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It's crunch time for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year considerations for The Bee's All-Star boys basketball team. What do you think?
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Greg Smith, jr., Edison: Central Section's most powerful player put on a dunk-and-hook show in the post-season for Tigers team that won the section Division II title and advanced to the Southern California Regional D-II finals.
Elliott Berry, sr., Clovis West: Inside force as scorer, defender and rebounder, he was co-Player of the Year in the section's premier league, the Tri-River Athletic Conference. And that says plenty.
John Hedrington, jr., Clovis East: He was a Bee All-Star as a sophomore, this season's Bee preseason Player of the Year and shared the TRAC co-Player of the Year award with Berry. And he powered the Timberwolves to the section D-I title.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Arturo Ormond, Edison: Found a point guard, developed chemistry and, at the end of the day, delivered the section's most feared team in a 28-5 season that counted a 19-game winning streak.
Brad Felder, Hanford: Bullpups won 19 straight, section D-III championship and one SoCal Regional game in school-record 31-4 season. He's won 351 games in a 17-year career.
Pat Geil, Memorial: After losing to Garces for the section D-IV title, the Panthers -- as a No. 6 seed -- upset No. 3 Valley Christian-Cerritos and No. 2 Horizon-San Diego to remain the lowest seed standing of all five divisions in the SoCal Regional finals. The Panthers finished 26-9.
A step away from Selland, here we go:
D-I: I'd hate to play a good team a third time after having beating it twice, but that's the case for Clovis West (vs. Central) and Clovis East (vs. Buchanan). The Golden Eagles and Timberwolves are seeded 1-2, but no great surprise if either or both fall tonight.
D-II: A lot of intrigue at No. 1 Edison against No. 4 Porterville, which has the wonderful record (27-2) and winning streak (school-record 23), but little competition to speak of. But consider: Edison faded in fourth quarter while still winning against Golden West, and Porterville overpowered a respectable Lemoore team. So, who knows?
D-III: This sets up a Hanford-Washington final at Selland, but Washington is being asked tonight to come back to its home court and defeat No. 7 Kerman a second time there in two weeks. That's a bit scary. Hanford needs to beat WYL colleague Redwood a third time, but Bullpups are on their game.
D-IV: No problem. Get your ticket for Memorial-Garces title rematch at Selland.
D-V: No sweat for Bakersfield Christian at home against Central Valley Christian, but the same can't be said for No. 2 Immanuel at home against No. 3 Mission Prep -- the mystery team of all Central Section boys playoffs.
A year after delivering Division I finalists Clovis East and Clovis West in the Central Section basketball playoffs, the Tri-River Athletic Conference is imposing its will once again.
The six-team league has advanced five representatives to Thursday's quarterfinals. And its only member not present, Madera, chose not to compete in the postseason.
The TRAC received a boost in the first round from 10th-seeded Clovis, which upset No. 7 Ridgeview 64-61 in Bakersfield.
The TRAC also has No. 1 Clovis West, No. 2 Clovis East, No. 4 Central and No. 6 Buchanan in the quarterfinals. Only two play each other Thursday -- Clovis at Clovis East.
The most interesting quarterfinals matchup will send Buchanan to No. 3 Bakersfield. Neither team is big inside, and both played in good leagues -- the Drillers having knocked heads with East Bakersfield and Garces and Golden Valley in the Southeast Yosemite League.
Observed Hanford's boys basketball team last night for three purposes: 1, Rankings; 2, Bee All-Star considerations; and 3, Research for upcoming column on the Felders -- coach Brad and his sons, Barrett and Beau.
Let's talk rankings.
The Bullpups, at 25-3, are the Central Section's winningest team. I've got them No. 6 overall in the section and No. 1 in Division III. And, after evaluating them in person, I feel that's just where they belong.
They have one of the section's best point guards in Cougar Williams in addition to a deep frontline of players in the 6-4 and 6-5 range. They include Barrett, a returning all-leaguer, who's battling through a shoulder problem.
This is the latest solid team under Felder, who's won eight West Yosemite League titles and one section championship with three runners-up section finishes in 13 years with the program. But, Williams aside, the 'Pups have been quicker and more athletic in the past. And, because of that deficiency, I think they would place fifth in the Tri-River Athletic Conference and would be overpowered by Edison of the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
Then, again, these are schools with much larger enrollments. Hanford is a strong favorite to win the section D-III title.
