United by Rivalry:

The Inspiration for a New Tradition

I clearly remember the moment the idea for a city-wide parade struck me. As both the Mayor of Ceres and a coach at Central Valley High School, I’ve always worn two hats – one for my team, and one for my entire community. In 2021, after years of spirited but separate rallies at Ceres High and Central Valley High, I felt we needed something more unified. Our crosstown football game “

 Ceres Classic” already carried so much energy and pride; why not channel that into a single celebration for all our students? That spark led me to propose the Cross Town Showdown Parade in early 2022. My goal was simple: bring our city together in a show of support for both schools, celebrating every student-athlete and fan as one community. “Everyone is invested in making sure it’s a special event for the kids… It’s about celebrating them and their hard work,” I told the local paper when discussing why I wanted to start this parade . I knew that as mayor – and as a coach – I had a unique chance to help create something special that went beyond school rivalries.

Pitching the Idea and Gaining Support

Bringing the parade idea to the table required teamwork off the field. I approached our City Manager and the Superintendent of Ceres Unified School District (CUSD) with a vision of an event that both the City and our schools could rally behind. We formed a planning group that included city staff, school board members, and athletics directors from both Ceres High and Central Valley. In fact, we started holding meetings with CUSD staff and Ceres City Manager and Superintendent – to make sure everyone was on the same page . I also spoke with the high school athletics directors, like John Bussard at Ceres High and Greg Magni at Central Valley, to coordinate schedules and logistics . From city maintenance crews mapping out a parade route, to school band directors getting their musicians ready, every stakeholder embraced the idea. It truly was a collaborative effort. As I said at the time, “This is something we felt would be great for the community… As a group, we were able to pull it off. It’s going to get bigger and better.” Gaining that broad support early on made all the difference in turning a simple idea into Ceres’ newest tradition.

Planning the First Parade in 2022

With enthusiastic buy-in, we moved quickly to plan the inaugural parade for the 2022 season. Our city’s Community Services staff worked with school officials to pick a date and route. We decided the parade would take place the week of the big Ceres High vs. Central Valley game – a pep rally for the whole city. For that first year, we kept it modest and scheduled it on a weekday afternoon at Smyrna Park, right after school . The route was short – basically a loop around the park – but it was a start. We had the high school marching bands, cheer squads, and of course the football teams from both schools march together. I’ll never forget seeing red and gold Bulldog jerseys side by side with green and black Hawk jerseys as the students lined up. During the Parade id walk to the Ceres high kids and coaches to introduce myself, City Public Safety lent a fire engine to lead the way, lights flashing, and one of our local residents, Shane Parson, even volunteered his antique San Francisco trolley car for officials to ride in . It was all hands on deck. The Ceres Lions Club jumped in to host a free taco feed for attendees the first year and the  fallowing year came Kicking Tacos,  a big hit with students and parents alike. That first parade had a humble, hometown feel, but it succeeded in one key aspect: it brought everyone together. Central Valley’s principal, Casey Giovannoni, noted that despite the rivalry, “a spirit of community unity was evident at the parade,” and he was absolutely right .

Ceres officials and students unite behind a historic trolley during the first Crosstown Showdown Parade. In 2022, the City of Ceres and both high schools came together on Fourth Street to celebrate community spirit before the big game.

Growing an Annual Community Celebration

After the positive response in 2022, we were all determined to make the parade even better in 2023 and beyond. We learned a few lessons from that first year – chiefly, that a weekday afternoon parade made it tough for some working parents and community members to attend. So, for 2023, we moved the parade to a Saturday morning and shifted the route to go through downtown Ceres, starting and ending at Whitmore Park . This change paid off hugely. Hundreds of students, parents, alumni, and neighbors turned out on that Saturday to cheer on our Bulldogs and Hawks . The sight was incredible: our downtown streets filled with a sea of red and green, with music and cheers echoing off the buildings. The parade had truly become an annual tradition almost overnight, just as we hoped. “It’s really cool for a smaller town like ours to create an event to unify the community,” Ceres High’s head coach Brett Johnson remarked, seeing the crowds downtown . For me, the greatest joy was seeing kids from both schools smiling and walking together – rivals on the field, but friends and neighbors off of it. One Ceres High player, Elias Carrera, said it best: “It’s a special thing to have the mayor, community and both schools come together to celebrate the game… Being able to walk around and see everybody who came to support us is a surreal feeling.” Hearing that from a student’s perspective told me we were succeeding in strengthening our community bonds. By 2024, the Crosstown Showdown Parade drew hundreds of spectators and even the attention of officials beyond Ceres – our U.S. Congressman showed up to take part in the festivities! What began as a simple idea had grown into a citywide celebration that kicks off game week with pride and unity. – It motivated the high schools to create short rivalry videos, which you can find on my Mayor’s Instagram page, where they've garnered thousands of views. Not to mention the significant publicity we received, including a feature on KCRA's High School Playbook and even a flyby from the Sheriff’s helicopter!

