Prep football, baseball & softball rankings; coach faces ex team and basketball tips off
Buchanan High remained No. 1 in The Fresno Bee prep football Top 10 rankings this week after holding off Clovis 45-38 at Veterans Memorial Stadium last week.
The Cougars had a chance to send the game to overtime, but a fumble ended those hopes. Clovis went into the game as the No. 5 team but rose a spot to No. 4 off its strong showing.
Previous No. 4 Bullard went to Tom Flores Stadium and fell 14-6 to Sanger. The Knights dropped three spots to No. 7.
Debuting in the rankings is Kingsburg, checking in at No. 10 after a 35-0 win over Dinuba. Kingsburg gets the nod over Sanger thanks to a season-openiing 7-6 Vikings win.
Central Section Football Top 10
1. Buchanan (3-0) last week d. Clovis 45-38 (pvs. 1)
2. Central (2-1) last week d. Clovis East 35-7 (pvs. 2)
3. Liberty-Bakersfield (2-0) last week d. Centennial 38-14 (pvs. 3)
4. Clovis (1-2) last week lost to Buchanan 45-38 (pvs. 5)
5. Bakersfield (1-0) last week’s game postponed (pvs. 6)
6. San Joaquin Memorial (2–0) last week d. Lemoore 40-7 (pvs. 7)
7. Bullard (1-1) last week lost to Sanger 14-6 (pvs. 4)
8. Edison (1-0) last week d. Madera 24-21 in overtime (pvs. 10)
9. Garces (1-1) last week lost to Sierra Canyon-Chastworth 42-0 (pvs. 8)
10. Kingsburg (2-0) last week d. Dinuba 35-0 (pvs. NR)
Speaking of Kingsburg
Kingsburg and Washington were needing a game to fill this week after their previously scheduled opponents (Mission Oak and Yosemite, respectively) canceled. It is unclear why the games were canceled, but the Vikings and Panthers will now play.
The teams will meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Kingsburg.
Reunion on the baseball diamond
Buchanan visits Bullard at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in a marquee baseball matchup. Former Bears coach Tom Donald will face the team he had coached for 20 seasons.
Donald resigned at Buchanan in May 2019 after he initially said he was stepping away from the storied program at least on a short-term basis. At the time, he indicated personal and professional obligations had become too much.
Donald was an assistant at Bullard during a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. His promotion to head coach comes after Aaron Weimer decided to step away to pursue his teaching credential.
In 20 seasons as Bears coach, he compiled a 485-135-6 record that included six CIF Central Section and 10 Tri-River Athletic Conference titles and two national championships, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
Buchanan is coming off a 10-3 win over Fresno in the championship game of the 51st Fresno Easter Classic.
Austin Young and Josh Williams were named co-most valuable players. Williams had two doubles and drove in four runs and Young had a double and an RBI.
Baseball rankings
Records through Monday
1. Buchanan (5-0)
2. San Joaquin Memorial (4-1)
3. Bullard (4-0)
4. Clovis North (3-1)
5. Clovis West (3-1)
6. Stockdale (0-0)
7. Arroyo Grande (7-0)
8. Liberty-Bakersfield (0-0)
9. Central (3-1)
10. Clovis (3-1)
Softball rankings
Records through Monday
1. Buchanan (5-0)
2. Clovis (4-0)
3. Bullard (5-1)
4. Clovis North (2-0)
5. Clovis East (3-1)
6. Clovis West (6-1)
7. Liberty-Bakersfield (0-0)
8. Stockdale (0-0)
9. Arroyo Grande (5-0)
10. Central (3-3)
Basketball tips off
Basketball got underway Tuesday with the perennial powerhouse Clovis West girls beating Sanger 88-21 led by Etoyah Montgomery’s 18 points.
The Golden Eagles have won eight straight section titles, all under coach Craig Campbell, and 20 overall.
The Clovis West boys, section runners-up to Memorial last year, get their season going Wednesday against visiting Sanger.
This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 12:46 PM.