Super Sunday and Super Tuesday precedes a Super Week of boys basketball in the Central Section. Highlights:
Tuesday: No. 10 Buchanan at No. 1 Clovis West. Bears, at home, won the TRAC first-rounder 52-51 -- only their second win all-time against the Golden Eagles in 28 games. Clovis West should win by at least 10 points in this second-rounder.
Wednesday: Hanford West at No. 8 Hanford. Bullpups (24-3), the winningest team in the section, won 78-66 the first time, and this could even be more convincing as they clinch the West Yosemite League title.
Thursday: No. 4 Memorial at Sunnyside. Wonder if this will be as interesting as the first one, when Wildcats forced Panthers to rally for 45-41 win at Memorial. A win here will clinch North Yosemite League title tie for Panthers.
Friday: No. 1 Clovis West at No. 3 Clovis East: Preview to section Division I championship rematch? Could very well be. Eagles, at home, coasted 65-50 over Timberwolves in the first round. This one should be one of those OT types.
Tough call, ranking Clovis West (19-4) and Edison (17-4) in boys basketball.
I'm giving the No. 1 Eagles the call over the No. 2 Tigers mainly because Edison lost to D-V Bakersfield Christian and D-III Washington, and no way Clovis West loses to those teams.
So unfortunate we'll not see the matchup in the Central Section playoffs because Clovis West is D-I and Edison D-II.
What a matchup it would be, featuring Ethan Larson (CW) vs. ChaRunn Jones (E) at off guard, Mike Vogt (CW) vs. John Tate (E) at the point and Elliott Berry/DeAndre Medlock (CW) vs. Greg Smith/Phillip Ward (E) up front.
We'll see both teams in four weeks at Selland Arena for the section finals, only in different games.
Too bad.
Thoughts of the day:
** The Selma student body support for the Bears' home-court 48-39 loss to Immanuel Friday was the best I've seen this season -- Duke and Stanford type stuff, only in black and orange.
** Marty Martin email response continues to flow in near-landslide defense for the fired Clovis West football coach. Meanwhile, there's fairly strong sentiment to bring back Randy Blankenship, the current Madera coach, who went 90-14 with four section titles at Clovis West from 1991-98. But it won't happen: "You dont apply for a high-powered job in Clovis Unified," Blankenship said Monday. "They call you. And nobody's called me."
Former Clovis West baseball coach Stan Bledsoe died shortly before midnight Friday at Saint Agnes Medical Center, having never regained consciousness following a Jan. 17 heart attack.
His passing leaves a gaping hole in the local baseball community.
Bledsoe won but one league championship in 23 years at Clovis West, yet -- at such a high-pressure school for coaches -- he was untouchable.
Why? It was all about respect. And never has a Golden Eagles coach earned more than him. Which is why, of course, their field is named in his honor.
Thoughts of the day:
** Why not Marty Martin to Immanuel, where Bill Szpor resigned? Martin, the fired Clovis West coach, would have difficulty selling his house, because it was purchased a year ago -- and we all know what's happened to the real estate market since then. So, what the heck, keep your crib and take over what's a very good job a short commute away in Reedley.
** Expect Clovis East boys basketball to take off now. The Timberwolves, defendng D-I champs, are only 12-10 after playing a grueling schedule that counted their first 18 games on the road. Fifth-ranked Buchanan is in trouble tonight at No. 3 CE.
** Don't forget the little guys: Big Central Sequoia League boys game tonight with Immanuel (13-5) -- top-ranked in D-V -- going to Selma, which is 16-2 and unranked, though the Bears think they should be.
You're the hottest high school football coach in the country east of the Sierra Nevadas and the objective is to land California's dream job.
So, naturally, you apply at De La Salle-Concord, Long Beach Poly, St. Bonaventure-Ventura, Mater Dei-Santa Ana and -- of course -- Clovis West, right?
The spectacular flying Golden Eagles. With all their history and tradition. With all those resources and financial support. With that wonderful school district, right?
Then you take a deeper look after they've flushed out Marty Martin and you realize: Wow, I'll be the sixth coach in 11 years.
Dream? Or nightmare?
How many coaches do you know who walk with a smile, are immensely respected by their peers and have no apparent enemies?
