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Local teams sweep on opening day of CCAL soccer slate
Pitman girls soccer 2
Pitman freshman midfielder Lila Pimentel pushes the ball forward against Enochs in Thursday night’s CCAL opener. She scored an important goal in the Pride’s 3-2 victory (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

The first games of the Central California Athletic League soccer season took place on Thursday, with varsity programs from Turlock and Pitman high schools stringing together a perfect 4-0 record.

 

BOYS

Pitman 3, Enochs 0

We begin with the boys in Modesto, where the reigning, defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division II champion Pitman High cruised to a 3-0 victory over Enochs. 

The victory continued a dominant start to the season for the Pride, who improved to 8-1 overall. The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped to 7-3. It also marked the fourth shutout of the 2025-26 season for sophomore goalkeeper Esagil Ishaya.

Scoring for the Pride were seniors Alex Vasquez and Nasir Shirzad, as well as sophomore Evan Montalvo.

The Pride will be back in Modesto on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. match with Gregori (6-1-3). The Jaguars tied with Downey, 1-1, on Thursday night.

 

Turlock 2, Modesto 0

Though the Pride raised a blue banner last spring, it was Turlock High that claimed last year’s CCAL crown before making a run to the semifinal round of the Division I section playoffs. The Bulldogs continued their winning ways with a 2-0 win over Modesto High at Joe Debeley Stadium.

A returning fixture for the Bulldogs is senior Fernando Carbajal, who scored on the goals Thursday. Assisting was fellow senior Manuel Guerrero, who also found the back of the net.

Senior goalkeeper Kevin Ramirez recorded two saves in his shutout effort.

The Bulldogs, now 3-2-4 overall, will travel to Modesto on Tuesday for a match with Downey (7-2-1) at Chuck Hughes Stadium. The match is slated for 7:15 p.m.

 

Turlock girls soccer
Turlock senior defender Victoria Flores helped keep the Modesto offense at bay Thursday in the Bulldogs’ 4-1 win over Modesto (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

GIRLS

Turlock 4, Modesto 1

On the girls side of things, Turlock dominated in a 4-1 win over Modesto on the road. The Bulldogs improved to 6-5, while the Panthers fell to 6-4.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs was sophomore Makenli Watt, who tallied a pair of goals. Also scoring were juniors Sonnet Wolf and Alondra Medel. Freshman Camila Ruelas totaled two assists while junior Mia Valencia had another.

Goalkeeper Isabella Gonzalez had two saves, while the only goal she and her defense surrendered was to junior Alexa Gomez Robles.

The Bulldogs will be at Joe Debely Stadium on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. match against Downey (6-5). The Knights lost, 6-1, to powerhouse Gregori on Thursday.

 

Pitman 3, Enochs 2

The closest match of the day came on the campus of Pitman High School, as the Pride edged Enochs by a 3-2 score.

It was a shootout, with the Pride totaling nine total shots and the Eagles seven. 

Finding the back of the net for Pitman were senior Tatiana Rios, junior Jasmine Vernacchio and freshman Lila Pimentel.

Pitman sophomore goalie Belen Ochoa had four saves, with both goals from Enochs coming off the foot of junior Melanie Martinez.

The Pride improved to 3-1-1 on the season, while the Eagle dropped to 3-5-2.

Next on the schedule is perhaps Pitman’s toughest test of the season. On Tuesday, the Pride will hit the road to Modesto to face Gregori, the top-ranked team in the section and the No. 2 ranked team in the state, according to MaxPreps. The Jaguars have a 10-0-1 record.

 

Elsewhere across the region:

  • After a trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal last season, the Hilmar High boys team is red hot, sporting an 8-2-2 overall record, which includes a perfect 4-0 mark against TVL opponents. League wins have come against Gustine on Dec. 12 (2-0), Orestimba on Dec. 17 (2-1), Ripon on Dec. 19 (4-0), Ripon Christian on Wednesday (4-0) and Escalon on Friday afternoon (3-1).
  • Following the program’s best finish in history last season in which it went 16-6-1 overall and undefeated in 12 games in the Southern Athletic League, the Denair High girls have picked up right where they left off. On Friday afternoon, the Coyotes improved to 4-0 in conference play with a 6-0 win against Le Grand. In the past three matches against the Bulldogs , Gustine and Stone Ridge Christian, the Coyotes have won by a combined score of 12-0. They are 7-2-2 overall.
  • The Hilmar High girls program — one of the most dominant in the region in recent seasons — has tread water through the first week and change of the Trans-Valley League slate. The Lady ‘Jackets, who have been to two straight Sac-Joaquin Section title games and won it all in 2024, were 9-5-2 overall and 1-1-1 against TVL opponents heading into Friday's meeting with Escalon. They began conference play with a 9-0 throttling of Orestimba on Dec. 17, then played to a 2-2 draw against longtime rival and five-time defending champion Ripon High. On Wednesday, the Yellowjackets lost 3-0 to Ripon Christian.