Liang (Fr.), Jordan Mey (Fr.) and Josh Simas (Fr.).
Bahia, Bains, Brazil, Cisneros, Cruz, de la Torre, Pimentel and Serratos are returners.
Adrian, Balderas, Bejaran, Bhatti, Garcia, Kumar, Liang, Jordan Mey, Matt Mey, Piceno, Puttar, Simas, Virk and Zepeda are newcomers.
Bains, Liang, Bahia, Matt Mey, Brazil, de la Torre, Serratos, Virk, Cruz, Pimentel, Zepeda and Garcia start.
Gurman, Alick, Bobby, Matt, Trevor and Esteban are singles players.
Nick, Justin, Victor Cruz, Victor Pimentel, Sergio and Javier play doubles.
The top three teams in the WAC qualify for the Division-II postseason tournament.
Ceres High's conference schedule includes matches against Central Valley, Central Catholic, Livingston, Patterson, Los Banos and Pacheco.
"I expect to be competitive," Harden said. "You should always strive for the best scenario for your kids. I do think we have a legitimate shot at making playoffs based on our depth."
Hawks moving forward
Central Valley High School's varsity boys tennis program graduated all but two of its players from a season ago, including Alex Cunningham, Will Berryhill, Trinidad Sandoval, Javier Molina and Gary Ney.
Veteran Heath Sousa joined the Hawks' golf team.
"We have a lot of beginners out here," head coach Mike Rodriguez said. "They're still learning the basic skills."
Central Valley's starting lineup features Favian Rojas (Sr.), Cristian Villa (Sr.), Larry Hernandez (Sr.), Max Perez (Sr.), Samuel Martinez (So.) and Issac Vazquez (Sr.) at singles, and Eddie Perales (Jr.), Rohit Kumar (Jr.), Alex Sanchez (Jr.), Ernesto Gonzalez (Sr.), Alexis Zigala (Fr.) and Gerardo Cazares (Sr.) at doubles.
Perez and Kumar played for the Hawks last season.
Rojas, Villa, Hernandez, Martinez, Vazquez, Perales, Sanchez, Gonzalez, Zigala and Cazares are newcomers.
"We're really athletic," Rodriguez said.
Cazares, Hernandez, Martinez, Vazquez and Sanchez suited up for Central Valley's varsity boys soccer team during the fall sports season. The Hawks secured their third straight league title and fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
"They come in with a winner's mentality," Rodriguez said. "You know they're going to go out there ready to compete."
Central Valley has yet to experience a breakthrough campaign in boys tennis.
The Hawks finished in last place in the VOL standings (0-14) in 2010.
"We should be a lot more competitive this year," Rodriguez said.