This applies to Stan Bledsoe.
But the coaching fraternity in the Valley is frightened with the news that Bledsoe, the retired Clovis West baseball coach, is fighting for his life at Fresno's Saint Agnes Medical Center after a Thursday heart attack.
Bledsoe won 443 games in a 31-year career at Madera, Roosevelt and Clovis West, where he stepped down after the 2002 season. He has a wife and three daughters.
Bledsoe played for Pete Beiden at Fresno State from 1962-63.
This is the year of short boys basketball teams in the Central Section. That doesn't necessarily reflect on their caliber of play. Defending Division I champion Clovis East, for example, is starting a 6-foot center, Kenneth Russell.
The exceptions to the short rule are Clovis West and Edison. The section's Nos. 1-2 teams are not only tall, but very good with 6-10 DeAndre Medlock and 6-7 Elliott Berry representing the Golden Eagles, and 6-9 Greg Smith, 6-7 Steve McClellan and 6-6 Phillip Ward playing for the Tigers.
But here's the bummer: They haven't played each other, and they won't.
The only chance was in the season-opening BCW Classic, but it was there that Edison was dumped into the consolation bracket by Bakersfield Christian in a first-round stunner, while Clovis West went on to win the tournament.
Now, with only league play and section playoffs remaining, they're on different paths -- CW in D-I and Edison in D-II.
Calling the shots on Championship Friday:
D-I, Clovis West vs. Bakersfield: Drillers score in 20s, that's enough for 7-point victory. Too bad Eagles couldn't throw it; rather, they had no one to throw to, not against quality defense.
D-II, Tulare vs. El Diamante: Redskins, playing with a chip, win by 9 because Jontell Reedom's the best player on the field.
D-III, Foothill vs. Tehachapi: Warriors control chill and the ball at 4,000-foot elevation, winning by 10.
D-IV, Corcoran vs. Taft: Brant Botill fantastic as usual for Panthers, but Wildcats balance on both sides of the ball makes the difference in 2-point triumph.
It will go this way tonight in Division I-IV semfinals and the D-V championship:
D-I
Clovis West vs. Edison: Tremendous pre-game buzz, evident in an apparent Edison-crafted gold and black banner targeting Clovis West south-bound traffic and hanging on Highway 41 overpass at Bullard Avenue saying, "The lights are back on." This, of course, is a spin off the teams' 27-27 tie on Sept. 14 at Sunnyside High, where the game ended in overtime when lights operating on an automatic timer went out. This time? Golden Eagles needed rain, mud and a slow track. Conversely, perfect conditions for Edison speed and a 10-point win.
Bakersfield vs. Centennial: Rematch won by Centennial 28-26 two months ago. Golden Hawks win by 2 TDs tonight.
D-II
Lemoore vs. El Diamante: Miners by 20, even while looking forward to title showdown with unbeaten Tulare.
Reedley vs. Tulare: Pirates wing-T will cause problems, but they don't have the ponies to ride with Tulare, which wins by 17.
D-III
Garces vs. Tehachapi: Garces much improved in past month, but Warriors prevail by 7.
Washington vs. Foothill: Not a good sign for Trojans, requiring game-ending FG to nip seventh-seeded Dinuba 10-9 last week. Now to defend QB Ebahn Feathers, the best player on the field in Washington 10-point victory.
D-IV
Exeter vs. Corcoran: Panthers won Round I 57-12 at Exeter. Monarches make up 45 points on the road? Negatory, but it's closer. Corcoran by 23.
Chowchilla vs. Taft: At this point, Wildcats are most clear-cut favorite in all five divisions. Wildcats win this by 17.
D-V
Bakersfield Christian vs. Fowler: Eagles are decidedly taller than Redcats, but this isn't basketball on grass, is it? Fowler by 13 to close unbeaten season.
How'd the Central Section playoff seeding committee do Saturday? I'd give them a B-.
D-I: Giving Bullard a 4 seed was far too generous, showing absolute disregard for "what have you done lately?" Knights are 1-2 in past three games, with only win a 3-point decision Friday over 3-7 Hoover. Bullard should have been given a 6, behind TRAC co-champions Clovis West and Clovis East. Instead, the Golden Eagles are a 5 and the Timberwolves a 6. . . . Watch out for No. 9 Central -- again -- at No. 8 Liberty-Bakersfield. The Grizzlies, as a No. 10, crushed No. 7 Centennial 49-14 on the road in a playoff opener a year ago.
