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Varsity boys have high expectations
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The Ceres High varsity boys basketball team underachieved last season. The Bulldogs finished ninth in the Central California Conference with a 2-11 record and went 6-20 overall.

The Bulldogs enter the 2004-2005 campaign with a lot of confidence.

"We should be competing for the league title and playoffs," said Ceres coach Jason Martin. "No doubt about it."

The Bulldogs will rely heavily on four seniors: Zack Wiedenbeck, Charlie Cunha, Derrick Goblirsch and Rafael Valencia. A host of juniors, including Matt Schwark, Brad Muniz, Bryant Hill, Dingko Luangchai, Joe Gallo and Steve Davis, and several sophomores, including Ross Tate and Kevin Dupree, will also contribute.

"I think we'll do way better than last year," Wiedenbeck said. "We returned all five of our starters. And we have a lot of good talent coming up from the freshman and JV levels."

Added Martin: "The four returning seniors are the leaders."

Wiedenbeck, a 6-foot-4 center, averaged a team-high 10.5 points per game last season.

Cunha, a 6-2 forward, ranked second on the team in scoring (8.0 ppg).

Goblirsch, a 6-4 forward, earned third-team, all-CCC honors.

Tate, a 6-3 sophomore, and Schwark, a 5-11 point guard, are second-year varsity players.

Hill, Muniz, Luangchai, Gallo and Davis were members of the JV squad in 2003-2004.

Hill, a 6-2 forward, averaged 11.4 points, six rebounds and three assists per game en route to claiming the team's most valuable player award.

Muniz, a 5-8 point guard, will split time in the backcourt with Schwark.

Luangchai, a 5-1l guard, gives the Bulldogs added depth.

Dupree starred on the freshman basketball team. The 6-4 forward led the Bulldogs to a 20-4 overall record.

"We have guys that actually want to be competitive this year," Cunha said.

The Bulldogs open league play on Jan. 5 at Modesto High School.

Ceres and the five Modesto high schools, Beyer, Davis, Downey, Johansen and Modesto, will vie for the conference championship.

"We're as good as any team in this area," Cunha said.

"Teams are going to have trouble matching up with our size."

Said Martin: "We should be able to play with anyone but we got to prove it." - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier