The much-anticipated showdown between Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s girls flag football teams took place at the end of last month.

The Bulldogs improved their all-time, head-to-head record versus the Hawks to 3-0 with a 36-12 victory on Sept. 30 at Central Valley.

“The girls always turn it up when they play CV,” Ceres High head coach Curtis Hulstine said. “They really want to win. The competition makes it fun.”

“I wasn’t too thrilled with the outcome of the game,” Hawks’ leader Tony Cordova said. “We should have played better. A lot of the girls were super nervous. You could see it in their faces. It’s Ceres. It’s important to them. They got to learn how to deal with that type of pressure and environment.”

The Bulldogs moved to 8-6 overall and 5-2 in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

Central Valley dropped to 4-10 and 3-4.

“We showcased the talent we have,” Hulstine said. “We have great athletes. We’re not a one-trick pony.”

“This team is only going to get better,” Cordova stated. “The future is bright at CV.”

Ceres High quarterback Maddie Schultz had five passing touchdowns.

Sovannary Carter, Mariah Renteria, Alyssa Santillanes, Lily Staggs and Nehemiah Valenzuela all had one receiving TD.

“She spread the ball around really well,” Hulstine said.

Safety Savannah Leifried led the Bulldogs’ defense with three interceptions.

She returned to the lineup after missing several games due to another commitment.

Leifried attended the United States Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team Training Camp, held Sept. 22-28 in Georgia.

“She played great,” Hulstine said.

“Our defense has done a great job all year,” he added.

Central Valley freshman quarterback Addisyn Prudhel completed 19 of 23 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“She did a fantastic job,” Cordova said. “The moment wasn’t too big for her. She wasn’t scared. She’s only going to get better from here.”

Freshman Ayleen Apreza caught seven passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. She also had a rushing TD.

Jocelyn Rivera totaled 46 yards on three receptions.

The Bulldogs mustered just 31 yards on the ground.

“They knew what was coming,” Cordova said. “They might have seen some film on us.”

The Hawks kept the game close earlier in the first half.

Central Valley trailed by just one score, 14-6, before Ceres High took control.

The Bulldogs ended the first half with a scoring drive and tallied a touchdown to start the second half.

“The girls really wanted to win,” Hulstine said. “It showed. We started hot and stayed hot. There was good, all-round communication. They were able to click. 

“We were in the red zone several times and couldn’t put it in,” Cordova said. “Little mistakes cost us. If we’re firing on all cylinders, we can possibly take the second game from them. We need to strategize a little different. We got to perform better.”

The Bulldogs and Hawks will battle for the fourth time since both high schools fielded girls flag football teams in 2023 on Oct. 23 at Ceres High.

Kickoff slated for 6 p.m.

“It’s pretty exciting when you get to play that school,” Cordova said. “Everybody knows each other. They’re definitely beatable. I think we’ll have a good chance at getting them during our season finale. We have to be flawless.”

“It’s always competitive when you play against your crosstown rival,” Hulstine stated. “They got a ton of girls. They’re going to get better and so are we.”