High School Football

High school football: Tulare rolls, Exeter pulls off a big win and an NYL showdown looms

In a file photo, Tulare Union quarterback Jordan Crisp passes against Garza Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in Fresno.
In a file photo, Tulare Union quarterback Jordan Crisp passes against Garza Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in Fresno. ezamora@fresnobee.com

Tulare Union High is on a roll.

And the Tribe can credit much of that momentum to quarterback Jordan Crisp, who’s been providing a spark early and often in the initial weeks of the Central Section high school football season.

Crisp scored on a sneak to give Tulare Union a 7-0 lead and The Bee’s 25th-ranked Tribe kept adding on in a 42-12 victory over No. 10 Kingsburg at Bob Mathias Stadium.

Crisp went on to throw two first-half touchdowns as Tulare Union led 21-0 before the Vikings scored a touchdown in the second quarter.

Tieler Peterson and Brayden Stevenson each had a touchdown reception and Rashawn Hayes and Peterson had touchdown runs in the first half.

Tulare Union has scored at least 40 points in 4 of 5 games this season.

Looming NYL showdown?

Torres and Sunnyside took care of business in their North Yosemite League games.

The Toros rolled past McLane 31-14 on Thursday night, while Sunnyside breezed past Roosevelt 65-30.

Torres and Sunnyside’s matchup could decide the NYL title, if both teams avoid slip-ups before they meet Oct. 13.

Sanger West is also undefeated in the NYL at 2-0.

The Hornets defeated Madera South 22-14.

Upset in Tulare County?

No. 14 Porterville came into the game undefeated.

But so, too, did Exeter. Maybe the result, then, wasn’t that big of a surprise.

A defensive battle saw the Monarchs pull off a 17-12 victory over the Panthers.

Exeter led 10-0 at halftime and 17-0 in the third quarter before Porterville responded with two touchdowns.

The Monarchs’ defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout.

Wyatt Stockton had a sack and Brody Riggi an interception.

Exeter quarterback Jacob Molina completed 16 of 20 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 16 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Exeter’s wins have come against Strathmore, Woodlake, Lindsay and Granite Hills.

That’s an impressive run for the Monarchs,. who will take their momentum into Tri-County-Sequoia League play against Hanford West next week.

Game balls

Bryant Bell, Hoover: He had three receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Patriots to a 34-14 win over Fresno.

Andrew Camarillo, Orosi: He had 199 rushing yards and a two touchdowns to help the Cardinals to a 17-0 victory over Lindsay. He has rushed for over 5,000 yards in his career.

Jason De La Cruz, Orosi: He had an interception against Lindsay.

Kado Felder, Washington Union: Finished with an interception and made an extra-point stop to give the Panthers a 21-20 win over Coalinga.

Kobe Green, Lemoore: He had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and a strip fumble for a TD in the Tigers’ 40-0 victory over South.

Drake Hennegan, Dos Palos: Helped the Broncos’ comeback when he had two third-quarter touchdowns in a 29-21 victory over Chowchilla.

Eian Hernandez, Corcoran: He rushed for two yards and 80 yards in a 33-20 victory over Woodlake.

Landon McKee, Sierra Pacific: He completed 13 of 25 for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the Golden Bears’ 49-0 victory over Kern Valley.

Jacob Molina, Exeter: Passed for two touchdowns and had 16 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Kevin Moultrie, Hoover: He had 19 carries for 199 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots rolled to a 34-14 victory over Fresno.

Tieler Peterson, Tulare Union: He scored rushing and receiving touchdowns to help the Tribe in a win over Kingsburg.

Jacob Poole, Strathmore: He had three rushing touchdowns and a punt return for a touchdown to guide the Spartans to a 56-0 victory over Farmersville.

Micah Rodriguez, Mt. Whitney: He passed for three touchdowns in leading the Pioneers to a 21-7 win over Reedley.

Jayden Silva, Mendota: He had an interception return for a touchdown to give Mendota a 13-6 lead in the Aztecs’ eventual 35-19 victory over Immanuel.

Logan Stotts, Fresno Christian: He passed for five touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 57-8 victory over Priory-Portola Valley.

Decurtis Stroud, Coalinga: Scored the game-winning touchdown to help the Panthers to a 21-20 win over Coalinga.

The Bee’s predictions

In this week’s games, The Bee went 4-1.

The only loss was when Washington Union defeated Coalinga 21-20 on the road.

The Bee correctly predicted Tulare Union, Sunnyside, Dos Palos and Sanger West to win their games.

The Bee is 21-9 this season.

How The Bee’s Top 25 rankings fared

1. Clovis North (5-0) Sept. 29 vs. Clovis East, 7 p.m. (Lamonica Stadium)

2. Liberty-Bakersfield (4-1) Sept. 29 vs. Garces, 7:30 p.m.

3. Clovis East (5-0) Sept. 29 vs. Clovis North, 7 p.m. (Lamonica Stadium)

4. Clovis West (4-1) Sept. 29 at Buchanan, 7 p.m.

5. Sanger (4-1) Sept. 29 vs. Garza, 7:30 p.m. (Tom Flores Stadium)

6. Frontier (5-0) Sept. 29 vs. Ridgeview, 7:30 p.m.

7. Central (4-1) Sept. 29 vs. Clovis, 7 p.m. (Koligian Stadium)

8. Centennial (3-2) Sept. 29 vs. Stockdale, 7:30 p.m.

9. St. Joseph (3-2) lost to Arroyo Grande 28-10

10. Kingsburg (4-1) lost to Tulare Union 42-12

11. Clovis (4-1) Sept. 29 at Central, 7 p.m.

12. Lemoore (2-2) defeated South 40-0

13. Hanford (4-1) Sept. 29 at Dinuba, 7:30 p.m.

14. Porterville (4-1) lost to Exeter 17-12

15. Buchanan (2-3) Sept. 29 vs. Clovis West, 7 p.m.

16. Central Valley Christian (4-1) Sept. 29 at Kerman, 7:30 p.m.

17. Kennedy (5-1) defeated Delano 28-26

18. Shafter (6-0) defeated Taft 41-16

19. Sunnyside (4-1) defeated Roosevelt 65-30

20. Bakersfield (3-2) defeated Edison 41-21

21. Garces (2-3) Sept. 28 at Liberty-Bakersfield, 7:30 p.m.

22. Stockdale (3-2) Sept. 29 at Centennial, 7:30 p.m.

23. Mission Oak (4-1) Sept. 29 at Tulare Western, 7:30 p.m. (Bob Mathias Stadium)

24. Arroyo Grande (4-1) defeated St. Joseph 28-10

25. Tulare Union (4-1) defeated Kingsburg 42-12

This story was originally published September 23, 2023 at 11:09 AM.

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Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription
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