Ceres High School Football Preview 2014

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014

The Ceres Courier

HIGH SCHOOLFOOTBALL PREVIEW2 0 1 4

C2 Ceres Football 2014Wednesday, August 27, 2014

2

Coral ready to leadBy DALE BUTLER

Sports Editor of the

C e r e s ( C a l i f . ) C o u r i e r

HEAD COACH Bret Duros-sette expects 6-foot-4 260-pound senior lineman Ramon Coral to have a breakout year with Ceres High School’s varsity football team.

“He’s going to be dominant,” Durossette said. “He’s academi-cally strong. He has the ability to play at the next level.”

Ramon will start at defensive end and tackle.

“As a senior, I have to take on a leadership role,” Coral said. “No one wanted to last year. I’m really focusing on my team. I’m trying to help out the coaches. As the season goes on, I’ll be more vocal. I’m getting better at it. We need everybody on the team to step up. You’re only as good as your weak-est player.”

Coral and fellow Bulldog line-man Adrian Torres (5-11, 232) feed off each other’s energy.

“We go head to head at practice to make ourselves better,” Ramon said.

Coral will also be the long snap-per for point-after kicks and punts.

“It’s tiring,” said Ramon, who tallied 46 tackles, recovered three fumbles and blocked two PATs last season. “But I want to be on the field at all times. I feel like I can make a difference. My football IQ is one of my best strengths. I want to be more productive than last year.”

Coral attended camps at UC Berkeley, San Jose State and Modesto Junior College during the offseason. “I learned a lot,” Coral said. “I’m going to use my wing-span to shed off blockers.”

“He was exceptional,” Duros-sette added. “He turned some heads.”

Ceres Highs hasn’t compiled a winning record or made the play-offs since 2004. “We’ve been 2-8 the last two years,” said Coral, who spent the ninth grade at crosstown-rival Central Valley. “You can’t give up when there are hard times. I take football very serious. I just love the game. I’m tired of losing. We’re tired of losing. We have a core group of seniors that have been playing since freshman year. We want to change the culture of Ceres High football.”

A two-way starter since his junior year, Coral welcomes the challenge of being a leader for the Bulldogs.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “Having the support of the coaches and players really boosts my con-fidence. We have a great group of guys. We all want to work hard. We all want to make a difference. We’re going to win games.”

“If he’s not an all-league player, I’ll be disappointed,” Durossette said. “He understands he has abil-ity. He works hard. He’s more vocal as a leader. He doesn’t want to lose. He’s a great kid.”

Coral would like to continue his football career at San Jose State.

Ramon has a cumulative GPA of 3.1. “I didn’t play basketball last year so I could focus on football,” Coral said. “This is my last year. I’m going to do my job the best I can. I want to play football for the rest of my life. I just got to get my name out there.”

• CHS senior a two-way standout

Ramon Coral has embraced taking on a leadership role with Ceres High School’s varsity football team. The 6-foot-4 260-pound senior will start

at defensive end and tackle. Coral, a honorable-metion Western Ath-letic Conference pick a season ago, tallied 46 tackles, recovered three

fumbles and blocked two point-after kicks in 2013.DALE BUTLER/ The Courier

‘We want to change the culture of

Ceres High football.’

–Bulldogs veteran lineman

Ramon Coral

C3Ceres Football 2014 Wednesday, August 27, 2014

3

NEW LOOK FOR WACBy DALE BUTLER



Central Valley and Ceres High School will no longer have to face Central Catho-lic, which moved from the Western Ath-letic Conference to the Valley Oak League as part of Sac-Joaquin Section approved realignment.

The Raiders won State, NorCal, Sac-Joaquin Section and WAC titles for the second straight year in 2013.

The Hawks and Bulldogs posted a com-bined record of 0-8 versus the Raiders in WAC play from 2010-13.

“Playing against Central Catholic was great,” Central Valley junior all-purpose player Moses Ghiorso said. “They should have stayed in our league. They’re a really good team. We challenged them last year. We had a chance to beat them this sea-son.”

Central Valley lost 43-34, 38-6, 34-20 and 28-7 to Central Catholic the previous four years.

The Hawks put up a fight in 2013 as senior running back Ja’Quan Gardner rushed for 330 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

Gardner’s 80-yard TD run cut the deficit to 35-34 with 42 seconds left in the third quarter.

Donovin Townsend’s 15-yard TD pass to a wide-open Matthew Teixeira and sub-sequent 2-point conversion run gave the Raiders a 43-34 lead at the 5:55 mark of the final period.

Central Catholic’s Jared Rice thwarted Central Valley’s comeback attempt with an interception at the Raiders’ 21-yard

line.The Raiders picked up three first downs

and ran the final 4 minutes, 46 seconds off the clock.

Central Valley racked up 469 yards of total offense but committed two turnovers.

“We didn’t go into the game scared,” said Ghiorso, whose team led 28-21 early in the third quarter. “We were motivated. Everybody wants to beat Central Catholic. We came close.”

Ceres High lost 56-12, 69-7, 49-8 and 47-0 to Central Catholic. The Raiders out-scored the Bulldogs, 221-27.

“Central Catholic has a great tradition in football,” Ceres High head coach Bret Durossette said. “Roger Canepa is one of the best coaches around, if not the best. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s got a great staff. He’s won everywhere he’s gone. They’ll be facing tougher compe-tition now. I’m glad they’re out of our league.”

