Ceres High’s boys basketball team battled Beyer and Lathrop during the opening week of Western Athletic Conference play.

The youth-laden Bulldogs improved to 9-6 overall and 2-0 in the WAC standings after besting Beyer 69-65 in overtime Friday evening in Modesto.

“We’ve never beat them on their home court since I started coaching here,” said T.J. Walker Jr., Ceres High’s leader since 2017-18. “The majority of our kids don’t know the history of Beyer in our league. Beyer’s been a historic program in this area. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Bulldog Manny Ortega poured in a career-high 39 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds against the Patriots.

He missed his four shots attempts of the game.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Walker said while talking about Ortega’s dominant performance. “He was consistent with his shot selection. He was aggressive. He carried us. When he finds rim, he finds it often.”

Gilbert Nuno added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Carey Mastin tallied seven points, nine assists, two rebounds and one steal.

Gurman Dhaliwal had three points, six rebounds and three assists.

Ceres High forced overtime with 5.5 seconds left in regulation.

Nuno scored inside off a pass from Mastin.

Ceres High managed to beat Beyer despite trailing by as much as 15 points in the second quarter.

“We hit big shots and got stops."

Ceres High’s last victory against Beyer came during the 2021-22 season. The Bulldogs prevailed, 58-57.

The Patriots won the last three meetings.

Walker and Beyer head Coach Kyle McKim exchanged friendly-banter text messages the night before last week’s game.

“When I became a head coach in this area, I knew what he was doing,” Walker said. “He’s one of the best coaches in this area. He gets the best out of his team no matter who he has.”

Ceres High edged Lathrop 75-72 in double overtime on Wednesday at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs didn’t underestimate the Spartans, who had a 2-10 overall record heading into the game.

“I’m not surprised,” Walker said while talking about the competitiveness of the contest. “I watched video. I saw who they played all season. They got some big boys. Their guards are solid. They take care of the ball. They’re well-coached.”

Ortega led the Bulldogs with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Nuno collected 19 points, 14 rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Mastin had 19 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.

AJ Brown had eight points, nine rebounds and two steals.

Lathrop stormed back from a 14-point deficit during the second half.

The Bulldogs trailed by seven points with two minutes remaining in the game.

“This group doesn’t stop playing."