Central Section football playoffs: Big-time semifinal matchups are set between top schools
The Central Section Division I high school football playoffs started Friday with the top four seeds each winning quarterfinals by double digits.
That sets up Friday’s semifinals: No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield at No. 1 Buchanan and No. 3 Central at No. 2 San Joaquin Memorial.
It was the first Division I playoff game for SJM, but a familiar foe. The Panthers (9-0) rolled to a 35-10 victory over No. 7 Garces after beating the Rams 34-10 in the annual Holy Bowl.
“It was a physical contest,” SJM coach Anthony Goston said. “We knew Garces is a good football team. They’re very physical and we played them twice and we kind of knew how the game is going to be. Obviously, we were very physical tonight. We made some mistakes, but for the most part, we played really good defense..”
Goston said he understands what Central brings and said his team will be ready. The Grizzlies won the section D-I title and a state crown in 2019, the last year for football playoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic. SJM won the D-II title in 2019.
The teams used to meet in the Central Sequoia League but haven’t met for many years.
“Two really good programs in the last five years finally going to play,” Goston said. “I think everybody wants to see that. We’re excited about it.”
Panthers quarterback Michael Bell said, “We’re ready.”
The Buchanan-Liberty game is their third straight semifinal meeting. Buchanan won 27-0 in 2019; Liberty won 24-23 in ‘18. Buchanan won three straight regular-season meetings 2017-19 but the schools didn’t meet this year.
Odd results
San Joaquin Memorial’s rise to D-I is one result of the section’s new playoff format that uses final regular-season computer rankings to set the brackets.
The top eight teams went into D-I. Divisions II-VI split into 16-team brackets with a handful of byes.
The resulting matchups saw traditional small-public school powers Strathmore (enrollment about 400) and Firebaugh (670) bow out in D-III quarterfinals.
But Ridgeview (enrollment about 2,600) moved on in D-V; the Wolfpack won back-to-back D-II titles in 2014-15 and lost to unbeaten Sanger in the ‘16 final before being promoted to D-I.
Another odd result: Pioneer Valley, the No. 3 seed in D-VI despite a 0-7 regular season, advanced with a 14-7 overtime win against Caruthers.
Other Friday highlights:
Dinuba 28, Paso Robles 24
Mikey Olvera kept the Emperors’ season alive in dramatic fashion.
No. 3 Dinuba was staring at fourth down with no timeouts and 10 seconds remaining when Casimiro Barragan passed to Olvera, who eluded defenders for a 24-yard touchdown in a 28-24 victory over No. 11 Paso Robles in Division III.
The win advances Dinuba to the semifinal against Bakersfield Christian.
Kingsburg 32, Mission Oak 26
The No. 4-seed Vikings scored 26 unanswered points to defeat the No. 5 and previously unbeaten Hawks in Division II.
Kingsburg trailed 19-6 at halftime, but tied the game when Max Warkentin connected with Connor McFall for a 5-yard touchdown.
McFall then scored on a 9-yard run to give Kingsburg a 26-19 lead.
Later, Mission Oak was nearing the goal line on fourth down, but Trace Jackson made a stop for a tackle for loss to seal the win for the Vikings.
Bullard 70, Clovis West 42
The top-seeded Knights scored in double digits in each quarter to turn the tables against the ninth-seed Golden Eagles.
The combined point total (112) is the most in any Bullard game in school history, eclipsing a 64-39 (103 points) win over Madera in a 2005 playoff semifinal
Bullard lost to Clovis West 35-28 in a September game that was delayed by lightning.
Bullard will host Kingsburg at McLane Stadium next Friday.
Game balls
Max Bakker of Central Valley Christian threw for four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Jaeden Moore in the second quarter in a 28-14 victory over Firebaugh in Division II. Moore had two TDs.
Dominic Castaneda had 14 carries for 121 yards and two receptions for 42 yards and two interceptions, leading Liberty-Madera Ranchos to a 14-0 victory over Immanuel in Division V, giving coach Mike Nolte his 100th career win.
Woodlake’s Michael Chavez had two touchdowns receptions, including the go-ahead score in the third quarter of a 28-14 win over Delano in Division VI.