Central Valley’s and Ceres High’s 2014 WAC schedules include games against Livingston, Patterson, Los Banos, Pacheco and varsity newcomer El Capitan.

The Hawks and Bulldogs placed fourth (3-3) and sixth (1-5), respectively, in the WAC standings last season.

Central Valley beat Ceres High (48-15), Los Banos (35-7) and Livingston (41-8). The Hawks lost to the Raiders, Patterson (28-25) and Pacheco (29-7).

Ceres High collected its lone league win against Livingston (42-20). The Bulldogs lost to the Raiders, Hawks, Patterson (38-8), Los Banos (52-0) and Pacheco (58-12).

Central Catholic, Central Valley, Patter-son and Pacheco represented the WAC in the playoffs a year ago.

The Raiders, 29-3 overall the past two seasons, won all 12 of their conferences games during that same time span.

•El Capitan replaces CC TEAM SCHEDULESDATESept. 5Sept. 12Sept. 19Sept. 26Oct. 3Oct. 11Oct. 17Oct. 24Oct. 31Nov. 7

OPPONENTSierraFranklinWaterfordPachecoPattersonCastlemontLivingstonEl CapitanLos BanosCeres High

PLACEROADHOMEROADROADHOMEAWAYHOMEAWAYAWAYHOME

DATEAug. 29Sept. 5Sept. 12Sept. 19Sept. 26Oct. 3Oct. 10Oct. 17Oct. 31Nov. 7

OPPONENTModesto HighGregoriHughsonJohansenLos BanosLivingstonPattersonPachecoEl CapitanCentral Valley

PLACEHOMEHOMEAWAYAWAYHOMEAWAYHOMEAWAYHOMEAWAY

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2014 Ceres High Roster

By DALE BUTLERSports Editor of the


Central Valley High School completed its search for a new head coach for varsity football in March.

Scott Edwards was named Jason McCloskey’s successor.

Edwards was also hired to teach P.E.

“We got very lucky finding someone with his track record and experience,” Central Valley Athletic Director Greg Magni said. “He’s coached and taught at the high school, junior col-lege and college levels. He has a diverse resume. Everyone speaks so highly of him. I think he’s going to do great things. He has the drive and commitment.”

Edwards beat out 29 other applicants.

“I’m fortunate to land here,” he said. “It seems like a class place. I’m excited. I have a chance to impact a lot of people every day.”

“We went in completely open-minded,” said Magni, who was a part of the interview panel. “It was a pretty easy decision. He wants to be here. He’s very pas-sionate. He has experience. He’s ready for the challenge. It’s a good fit for both sides.”

Scott was offensive coordina-tor/offensive line coach for Uni-versity Mary in North Dakota this past season. His first stint with the Marauders was from 1998-2001. Scott recruited Cen-tral Valley founding head coach

Tim Garcia.Edwards was head coach of

Bret Harte High School’s varsity football team the previous seven years (2006-12). Budget cuts forced Edwards to find employ-ment elsewhere.

He also filled coaching posi-tions at Sacramento City College (2003-05), Northern State Uni-versity (2002), American River College (1997) and Mendocino College (1996).

Scott played football for Chico State, Eastern New Mex-ico University and American River College.

He earned degrees from Uni-versity of Mary and Chico State.

He graduated from Bret Harte High School.

Edwards will replace McClo-skey, who led Central Valley to an 11-10 overall record and one Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth in two years.

The Hawks accomplished sev-eral firsts in 2013.

Central Valley participated in the postseason and compiled a winning record (6-5).

“He’s getting to know every-one,” Hawks junior all-purpose player Moses Ghiorso said. “It’s a fresh start for everyone. We’re learning new plays. It’s hard but we’ll catch up.”

“It was a good idea to bring him in,” Ghiorso added. “He’s a really good coach. He’s a moti-vator.”

Central Valley completed its first official week of practice, Aug. 11-16, under Edwards’ guidance.

“I’m happy with the progress so far,” Edwards said. “Our numbers have increased. We’ve gotten better. There’s no point in making bold predictions. The motivation is to build a system. They’ve done things the right way since the inception of the program. I coached against them when I was at Bret Harte. There’s a lot of potential.”

• Scott Edwards to lead Central Valley High’s varsity football

Hawks havea new leader


5

By DALE BUTLERSports Editor of the


JUST A SOPHOMORE, Moses Ghiorso was promoted to Central Valley High School’s varsity football team at the midway point of the 2013 season.

Ghiorso contributed on offense, defense and special teams during the Hawks’ last six games.

Moses will be used at multiple positions again this year.

“There’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders,” said Ghiorso, a 5-foot-10, 150-pounder. “I have to step up big time. I’m trying to work harder.”

Ghiorso’s main position on offense will be running back.

He follows in the footsteps of Joaquin Casas, Vince Lopez, Tyree Jones and Ja’Quan Gardner.

Gardner, a three-year starter, broke the Stanislaus District’s career and single-sea-son rushing yard records last season.

Ja’Quan ran for 2,467 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior year.

He totaled 6,014 yards and 67 TDs in 31 career games.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time—to be a varsity running back,” Ghiorso said. “Now I got a chance. I’m very happy. I’ll have a good line in front of me. I learned a lot from Ja’Quan. He works hard. He runs hard. He never gives up. He was a great running back.”

Ghiorso will also log playing time at receiver.

He caught two passes for 36 yards and one touchdown last season.

Moses had 18 tackles, six pass deflec-tions, three interceptions and one forced fumble while starting at cornerback.

He also ran back a punt 46 yards for a TD.

Ghiorso picked off one pass and reg-istered one tackle as 15th-seeded Central Valley suffered a 69-55 loss at No. 2 Manteca in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III playoffs.

He collected four tackles, forced one

fumble and intercepted one pass in Central Valley’s 48-15 playoff-berth-clinching win over crosstown-rival Ceres High.

Moses tallied three pass deflections and one pick during the Hawks’ 35-7 upset of Los Banos. He had a one-handed drive-killing interception in the end zone, broke up a fourth-down pass in Hawk territory and provided a key block on Gardner’s 70-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

Ghiorso hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Kendel Johnson, and accumu-lated seven tackles and two pass deflec-tions during Central Valley’s hard-fought 43-34 loss to reigning Division-IV state champion Central Catholic.

Ghiorso had a memorable debut at the

varsity level. He returned a punt 46 yards for a touchdown as the Hawks rolled to a 41-8 victory over the Livingston Wolves.

Ghiorso and his Hawk teammates will compete under the guidance of new head coach Scott Edwards.

Central Valley posted a program-best 6-5 overall record and advanced to the postseason for the first time in 2013.

“Summer went by fast,” Ghiorso said. “We had to start all over again. We’re still learning plays. Some teams are going to underestimate us. That doesn’t matter. We’re confident. If we work harder, we can make playoffs.”

ghiorso ready to shine

‘Some teams are going to underestimate us. That doesn’t matter.

We’re confident. If we work harder, we can

make playoffs.’–Hawks junior all-purpose

player Moses Ghiorso

• Moses to fillkey role withCentral Valley

DALE BUTLER/The Courier

Moses Ghiorso will be counted upon to contribute at multiple positions during his junior year with Central Valley High School’s football team. Ghiorso was promoted to varsity mid-way through the 2013 season. Moses played in the Hawks’ final six games.


6

•Hawks soph quarterback Gerardo Solorzano Just a sophomore, Gerardo

Solorzano has been tapped to be the Hawks’ starting quarter-back. Gerardo split time at QB and running back while lead-ing Central Valley’s freshman football squad to a 7-3 overall record and runner-up finish in the Western Athletic Confer-ence standings (5-1) in 2013.

GERARDO SOLORZANOCENTRAL VALLEY

So. 5-10, 180QUESTION: This is your

first season playing quarter-back at the varsity level. Ken-del Johnson, Abraham Navarro and Trevor Mew had success at the position before you. Are you ready to make a name for yourself?

ANSWER: It’s a tremen-dous honor to follow in their footsteps. I don’t feel any pres-sure. I’m more focused on what’s to come and not what’s happened already. I want to do my own thing. I’m ready. I’ve been working hard in the offseason and during practice. I

feel really confident. I’m going to try my hardest to be as good as I can be.

Q: Have you set any individ-ual goals for the 2014 season?

A: I don’t try to set myself apart from everyone. Every-body takes pride in what they do and that’s how we’re going to win games. I’m just focused on how far the team can get.

Q: What kind of impact has new head coach Scott Edwards had on your development as a quarterback?

A: He’s a really good coach. I’m going to be more success-ful because of him. He’s been teaching me a lot of new stuff, how to read defenses. He’s had a great impact on our team. We’re lucky to have him.

Q: Do you and your team-mates have a full grasp of the playbook yet?

A: At first it, was crazy. We were all intimidated. There were a lot of plays. Right now, we all feel confident. We’re used to all the plays. I feel like we’re going to be very success-

ful on offense because of coach Edwards.

Q: You played a different position at the youth level. Why did you decide to switch to quarterback?

A: It really wasn’t the plan. A couple years ago I was a running back. But I really like throwing the ball. I feel like nobody thought I could be a good quarterback. I just started practicing a lot. I’m trying to follow my dreams.

Q: What do you enjoy most about football?

A: I just love everything about it. It caught my attention from an early age.

Q: Central Valley made history by qualifying for the playoffs and posting a winning record for the first time last season. Will this year’s team be successful?

A: This year’s team works really hard. We all have a simi-lar focus. We want to win as many games a possible. If we execute, we can

DALE BUTLER/ The Courier

Just a sophomore, Gerardo Solorzano will be Central Valley High School’s varsity football starting quarterback this year. He follows in the footsteps of Kendel John-son, Abraham Navarro and Trevor Mew.SEE GERARDO, PAGE C

2 0 1 4 C E N T R A L V A L L E Y H I G H V A R S I T Y F O O T B A L L S Q U A D

DALE BUTLER/ The Courier Central Valley High School’s varsity football program will be striving for its second consecutive postseason appearance. The Hawks qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 2013.

CHATTING IT UP WITH #17


7

2 0 1 4 C E R E S H I G H S C H O O L V A R S I T Y F O O T B A L L S Q U A D

DALE BUTLER/ The CourierCeres High School’s varsity football team will be striving for improvement in 2014. The Bulldogs compiled a 2-8 overall record last year.

