Tulare’s Allen has scored more TDs in one season than any player in state history

Add another record to Kazmeir Allen’s growing list of accomplishments.

The Tulare Union High star set the California single-season touchdown record, pushing his total to 66 while finding the end zone three times and leading the top-seeded Tribe to a 42-12 win against No. 4 Garces in a Central Section Division II semifinal Friday at Bob Mathias Stadium.

Allen, coming off a section-record-tying eight touchdowns a week ago, needed two TDs to break the state record. He finished with a fairly tame outing by his standards, rushing 22 times for 190 yards.

Allen did break the record – formerly held by Tyler Ebell of Ventura according to preeminent state prep website Cal-Hi Sports – in style with a 62-yard run.

“Just a crazy accomplishment,” Allen was quoted by the Bakersfield Californian. “I just want to thank my O-line. You can't do it by yourself without the people blocking for you.”

And it proved to be plenty for Tulare (12-0) to advance to the section championship next week against No. 2 Dinuba (11-1), a 24-7 winner against No. 3 El Diamante.

Dinuba was Tulare’s toughest game of the season, with the Emperors even leading 35-34 late in the third quarter on Sept. 29.

Nonetheless, the Tribe still prevailed 69-47.

Tulare’s game against Garces wasn’t nearly as close.

The Tribe led from start to finish, up 28-6 at halftime and activating the running mercy-rule clock with a 36-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

And while Allen and Tulare’s offense rightfully has received much of the accolades this season (the Tribe entered as the section’s top-scoring team at 58.1 points per game), the defense certainly did its part Friday by not allowing a touchdown until midway through the fourth.

“Tonight, we just ran into a better football team with some really, really good athletes across the board,” Garces coach and former Fresno State star AJ Gass said.

In addition to Allen’s touchdowns, quarterback Nathan Lamb had a 1-run touchdown run and threw for a 45-yard score to Bryson Allen.

Matthew Dias caught a 58-yard touchdown pass.

Allen – who has more than a dozen NCAA Division I scholarship offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Boise State and Pac-12 Arizona, Cal and Oregon State – is up to 116 touchdowns and 5,676 rushing yards for his career.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Tulare’s Allen has scored more TDs in one season than any player in state history."