Ceres High’s boys soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games last week.
The Bulldogs collected one win and one tie.
First-place Ceres High improved to 13-5-1 on the season and 10-1-1 in Western Athletic Conference play.
Ceres High cruised to an 8-0 win over Los Banos on Senior Night at CUSD Stadium on Friday.
Upperclassmen Luis Alvarez, Isaac Arana, Nathan Barajas, Serjio Gonzalez, Antonio Medina, Eduardo Ramirez, Eduardo Savala, Noah Trevino, Jesse Villalobos and Noah Zamora were recognized during their final regular-season home game.
“I switched my lineup just for them,” head coach Gilbert Zamora Jr. said. “They all got to start. They pretty much played most of the first half. They did really well.”
Arana led the Bulldogs with three goals and two assists.
Ramirez had two goals.
Gonzalez had one goal and one assist.
Medina and Luis Flores both had one goal.
Zamora had one assist.
Villalobos made six saves.
Ceres High outscored Los Banos 6-0 during the first half.
Ceres High clinched the WAC title with a 3-3 tie against host Pacheco on Wednesday.
“That was our goal,” Zamora Jr. said.
The Bulldogs defeated the Panthers 4-1 on Dec. 17 in Ceres.
“They play better at home,” Zamora Jr. said. “They’re so aggressive.”
Ceres High battled back from a 2-0 deficit.
Ahead 3-2, the Bulldogs allowed the game-tying goal with 10 minutes to play.
“It was an up and down game,” Zamora Jr. said.
Gilbert Zamora III led the Bulldogs with two goals.
Arana had one goal.
Gonzalez and Daniel Cardenas both had one assist.
Villalobos and Savala made four and two saves, respectively, while splitting playing time at goalkeeper.
The Bulldogs won their second straight league title. Ceres High placed first in the WAC South Division standings last year.
“I have a lot of talented players that can play different positions,” Zamora Jr. said. They’re very coachable. That’s helped so much. My biggest fear was not knowing if they’d play together as a team.”
Ceres High will travel to Modesto today to play Grace Davis. The game will begin at 3 p.m.
Hawks win pair of games
Central Valley’s boys soccer team continued its scoring barrage against Central California Conference opponents this past week.
The Hawks tallied a combined nine goals on their way to posting victories against Buhach Colony and Atwater.
Central Valley improved to 15-5-2 overall and remained in second place in the CCC standings (8-2-0).
The Hawks went 6-8-2 and finished third in the Western Athletic Conference South Division (4-5-1) last season.
“I’m really happy with the turnaround from last year,” second-year leader Horatio Garcia, said. “They’re playing at a really high level. It’s not always the same guy scoring. Everyone is contributing. There’s still a lot of room to improve.”
Central Valley shut out Buhach Colony 4-0 on Friday in Ceres.
Four different players scored for the Hawks, including Alex Bautista, Alexis Cervantes, Heriberto Paz and Alberto Sarabia.
Central Valley topped host Atwater 5-2 on Wednesday.
Isaiah Castillo and Fernando Cano both scored a team-high two goals.
Cervantes added one goal.
“Last year, we depended on one player to score,” Garcia said. “The attacking power we have this season is impressive. Anyone from the top line can score. That takes pressure off our striker (Cano).”
