Fresno-area high school football: Title chasing and a wild game spotlight Week 9
The Bee’s top-ranked Buchanan High football team clinched a tie for the Tri-River Athletic Conference title after rolling to a 33-14 victory over No. 20 Clovis North on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Bears (8-1 overall, 4-0 TRAC) can wrap up their second-straight undefeated TRAC season with a win over Clovis East on Friday and assure themselves of the top-seed in the eight-team Central Section Division I playoffs in two weeks.
Buchanan blitzed to a 26-7 first-half lead, capped by Jerry Rangel’s 80-yard interception return for a touchdown just before halftime.
Second-place Central (6-1, 2-1) rallied with 22 unanswered second-half points to beat Clovis West 35-14 Thursday. The Grizzlies had a TRAC game against Clovis East canceled that goes down as a forfeit win for Central for TRAC standings. The Grizzlies finish the regular season Thursday against Clovis North.
In other Week 9 highlights:
Mission Oak 60, Tulare Union 38
The Hawks trailed 25-6 at halftime at Bob Mathias Stadium in Tulare.
No matter.
Mission Oak’s Rudy Navarro threw for 390 yards and six touchdowns, sparking a 54-point second half as the Hawks remained unbeaten and clinched a tie for their first East Yosemite League title since 2013.
Navarro completed 24 of 35 for a school-record 480 yards.
Kaream Davis had eight receptions for 150 yards with three touchdowns, while Anthony Ledesma had six receptions for 121 yards. He also had two interceptions.
Washington Union 21, Sanger 14
The Panthers, playing their third replacement game of the season because of cancellations, went on the road to upset the No. 18 Apaches.
Lawrence Stell hit Karlos Greir on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 3:34 left in the third quarter for the winning score. Joshua Vega and William Fowler had fourth-quarter interceptions to seal the win.
Washington Union (4-3, 1-0) plays Kerman (2-7, 2-0) Friday in Easton for the North Sequoia League title.
NYL title to be decided
The showdown is set in the North Yosemite League.
No. 14 Reedley and Sunnyside took care of business Friday.
The Pirates defeated McLane 21-0 and the Wildcats rolled to a 49-7 victory over Fresno.
Reedley (8-0, 4-0) and Sunnyside (7-1, 4-0) will meet at Sunnyside Stadium at 7 p.m. Thursday for the NYL title.
Game balls
Ashton Chalabian led Kerman’s rally when he threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Adam Delgado in a 20-19 win over Liberty-Madera Ranchos.
Ty Chambers had four rushing touchdowns and passed for one in Lemoore’s 48-14 win over Mt. Whitney.
Carmine Ficher’s three touchdown passes led Tulare Western to a 35-3 win over Monache.
Ah-Marion Gaines-Smith had 22 carries for 172 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Grizzlies’ 35-14 victory over Clovis West.
Abraham Ladino finished with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown in Dos Palos’ 24-6 victory over Coalinga.
Rudy Navarro completed 24 of 35 for 480 yards and six touchdowns to lead a second-half comeback for Mission Oak in a 60-38 victory over Tulare Union.
Noah Noyola had two rushing touchdowns and caught one touchdown in Hanford’s 63-0 victory over Golden West.
Jerry Rangel had an interception that was returned for a touchdown capping Buchanan’s 33-14 victory over Clovis North.
Tristan Risley had three first-half touchdowns in Clovis’ 41-14 rout over Clovis East.
Hector Rodriguez had two touchdown runs and finished with 143 yards, leading Woodlake past Farmersville 35-7.
Adrian Sierra had eight carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns in Strathmore’s 56-2 victory over Granite Hills.
Ryan Warkentin had 23 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown in Reedley’s 21-0 win over McLane.
Herman Zamora finished with three rushing touchdowns in Bullard’s 55-17 victory over Madera.
Player of the Week winner
Roland Russo of Bullard is The Bee’s Player of the Week for Week 8.
Russo received 23,376 votes (47%).
Miguel Gallardo of Fowler finished second with 17,114 votes (35%) and Beau Green of Madera (3,435, 7%) came in third. Victor Espinoza of Tulare Union received 3,305 votes (7%) and Nahzae Cox of Fresno had 1,541 votes (3%) to come in fifth.
Top 25 fared
1. Buchanan (8-1) defeated Clovis North 33-14
2. Liberty-Bakersfield (6-2) defeated Stockdale 45-6
3. San Joaquin Memorial (7-0) game vs. Edison canceled
4. Central (6-1) defeated Clovis West 35-14
5. Garces (5-3) defeated Centennial 37-0
6. Frontier (4-1) game vs. Bakersfield canceled
7. Clovis (6-3) defeated Clovis East 41-7
8. Bullard (5-4) defeated Madera 55-17
9. Kingsburg (7-2) defeated Hanford West 42-6
10. Mission Prep (8-0) defeated Templeton 63-0
11. Centennial (5-3) lost to Garces 37-0
12. Hanford (6-1) defeated Golden West 63-0
13. Lemoore (7-1) defeated Mt. Whitney 48-14
14. Reedley (8-0) defeated McLane 21-0
15. Mission Oak (8-0) defeated Tulare Union 60-38
16. Central Valley Christian (6-3) lost to Bakersfield 27-14
17. Paso Robles (6-2) defeated Righetti 21-6
18. Sanger (5-4) lost to Washington Union 21-14
19. Bakersfield Christian (6-2) defeated Ridgeview 42-12
20. Clovis North (5-4) lost to Buchanan 33-14
21. Clovis West (3-6) lost to Central 35-14
22. Nipomo (6-1) vs. Arroyo Grande, Saturday
23. Dinuba (5-4) defeated Exeter 48-7
24. Tulare Western (6-3) defeated Monache 35-3
25. Redwood (4-4) defeated El Diamante 42-14
