Clovis West High’s undefeated run continued Friday, while knocking off a team that had been previously unbeaten itself.
Clovis West, No. 1 in The Fresno Bee’s Top 25 rankings, clamped down defensively and allowed only 10 points in the second half to upend No. 8 Clovis East with a 42-30 victory in Tri-River Athletic Conference action.
Golden Eagles quarterback Ryan Markarian passed for four touchdowns, including three scoring strikes to Marshel Sanders.
Clovis West wide receiver Marshel Sanders, left, pats Clovis East defender Fresno Moua on the head after catching a touchdown pass in the end zone during the first half of their game at Lamonica Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Clovis West (7-0, 2-0), which was coming off a 29-22 victory against Buchanan last week, went scoreless in the first quarter but then went on to score 14 points in each of the final three quarters.
Clovis East (6-1, 1-1), which was unbeaten through its first six games for the first time in 16 years, led 20-14 at halftime but mustered just 10 points after intermission.
Clovis East running back Caleb Slocum gets his face mask yanked by Clovis West’s Marshel Sanders on a run during their game at Lamonica Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
The Eagles forced an interception and recovered a fumble in the second half.
Clovis East had come as close as 36-30 on a rushing touchdown with about 2 minutes remaining.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, it appeared Clovis East recovered an onside kick. But the recovery was nullified after refs flagged the Timberwolves with a penalty.
Clovis East quarterback Tyus Miller dashes for a few yards before being knocked out of bounds by Clovis West’s Marshel Sanders during their game at Lamonica Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Clovis West’s Aidan Fortenberry turns the corner before charging down the sideline on a run against Clovis East during their game at Lamonica Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Clovis East running back Lamaj Travis slips by Clovis West’s Bryan Gutierrez for yards up the middle during the first half of their game at Lamonica Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 11:27 PM.
Bryant-Jon Anteola is a multimedia reporter for The Fresno Bee, writing stories and producing videos about sports, news and random topics relatable to those in the Fresno area. He’s won a McClatchy President’s Award and received honorable mention by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He enjoys sports because of the competition, camaraderie and energy, and views sports as a microcosm of society.