D-II: Good call, giving No. 1 El Diamante (9-1) the edge over No. 2 Tulare (10-0). This proves there is such a thing as a "good loss." And that was the Miners' 30-17 defeat at Clovis West in Week 2. Regardless, this division's a two-horse race.
D-III: Tehachapi's a 1 and Foothill a 2, but I like No. 3 Washington to win it all behind QB Ebahn Feathers, The Bee All-Star's probable Player of the Year.
D-IV: Mistake, seeding No. 3 Corcoran above No. 5 Central Valley Christian only hours after the Cavaliers defeated the previously unbeaten Panthers 29-22 in Corcoran. Again, what have you done lately? . . . Taft is No. 1, but No. 2 Kingsburg will win the plaque.
D-V: There's nothing -- absolutelyl nothing -- to suggest No. 1 Fowler (10-0) won win it in a walk.
** If the Central Section Division I title game were today, I'd like to see Clovis East and Edison. The only section team with a shot at beating the No. 1 Tigers is one who can run the ball -- and run it well. And no one does it better than Clovis East because of its double wing.
** Bullard star running back Clifton Rogers is in coach Donnie Arax's doghouse. Arax wishes he had the Hoover transfer for more than one year to instill better discipline.
** The word on Tulare-Kings counties streets is No. 7 El Diamante (7-1) of the West Yosemite League is superior to No. 4 Tulare (8-0) of the East Yosemite League. It's quite likely we won't know until they meet in the Nov. 30 D-II championship game.
** Spring (baseball) and fall (football) for Fowler boys' major sports? Try 41-2. The baseball team went 33-2 while finishing No. 1 in the state last spring. And the football team's rolling this fall at 8-0. The common denominator: Josh Poytress, The Bee's All-Star Player of the Year in baseball and the school's quarterback in football. He'll attend Fresno State on a baseball scholarship.
It's electric here at Chukchansi Park for the No. 1 Bullard vs. No. 2 Edison showdown
There were 9,000 presale tickets in what will be one of the best-attended football games involving Fresno Unified schools in 30 years.
I wrote in today's column of the drawbacks playing at this Triple-A baseball facility, mainly because of the dirt infield that's part of the playing surface and the distance fans sit from the action. And I compared it to Sunnyside High, which Edison uses as its "home" field. It's a traditional football field, creating a much-more intimate environment.
Interestingly, the 6,000-seat Sunnyside facility wouldn't have come close to accommodating tonight's crowd, which will exceed 10,000. Only 15,000-seat Ratcliff Stadium would have.
Some thoughts heading into Week 8, which begins the regular-season stretch run:
** I like Edison's chances against Bullard for two reasons: 1, Tigers are on top of their game, playing so loose behind a superb senior, QB Jerry Davis; and 2, Clifton Rogers (bad ankle) has to be 100% for Bullard to have a chance, and I'm not sure he will be.
** Clovis West has a lot of problems, the immediate worst attempting to stop Clovis East's double wing. This is a priority game for the Golden Eagles, which no doubt led partly to their loss to Buchanan last week because they may have overlooked the Bears. I don't see CW beating the Timberwolves, but know this: There's plenty of time for the Eagles to find stride with a talented cast and win the Division I championship.
** No shock if Delano, at home, upsets unbeaten Tulare. Why? Two reasons: 1, Tigers are at home and with talent; and 2, We still don't have a true read of Tulare because of the Redskins' Tulare-Kings County exclusive schedule. And there's no question that region is down this season. Just look at Mt. Whitney as the worst of examples.
** How about Selma, which stopped a 34-game losing streak this season, actually going to Dinuba -- the Central Section's 15th-ranked team -- with realistic thoughts of winning? There's no greater insurance in football than a successful running game. And wing-T Selma has it with RB Adrian Pacheco. Then, again, this is a Dinuba outfit that rocked previously unbeaten Kingsburg 33-0 last week. Makes for an intruiging game, doesn't it?
