Ceres High’s football team dominated every aspect during last week’s victory against Pacheco.
Central Valley had its four-game winning streak snapped by Golden Valley.
The Bulldogs shut out the Panthers 34-0 in Western Athletic Conference play Friday evening in Los Banos.
Ceres High bounced back following its 10-3 loss to first-place Johansen.
“The intensity at practice was up all week,” Bulldogs’ senior receiver Manny Mendoza said. “We had a really good mentality. People were locked in and focused.”
“We wanted to make a statement, especially after the Johansen game,” Ceres High running back/defensive end Ernie Miranda stated. “It (losing) was motivation.”
The Bulldogs improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the WAC standings.
Pacheco dropped to 1-6 and 0-4.
“I had high expectations coming into this year,” Miranda said. “We’re still doing well. We have to win the rest of our games to have a shot at playoffs.”
Ceres High used a balanced attack on offense versus Pacheco.
The Bulldogs had a season-high 331 yards.
Donovan Osuna threw for 176 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
He completed 72 percent (13 of 18) of his pass attempts.
He set career-high marks in completions and yards.
Mendoza hauled in eight passes for 84 yards and one touchdown.
Reis Smith totaled 34 yards and one touchdown on two receptions.
Chris King added 58 yards on three catches.
Ceres High piled up 155 yards on the ground.
Isaac Vizcarra gained 80 yards and scored one touchdown on 15 carries.
Ernie Miranda carried the ball three times for 30 yards and one touchdown.
Isaiah Cardona rushed for 41 yards on seven carries
Miranda returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown on defense.
He also had one tackle and one pass deflection.
Nathaniel Macias had one interception and one pass deflection.
Anies Preciado had one sack.
Junior Manny Mendoza had five tackles, one pass deflection and half a sack.
Daniel Davis had four tackles and one fumble recovery
Nikahli Garcia had three tackles and half a sack.
Ceres High has surrendered a combined 10 points in its last three games.
“Our defense never lets up,” senior Manny Mendoza stated. “They fly to the ball. They play to the whistle.”
The Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start en route to blowing out the Panthers.
Ceres High held a slim 8-0 lead at halftime.
The Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 26-0 the rest of the way.
“We weren’t satisfied,” Mendoza said. “We wanted to put up more points on the board. We cleaned up our mistakes. We were a little more focused.”
Ceres High will play host to first-place Los Banos (6-1, 4-0) on Senior Night this Friday at CUSD Stadium.
Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
Golden Valley 23, Central Valley 14
Central Valley lost 23-14 to Golden Valley in Central California Conference play Friday evening in Merced.
“I’m proud of how they competed,” head coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “They never made excuses. This is who we are right now.”
The injury-ravaged Hawks dropped to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the CCC standings.
The Cougars improved to 5-2 and 2-1.
Central Valley managed to challenge Golden Valley despite competing shorthanded.
Starting quarterback Mario Gonzalez (knee), backup QB Darrius Jackson (shoulder) and lineman Joshua Ludwig (knee) were sidelined with injuries.
Running back Joey Zuniga (neck) exited the game in the second quarter.
“Adversity has been thrown at us in all directions,” Goblirsch said. “And they’ve handled it well. We don’t have one guy stand out every game. It’s a full, team effort.”
Central Valley receiver Anthony Ramirez caught three passes for 123 yards and one touchdown versus Golden Valley.
Receiver Jared Zavala had a 62-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.
Amir Drakeford scored one rushing TD.
Cesar Pimentel collected a team-high 14 tackles on defense.
The two teams battled to a 7-7 tie in the opening half.
The Hawks led 14-9 at the end of the third quarter.
Golden Valley outscored Central Valley 14-0 in the final period.
“We had a chance to win the game,” Goblirsch said. “We had a couple letdowns in the fourth quarter and it cost us big time. They capitalized on our mistakes.”
Central Valley will play host to Patterson (6-1, 2-1) this Thursday at CUSD Stadium. Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
“They’re good,” Goblirsch said. “They’re athletic. They’re big. They’re well-coached.”
