Expectations remain high for Ceres High School’s football team heading into the 2023 season despite being hit hard by graduation.
The Bulldogs made program history last fall.
Ceres High compiled an 8-3 overall record and tied for second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings (5-2).
Just three teams from Ceres High have won eight or more games in the past 37 years.
The Bulldogs annexed their first winning season since 2003 and secured their second straight playoff berth.
Ceres High ended 16 years of postseason futility in 2021.
“Every year is a new challenge, a new puzzle you get to put together,” Bulldogs’ head coach Brett Johnson said. “I’m excited. We’re going to look different. I don’t see it as rebuilding. I’ve never liked that term. I see it as a new year.”
Ceres High’s top returning players are Reis Smith (Jr., DB/WR), Manuel Mendoza (Sr., WR/DB), Ernie Miranda (Sr., RB/DL), Elias Carrera (Jr., OL/DL), Nikahli Garcia (Jr., DE/OL), Brayden Clark (Sr., QB/LB), Donovan Osuna (Sr., QB/DB), David Diaz DeLeon (Sr., RB/LB) and Jacob McAfee (Sr., OL/DL).
Smith, Mendoza, Miranda, Carrera and Garcia all started last season.
Smith earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors on defense. He had 40 tackles, three interceptions and nine pass deflections.
Mendoza caught 15 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns.
Miranda rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries.
He had 22 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Garcia had 34 tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble.
Carrera had three tackles.
Osuna had 30 tackles, three interceptions, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Osuna and Clark will platoon at quarterback to start the season.
Ceres High’s top newcomers are Kyle Phongsa (Jr. QB/DB), Isaac Vizcarra (Jr., RB/LB), Michael Solis (Jr., FB/LB), Tremond Karriem (Jr., WR/DB), Daniel Davis (Jr., TE/LB), Jaiden Boss (Jr., WR) and Vincent Castrejon (Jr., WR/DB).
Phongsa, Vizcarra, Solis, Karriem, Davis, Boss and Castrejon helped lead the JV Bulldogs to a 7-2-1 overall record and second-place finish in the WAC (5-1-1) this past fall.
Phongsa completed 77 of 147 passes for 1,256 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Vizcarra rushed for 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns on 140 carries. He also caught 22 passes for 390 yards and six TDs. Vizcarra had 62 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble on defense.
Solis rushed for 250 yards and scored five touchdowns on 51 carries. He had 90 tackles, seven forced fumbles, four pass deflections, 31/2 sacks and one interception.
Karriem caught 11 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He had 42 tackles, five pass deflections, 21/2 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception.
Davis hauled in six passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He had 25 tackles, two sacks, one interception and one pass deflection.
Boss totaled 175 yards on 16 receptions.
Castrejon had 22 tackles, eight pass deflections, one interception and one fumble recovery.
“There’s a lot of pride in representing your school and city,” Johnson said. “These kids take it seriously. With the whole senior group gone from last year, they’re trying to find their own voices.”
Ceres High lost 28 players to graduation, including all-Western Athletic Conference selections Tarrell Lee-Gill, Faiva Tuakalau, Jeremiah Diaz, Nicholas Vieyra, Landyn Hudson, Daniel Baker, Lebron Stallworth, Kahmi Smith and Ricky Stanley.
“It was a special group,” Johnson said. “This is a special group as well. They’re just different.”
The Bulldogs will play a total of 10 games during the 2023 regular season.
Ceres High will battle Hughson (8/18), Delhi (8/25) and Central Valley (9/1) in non-conference play.
The Bulldogs snapped a seven-year losing streak versus the crosstown-rival Hawks in 2022. Ceres High claimed the Ceres Classic perpetual trophy with a thrilling 21-20 win over Central Valley.
Ceres High will face Lathrop (9/15), Beyer (9/22), Johansen (9/29), Pacheco (10/6), Los Banos (10/13), Mountain House (10/20) and Grace Davis (10/27) in WAC play.
“Last year’s philosophy carried over to this year,” Johnson said. “Win the day. We want to get better and establish an identity.”
“I’m sure there are going to be doubters everywhere,” he added. “But I don’t really care about that. I don’t coach for them. I love my players. That’s why I’m still here.”
Ceres High will play host to Hughson this Friday at 7 p.m.
The Huskies posted a 13-2 overall record, claimed the CIF Division 5-AA state championship and captured the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-6 crown a year ago.
“You always want to gauge yourself against good competition,” Johnson said.