** A day after writing a column on Scott Seward -- the 5-7, 160-pound state-leading rusher in eight-man football for Clovis Christian -- I watched his clone, Clovis East quarterback Taylor Scott, chew up Central in the Timberwolves' 35-14 win. They're built alike and have similar speed. So who's to say Seward couldn't play with the big boys?
** Wow, how Clovis West fooled me. I just knew the Golden Eagles were ready to explode after nearly knocking off the state's second-ranked Centennial-Corona on the road three weeks ago. Then they barely beat Central before losing to unranked Buchanan Friday night. Gotta wonder at this point if they'll ever truly find their stride this season under first-year coach Martin Martin.
** Kingsburg, while unbeaten, had only played one team with a winning record (Caruthers). Then the 12th-ranked Vikings met reality in humbling 33-0 loss at DInuba.
** I ruffled some Bullard community feathers when writing two weeks ago that the unbeaten Knights could be 2-2 had not transfer running back Clifton Rogers arrived from Hoover. Wonder if those same people were paying attention in the second half Friday night, when Bullard was shut out by Reedley after Rogers was sidelined with an ankle injury. No Central Section player means more to a tean than Rogers.
Gotta love having quarterbacks Jerry Davis (Edison), Beau Sweeney (Clovis West) and Ebahn Feathers (Washington) in next summer's City-County All-Star Football Game. Last year's game was marred by fights. This one, conversely, should be an entertaining showcase and big draw at the gate.
City-County exception: Sanger running back/safety Justin Webber deserves to play in the game despite not playing a down this year because of a knee injury. He and Bullard's Clifton Rogers would be an outstanding complement to the quarterbacks.
Some thoughts entering Week 7:
** Trap game for Clovis East tonight at Central for two reasons: Timberwolves play Clovis West next week and Central is determined to prove it can win the TRAC.
** Shocking numbers: Clovis, which hasn't had a losing season since 1973, is 0-6 while being outscored 229-52; and Mt. Whitney, coming off a 12-1 and D-II championship seasson, also 0-6 while being outscored 256-94.
** Fowler, in a great cycle of athletes that will extend for at least two more years, will beat Strathmore tonight on the road. Redcats QB Josh Poytress is one of the top five athletes in the Central Section.
I expect the Sanger-Edison crowd at Sunnyside Stadium to at least match the 6,000 that turned out for the Clovis West-Edison 27-27 tie in Week 3 on Sept. 14. In that one, Edison out drew the Golden Eagles' fans 2-to-1.
Actually, I thought tonight's game would outdraw the CW-Edison contest given the fact Sanger traditionally draws much better on the road than the Eagles.
Looking at the ticket line outside the stadium, it appears that could be the case. The line measures about 100 yards a few minutes before kickoff.
There's a decent parking lot here at Sunnyside, but it doesn't accommodate capacity crowds, forcing fans to line their cars down Peach and Kings Canyon avenues.
Edison hasn't defeated Sanger since 1990, losing eight straight to the Apaches. But the second-ranked Tigers (4-0-1) are prohibitive favorites tonight over No. 10 but injury ravaged Sanger (4-1).
No Central Section Division I team has made a more convincing statement this season than Clovis West in its 31-24 loss at Centennial-Corona Friday night. Centennial -- ranked third in the state and about to move to No. 2 after St. Bonaventure lost -- required a fourth-quarter touchdown to win it against a Golden Eagles team minus star running back Matt Jelmini and four suspended players. I can't imagine any other section team -- even at full strength -- nearly beating Centennial on the road. So Jelmini returns, CW finds its stride under new coach Marty Martin and the Eagles win the section D-I title on Nov. 30. Count on it.
Bullard's Phillip Brandt is the area's most underrated quarterback. And, while running back Clifton Rogers hogs the headlines, the Knights' passing game is real with Brandt and wide receivers Brandon Williams and Evan Caldwell. They're as good as any at Edison, and the Tigers are loaded.
Imagine Clovis, which hasn't had a losing season since 1973, going winless this year? Could happen. The Cougars are 0-5 entering the TRAC. If they're going to win, it's going to have to be at home against either Madera and Buchanan Oct. 12-19.
** Ironic but true: Clovis West quarterback Beau Sweeney would have more weapons to work with had his family lived in the Bullard district, following the footsteps of his father, Kevin. Beau has not one legitimate wide receiver and, now, 2006 Bee All-Star running back Matt Jelmini has a sprained ankle.
