Unbeaten through its final seven games of the regular season, Ceres High’s girls soccer team rode a wave of momentum into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III Playoff Tournament.
The 13th-seeded Bulldogs suffered a 2-0 road loss while battling fourth-seeded Del Campo for 80 minutes on Feb. 18.
“It was a really good game,” said Ceres High head coach Rudy Jimenez. “The girls fought to the very end. They did the best they could.”
Ceres High compiled an 11-7-3 overall record and finished in second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 9-2-2 mark this season.
Del Campo, which amassed an 11-9-2 record and took fourth in the Foothill Valley League at 7-3-2, lost 1-0 to fifth-seeded Oakdale in the quarterfinals on Feb. 20.
“I’m proud of my girls. They stepped it up.”
The Bulldogs competed shorthanded against the Cougars as goalkeeper Braidynn Mott did not play due to illness.
Forward Ava Montesdeoca made eight saves while starting in place of Mott.
Defender Alyssa Santillanes filled Montesdeoca’s spot on the field.
“I had to switch up my lineup,” Jimenez said. “I had to play girls out of position. That changed everything.”
Ceres High trailed 1-0 at halftime.
The Bulldogs allowed a goal in the closing minutes of the opening half.
Ceres High never recovered after Del Campo extended its lead to 2-0 early in the second half.
Montesdeoca prevented the Cougars from winning by blowout.
“She did incredible,” noted Jimenez.
Ceres High continued its run of excellence this season.
The Bulldogs participated in the playoffs for the 10th year in a row.
“I couldn’t be happier. Everybody brought something to the team. They stepped up.”
Ceres High will lose eight players to graduation, including Montesdeoca, Santillanes, Melanie Lopez, Madeline Diaz, Stephanie Lizola, Daira Rivas, Itzel Torrez and Mariah Zamora.
“It’s a big hit for sure. They were all strong players. We’ll see what happens next year.”
Mott, Jessie Blevins, Sharryah Cabellos, Melina Castrejon, Stephanie Espinoza, Brianna Luna, Evelyn Navarro and Giselle Zamora could return to the team in 2025-26.
“We’re looking forward to next year,” Jimenez said. “The goal is to make playoffs again and get a better seed.”
