Ceres High’s boys water polo program had to compete shorthanded this past week.

Goalkeeper Jeremy Kier was sidelined with shoulder and knee injuries.

Two other players missed a pair of the Bulldogs’ matches due to COVID contact-tracing protocols.

“We’re trying our best,” head coach Stephen Dias said. “There’s nothing more we can do. When you don’t have subs, you’re going to tire out.”

“Our boys competed,” he added. “The other teams were stronger.”

Sixth-place Ceres High dropped to 1-5 in the Western Athletic Conference after losing 23-13 at fourth-place Mountain House on Sept. 29.

The Mustangs improved to 3-3 in the WAC standings.

Kier suffered a non-sports related knee injury the day before the match.

“It would have been a closer game if he played,” Dias said. “I don’t know if we would have pulled it out.”

Nicholas Campbell led the Bulldogs in scoring with six goals.

Cayden Jantz totaled four goals.

Mackay Cannella and Mateo Gonzalez each had one goal.

Ceres High lost 18-6 at Los Banos on Sept. 27.

The Tigers (5-1) have the second-best team in the WAC.

Campbell tallied a team-high four goals.

Jantz and Jaden Joy chipped in with one goal apiece.

Kier re-aggravated a shoulder injury and didn’t play in the second half.

 “We still would have lost if he played but not by as much,” Dias said. “I honestly don’t know if he’s coming back. We need to find out what our strengths are and capitalize on those. Strategically, there’s not much we can do different. We can move players around. Ultimately, they’re going to get tired. We don’t have subs. At this point, we’ll hope for the best.”

CHS girls secure split

Ceres High’s girls water polo program moved into a tie for third place in Western Athletic Conference standings with Los Banos this past week after winning one of its two matches.

The top three teams from the WAC qualify for the postseason at the end of the year.

“We still have a shot at playoffs,” Dias said. “For us, getting there is a battle.”

The Bulldogs improved to 4-2 in league play following their 18-6 blowout of host Mountain House on Sept. 29.

The Mustangs (2-4) dropped to fourth place.

“It started out close,” Dias said. “Once they tired out, we took control.”

Elise Cannella tallied six goals for Ceres High.

Andrea Contreras and Lillian Blevins both scored three goals.

Amberlin Hopwood had two goals.

Emily Parker added one goal.

Host Los Banos cruised to an 18-6 win over Ceres High on Sept. 27.

“We have a lot of new girls that have never played there,” Dias said. “They weren’t used to their pool. There’s no shallow end. The pool is really big. The cages are smaller. That’s an advantage. I honestly think we can beat Los Banos in our pool.”

Just two Bulldog players scored against the Tigers, including Cannella and Karen Bernal.

Cannella led Ceres High with four goals.

Bernal added three goals.

 “We could have played better as a team,” Dias said.

GIRLS TENNIS

Central Valley’s girls tennis team is still searching for its first win in league play.

The Hawks dropped to 0-8 in the Central California Conference standings after losing 9-0 at Patterson on Thursday.

Jessica Saini lost 6-4, 6-0 to Carolina Herrera in No. 1 singles play.

Harman Kaur lost 6-4, 6-0 to Shantell Nzoule in No. 2 singles play.

Malina Keomuangchanh lost 6-1, 6-1 to Evelyn Mata in No. 3 singles play.

Lesly Rivas lost 6-0, 6-0 to Leanna Nzoule in No. 4 singles play.

Navreet Pattar lost 6-1, 6-0 to Krystal Galvez in No. 5 singles play.

Samantha Perez lost 6-1, 6-3 to Yasmin Lewis in No. 6 singles play.

Leslie Bobadilla and Kaitlyn Teng lost 7-5, 6-0 to Hannah Carter and Kaelyn Tongson in No. 1 doubles play.

Rinah Dulay and Alondra Robles lost 6-1, 6-3 to Joyce Mulumba and Mayra Triana in No. 2 doubles play.

Lizeth Cazarez and Marlene Jaquez lost 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9 to Evelyn Michel and Isabella Clauzel in No. 3 doubles play.

Central Valley fell 8-1 at Merced on Sept. 21.

Angie Medrano prevented the Hawks from getting shut out.

She won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.

Saini lost 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.

Kaur lost 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.

Keomuangchanh lost 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

Alika Victorino lost 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5 singles.

Rivas lost 6-4, 6-2 to Angel Chang at No. 6 singles.

Pattar and Dulay lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.

Bobadilla and Teng lost 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.

Perez and Robles lost 7-6, 6-4 at No. 3 doubles.

Ceres High’s girls tennis team dropped to 1-5 in Western Athletic Conference play this past week after losing a pair of matches during the week of Sept. 20-24.

The Bulldogs suffered a 9-0 loss while competing against the Mountain House Mustangs on Sept. 23 in Ceres.

Valerie Raya lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Gurleen Kaur lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Melissa Villegas lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.

Kensy Gallardo lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles.

Alexa Sandoval lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

Camila Orellana lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.

Isabella Gutierrez and Yasmin Pinedo lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.

Zainab Nzar and Lilia Barragan lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

Jocelin Lopez and Andrea Rodriguez lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 doubles.

Ceres High fell 9-0 at Los Banos on Sept. 21.

Gurmannet Bahia lost 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.

Payton Ogden lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Gurleen Kaur lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.

Jelanie Esguerra lost 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.

Villegas lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

Gallardo lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.

Orellano and Alexa Sandoval lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.

Gutierrez and Jasmeenjot Kaur lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

Pinedo and Nazir lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 doubles.

GIRLS GOLF

Central Valley’s girls golf program dropped a pair of CCC matches by forfeit this past week.

The Hawks were unable to post scores due to thin lineups.

A total of five players are needed to compete as a team.

“We have more than four,” head coach Kelly Wheelock said while talking about the size of Central Valley’s roster. “Some of the girls don’t want to miss AP classes. You don’t force them to be out there.”

Kaylee Almanza, Lina Bernal, Lucia Bernal and Kalaieda Bernal posted individual scores against Patterson on Sept. 27 at St. Stanislaus Golf Course.

Almanza led the Hawks with a 16-over-par 44. 

Lina, Lucia and Kalaieda shot 46, 50 and 52, respectively.

Lina Bernal fired a 19-over-par 47 against El Capitan on Sept. 30 at St. Stanislaus.

Lucia Bernal and Kalaieda Bernal finished with rounds of 52 and 58, respectively.

Ceres High’s girls golf program secured a split during a three-team WAC cluster meet this past week.

The Bulldogs won by forfeit against the Johansen Vikings and lost to the Beyer Patriots on Sept. 28 at Creekside Golf Course.

Ceres High posted a team score of 326.

The Patriots (290) topped the Bulldogs by 36 strokes.

The Vikings didn’t have enough players to compete as a team.

“Their fifth player didn’t show up,” Ceres High head coach Ron Edwards said.

Alysabeth Marquez led the Bulldogs with a 48.

Brooke Trio, Briana Tsurui, Allison Lewis and Hailey Tsurui shot 63, 68, 70 and 77, respectively.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Central Valley’s girls volleyball team lost 3-0 (25-14, 25-7, 25-12) to host Merced in CCC play on Thursday.

“We haven’t won a league game yet,” head coach Regina Selfridge said. “We are in a tough conference playing against powerful volleyball teams … We keep getting better each game and are working on skills that will help our program grow.”