** Notice the discrepancy of power in Tulare-Kings Counties? In nonleague play, the East Yosemite League went 15-6 while the West Yosemite League went 4-17. Leading the EYL charge with 3-0 records are Delano, Monache, Tulare and Tulare Western.
** Roosevelt is 3-1 one year after going 0-10. That's refreshing for the Rough Riders, though it's difficult to ignore their butter soft schedule (they've beaten Cesar Chavez, Tranquillity and senior-less Frontier). Says here Division V Bakersfield Christian beats Roosevelt Friday.
Regarding Friday's 27-27 overtime tie between Clovis West and Edison when the game was called because the lights went out at Sunnyside High:
Who to blame? The Fresno Unified School District is always an easy target. Last time I was at Sunnyside, the infield sprinklers went on during an important high school track meet. Always excuses; always problems.
State impact? Entering the game, regarding state bowls, CW was No. 2 in South Division I and Edison No. 7 in South Division II. They will drop, but the Golden Eagles will still figure prominently in the running should they run the table, including a win next week at Centennial-Corona, which is No. 1 in South Division II and No. 5 in the state. Edison, conversely, faces longer odds. But they were a stretch to begin with.
Who's better? Clovis West's game is more complete than the Tigers because of the Eagles' outstanding special teams. This game never goes to overtime if not for Edison's two missed conversion kicks and a gimmie field goal.
I've always found it puzzling for all of Clovis West's athletic success -- an unrivaled 148 Central Section titles in 26 years -- how weakly the school travels regarding its fans.
In the first quarter here at Sunnyside High, the Golden Eagles appear to be outdrawn 3-to-1 by Edison faithful in the section's game of the week.
Tigers fans have stuffed the stadium's north bleachers, they're standing all the way to the concession stand and now they're helping fill two sections on Clovis West's south side. Late in the first quarter, the ticket line is about 100 yards long outside the facility -- and most are wearing Edison black and gold.
One problem: The Tigers trail 14-0.
The water's beginning to boil at Clovis High, where the Cougars are 0-2 and have been outscored 94-25 under first-year coach Jerry Campbell.
Campbell, you might remember, came from Texas, where he went 1-9 last year at Victoria Memorial. He was 28-43 in seven seasons as a high school head coach before being hired at Clovis.
The assignment buckled a lot of knees in and around the Cougars' program, which last had a losing record in 1973.
Clovis athletic director Dave Bens responded by saying: "We're betting on the man, not the record."
Early results suggest it was a shaky wager.
Is it possible for Bullard to sweep Clovis Unified one year after losing to Clovis (75-0), Clovis East (34-0) and Clovis West (70-14)?
Possible, yes; probable, no.
The Knights got off to a rousing start in what would be a remarkable reversal by pounding Clovis 46-12 last week. They'll play Clovis East this week and Clovis West next week.
I think Bullard is still a bit too young in some areas to pull off the sweep. For example, the Knights will be starting two sophomore linebackers against Clovis East's double wing offense, which is difficult for even the most experienced of linebackers to read.
This should be a good year for Bullard, but the Knights' best seasons should be their next three.
Clovis West-Edison football games have always attracted strong local interest but, perhaps, never more than Friday's showdown at Sunnyside.
Rankings on the local and state levels have stoked this fire.
The Golden Eagles are No. 1 in the Central Section and No. 2 in Division I South for the CIF State Championship Bowl Games. The Tigers are No. 6 in the section and No. 7 in Division II South for the bowls.
Unfortunately, Friday's loser will be virtually eliminated from bowl contention. It's hardly fair, but it's reality: Central Section schools -- as opposed to the more heavily advertised Southern California schools -- probably have to go unbeaten to receive bowl consideration. It's done on an invitation basis -- a state selection committee matching three teams from the South with three teams from the North.
What's also important to note is the selection committee will only evaluate teams who won section titles. So it's impossible for both Clovis West and Edison to go because, for section playoff purposes, they'll both compete in Division I.
The difference is state bowls are divided into three divisions; section playoffs are split into five divisions.
Typically, in the past 10-20 years, Tulare-Kings County schools have had trouble competing with those from Clovis Unified in football. They know this and they're sensitive to it, all of which adds more meaning to El Diamante's game tonight against top-ranked Clovis West at Buchanan.
