Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s football programs suffered losses in league play last week.

Eliminated from playoff consideration following a 35-28 loss to first-place Los Banos, the Bulldogs sought to spoil Mountain House’s postseason hopes and homecoming last week.

Ceres High struggled from start to finish in losing 30-9 to the Mustangs in Western Athletic Conference play Friday evening.

“It’s frustrating,” Bulldogs’ head coach Brett Johnson said. “I’m not taking anything away from Mountain House. They had a great game plan. They attacked what we had done successful the week prior. But we didn’t have a great week of practice. That doesn’t help you win games.”

Ceres High (3-6, 2-4) dropped to sixth place in the WAC standings.

Mountain House (5-4, 3-2) climbed to third place in conference play.

“With the exception of this week, our league games have been really tight,” Johnson said. “I felt we matched up very well with Mountain House based on how we moved the ball at will against Los Banos. They’re the top team in our league. We stayed with them right until the end.”

“We just didn’t play well, offensively,” he added. “We couldn’t get a rhythm. We could never get out of first gear.”

The Mustangs limited the Bulldogs to 156 yards of total offense.

Mountain House also forced three turnovers as it returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

“It’s really hard to be successful when that happens,” Johnson said.

Bulldog starting quarterback Donovan Osuna completed 3 of 15 passes for 44 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for 15 yards on five carries.

Backup Brayden Clark completed 2 of 4 passes for 62 yards with one touchdown and one interception after entering the game in the third quarter.

Senior Mannny Mendoza totaled 76 yards and one touchdown on four receptions.

Mendoza has been Ceres High’s most-productive offensive player this year.

He set career-high marks in catches (38), yards (610) and touchdowns (7) through the Bulldogs’ first nine games.

He caught 15 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns as a junior.

“That’s what we expected from Manny,” Johnson said. “He’s gotten a lot faster. His hands have gotten better.”

Gilbert Nuno booted a 26-yard field goal.

Reis Smith caught one pass for 30 yards.

Isaiah Cardona was Ceres High’s leading rusher. He mustered 18 yards on three carries.

Junior Manny Mendoza led the Bulldogs’ defense with nine tackles.

Ernie Miranda, Nikahli Garcia, Daniel Davis and Ben Leota collected eight, seven, four and three tackles, respectively.

Smith had one tackle, one interception and one pass deflection.

Nathaniel Macias had one tackle and one fumble recovery.

Ceres High never recovered after falling behind 18-3 in the opening half.

The Bulldogs also played shorthanded against the Mustangs as linebacker/fullback David Diaz Deleon, lineman Zion Rochell and tight end/linebacker Carson Ulrich were sidelined with injuries. 

“We didn’t have a whole lot of depth to begin with,” Johnson said.

Ceres High fell short of its goal this season.

The Bulldogs were vying for their third straight playoff berth.

Ceres High remained in the hunt despite competing with a new-look roster.

The Bulldogs lost a host of talent from last year’s team, which amassed an 8-3 record, finished second in the WAC (5-2) and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III playoffs.

“Obviously, it’s not where we wanted to be,” Johnson said. “The kids have worked really hard. They’ve battled each week. I’m proud of them.”

Ceres High will travel to Modesto this Friday to face fourth-place Grace Davis (3-6, 3-3).

The WAC finale will be staged at Modesto’s Gregori High School.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs will try to snap a two-game losing streak during the final week of the regular season.

The Spartans will try to win their third consecutive game.

“We got to do a better job of being ready,” Johnson said. “Our motto this week is finish strong.”

Grace Davis is coached by former Central Valley High School standout quarterback Trevor Mew.

“Trevor’s got them playing really well,” Johnson said. “They have a quarterback that is fast and shifty. It will be a good test for us.”

Falcons 39, Hawks 29

Central Valley dropped its third straight Central California Conference game.

The Hawks fell 39-29 at Atwater on Senior Night Friday evening.

The setback eliminated Central Valley from playoff consideration.

“Overall, I’m proud of them for battling,” Hawks’ head coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “They did a good job competing all the way until the end.”

Central Valley (4-5, 2-3) remained in a tie for fourth place in the CCC with Golden Valley (5-4, 2-3).

The third-place Falcons (6-4, 4-2) didn’t lose any ground in the conference standings.

Hawk quarterback Darrius Jackson returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous three-and-a-half games with a right shoulder injury.

He completed 8 of 9 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.

He rushed for 77 yards on 15 carries.

“It felt good being back on the field with my boys,” Jackson said. “I was really excited. I didn’t feel any pain at all.”

“It made a big difference,” Goblirsch said. “He played well. He made some good throws in key moments.”

Jackson dislocated his right shoulder in a 10-0 win over El Capitan on Sept. 15.

He didn’t play against Buhach Colony, Golden Valley and Patterson.

“I was a little rusty at practice,” Jackson said. “I had to take extra reps. I was ready for the game. I did surprise myself.”

Jackson would have played against Patterson if the game wasn’t scheduled on Oct. 12.

He was cleared by his doctor on Oct. 13.

“I did little workouts to get back the strength in my shoulder and arm,” Jackson said.

Amir Drakeford gained 14 yards and scored two touchdowns on six carries.

“He’s a guy that can be a game-changer,” Goblirsch said.

Anthony Ramirez ran for 78 yards and one touchdown on six carries.

“We’ve found different ways to utilize him,” Goblirsch said. “He’s really dynamic with the ball in his hands.”

Joey Zuniga had a 70-yard touchdown reception.

Brian Rochin kicked a 27-yard field goal.

Josh Hale collected a career-high 15 tackles and one sack.

Pahulu Anitelea also set a career-high total in tackles with 15.

Isaac Garcia made 12 tackles.

Cesar Pimentel had 10 tackles.

The two teams combined for 56 points in the opening half.

Ahead by 10 points, Atwater extended its lead to 39-23 early in the third quarter.

The Hawks shut out the Falcons the rest of the game.

Zuniga’s 70-yard TD catch cut the deficit to 10 with 1:44 left to play.

“Defensively, we played really well in the second half,” Goblirsch said. 

“Offensively, we had opportunities,” he added. “We couldn’t capitalize on them.”

The Hawks won four straight games before dropping three in a row.

Central Valley has competed shorthanded most of the year.

Starting quarterback Mario Gonzalez suffered a season-ending injury for the second year in a row. He missed his fifth straight game on Friday.

Joshua Ludwig (knee) was sidelined for the sixth week in a row.

Previously-injured Darrius Jackson was a welcomed addition to the starting lineup last week.

“They’ve responded well to adversity this year,” Goblirsch said. “They’ve been open to do what’s best for the team. As a coach, we’re proud of how they’ve been able to handle the season.”

“My team has really stepped up this year,” Jackson added

Central Valley will play host to first-place Merced (6-3, 5-0) on Senior Night at CUSD Stadium this Friday.

Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.