High school football predictions: See who will win between Central East and Clovis
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Central East and Clovis meet for Division I-AA title; Bengals won 61-49 Oct. 24.
- Quarterbacks Jelani Dippel and Deagan Rose each threw four TDs in prior game.
- Clovis must limit turnovers and boost James Caruso rushes; Smith leads Central.
Top-seed Central East and No. 2 Clovis meet again, but this time it is for the Central Section Division I-AA championship.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Deran Koligian Stadium.
The first meeting took place Oct. 24 with the Bengals winning the matchup, 61-49.
Could more of the same happen again? It’s possible, but it is also likely that the Cougars have a different game plan coming in. Don’t say the Bengals don’t either.
One thing is certain: it could be another high-scoring game.
Fans in attendance could see a dandy of a game between the two teams, led by quarterbacks Jelani Dippel of Central East and Deagan Rose of Clovis.
Both quarterbacks finished with four passing touchdowns in the first meeting.
Keys to the game
Clovis will need to avoid making any critical turnovers if it wants to come out on top.
Rose threw an interception that Brandon Smith returned for a touchdown.
The running game will be huge for the Cougars. James Caruso will need to shoulder the load, as he finished with 117 rushing yards and three TDs against the Bengals.
For Central, give the ball to Smith. He’s been doing his part, as well as Dippel. He needs his wideouts to hang on to the ball.
The weather is forecasted to be clear, with kickoff temperatures expected to be 51 degrees.
Central Section playoff predictions
7 p.m. Friday
Division I-AA
Championship
No. 1 Central East 65, No. 2 Clovis 53
Division I-A
Championship
No. 1 Bakersfield Christian 27, No. 3 Liberty-Bakersfield 24
Division II
Semifinals
No. 1 Tulare Union 48, No. 4 Arroyo Grande 27
No. 2 Bakersfield 34, No. 3 Redwood 31
Division III
Semifinals
No. 8 Washington Union 27, No. 5 Kennedy 23
No. 6 Independence 34, No. 2 Wasco 27
Division IV
Semifinals
No. 1 Templeton 17, No. 4 North 14
No. 3 McLane 34, No. 2 Immanuel 30
Division V
Semifinals
No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos 33, No. 4 Bishop Union 20
No. 6 Chowchilla 34, No. 2 Woodlake 30
Division VI
Semifinals
No. 1 Minarets 32, No. 4 Boron 23
No. 2 Orosi 36, No. 6 Mira Monte 33
8-Man
Championship
No. 1 Fresno Christian 43, No. 2 Immanuel Christian 34
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM.