El Diamante is No. 8 in the Central Section and favored to win the West Yosemite League. Last year -- one of their best ever in football -- the Miners finished 10-4 and second to Mt. Whitney in the Division II playoffs.
Yet, in this Week 2 game a year ago, El Diamante lost 42-14 at home to eventual D-I runner-up Clovis West in a game that was virtually decided at halftime (28-7).
The Miners are catching the Golden Eagles at a good time because CW -- in a coaching transition -- is behind offensively. But the Eagles' defense may have no rival in the section, so it will be difficult for El Diamante to score 3-4 touchowns. And that's probably what it will require to win.
Look for one of the biggest reversals in Central Section football history Friday night, when Bullard plays Clovis at Chukchansi Park.
Clovis won this one 75-0 last year, when the Cougars scored on every possession. It was 56-0 at halftime.
This dreadful experience in Week 2 for the Knights against a long-time rival occurred only nine months after they played in the section Division I championship.
Should Bullard win by 30 Friday -- which isn't a stretch -- that would be a 105-point swing. And it's likely.
Clovis West's football team is ranked No. 1 in Northern California and the Central Section, No. 6 in the state and No. 47 in the nation. Justified? I don't think so.
The Golden Eagles' defense supports the hype; their offense does not. Quarterback Beau Sweeney's receivers are average, at best. And his offensive line, with only one returning starter, is suspect. That group was dominated by Liberty-Bakersfield in the Eagles' season-opening 9-0 win on the road last week.
It will be interesting to see how CW responds at home (Buchanan Stadium) Friday night against El Diamante, the section's top-ranked team in Division II.
Selma's football losing streak will end Friday night at McLane.
One more loss and the Bears would set a Central Section record for 35 consecutive defeats. They tied the Fresno High's record of 34 on Friday in a 35-28 loss to Reedley.
While tied to section lore in a negative way, there were encouraging signs in the loss to Reedley: The Pirates have turned their Division II program around under second-year coach Justin Garza. If ever there's an insurance policy in football, it's successful rushing. And Selma's Adrian Pacheco rushed for a school-record 280 yards against Reedley.
He'll carry Selma to victory against McLane, which lost 21-0 in a season-opener against Hoover.
Friday night feel for Week 1:
CW 9, Liberty-Bakersfield 0: Red flags flapping above Clovis West, which displayed no offensive creativity while getting mauled up front by Liberty's defense.
Bullard 42, SJM 7: Expected mismatch. Nothing to be judged here.
Kingsburg 34, Dos Palos 7: We should have listened to Broncos coach Mike Sparks, who said all along his team didn't deserve to be ranked.
Reedley 35, Selma 28: Bears just miss. But the losing streak (34) ends next week against McLane.
Sanger 32, Sunnyside 29: No Justin Webber (knee) and Apaches still beat CMAC's defendinig champion. Gotta love Apaches football.
Extreme heat that we're experiencing stirs two thoughts in high school football -- depth and small schools.
Few schools -- even the large ones -- have the luxury of playing a two-platoon system anymore. As new high schools have sprouted like peach trees in the Valley enrollments have been reduced at established schools. And that means smaller squad sizes in football. Clovis High, for example, routinely marched out 80-man varsity teams in the '80s and '90s. But, in recent years, Cougars' teams have been limited to about 40 players.
That figure, of course, would appear enormous to the Avenals, Mendotas and Riverdales of the Valley. With 20-man rosters, they typically have 80-90% of their starters going both ways. And, in 100-degree heat tonight, that will be a breathtaking challenge.
Fowler and quarterback Josh Poytress playing at Liberty-Madera Ranchos is the Central Section's most intriguing matchup of the week.
And it's a baseball thing.
Poytress is the Redcats' golden child, The Bee's Player of the Year in baseball and a future Fresno State Bulldog. He came out of retirement for football, and that's the kicker.
He'll be wearing a target on his chest Friday night, having beaten Liberty three times last spring in tight, intense and emotional baseball games -- the last for the section Division V championship. This football game promises to be emotinoal as well.
Here's hoping Poytress is wearing sufficient padding.
High Fives to football coaches willing to schedule tough within their own division in nonleague play.
