What are Central and Buchanan players saying heading into their TRAC showdown?

The Tri-River Athletic Conference football schedule kicks off this week with the season’s marquee matchup right out of the gate.

No waiting around for Friday Night Lights: This one is Thursday at 7 p.m.

Central High, No. 1 in The Bee’s coaches’ Top 10 poll, plays No. 2 Buchanan at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The significance isn’t lost on the players.

Buchanan senior wide receiver Jordan Huddleston says Bears coach Matt Giordano “has just been telling us how important the details are. If everyone goes out there Thursday night and flies around and does their job, then we will have a fun Thursday night.”

Central senior middle linebacker Jacob Hollins says, “Every year is always a battle between Central and Buchanan. We’re trying to compete as well as we can. It’s a great team over there and we’re going to try to come out and dominate every play.”

Buchanan (5-0) has outscored opponents 234-52. Sophomore running back Kendall Milton has 15 touchdowns.

Central (4-1) is coming off a 49-30 loss to nationally-ranked De La Salle-Concord two weeks ago. Previously, the Grizzlies outscored four Central Section opponents 186-12.

Grizzlies junior quarterback Trent Tompkins has completed 77 of 128 passes for 1,229 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior running back Jevon Bigelow has 43 carries for 441 yards and six touchdowns. Hollins has 47 tackles.

Last season, Central went 5-0 in the TRAC (including a 37-21 victory over Buchanan) and lost to Bakersfield in the Central Section Division I championship. Buchanan, stamping itself as on the rise, lost to Bakersfield in the section quarterfinals.

“Everyone is going to be gunning for us,” Hollins says. “We like to accept it and we just try to do what we can do. We don’t try to think what other teams think about us or how they’re coming for us.”

Games to watch

No. 5 Sanger vs. Bullard (Ratcliffe Stadium) - The Apaches have won 11 straight County/Metro Athletic Conference games and have either won or shared three straight CMAC titles.

The Knights’ last CMAC title came in 2013 when they went 5-0.

Selma at Central Valley Christian - Could there be a new Central Sequoia League champion this season? CVC (5-0) hopes so, and gets an early test from the defending CSL champions who come into the game also at 5-0.

The Bears have three wins in the past 11 meetings against the Cavaliers – including last season’s 28-17 victory.

Both teams had a bye last week.

Sunnyside vs. Roosevelt (McLane Stadium) - The Wildcats went 5-0 last season to win the North Yosemite League title. The Rough Riders finished 2-3, but are looking to reverse their misfortunes with an early NYL showdown.

Roosevelt has started the season 3-2 and its best recent finish in the NYL came in 2008, finishing second at 4-1. Sunnyside enters Friday at 2-3.

Neither team played last week.

Milestones

Central Section historian Bob Barnett revisited a Sept. 15 game and took note of a big Central Section record.

Madera junior quarterback Colton Nelson became the first player in section history to pass for 600 yards in a game in a 49-42 game against Merced. Nelson completed 32 of 53 for 604 yards. He also set school records for completions and attempts while tossing six touchdowns, second-best in school history behind his brother Nathaniel Nelson who passed for seven touchdowns in 2013.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "What are Central and Buchanan players saying heading into their TRAC showdown?."