Central Valley High School won league titles in football and baseball under head coach Derrick Goblirsch’s direction during the 2020-21 academic year.

“It’s definitely special,” Goblirsch said. “The players and other coaches deserve all the credit. They made it happen.”

“Such a high percentage of kids showed up every day,” he added. “That just shows the commitment they made. They did what’s best for the team. I’m just so happy for them. To see them achieve their goals was amazing to watch and be a part of.”

“Awesome memories with my coaches and teammates,” Central Valley senior Angel Vega said. “I made really close friendships. I appreciate every moment.”

 “We had good outcomes because of team chemistry, discipline and the push the coaches gave us,” Hawk senior Isaiah Hidalgo said. “We played for each other. There was no me or I. It was us and we.”

Central Valley’s football team made program history by completing its first undefeated season and capturing its second conference championship.

“Being my first year, it was a little more stressful,” said Goblirsch, who was named Scott Edwards’ successor following the 2019 season. “Edwards was a great mentor for me. I learned a lot from him.”

The Hawks went 5-0 and placed first with a 4-0 mark in the Western Athletic Conference South Division standings.

Hidalgo, Vega, Favian Lopez, Alexis Becerra and Roberto Tiscareno led the way.

Hidalgo was voted the conference’s Most Valuable Player.

A three-year varsity player, Hidalgo contributed at quarterback during his final season.

He starred at running back as a junior and sophomore.

He rushed for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns on 134 carries.

He passed for 189 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

He caught two passes for 52 yards. 

Central Valley’s defense allowed just 10.2 points per game thanks in large part to the play of WAC South First-Team honorees Lopez, Becerra, Tiscareno and Vega.

Lopez, a senior defensive lineman, had 20 tackles, two sacks and a team-high four fumble recoveries on the season.

Becerra, a junior linebacker, tallied a team-high 31 tackles.

Vega, a senior safety, and Tiscareno, a junior cornerback, tied for first on the team with three interceptions apiece.

Vega had 20 tackles and one sack. He also returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown.

Tiscareno had 14 tackles and four pass deflections.

Central Valley notched victories against Pacheco (28-6), Los Banos (13-12), Ceres High (36-14), Johansen (42-6) and Mountain House (34-13).

“Being the only undefeated team (in program history) is amazing,” Hidalgo said. “Every high school team wants to experience that. It’s a blessing. God is good.”

“It feels good reaching that point,” Vega stated. “Every team wants to dominate. We worked hard at practice. We put in work when no coaches were around.”

“We were all on the same page,” Hidalgo added. “There was no stopping us.”

Central Valley’s baseball team claimed its first-ever conference championship and amassed a 14-4 overall record.

The Hawks won eight of nine games against WAC South competition.

“Nobody went to Senior Ditch Day,” Vega said. “That shows the dedication this team had. Everybody showed up to practice ready to work.”

“Most of us have played baseball together our whole lives,” Hidalgo said. “We had a bond. It was strong.”

Central Valley was led by all-league selections Vega, Gabrial Lopez, Samuel Wilson and Sergio Solis.

Lopez made program history by becoming just the second baseball player from Central Valley to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

The junior pitcher posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 0.60 earned-run average, one no-hitter, three shutouts, six complete games, 84 strikeouts and 18 walks.

“Gabrial gave us a good chance to win every time he pitched,” Goblirsch said. “His impact on the team was 

Wilson, Solis and Vega all garnered first-team recognition.

Wilson, a junior catcher/outfielder, batted .449 on the year with one triple, six doubles, 10 RBIs and 11 runs.

He had on-base, slugging, on-base plus slugging and fielding percentages of .534, .612, 1.146 and .989.

Wilson committed just one error on defense.

Solis, a senior catcher/third baseman, batted .404 with one triple, four doubles, 16 RBIs, 14 runs and three stolen bases.

He had on-base, slugging, on-base plus slugging and fielding percentages of .477, .508, .986 and .980, respectively.

Solis made just two errors.

Vega, a senior outfielder, batted .357 with one triple, three doubles, six RBIs, 18 runs and five stolen bases.

He had on-base, slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages of .585, .476 and 1.061.

Vega was hit by a pitch a team-high 11 times.

Vega, Hidalgo and sophomore Felix Arellano played baseball and football.

Goblirsch coached Vega and Hidalgo for multiple seasons.

“I was able to build a good relationship with Goblirsch,” Vega said. “He’s a cool dude when you get to know him. He’s an amazing coach. He knows how to put his players in the right place to make plays. He’s really hard on us because he wants the best for us.”

“Goblirsch is a very competitive guy,” Hidalgo said. “But he doesn’t speak much. He’s very observant. He’s a disciplinarian. If you mess up, he expects you to fix it. The last thing you want to see is Goblirsch mad.”

“I’m definitely laid back,” Goblirsch said while describing his coaching style. “I don’t yell and scream. I’m not going to micromanage. I do expect the guys to do their job. If not, they’re going to hear from me.”