Examples this week: Clovis West-Liberty (Bakersfield), Mt. Whitney-Tulare Western, Coalinga-Chowchilla and Fowler-Liberty (Madera Ranchos). Down-the-road seeding rewards to the winners; dings to the losers. But thanks for trying.
The section's playoff selection committee depends heavily on these matches to judge -- not only head to head but league to league and area to area. Without them leaves too much subjectivity in seeding.
There's a big one missing, though: Bakersfield vs. Clovis West. That would be the heaviest of heavyweight nonleague showdowns in the section, the best the region has to offer. But anyone rushing to schedule this series? No way. They'll wait to Thanksgiving.
High school football in the state of Utah has never been confused for what's played in California, Texas and Florida. And, for that reason, it's difficult from our angle to get a true read on Alta of Sandy, Utah, which will play Clovis East Saturday in the final game of the two-day Gridiron Classic at Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High.
This we know for certain: Alta is armed with Sausan Shakerin, a 6-3, 210-pound senior running back, rushed for 2,355 yards and scored 37 touchdowns for the 11-3 team as a junior.
And, last week, Alta -- as the state's No. 2 ranked team -- lost 23-20 to the state's No. 1-ranked team, Bingham, before 10,000 fans. And it required 59- and 51-yard field goals by host Bingham to beat the Hawks.
Season-opening routs: Clovis East over Hug-Reno, Edison over Madera and Bakersfield over West-Bakersfield.
And my gut says:
Clovis East: Status quo one year after winning it all. Depth, double wing that no one has an answer for and good defense, although the Timberwolves were burned badly by Hug's big, athletic QB-WR combination of Michael Williams and Courtney Gardner. This pair will torch aplenty in the state of Nevada, also.
Edison: Whoa Tigers! Extremely impressive over a Madera team that could win eight games. And, remember now, Edison is Division I.
Bakersfield: Toyed with a good West outfit. Absolutely loaded offensively.
Nonleague play is critical, ladies and gentlemen, because it will influence post-season seeding. At the end of the day, it could make a difference who's playing at home -- say, Bakersfield, Clovis East, Clovis West or Edison.
Stay tuned.
Word on the street says there's a lack of weight lifting in Edison's football program, that the Tigers' lack of strength and stamina was evident this summer in passing leagues.
If this is true, it will show in the second half against Madera, which I promise you, is big on lifting under coach Randy Blankenship.
Let's pay attention to the halftime and final scores in what's a huge nonleague opener for both schools.
Does Tim Murphy's punishment fit the crime? No.
Is he, in fact, being used as an example by Clovis Unified? I believe, yes.
He's a high-profile coach -- and let's be honest here, he's got a little wild stallion in him -- so maybe this isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it's OK to make a statement to other Clovis coaches, if not the Valley.
What's important now for Clovis Unified is this: Beware of double-standard treatment. If the football coach at Clovis or Clovis West or Buchanan or Clovis North makes a similar mistake, the same disciplinary hammer needs to be used.
Unforgettable scenes in Sanger-Clovis West football game, won by the Golden Eagles 35-7:
Sanger's fans, on the road, easily outdrawing those from Clovis West. The Buchanan High north-side bleachers were packed with red with a few hundred more standing behind them.
Pat Hill, as if not having experienced enough misery in a 2-7 season as Fresno State's football coach, dragging himself out of the Buchanan Stadium, as if bound by ball and chain, at halftime with son, Zak -- the Clovis West standout senior safety -- not far behind in a cart, his prep career finished with a leg injury.
Golden Eagles linebackers Jordan Ribera, Kyle Negrete and Travis Brown appearing as what we'll see playing college football today on TV.
And, finally, Sanger running back Justin Webber keeping his helmet on as he exited in near tears, having rushed for only 24 yards on 11 carries, and unable to play the second half because of a back injury.
Top ticket sellers of Valley playoffs, if they get there:
Clovis West and Clovis East in a D-I rematch of earlier-season game. If weather's right, they'll be hanging off the light standards at Buchanan Stadium. Eagles won Round I. I go with Timberwolves in Round 2.
West of Bakersfield and Lemoore in D-II final. QB/RB Ryan Mathews against Tigers tremendous defense. Take West. Lemoore hasn't seen this caliber of player in WYL. I think he's better than Hanford's Avery Horn, who's going to Michigan, but has been playing hurt.
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