Tulare continues roll through EYL

Published online on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

TULARE - Tulare High turned a game for first place into a scrimmage -- an entertaining one, though -- and continued a ridiculously easy march through East Yosemite League competition by defeating Porterville 56-21 Thursday night at Bob Mathias Stadium.

The theater in a game that the third-ranked Redskins (7-0, 3-0) scored on their first eight possessions was provided by quarterback Trevor Jones, who might play major college football, and Edward Dillihunt and Marquess Wilson, who most certainly will.

Jones already had begun attracting attention from service academy coaches (see Navy, Air Force, Navy), who operate option offenses.

Then this: He completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 334 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed 12 times for 65 yards and three more scores as the Central Section's defending Division II champions won their 27th consecutive regular-season game and 15th straight in the EYL.

"He knows how to get the ball in the right hands," Tulare coach Darren Bennett said.

Those would be the claws of Dillihunt and Wilson, who reduced Panthers defenders to practice bags with marvelous open-field moves.

Dillihunt, an H-back who made an oral commitment to Fresno State last week, caught eight passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed five times for 40 yards and a score.

"[Fresno State coach] Pat Hill got himself a gem," Bennett said.

Wilson, a wide receiver who pledged allegiance to Washington State, caught four passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Porterville (4-3, 2-1) countered nicely at times with a 23-carry, 229-yard rushing effort by David Ali.

For all that, it wasn't a night that Bennett left entirely satisfied.

"Unacceptable," he barked afterward toward his defense, which was drilled for 229 yards rushing on 23 carries by Porterville's David Ali.

But most of those yards were gained with defensive anchor Jacob Guerrero(ankle) on the sideline.