•Bulldogs senior quarterback/defensive back Brad BussardCHATTING IT UP WITH #2

Brad Bussard had a productive first season of varsity football with Ceres High in 2013. The second-team, all-league quarterback tossed for 2,853 yards and 25 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. Bussard had three 400-yard passing games. He totaled a program-record 437 yards and six TDs in his debut versus Modesto High. Brad attended QB camps in Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Montana during the summertime.

BRAD BUSSARDCERES HIGH

Sr. 6-0, 165QUESTION: This is your sec-

ond season playing varsity football. You’re a leader on the team. Do you enjoy filling that role?

ANSWER: There’s always added pressure being the quarterback and the coach’s kid. Everyone is looking for me to mess up. I ignore it. My job is to be a leader on the team and point everyone in the right direction.

Q: What have you done over the past couple of months to get ready for the upcoming season?

A: It’s been a ridiculous summer with working out, football and doing my AP homework. I don’t have much time for anything else. It’s pretty hard to hang out with friends on a consistent basis. I do that maybe once a week. But you have to sacrifice things to get to where you want to be.

Q: Your twin brother Brent (run-ning back/linebacker) also plays foot-ball for Ceres High. Both of you started and were major contributors last year. How would you describe your relationship with him?

A: We compete against each other 24-7. We get in arguments about who the better athlete is. It makes us both work harder. We’re two different animals. He does a little bit more of the dirty work. As the quarterback, everyone is watching me. It’s a great feeling knowing you have someone in the huddle that has your back.

Q: Have you set any individual goals for the 2014 season?

A: The one thing about football is you’re not putting in the work to make yourself better. You put in the work to make your team better. You

have to have an unselfish attitude. I just want to get the team to the play-offs. Everybody is going to have to step up.

Q: Head coach Bret Durossette was a standout quarterback at Ceres High in the 1980s. What kind of impact has he had on your develop-ment as a player?

A: He’s been great for me. He runs an offense I’m comfortable with. He gives me as much freedom as I need. He’s got confidence in me.

Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals?

A: Before the game right after school, I go eat with a couple of bud-dies. We’ll relax at my house for a couple of hours. We’ll head back to the field and watch the JV team. It will give us an idea what the other team will throw at us that night.

Q: Ceres High hasn’t had a win-ning season or made the playoffs since the 2004-05 school year. Will this year’s team accomplish any of those goals?

SEE BRAD, PAGE C11

DALE BUTLER / The Courier

Brad Bussard had a memorable first season with Ceres High’s foot-ball team. Bussard passed for 2,853 yards and 25 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. Bussard will be the focal point of the Bulldogs’ offense once again.


8

By JEFF BENZIGER

Editor of the

C e r e s ( C a l i f. ) C o u r i e r

The expansion of the Stanislaus County

Public Safety Center in Ceres got off to a

start Friday morning with a ceremony that

drew officials together for the turning of

the first spades of dirt.

Sheriff Adam Christianson character-

ized the groundbreaking as an historic

moment “but very exciting as well.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was

attended by local and state officials, Sheriff

Christianson, members Stanislaus County

Board of Supervisors, Ceres Mayor Chris

Vierra and Ceres city officials.

The $113 million project will increase

the county’s jail capacity and launch new

programs aimed at decreasing recidivism

rates.“This is an exciting day for us,” said

Stan Risen, Ceres resident and Chief

Executive Officer of Stanislaus County.

“It’s kind of with mixed emotions when

you think about having to build additional

jail facilities but I can tell you it’s positive

in my mind on two key fronts.”

He explained that the county performed

a needs assessment years ago that showed a

deficient in jail beds and millions required

to build more facilities. Risen felt there

was “no way” the county could come up

with the funding. He said the county is not

only able to “address a critical need in our

county for 10 cents on the dollar due to the

By JEFF BENZIGER

Editor of the


The old axiom “you scratch my back,

I’ll scratch yours” also works among

fire agencies.Fire departments in Stanislaus

County have always offered each other

assistance during large fires or multiple

call-outs but an effort that started in

2011 to put down a policy in wring is

coming to a close. On Aug. 11 members

of the Ceres City Council were given an

update about the automatic mutual aid

agreement between Ceres, Stanislaus

Consolidated, Modesto and Turlock

City fire departments.

Stanislaus County has 19 fire depart-

ments but only four are involved in the

agreement.“Really what this is is putting into

writing what we do already today,” said

Ceres Fire Chief Bryan Nicholes. “We

already provide automatic mutual aid

to every one of these

departments and they

reciprocate back to us.”

Standard operating

procedures are being put

into place in writing “to

make sure everything

works and functions as

properly as possible.”

The agreement

achieves an important

goal for Ceres. The National Fire Pro-

tection Association standard requires

15 firefighters on a first-alarm structure

fire.“Obviously we don’t have 15 fire-

fighters on a daily basis in our depart-

ment so this will really benefit us,” said

Nicholes.Mutual aid is not essential in smaller

fires but more important in larger fires,

such as the apartment fire at 1625 Rich-

land Avenue.“We needed a lot of assistance there.

It gets very cumbersome for the inci-

S E R V I N G C E R E S S I N C E 1 9 1 0

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WE D N ES DAY, AU G U ST 20 , 2014

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Attend a

council

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study humans.