Mario Cosma accounted for four touchdowns (passed for three and ran for one) in Roosevelt’s 41-20 victory over Tehachapi in Division IV. He also had a two-point conversion.
Donovan Harris had two touchdown runs, leading San Joaquin Memorial past Garces 35-10 in Division I.
Connor McFall finished with two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score when he scored on a 9-yard run in Kingsburg’s 32-26 victory over Mission Oak in Division II.
Mikey Olvera had two touchdown receptions, including the game-winning score in Dinuba’s 28-24 win over Paso Robles in Division III.
Michael Runnels had two touchdown runs in Buchanan’s 35-3 win over Clovis North in Division I.
Jacob Silva scored three touchdowns as Mendota rolled past Foothill 42-21 in Division IV.
Lawrence Stell had three touchdown runs and passed for two in Washington Union’s 52-32 victory over Arroyo Grande in Division III.
Dayton Tafoya completed 10 of 15 for 226 yards and five touchdowns in Central’s 62-12 victory over Hanford in Division I.
Nick Stubblefield had three touchdown runs and two receiving touchdowns in Bullard’s 70-42 win over Clovis West in Division II.
Player of the Week
The Bee’s Player of the Week for the opening week of playoffs is Roland Russo of Bullard.
Russo received 1,938 votes (91%). Lawrence Stell of Washington Union came in second with 112 votes (5%).
Past winners: Tanner Wilson of Sunnyside (Week 0), Beau Green of Madera (Week 1), Andrew Camarillo of Orosi (Week 2), Ah’marion Gaines-Smith of Central (Week 3), Caleb Hall of Edison (Week 4), Cayden Muir of Hanford (Week 5 and Week 6), Ashton Chalabian of Kerman (Week 7), Russo (Week 8), Gaines-Smith (Week 9) and Jr. Cervantes of Woodlake (Week 10).
Central Section playoff scores and schedule
Nov. 12
Division I
Buchanan 35, Clovis North 3
Central 62, Hanford 12
Liberty-Bakersfield 45, Clovis 35
San Joaquin Memorial 35, Garces 10
Nov. 19
No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield at No. 1 Buchanan
No. 3 Central at No. 2 San Joaquin Memorial
Division II
Nov. 12
Bakersfield 28, Mission Prep 16
Bullard 70, Clovis West 42
Frontier 35, Wasco 0
Kingsburg 32, Mission Oak 26
Nov. 19
No. 4 Kingsburg at No. 1 Bullard
No. 6 Frontier at No. 2 Bakersfield
Division III
Nov. 12
Washington Union 52, Arroyo Grande 32
Central Valley Christian 35, Firebaugh 20
Dinuba 28, Paso Robles 24
Bakersfield Christian 29, Strathmore 19
Nov. 19
No. 5 Washington Union at No. 1 Central Valley Christian
No. 7 Bakersfield Christian at No. 3 Dinuba
Division IV
Nov. 12
Independence 42, Monache 20
Mendota 42, Foothill 21
Highland 13, Nipomo 12
Roosevelt 41, Tehachapi 20
Nov. 19
No. 13 Mendota at No. 8 Highland
No. 7 Roosevelt at No. 6 Independence
Division V
Nov. 12
Boron 50, Shafter 33
Liberty-Madera Ranchos 14, Immanuel 0
Ridgeview 41, North 23
Righetti 34, Coalinga 18
Nov. 19
No. 8 Liberty-Madera Ranchos at No. 4 Boron
No. 15 Ridgeview at No. 3 Righetti
Division VI
Nov. 12
Morro Bay 36, East Bakersfield 33
Pioneer Valley 14, Caruthers 7, OT
Taft 26, Lindsay 14
Woodlake 28, Delano 14
Nov. 19
No. 4 Woodlake at No. 1 Taft
No. 3 Pioneer Valley at No. 2 Morro Bay
8-man
Mojave 42, Mammoth 19
Fresno Christian 63, Riverdale Christian 14
Nov. 19 championship
No. 3 Mojave at No. 1 Fresno Christian
This story was originally published November 13, 2021 at 12:29 PM.