A Mayor for All Students

From day one, I knew this parade had to benefit all our students, not just the ones I happened to coach. Yes, I’m proud to coach Central Valley’s freshmen team, but as mayor my commitment is to every young person in Ceres. I made it a point to involve both high schools equally in planning and spotlight. We alternated which school’s campus would host the rally point, balanced the program so that both the Central Valley Hawks and Ceres High Bulldogs got equal cheering time, and ensured both schools  had speaking roles. The result was that students felt celebrated for their hard work, no matter which colors they wore . I’ve always believed that when one school succeeds, our whole city succeeds. That’s why in city communications and social media, I emphasize #OneCeres – we are one community. This inclusive approach extended beyond football: seeing the bands, cheerleaders, and dance teams from both schools perform at the parade underlined that this day was about school spirit and city pride, not just the scoreboard.

Friendly Rivalry at City Hall

The Crosstown Showdown has not only ignited school spirit – it’s also brought some fun rivalry into City Hall. Each year, as the big Ceres High vs. Central Valley game approaches, you can feel the playful joke and comments even in our council chambers. At a City Council meeting before the game, we often find out who’s rooting for which school. This friendly competition reached a new level when my colleague, Vice Mayor Bret Silveira, and I started placing a light-hearted wager on the game. Bret is a proud Ceres High alumnus, while I’m closely tied to Central Valley and of course during our time there was only one high school so guess were I went to school, so naturally each of us is confident in our team. We publicly pledged that whichever one of our teams lost, that person would have to wear the winning school’s jersey at the next council meeting. The crowd in the council chambers loved it – it showed that even as city leaders, we are not above a little hometown rivalry fun! These city council bets have become a tradition in their own right. One year, Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra declared her allegiance to the Hawks (all four of her children graduated from Central Valley), while Councilman James Casey slyly donned a red tie to signal his Bulldog support but attended Turlock schools. Vie Mayor Daniel Martinez is a diehard Ceres high supporter, When game day arrived and the winner got the trophy, we all had a good laugh seeing the “losers” honor the bet. I’ll admit, I ended up in a bright red Bulldogs shirt last year 2024 – and then Vice mayor Bret Silveira took his Kleenex the years before. This playful competition at City Hall has only made our jobs more enjoyable, and it sends a message that at the end of the day, we’re one community no matter who wins on Friday night.

Recognizing Our Champions

Win or lose, I believe every student who plays in the Cross Town Showdown “Ceres Classic” is a champion for our city. For most these kids football is all they have! That said, one of my favorite duties as mayor is recognizing the winning team at a City Council meeting after the big game. Since 2021, we’ve made it a point to honor the victors of the Ceres Classic game in front of the whole community. For example, after Central Valley’s narrow victory in 2021, we invited the Hawks’ team and coaches to a council meeting. We presented them with certificates of achievement for their hard-fought win and celebrated their season. The very next year, Ceres High edged out Central Valley in an absolute thriller, and it was the Bulldogs’ turn to pack our council chambers – this time wearing their triumphant red and white. We handed out certificates to each player, the Athletic Directors and the school district, to recognize that it takes a whole team to earn such a victory. These post-game recognitions have become a meaningful tradition. They show our student-athletes that the city values their dedication and sportsmanship. I’ve seen proud parents snapping photos as their sons and daughters shake hands with councilmembers and hold up their award. Bringing the winning team to City Hall also reinforces the message that the entire community shares in their victory. When the Bulldogs claimed the coveted Ceres Classic trophy after our 2024 game – their second win in three years – I was thrilled to stand beside them as we congratulated each player for bringing the trophy “back home” to Ceres High . These ceremonies aren’t just about the winners, though. I always make sure to commend the runner-up team as well for their effort and encourage them to come back stronger. It’s all about showing our youth that hard work, whether it leads to a win or a loss, will be recognized and applauded by their city.

