Top-ranked Central East appears unstoppable in latest convincing win over Clovis
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Central East crushed third-ranked Clovis 61-49 as Brandon Smith scored five TDs.
- Bengals clinched a TRAC tie and can secure title outright with a win Thursday.
- Clovis offense struggled with three sacks, interception and a fumble.
It will take a lot for a high school football team in the Fresno area to knock off The Bee’s top-ranked Central East.
The third-ranked Clovis were supposed to keep the game competitive Friday night at Koligian Stadium. But it was the Bengals who had other ideas behind senior sensation running back/defensive back Brandon Smith.
Smith accounted for five touchdowns, including a pick-six in the first quarter of Central East’s 61-49 victory.
“When we’re locked in, we’re a tough team to beat,” Bengals coach Kyle Biggs said. “It was a total team effort.”
The Bengals clinched a tie for the Tri-River Athletic Conference title and can win it outright with a win over Buchanan on Thursday.
Just how well was Central East early on against the Cougars? The Bengals built a 25-7 lead in the first quarter, and there was no stopping after that.
Cougars quarterback Deagan Rose had his share of bumps. He was sacked three times, threw an interception, and had a fumble.
Unless something bizarre happens, Central East will enter the Central Section Division I-AA playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
Smith said he is feeling great, which doesn’t bode well for opposing teams. That means Smith is thinking about championships, but clearly was focused on Clovis.
“I knew they had key pieces coming back,” he said. “It was good to get a win against them, knowing all week we had good practices, and this is the TRAC championship. That is all the motivation we need.”
Clovis West 30, Clovis North 24
It took overtime to decide this TRAC matchup.
The Golden Eagles got a rushing touchdown to secure the win over the Broncos.
Clovis West had led 21-7, but Clovis North rallied when Lucas Smith completed a 15-yard pass to Ramzee Hamm for a touchdown.
The extra point try by Leo Valdivia was good. Valdivia later kicked a field goal to send the game to overtime.
This story was originally published October 25, 2025 at 12:55 AM.