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NEW BUSINESS

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CLOSES: McKenzy Harden

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STATE ED CHIEF VISITS

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• Ceres fire benefits from neighboring crews

SEE JAIL, PAGE A6

See B8

By ELIZABETH ARAKELIAN

Staff reporter of the


Water has long been an agri-

cultural and political issue in

California but last week state

Republicans and Democrats

came together to craft a biparti-

san water bond that will allocate

$7.545 billion to protecting and

conserving state water resources.

Last week Gov. Jerry Brown

proposed a “no pork, no frills”

$6 billion water bond as an

alternative to the $11 billion

water bond slated to appear

on the November ballot origi-

nally drafted under Gov. Arnold

Schwarzenegger’s administra-

tion. With Assembly member

Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) call-

ing the proposal a “good start for

negotiations” but far too prudent

to pass with voter support, both

parties worked across the aisle

to designate an additional $1.545

billion just in time to appear on

the general election ballot this

November as Proposition 1.

“I am pleased Republicans

held our ground to insist on

more money for storage and

that the governor and Democrat

legislators worked with us and

statewide stakeholders this week

to develop a bipartisan, viable

solution that will protect our

state from future drought years

and ensure that all Californians

have access to our most vital

resource,” said Olsen. “Now, my

colleagues and I will continue to

work hard on addressing chal-

lenges related to groundwater

that will ensure the good health

of our aquifers, while empower-

Water bond on

November

ballot

By JEFF BENZIGER

Editor of the


Word of the glowing successes of

the Ceres High School Manufacturing

Academy not only garnered it another

$600,000 state grant but prompted State

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Tom Torlakson to come visiting on Fri-

day.After he spoke to students and saw

how they were being trained for future

manufacturing and technology jobs,

the state’s top education official was

pumped up to share

his find with others.

“This is fabulous,

fantastic,” said Tor-

lakson. “This is a

role model for the

rest of the state of

California. It’s the

cutting edge of what

we want to see our

education system

transfer more into

hands-on learning,

21st century skills.

We heard over and over teamwork.

Good communication skills in writing

and verbally. The students were so artic-

ulate.”The state awarded the grant to fund

the program for three years. CHS was

one of 39 schools which received a

grant.“There are few schools who got the

grant and we’re one of them,” said Ceres

High School Principal Linda Stubbs.

Also on the tour were Frito-Lay offi-

cials who have been mentoring CHS

students in the program.

Academy Chris Van Meter explained

that the Academy has been expanded

to include freshmen through seniors.

Freshmen teach environmental science

introduction to manufacturing with an

introduction to recycling and green

SEE ACADEMY, PAGE A8

SEE FIRE, PAGE A7

Contributed to the Courier

Local officials and invited guests turned over the first shovels of dirt Friday morning at the site that will be

home to Stanislaus County’s new public safety center.

County breaks ground for larger jail

• State official tours

CHS academy,

granted $600,000

• $113 million

project will increase

jail capacity

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson (center) hears Ceres High School Manufacturing Academy

students Julian Lopez and Monica Razo talk about the program. State Assemblyman Adam Gray and instructor Chris Van

Meter also participated in the tour, which was scheduled after CHS snagged a $600,000 state grant for funding.

Academy impresses Torlakson

C E R E S

U N I F I E D

S C H O O L SSEE WATER, PAGE A

wishes our hometown teams success!Your Ceres hometown news connection since 1910!

The Ceres Courier 138 S. Center Street • Turlock CA • (209) 537-5032

Fax: (209) 632-8813 • www.cerescourier.com

The Ceres Courier

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2014By DALE BUTLER



1.Brad Bussard, Ceres High’s varsity quarterback, will be counted on heavily again. Bussard passed for 2,853 yards and 25 touchdowns with 16 interceptions during his junior year. Brad had three 400-yard passing games. He totaled a program-record 437 yards and six TDs in his debut against Modesto High. Bussard will also log play-ing time at defensive back. Brad starred at pitcher and on offense as the Bulldogs captured their first league title since 1991 in varsity baseball.

2. Junior all-purpose player Moses Ghiorso will be asked to do a little bit of everything for Cen-tral Valley’s varsity football team. Ghiorso’s main position on offense will be running back as he fol-lows in the footsteps of Stanislaus District record-breaker Ja’Quan Gardner. He’ll start at cornerback on defense. Moses will also return kickoffs and punts. Ghiorso was promoted to varsity at the midway point of the 2013 season. He caught two passes for 36 yards and one touchdown. He had 18 tackles, six pass deflections, three interceptions

and one forced fumble. Moses ran back a punt 46 yards for a TD.

3. Ramon Coral has emerged as a leader with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-4 260-pound senior will start at defensive end and tackle for the second year in a row at Ceres High. Coral will also be the long snap-per for point-after kicks and punts. Ramon tallied 46 tackles, recov-ered three fumbles and blocked two PATs his junior year.

4. Just a sophomore, Gerardo Solorzano will make his debut at quarterback for Central Valley. Sol-orzano won the starting position during the summertime. Gerardo split time at quarterback and run-ning back while leading the Hawks’ frosh squad to a 7-3 overall record and runner-up finish in the Western Athletic Conference standings (5-1) a year ago.

