Sep. 3—As the high school football season moves into September, teams continue to look to build momentum with the league schedule still a few weeks away.
For some schools, it’s a matter of continuing a hot start. Nine Kern County schools are 2-0, with six of them in action Friday tonight. Two of the undefeated teams, Highland and Kennedy, played Thursday night and West High’s home game against North was canceled due to health and safety protocols.
For others, it’s an opportunity to start turning things around. Arvin, Bakersfield, East, Independence, Ridgeview and Shafter are all 0-2, and all face tough matchups this week.
For schools like Mira Monte, Golden Valley and Kern Valley, this week represents a season opener due to health and safety protocols. The Lions and Broncs play Friday, with the Bulldogs traveling to play at Porterville at Granite Hills High on Thursday night.
Although the action will have plenty of meaning internally to the respective teams, there should also be plenty of intrigue for local high school football fans.
Here’s a look at some of the big matchups this week:
Fresno-Central at Bakersfield, 7:30 p.m.
Although Drillers are 0-2, that record is a bit deceptive. BHS’s losses were to two of the state’s elite teams, No. 9 Los Alamitos and No. 17 Clovis, according to CalHisports. It doesn’t get any easier for Bakersfield this week with No. 25 Fresno-Central in town for the Drillers’ home opener.
The Grizzlies (1-0) captured the 2019 CIF State I-AA championship and have won three straight Central Section Division I titles. BHS’s brutal preseason schedule also features a home game against No. 6 Chatsworth-Sierra Canyon in two weeks. The Drillers received strong performances from West High transfer Dayon Leach (112 yards receiving) and juniors Tye Monteiro (17 of 21 passing for 240 yards, two TDs and two INTs) and Tybo Rogers (113 yards and a TD combined rushing and receiving).
Tulare Western at Frontier, 7:30 p.m.
The Titans (2-0) held on for a hard-fought 35-33 victory over Santa Maria-St. Joseph last week and will look to stay unbeaten when they host the Mustangs, who lost their season opener to Dinuba last week 48-20. Frontier has used a balanced offensive attack led by senior quarterback Vincent Igoa (288 yards passing, two TDs) and a pair of running backs in junior EJ Flores (135 yards rushing, two TDs) and sophomore Samuel Marquez (113 yards rushing, two TDs). Eight Titan players have rushed for touchdowns this season.
“Tulare Western has been a very successful program over the past several years and they always have good team speed,” Frontier coach Chris Bandy said. “It’s a challenge for us in that it’s another new opponent who we don’t know much about. For us it’s a good chance to fix mistakes and keep getting better.”
Bakersfield Christian at Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial, 7 p.m.
The Eagles (1-1), fresh off a 55-28 victory over Fresno-Edison in their home opener last week, have perhaps their biggest test this week against the Panthers (1-0). Memorial has won three straight section titles and is 42-7 combined the past four seasons. BCHS showed plenty of balance last week, throwing for 219 yards and rushing for 194.
“(Playing) SJM is like shopping for refrigerators,” BCHS coach Darren Carr said. “They are big up front and play hard. (They have a) D-I type player at split out and running back. They try and get the ball in their playmakers’ hands. Solid defensively, (they) pressure and play in-your-face defense.
“We are coming off a solid performance. Still adjusting and finding who we are defensively and offensively. (I’m) proud of how we work everyday (and) how much they love football. Our guys are pumped for our matchup. (We) had a great last few days of practice.”
Foothill at California City, 7 p.m.
The Trojans will look to go 3-0 for the first time in recent memory when they travel to play the Ravens, who lost to Taft 55-0 last week. Foothill relies heavily on senior running back Kaelan Deloney, who has rushed for 382 yards and five touchdowns this season.
Centennial at Independence, 7:30
The Golden Hawks (2-0), who are averaging almost 40 points a game, have used a balanced offensive attack led by senior quarterback Levi Manning. Manning has thrown for 481 yards and six touchdowns, including three to sophomore Jaxton Santiago and two to Tyler Fimple. Defensively, senior A.J. Morgan and Garrett Austin have combined for five sacks. The Falcons (0-2) are off to a bit of a slow start after being shut down for two weeks due to health and safety protocols. Senior quarterback Ladon Denmark has carried the load offensively, throwing for 313 yards and two TDs, and rushing for a team-high 117 yards.
