The Central Valley and Ceres High men’s and women’s football programs begin this week in the second half of the 2022-23 season.
The Central Valley men’s team amassed a 9-1-4 record in the preseason, winning one of two games in the first week of Central California Conference play.
Head coach Horatio Garcia said: “We had very high expectations at the beginning of the season. showed”
The Hawks’ 12-game unbeaten streak ended with a 2–1 loss to hosts Vista del Lago on December 17.
Central Valley defeated their first seven opponents.
“Honestly, every player has contributed a lot to the team,” Garcia said. “Our backup player has stepped up.”
The Hawks are Ceres High (5-0), Livingston (2-1), Gregory (2-1), Tokaj (2-0), Riverbank (3-0), Central of Fresno (2-1) and Clovis West. (4-1), East Union (3-2), El Capitan (3-1).
Central Valley drew with Livingstone (1-1), Turlock (0-0), Pitman (0-0) and Modesto High (2-2).
“We are a possession-based team,” Garcia said. “We don’t play long balls. We have dangerous strikers who can score at any time. Defensively, we are very aggressive.”
The Ceres High School boys team went 2-5-1 in non-league play and 1-2-1 in Western Athletic Conference competition.
“I’ve been watching movies,” said assistant coach Ozzy Ramos. “Their growth from day one when we started was amazing. They are all open to learning. The style we try to play is not easy. They are all open minded I am doing a very good job of it.”
“It’s realistic to make the playoffs,” he added. “For the rest of the season, we will treat every game with respect and treat it like a playoff game.”
The Bulldogs secured victories over Orestimba (2-1), Hilmar (5-0) and Johansen (5-0).
Ceres High beat Central Valley (5-0), Patterson (2-0), Livingston (2-1), Central of Fresno (5-0), Weston Ranch (4-1) and Lathrop (4-1). Lost to Bayer (2-1).
The Bulldogs tied Beyer (1-1) and Pacheco (0-0).
“The players played great against Pacheco,” said Ramos. “I thought they deserved better.”
The Ceres High women’s team finished the preseason with a 1-2-0 record, recording 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw in WAC action.
Head coach Hannah Menck said, “I like where we are now. We’re doing a better job of communicating. We’ve had fewer injuries (compared to last year). Our players are stronger.” rice field”
The Bulldogs defeated Orestimba (3-0), Pacheco (6-0), Mountain House (4-3) and Johansen (6-0).
“We’re making good progress,” said Menk. “But we haven’t seen all the[league]teams yet. We have Los Banos and Grace Davis left. Hopefully we can beat the rest of our opponents.”
“I trust my defense 100%,” she added. “They[Avi Prado and Jesse Blevins]make it difficult for people to get past them. We cannot rely on our defenses.
Ceres High extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a shutout victory over hosts Johansen on December 14.
The Bulldogs used a 4-3-3 formation during their recent success.
Ceres High School’s front line consists of 1 striker and 2 wings.
“We found a formation that suited our strengths,” said Menk. “We needed another person at the top to finish. Another thing that helped us was that we were able to practice more.”
The Central Valley women’s team went 6-3-1 in preseason action, dropping their first two conference matches.
Head coach Miguel Larinaga said, “We have a team that works well. “They are very committed. They want to do well this year. Our goal is to make the playoffs. To compete in the league, we need to get better.”
The Hawks edged Downey (2-1), Ceres High (4-1), Modesto High (4-0), Lathrop (4-0), Hewson (11-1) and Hilmer (3-1). .
Central Valley lost to Pittman (5-1), Enokus (2-1), Manteca (2-0), Golden Valley (1-0) and El Capitan (3-1).
The Hawks tied the Central Catholics (1-1).
Central Valley outscored their opponents 32-18.
The Hawks allowed only four goals in six wins. Central Valley he recorded two shutouts.
“We’ve created a lot of chances,” Larranaga said. “Several girls are stepping up and scoring goals.”