Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s junior-varsity girls basketball teams faced off during the final week of the season.

The shorthanded Bulldogs held on for a 22-18 home victory while battling the upset-minded Hawks in front of a large crowd on Feb. 13 at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.

“We had a really good lead and all of a sudden Central Valley was back in the game,” Ceres High head coach Nikole Ferrel said. “We found a way to close it out and get the win.”

The Bulldogs compiled a 13-13 overall and tied for third place with Livingston in the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 9-5 mark this winter.

The Hawks finished 10-16 on the season and fifth in the WAC with a 5-9 mark.

“We had a very young team this year,” Ferrel said. “Three of the four freshmen I pulled up were starters. We only had one returner from last year’s JV team. Our focus was development. They improved so much. They started figuring things out and getting confident. From freshmen to JV, it’s a faster game.”

Haley Clark led Ceres High in scoring with a season-high 10 points versus Central Valley.

Jackie Gonzales and Adalena Luna both added four points.

Alyssa Arbaugh and Kami Terry each had two points.

Mia Muniz led Central Valley in scoring with nine points.

Emily Carranza added four points.

Valeria Lopez and Kassandra Zamora both tallied two points.

Alexandra Arellanes had one point.

Camila Sims, Ceres High’s leading scorer, missed the crosstown game due to illness.

She averaged 17.8 points per game during the season.

“I thought the other girls would be nervous,” Ferrel said. “They were confident. Everybody stepped up and did their part. Everyone contributed, offensively and defensively.”

The Bulldogs notched their third win against the Hawks.

Ceres High defended its home court.

“There’s a little extra pressure when you’re playing at home and want to do well,” Ferrel said. 

The Bulldogs escaped with a 37-31 win over the Hawks during the second meeting on Jan. 23.

Ceres High won the first matchup, 47-31, on Dec. 21.

Central Valley showed improvement versus Ceres High.

“For the girls, it’s a competition,” Ferrel said. “It’s a crosstown game. I just want them to play their best every game.”

Ferrel had a blast coaching the 2024-25 Bulldogs.

“I wish I had the girls for a couple more weeks,” she said. “This is the kindest, incredible group of kids I’ve had. I went through a lot this season. They were very supportive.”

Dima Ferrel, Nikole’s mother, passed away at the age of 66 in January following a year-and-a-half battle with cancer.