On a night Tony Perry was remembered, an emotional Edison High team chased the upset

Before Edison High tried to pull off an upset of Buchanan in the Central Section Division I playoffs, the Tigers family remembered longtime assistant Tony Perry

The stands at Lamonica Stadium were full on Edison’s side, with many of its past stars in attendance to honor their mentor, who died Nov. 11.

Even NFL safety Robert Golden made it to Friday’s game, with the former Tigers star taking a red-eye from Pittsburgh.

A night earlier, Golden played in the NFL’s Thursday Night Football game, picking up five tackles in the Steelers’ 40-17 win against the Tennessee Titans.

But the hectic return home only showed how much Mr. Perry meant to Golden – and to so many others.

There was a moment of silence before a small appreciation for Mr. Perry was read prior to kickoff.

Mr. Perry was instrumental in helping high school athletes prepare for college by holding summer camps and competitions. He also reminded them of the importance of doing well in the classroom to reach their goals.

That impact stretched beyond Edison and west Fresno, and many teams in the Central Section elected to wear “DB Guru” on their helmets. Some had the initials “TP” on their visors or jerseys.

Through the DB Guru club, Mr. Perry coached youths up and down the state, and helped them get college football scholarships. He was such a proficient teacher of the techniques needed to play in the defensive backfield, that DB Guru became his nickname.

Despite the emotional charged, sixth-seeded Edison came up short, as No. 3 Buchanan advanced to the semifinals with a 25-6 win.

The Tigers were shut out most of the night, finding the end zone with 4:47 remaining.

Bears running back Kendall Milton scored two touchdowns and Levi Williams ran back a kickoff for a touchdown.

Buchanan (9-2) will face No. 2 Clovis West (9-2), a 42-17 winner against No. 7 Clovis.

The Golden Eagles beat the Bears 36-17 during the regular season, outscoring Buchanan 33-3 during the second half.

Funeral services for Mr. Perry are Nov. 25 at Peoples Church (7172 N. Cedar Ave) with services beginning at 11 a.m.

Donations can be made in his name to the ET Sports Foundation and dropped off or mailed to Edison High, 540 E. California Ave., Fresno 93706.

Proceeds will go to the Edison football team.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 11:31 PM with the headline "On a night Tony Perry was remembered, an emotional Edison High team chased the upset."