DINUBA – With a not-so-surprisingly narrow focus, Ben Kamerin summed up what it meant for the Dinuba High football team to be undefeated in late November.
"All the other games are behind us now," the two-way standout said. "We've just got to worry about the next one, and that's Kingsburg. We're going to do everything we can to win that game."
Top-seeded Dinuba set up a rematch with its Central Sequoia League rival by rolling over No. 8 Mt. Whitney 47-10 on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Central Section Division III playoffs behind a Kamerin-led defense and a David Rico-powered offense.
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The Emperors (11-0) will host the fifth-seeded Vikings – who beat No. 4 Hanford 40-21 – next Friday. The first time these teams met Sept. 30, Dinuba held on for a 17-15 victory.
"Kingsburg is playing good football right now, so it should be a barn-burner" Dinuba coach Kevin Scharton said. "Our kids are chomping at the bit right now, but we take it one game at a time. This is a special group of kids. Every single week they play their hearts out and give it their all for me."
Dinuba forced turnovers on the first two possessions for Mt. Whitney (8-4) to set the tone early.
A Petro Ibarra interception on the Pioneers' third play from scrimmage immediately preceded the Emperors' first touchdown – a 14-yard pass from Rico to Andrew Worthley. Michael Wright scored on a 4-yard run midway through the second quarter and Mt. Whitney would get no closer.
"Our defense set the tempo," said Ibarra, who also had a forced fumble on Mt. Whitney's second possession. "Our hard work is paying off. I knew all week that play [for the interception] was coming. I was ready."
Rico, a third-year starting quarterback, helped his team pull away in the third quarter, hitting Kamerin for a 25-yard touchdown and then Lorenzo Fraga for a 64-yard strike – which was inches from going the other way as a Ray Alcaraz interception – as the Emperors went ahead 34-3.
"We did what we wanted to do," said Rico, who completed 14 of 25 passes form 301 yards and four touchdowns. "It all starts with the line up front, and our defense put us in great situations all night."
Mt. Whitney would get a 90-yard touchdown run from Kyle McAlister in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.
"We could never get in a rhythm offensively," Pioneers coach Marty Martin said. "And you can't spot a good football team like that 13 points out the shoot."
The reporter can be reached at nickg@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2407. Follow him on Twitter: @NickG_FB.
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