Turlock High’s first league opponent was Buhach Colony High, one of the projected front runners for the CCC title this season. The Bulldogs faced the Thunder Wednesday night at home in a confidence building 62-56 win.

“It felt good to get that first league win,” Turlock’s head coach Doug Cornfoot said. “We came together and played better than we had in the preseason.”

The matchup was a competitive one; both teams pressed each other and kept the score close. At the half the Thunder held a 2 point lead that they maintained into the fourth quarter. A Darren Trainer 3-pointer shifted the momentum Turlock’s way, however, as the Bulldogs began a fourth quarter effort that saw them outscore Buhach 22-14. In the end Turlock’s effective free throw shooting gave them the edge, and the win, as the Bulldogs went 19 for 25 on the night.

The Bulldogs carried their confidence from the Buhach game and brought it with them on the road to Merced High Friday night. Turlock earned their second CCC win with a 54-43 victory over the Bears.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it,” Cornfoot said.

Merced trailed the entire game, hindered by the absence of starter Trenton Toney who was ejected during the Bears’ game against Pitman. Turlock held Merced to less than 10 points for three of the game’s four quarters. Alek Carlson again led Turlock to victory, finishing with 25 points.

“We did enough right things to come out ahead,” Cornfoot said.

Turlock will once again be on the road for their next game when they travel to Atwater on Wednesday.