5. Ceres High’s Johnni Smith-Willis turned heads while totaling six touchdowns at the Downey full-contact camp this summer. The junior running back gained 58 yards and scored one TD on 11 carries, and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score during the JV Bulldogs’ 34-21 upset of crosstown-rival Central Valley during the 2013-14 school year.

6. Co-captain Danny Alvarado will anchor Central Valley’s offen-sive line. The 6-foot-1 235-pound senior will start at center. Alvarado will also contribute on the defensive line. Danny made one tackle last year.

7. Brent Bussard, Brad’s twin brother, will be a two-way starter for Ceres High. The 6-foot-tall 195-pound senior was the Bulldogs’ top rusher in 2013. Bussard ran for 394 yards and three touchdowns on 109 carries. He caught nine passes for 68 yards. A standout linebacker as well, Brent made 38 tackles, tallied 11/2 sacks and forced one fumble.

8. Josh Beleele, a 6-foot-5 188-pound senior, filled the stat sheeting while shining at defensive end a year ago with the Hawks. Beleele totaled 58 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fum-ble and one pass deflection. Josh (tight end) will also be target on offense.

9. Ceres High returns its second-leading tackler from a year ago in 6-foot-tall, 200-pound senior safety Izaiah Hernandez. Hernan-dez racked up 51 tackles in seven games. He also had one interception and one pass deflection. Izaiah will see playing time at running back, too.

10. Jayden Garcia, one of Central Valley’s co-captains, will play full-back and linebacker. The 5-10 205-pound senior registered 12 tackles his junior year.

•Smith-Willis will improveCeres High’s rushing game


Junior running back Johnni Smith-Willis will give the Bulldogs some balance on offense. Smith-Willis played in two games for Ceres High School’s junior-varsity football team last year. Johnni gained 58 yards and scored one touchdown, and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a TD dur-ing the Bulldogs’ 34-21 victory over the crosstown-rival Hawks.


A ONE-SIDED RIVALRYBy DALE BUTLER



For some “mysterious” reason, the Ceres Classic perpetual trophy remained locked inside a classroom following the Central Val-ley High School varsity football team’s 48-15 rout of crosstown-rival Ceres High.

Hawk athletic director Greg Magni tried to retrieve the hardware for the postgame celebration.

The trophy was eventually returned to Cen-tral Valley’s campus.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of emotion involved,” said Scott Edwards, new head coach of the Hawks. “I’m not going to give you any bulletin-board material. It should be a great game.”

The Hawks will look to continue their streak of dominance versus the Bulldogs.

Ceres High has dropped seven straight games to Central Valley since winning the inaugural showdown of the Ceres Classic, 20-7, in 2006. The Bulldogs hold a decisive 291-126 scoring advantage.

“It’s the last game of the regular season,” 6-foot-4 260-pound Bulldog senior lineman Ramon Coral said. “Just talking about it right now gets me pumped up. I have a lot of con-fidence we’ll win that trophy.”

Central Valley and Ceres High battled for more than bragging rights last year.

Reduced to playing the role of spoiler in 2013, the Bulldogs fell well short in their bid to end the Hawks’ season.

Central Valley secured its first-ever playoff berth with a decisive win over Ceres High in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

Hawk senior running back Ja’Quan Gard-ner gained 320 yards and scored four touch-downs on just 13 carries. He also tossed a 23-yard TD pass to Hawk quarterback Kendel Johnson.

Johnson rushed for 100 yards and one TD on six carries.

All-purpose standout Angelo Bermudez carried the ball nine times for 158 yards and one score.

Moses Ghiorso tallied seven tackles, forced one fumble and intercepted one pass.

Ceres High’s Brad Bussard completed 24 of 39 passes for 306 yards with two touch-downs and two interceptions.

Senior Dylan Canatsy caught nine passes for 136 yards and one TD.

Juan Anderson totaled 58 yards and one score on three receptions.

“I think we can beat them this year,” Bus-sard said. “They lost some key players (Gard-ner and Johnson). Everyone wants to turn the tide. Our whole school. All the players. We want to hold that trophy over our heads. It

would mean everything to our team. We’re going to be the class to change everything around. That’s a game we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives.”

Ceres High has endured nine straight losing seasons.

Central Valley accomplished two firsts in

2013 as it qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Sec-tion playoffs and posted a winning record.

“I talked with coach Durossette,” Edwards said. “We want what’s best for both pro-grams. It would be awesome if both teams made the playoffs.”

•Ceres High will look to end seven-year losing streak versus Central Valley


Central Valley High School’s varsity football team improved its all-time record versus crosstown-rival Ceres High to 7-1 last season with a 48-15 win. The Hawks’ defense, pictured above, limited the Bulldogs to two touchdowns in 2013.


