Ceres High’s inaugural girls flag football team fell one win short of advancing to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I championship game.
The sixth-seeded Bulldogs lost 20-14 to the second-seeded Del Oro Golden Eagles in the semifinals on Nov. 1 in Loomis.
The setback snapped Ceres High’s 14-game winning streak.
“It was a dogfight,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Curtis Hulstine. “We played pretty well. Del Oro has a really good team. The loss doesn’t erase all the great things we’ve done this year. The girls have embedded themselves into Ceres High history.”
“We made history. Nobody expected us to be in the semifinals. We made a statement.”Marissa Renteria
“It’s a step forward in the right direction for Ceres High sports,” Bulldogs’ standout quarterback/defensive back Marissa Renteria said. “We made history. Nobody expected us to be in the semifinals. We made a statement.”
Ceres High compiled an 18-3 overall record.
The Bulldogs claimed the Western Athletic Conference title with a perfect 7-0 mark.
Del Oro edged top-seeded/previously-unbeaten Woodcreek 14-12 for the section crown on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles amassed a 21-2 overall record and finished in first place in the Sierra Foothill League (12-0).
Del Oro won its final 18 games.
“We had a great season,” Hulstine said. “The girls blew all of my expectations out of the water. I can’t believe the success this team had. It’s truly amazing.”
Ceres High competed shorthanded against Del Oro as starters Savannah Leifried, Maria Bravo and Nehemiah Valenzuela were sidelined due to other commitments.
“I have to applaud the girls,” Hulstine said. “Even though we were missing three key players, they stayed resilient. They communicated well. They played their hearts out.”
Renteria passed for 96 yards and one touchdown, rushed for 38 yards and hauled in a 35-yard TD pass.
Maddie Schultz threw for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Alyssa Santillanes had a 6-yard TD catch.
“We didn’t execute as well as we wanted,” Renteria said. “We were missing a couple of our key players. We tried our best. They had a good zone defense.”
Del Oro accounted for the game’s first two touchdowns.
“The girls were not shaken,” said Hulstine, whose team trailed 13-8 at halftime. “They know what they’re made of. They weren’t out of the game. There were 20 minutes left.”
Del Oro running back Chloe Champas’ second-half touchdown proved to be the difference in the game.
She was awarded a rushing TD even though the play should have been whistled dead at midfield according to Hulstine.
Bulldog Hailey Tsurui pulled Champas’ flag.
“The girls flag was on the ground,” Hulstine said. “You can see it on film.”
“Flag checks are supposed to be conducted after every score,” he added. “It’s a rule. They let the TD stand. They didn’t discuss it. They completely ignored me. If you erase that score, we win 14-13. It’s frustrating. I already submitted a complaint. It’s not going to go anywhere.”