Crosstown Showdown Results (2020–Present)

To truly appreciate how far this rivalry and community celebration have come, let’s look at the recent Crosstown Showdown game results. The competition on the field has been as thrilling as the camaraderie off the field:

· 2020: Central Valley defeated Ceres High 36–14 (this game was played in spring 2021 due to a delayed corvid season). Only 5 games were played that year.

· 2021: Central Valley won again, 20–18 , marking seven consecutive victories for the Hawks at that time.

· 2022: Ceres High finally broke the streak, escaping with a 21–20 victory in a down-to-the-wire classic . This was the Bulldogs’ first win over CV since 2014, sending their fans into jubilation.

· 2023: Central Valley answered back, pulling away to win 34–8 in front of a packed crowd at CUSD Stadium.

· 2024: Ceres High reclaimed the upper hand, dominating with a 36–7 win and taking back the Ceres Classic trophy.

The Ceres High Bulldogs celebrate their 36–7 victory over the Central Valley Hawks in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown . The win allowed Ceres High to bring the Ceres Classic perpetual trophy back to their campus for the year.

Each of these games has its own story, but together they’ve woven a larger narrative for our city. When I see that list of results, I don’t just see winners and losers – I see a community coming together year after year, sometimes on the Hawks’ side, sometimes on the Bulldogs’ side, but always united in support and school spirit. And thanks to the parade and the surrounding events, each of those games was preceded by Ceres residents lining the streets together, and followed by everyone congratulating the players afterwards. In a very real sense, the true winner of the Cross Town Showdown is our Ceres community.

Community Reactions and Reflections

Looking back now, I am incredibly proud of what the Cross Town Showdown Parade has achieved. It has strengthened community ties in ways I only hoped for when I first pitched the idea. Neighbors who might never have met now stand side by side on parade day, wearing their school colors and sharing smiles. Parents with kids at different schools come together to cheer for every kid marching down Fourth Street. The local newspaper observed that in 2022 and 2023, attendance for the rivalry game shattered records – more than 3,500 fans packed the stadium, with lines out the door . I have no doubt the parade and the hype it creates played a part in that. As a longtime Ceres resident, I’ve never seen our city as united around a school event as it is now. Local leaders have taken notice too. Ceres School Board trustee Brian de la Porte commented on how both teams “represented Ceres Unified School District in a first-class way” during the 2022 showdown, noting that “both teams… reflected the personalities of their head coaches” and that those coaches “are great guys [with] no egos… All they care about is their kids.” When I hear something like that, it reaffirms why we do this. It’s not just about a football game; it’s about showing off the best of our students and mentors. Even Coach Johnson, after winning in 2024, said he was proud his players “didn’t let the festivities, crowd size and hype get to them. They just played football.” – which tells me our celebration didn’t distract from the sport, it amplified it.

From the feedback we’ve gotten in the Ceres Courier and from community members, the parade and the friendly antics around it have been nothing but positive. One resident told me that the parade morning has become as exciting for their young kids as the game night, because it’s like a holiday in Ceres – a day to celebrate being part of this community. As mayor, hearing that warms my heart immensely.

Continuing the Tradition

Standing here in 2025, I am committed to keeping the Crosstown Showdown Parade and its spirit alive for years to come. We’ll continue refining the event, perhaps adding new elements – who knows, maybe a band competition or an alumni float in the future. I want to ensure that every generation of students experiences that special feeling of parading through their hometown, cheered by neighbors, before a big game. I also plan to keep the post-game City Council honors going strong. These are the moments that stick with a young person – when the city says, “We see you, and we’re proud of you.”

The Cross Town Showdown has truly become more than just a game; it’s now an annual festival of unity for Ceres. As I often remind everyone, “We’re representing our town. Some wear green. Some wear red. When the game is over, we’re still Ceres people.” In my role as mayor, nothing could make me happier than that sentiment coming true every single year. The rivalry will continue, the bets will be made, trophies will trade hands, and through it all, we’ll celebrate as one city. Together, we’ve created a tradition that showcases our community’s pride, competitiveness, and most importantly, our unity. And as long as I have the privilege of serving Ceres, I’ll continue to champion all our students and this wonderful tradition that brings out the best in our city. Here’s to many more years of the Crosstown Showdown Parade – a celebration of one town with one big heart.