2014 CV Roster#12345678910121517202223242526283033343840414243444550525354565862646566707172737475767880828484868895

NameReuben RodriguezDonovan HawnZabdiel PinedaRobert NietoMoses GhiorsoSimrandeep SinghJosh SidhuPaul HernandezAlex CentenoLisandro GallardoArmando GarciaSonny LauGerardo SolorzanoJohnny PittmanAnthony HarrisonGunkar NijjarJamarea LumpkinBenjamin BrooksJosh SpadaforeRobert PreciadoJoaquin GarciaDerek WeisJayden GarciaGabriel MartinezEmani AniteleaJose CastilloAndrew MarquezJoel BazanAlex AlvaradoFranky RamirezCarlos VillavicencioLino UtiDavid JimenezNoah PostleyZeph AvilaAdrian BadilloJustin RamsdellMarcus TietjenDaniel AlvaradoKyle BrizendineAndres RomoIsaac DelaCruzJason BeckhartJoshua DiazChris AlbertoBrycen DennistonGurvak DhamiEdgar RodriguezCassandra BrimcatJose BecerraKenneth ChhoeumRanvir SinghJoshua BeleeleManuel GarciaOscar Pelayo

Yr.11111111111211111211121210111212111112121211121111111111111111111211111111111211121211121211121212121111121212

Ht.6-1

5-115-66-0

5-105-8

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5-105-95-85-75-95-86-1

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Wt.160160130160160160170160160160165150180145175140170190150185190150205150160150170175170190175200170235215210240185250175250270215200260190270210110140175160190245185

Pos.QB/DBQB/DBKWR/DBRB/DBWR/DBWR/DBLBRB/DBWR/DBWR/DBWR/DBQB/DBWR/DBRB/LBWR/DBRB/DBFB/LBWR/DBRB/LBWR/LBWR/DBFB/LBWR/LBTE/LBLBLBDBTE/LBTE/LBOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLOL/DLWR/DBWR/DBOL/DLWR/DBWR/LBTE/DLOL/DL

Our thanks...This 2014 Prep Football Preview was produced by Sports Editor

Dale Butler & Editor Jeff Benziger. The Courier extends thanks to

coaches, players and staffs offering assistance for this project.

Would Like To Wish Ceres &

Central Valley Good Luck!

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CENTRAL VALLEY HAWKS Coach: Scott Edwards (first year) 2013 record: 3-3 Western Athletic Conference (fourth place), 6-5

overall, Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth Key losses: RB Ja’Quan Gardner; QB Kendel Johnson; OL/DL Matt

Smith; DL/OL Jose Medina; DL/OL Alex Medina; LB/FB Ben Anitelea; DB Raul Godinez

Key returners: OL/DL Daniel Alvarado; OL/DL Gurvak Dhami; OL/DL Andres Romo; FB/LB Jayden Garcia; RB/DB Moses Ghiorso; TE/DL Joshua Beleele; LB/FB Anthony Harrison

Key newcomers: QB/DB Gerardo Solor-zano; RB/DB Jamarea Lumpkin; WR/DB Josh Sidhu; WR/DB Robert Nieto; OL/DL Adrian Badillo; TE/LB Emani Anitelea; OL/DL Noah Postley

Outlook: Central Valley accomplished several firsts in 2013 as it qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs and posted a winning record for the first time. The Hawks expect to be just as competi-tive this year despite losing a host of talent to graduation, including the dynamic running back-quarterback duo of Ja’Quan Gardner and Kendel Johnson. Gardner broke the Stanislaus District’s career and single-season rushing yard records. Junior Moses Ghiorso and sophomore Gerardo Solorzano will fill key roles in 2014. Solorzano replaces Johnson. Gerardo split time at quarterback and running back while leading the Hawk’s frosh football squad to a 7-3 overall record and second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference standings (5-1) a year ago. Ghiorso’s main position on offense will be running back as he follows in the footsteps of Gardner. He’ll start at cornerback on defense. Moses will also return kick-offs and punts. Ghiorso was promoted to varsity at the midway point of the 2013 season. He caught two passes for 36 yards and one touchdown. He had 18 tackles, six pass deflections, three interceptions and one forced fumble. Ghiorso ran back a punt 46 yards for a TD.

CERES HIGH BULLDOGS Coach: Bret Durossette (10th year) 2013 record: 1-5 Western Athletic Conference (sixth place), 2-8 over-

all Key losses: WR/DB Dylan Canatsy; TE/DL Harman Chung; OL/DB

Pietro Puducay; WR/DB Domingo Bermudez; DB/QB Dominic Durossette Key returners: QB/DB Brad Bussard; OL/DL Ramon Coral; OL/LB Adrian Torres; OL/DL Caleb McDade; OL/DL Blake Tobler; RB/DB Brent Bussard; RB/DB Izaiah Hernandez; WR/DB Juan Anderson

Key newcomers: RB/DB Johnni Smith-Willis; WR/LB Seth Gibson; OL/DL Ryan Wolf; WR/DB Austin Stiles; WR/DB Marcellus Boykins; RB/LB Aaron Black; TE/LB Connor Johnson

Outlook: Ceres High has nowhere to go but up in 2014. The Bulldogs, 2-8 a season ago, haven’t compiled a winning record or qualified for the playoffs since 2004. Brad Bussard, Ramon Coral, Adrian Torres, Caleb McDade, Brent Bussard and Izaiah Hernandez will lead the way this year. Brad and Caleb

both earned second-team all-conference honors as juniors. Brad threw for 2,853 yards and 25 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. McDade, Ceres High’s top offensive lineman from last season, will provide protection and run block again. Coral will start on the offensive and defensive lines for the second year in a row. Brent led the Bulldogs in rushing last year with 394 yards and three touchdowns on 109 carries. A standout line-backer as well, Brent made 38 tackles, tallied 11/2 sacks and forced one fumble. Newcomers expected to contribute include Ryan Wolf, Johnni Smith-Willis, Austin Stiles and Marcellus Boykins. Smith-Willis totaled six touchdowns at the Downey full-contact camp this summer. The junior running back gained 58 yards and socred one TD on 11 carries, and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score during the JV Bulldogs’ 34-21 uspet of crosstown-rival Central Valley during the 2013-14 school year.

