After weeks of watching from the sidelines and countless hours of practice behind the scenes, Ross Widemon made his presence known Monday night inside Bulldog Arena.

Widemon, a senior who grew up in Turlock for most of his life but played at Modesto Christian the last three seasons, lit up the stat sheet in his first action as a member of the Turlock High program. He contributed 36 points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals and three blocks in the Bulldogs’ 73-34 win over Buhach Colony (Atwater) in their penultimate preseason contest.

Because of the transfer from MC, the 6-foot-2 point guard was not eligible to compete until the calendars turned to 2025. By Monday, he had missed his team’s first 14 games. But the wait made the debut all the more special.

“Everybody’s time comes. Sitting out those weeks, it just gave me a different perspective and appreciation,” Widemon said. “My teammates cheered me on even while I wasn't playing, so I feel like I'm giving them energy back while I'm able to play now, reciprocating that same energy, and I appreciate it.

“Being on the sidelines, I was able to see the game from the bench and to read people's bodies, tendencies, to see mannerisms. It allows me to unlock a new set of skills on the court. My coaches gave me the green light to just do what I do.”

It’s hard to agree on what Widemon does best. In his first quarter of action, he did most of the team’s ballhandling, scoring 14 points on five of eight shooting from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers from far beyond the arc. He had another six points in the second frame, but recorded three assists and three steals while also sacrificing his body to draw a charge. His defensive prowess was even more apparent in the second half, where he denied a pair of shots and forced a pair of turnovers in the span of five minutes late in the third quarter. He sat most of the fourth quarter.

“Very excited to play, with a lot of family coming out, good family support. It was fun,” Widemon said. “It was (a) smooth transition because I put in a lot of shots, a lot of unseen hours of work these few weeks in practice with my teammates… And once I saw that first shot go in, it was just go-time from there.”

“That was one hell of a coming out party,” said head coach Rick Fetter, who is leading the varsity team for the first time after several years as a coach at the school’s lower levels. 

“It’s cool just to see him make guys around him better. A lot of those guys that have been playing all season, he fits right in from them, it didn't seem like we skipped a beat. Things really flowed for them,” Fetter added. 

The Bulldogs came into Monday’s game with a 5-9 record and riding a two-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Thunder sported a 9-7 record and had won three in a row. Two weeks ago, they were the victors of the annual Denair holiday tournament. Despite that, they struggled to find open looks against Turlock throughout the night. Their top scorer was Carter Chapman, who flustered 10 points on five of 11 shooting from the field. No other player made more than four field goals. 

Aside from Widemon, Saenz led Turlock with 10 points.

Turlock built a 15-6 lead after a quarter of play, then scored 22 in the second quarter while holding the Thunder to just four points. By half, the game was basically out of reach for the visitors.

By the final buzzer, the Bulldogs had forced 10 turnovers and outrebounded the Thunder 27-16. Seniors Dutch Lawrence and Izaak Saenz and junior Nehemiah McGowan each had five rebounds to follow Widemon’s six. 

“Things flowed really well with them, not just on offense, but defensively, too,” Fetter said. “We played a couple of good players from Buhach tonight, and we really took pride in playing good defense. It's awesome that the offensive numbers are going to stand out, but the war in the trenches. I think Ross locked his man up, but I think everybody bought in. They all showed out tonight.”

The Bulldogs will have one last tune-up before Central California Athletic League competition starts next week. They’ll host Patterson at 3 p.m. Saturday, then travel to Modesto to play Enochs in the league opener on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re not a finished product yet, and I hope they take this game and really open their eyes and realize, ‘Holy moly, we are somebody that can compete in this league,’ Fetter said. “Because our league is going to be tough. Pitman’s coming back as defending champs with the league MVP (Avery Sanchez), Gregori is tough every single year, Enochs is tough especially at their place, Downey is young but tough… I just want us to take this win and don’t look back.”