“I’m really looking forward to the matchup against a rapidly-improving Independence team that has gotten better every week,” Centennial coach Richard Starrett said. “They have some talented players and it will be an exciting matchup. We hit the injury bug a little last week against Arroyo Grande so it will be an opportunity for some young guys to step in and continue to build momentum toward what looks to be a great SWYL this season.”
Hayward-Stellar Prep at Liberty, 7 p.m.
The Patriots look to open the season with three victories for the fourth straight season. Liberty, which is ranked 43rd in the state according to CalHisports, has outscored its first two opponents 79-3 and forced four turnovers in the team’s 51-0 victory over Ridgeview last week. Offensively, senior quarterback Carson Woods (13 of 23, 313 yards and five TDs) and senior receiver Jason Oliver (five catches for 200 yards) have connected for three long touchdowns, and junior running back Jalen Hankins has rushed for 193 yards and three scores. Stellar Prep won its season opener last week, 26-0 over Richmond-Kennedy.
Garces at Santa Barbara-Bishop Diego, 7 p.m.
The Rams, who are 2-0 for the first time since 2012, travel to face another solid Southern Section opponent, in a game scheduled to be played at La Playa Stadium on the campus of Santa Barbara City College. Senior two-way standout Logan Bowers has been dominant in his first two games this season, rushing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and also leading the team with 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks. The Cardinals (1-0) defeated Oxnard 51-0 in their season opener last week.
Shafter at Mira Monte, 7:30 p.m.
The Lions finally get to make their season debut three weeks into the season due to health and safety protocols, while the Generals (0-2) are looking to get healthy after two difficult weeks of mounting injuries. Shafter lost quarterback Tyson Dozhier, the BVarsity All-Area co-player of the year in the spring, with a broken collarbone in last week’s 20-13 loss to Highland. Dozhier had surgery Thursday and is expected to return in four and six weeks. His replacement under center, senior receiver Devon Sundgren, aggravated a knee injury and his status for the game is still being evaluated.
“I’m just excited to finally have our kids back on the field,” Mira Monte coach Christian Johnson said. “They have worked hard and me and this coaching staff are just ready to finally see them compete.”
East at Delano, 7:30 p.m.
The Tigers (2-0) look to stay undefeated against a Blades’ team looking for its first win. Delano has yet to give up a point this season, outsourcing its first two opponents a combined 63-0. East has scored just one touchdown this season, but has shown success throwing the ball with quarterback Aaron Ramos and receivers Jaedan Moore and Paul Campos.
South at Wasco, 7:30 p.m.
The Rebels (1-1) look to rebound after losing to Fresno-Sunnyside last week, 23-13. The Tigers (1-0) are coming off a bye week following a dominating 50-14 victory over Tehachapi in the season opener in Week 1.
Burroughs at Tehachapi, 7:30 p.m.
The Warriors (1-1) look for their second straight victory when they host the Burros (0-2). Rashad McElroy had a 26-yard touchdown run and finished with 55 yards on eight carries to lead Tehachapi to a 12-3 win over Visalia-Golden West last week, giving first-year coach Kris Krimpien his first victory with the team. McElroy also recovered a fumble, and Sam Orellana led the team with 58 yards on 14 carries and scored Tehachapi’s other TD on a 1-yard run.
Clovis at Ridgeview, 7:30 p.m.
The Wolf Pack (0-2) faces a tough opponent this week in Clovis, ranked 17th in the state by CalHiSports. Ridgeview lost to 43rd-ranked Liberty last week, while the Cougars (2-0) posted a 34-14 victory over Bakersfield High.
Desert at Taft, 7 p.m.
The Scorpions open their season by traveling to face the Wildcats (1-0), who rolled to a 56-0 victory over California City last week. Taft was led by Jackson Berry, who rushed for four touchdowns, scoring on runs of 55, 22, 17 and one yard. Brock Mizner returned a punt 40 yards for a score and also had a 1-yard TD run. Bronson Ortlieb had an 80-yard scoring run, and Caleb Kozloski returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown for Taft to help first-year coach Brian Durkan win in his head coaching debut.
Canceled games: Arvin at Kern Valley; McFarland at Coalinga; North at West.