TEAM CAPSULES

A: We have a really good shot at making playoffs. We have experience. We’re putting in a lot more work this year compared to last year. We have the tools to compete with teams we didn’t compete with last sea-son. Everyone knows we can score. I have a good feeling our defense is going to surprise some teams. If we don’t make playoffs, we’ve basically had an unsuccessful year.

Q: Ceres High will no longer have to face Central Catholic, which relocated from the WAC to the Valley Oak League as part of conference realignment. Will you miss those annual show-downs?

A: I’m so happy they left. It was about time they went up to a better league. They beat up on a lot of teams. Everyone in the WAC is satisfied with them leaving. It’s one less team we have to worry about.

Q: Ceres High has dropped seven straight games to Central Valley since winning the inau-gural showdown of the Ceres Classic in 2006. Will the Bull-dogs end that streak this year?

A: I think we can beat them

this year. They lost some key players (Ja’Quan Gardner and Kendel Johnson). Everyone wants to turn the tide. Our whole school. All the players. We want to hold that trophy over our heads. It would mean a lot.

Q: Who’s your favorite NFL player?

A: I ‘m a big Aaron Rodgers fan. We play the same position. You always see how much work he puts into playing his posi-tion. His mechanics are flaw-less. He’s a great guy to look up to. I try to copy what he’s doing.

Q: Who’s going to win the Super Bowl?

A: I got to go with the Nin-ers. Jim Harbaugh is a great coach. He knows how to turn programs around. They’ve been to the NFC Championship the last three years and Super Bowl once. I have a feeling this year is going to be their year. Coach Harbaugh is going to push his team to a whole new level.

Q: If you could meet any pro athlete or celebrity, who would it be?

A: Buster Posey. He plays for the San Francisco Giants. That’s my team. Posey is a hard-working guy. He’s the heart and soul of that town. He carries that team. He’s a great overall athlete and leader for the Giants.

It would be cool to meet him.Q: What’s your favorite

movie and why?A: I’m a big fan of the new

Batman movies. Christian Bale’s turned those movies into something special.

Q: Web sites you check every day?

A: I go on Instagram a lot. I always got to check my fantasy teams, whether it’s for base-ball or football. That’s through ESPN.

Q: Food you refuse to eat?A: I’m not the biggest fan of

vegetables. It’s never been my thing. I’m a picky eater. That’s what my parents say.

Q: Any fears/phobias? A: I hate snakes.Q: What are your college

plans?A: I’m debating if I want to

focus on school or play sports and live that experience. I do want to play football. I’ve had some contact with some schools but nothing official. I guess we’ll see how the season goes. I’ll make a decision at the end of the season.

Q: What would your dream job be?

A: I’d love to be a trainer or doctor for a pro team. That would be pretty cool.

BRADFROM PAGE C7

make it to the playoffs. I see us going really far.

Q: Central Valley will no lon-ger have to face Central Catho-lic, which relocated from the WAC to the Valley Oak League as part of conference realign-ment. Will you miss those annual showdowns?

A: I’m not upset. But I wish they were in our league still so we could play them. I think it would be competitive.

Q: Central Valley has won seven straight games versus Ceres High since dropping the inaugural showdown of the Ceres Classic in 2006. Do you have a prediction for this sea-son’s meeting?

A: I think we’ll continue the streak. It’s just a matter of exe-cuting our game plan.

Q: Central Valley opens the 2014 season at Sierra on Sept.

5. What are your expectations for your first start?

A: I’m not really nervous. I’m excited. We’ve been watching a lot of game film. We’ll be ready. We’re going to go out there and be confident in what we do. A win would boost our confidence a lot.

Q: Do you have any pre-game rituals?

A: I listen to music. I like Eminem. His music pumps you up.

Q: Do you have a favorite NFL team?

A: Niners. My family has liked them since I was little.

Q: Who’s going to win the Super Bowl?

A: Hopefully, the Niners. Q: If you could meet any pro

athlete or celebrity, who would it be?

A: Tom Brady (quarterback for New England). He’s a player that I admire and look up to. He’s faced all sorts of adversity. Everybody overlooked him and

that’s how I feel.Q: What’s your favorite

movie and why?A: Draft Day. I enjoyed it.

It’s about college players getting drafted to the NFL. Hopefully, I can go through that process one day.

Q: What would your dream job be?

A: NFL quarterback. My mentality is anything is pos-sible.

Q: Web sites you check every day?

A: I’m always on YouTube looking at all the quarterbacks. I do that at least a couple hours a day. It’s going to really help me. I’m just trying to get better. I’m striving for perfection.

Q: Who’s your favorite super hero?

A: Superman because he’s able to fly and he’s super strong.

Q: Any fears/phobias? A: Heights. I guess everyone

gets nervous when they jump off something really high.

GERARDOFROM PAGE C6


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Ceres High School Football Preview 2014

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