UPDATED, 12:18 a.m.: Scores keep rolling in (check for them below), but here are a few important ones:

Clovis-Buchanan 41, Bakersfield 34
Stockdale 29, Clovis 26
West 23, Liberty 21
Centennial 41, East 21
Bakersfield Christian 41, Madera Ranchos-Liberty 3
Corona-Centennial 42, Clovis West 7

My thoughts, quickly: Bakersfield High looked much, much better this week than last, but the Drillers timed that wrong. That's because Buchanan might be my new Division I pick to win the Central Section. The Bears can pass (oh, can they pass), they can run (who knew?) and they played enough D tonight to keep Bakersfield from controlling the clock. Very well-played game on both sides, and I wouldn't be surprised to see these teams meet again, maybe in a semifinal game in Clovis.

Stockdale for sure had a letdown against Clovis, but I'm starting to think the Mustangs have plenty of work to do if they want to be there late in the playoffs also. Bottom line, though, is that a win is a win, and Mike Snow and his boys are 3-0. Meanwhile, West, as I expected it might, got a huge first victory against Liberty. And young Centennial got off the schneid in a big way. Are both SEYL and SWYL races jumbled or what?

Finally, we don't have any details on the Bakersfield Christian victory besides the score, but what a fantastic result that was. I'll be curious to see how many passing yards Derek Carr racked up in that one. The Eagles are starting to play like we expected them too, and it's coming at the right time.

Check back later in the weekend for my Most Important Things of the week.

UPDATED, 9:34 p.m.: Things change again. Buchanan hits Bakersfield over the top for a couple of big passing plays to even things up, forces a 3-and-out and scores in two more plays. Bears have the lead again, 28-21.

UPDATED, 9:11 p.m.: Big turnaround late in the second quarter here. With the score tied at 14, Buchanan was ready to go ahead for a third time, with a second-and-goal at the Bakersfield 1-yard line, when quarterback Taylor Genuser fumbled on a naked bootleg. The Drillers recovered, and two plays later, Alfonso Jackson busted an 83-yard touchdown run, first down the right sideline and then moving across the field. Bakersfield intercepted Buchanan on the Bears' next drive, keeping the score 21-14 at the half.

UPDATED, 8:02 p.m.: Quick scores from both teams here at Griffith Field. Bakersfield went 3-and-out to start the game and Buchanan went on a nifty drive capped by Preston Argenbright's 1-yard TD plunge, but the Drillers have answered with a 44-yard play-action pass from Alex Mitchell to Emmanuel Alexander. 7-7 midway thru the first quarter.

UPDATED, 7:16 p.m.: Live here from the visitors' coaching box at Bakersfield High (don't worry, I'm not chumming with Buchanan coaches; there's just more space over here). Internet seems to be up and running, so we should have scores updating below all night. Any pre-game thoughts from anybody who happens to not be out at a game tonight?

ORIGINAL POST: Welcome to the gathering place for Kern County football, Week 3. I'll update the scoreboard below as many times as I can during the night (depending on internet access, of course).

Fresno-Bullard got the weekend underway with a big-time victory against Clovis East. Hard to believe the Timberwolves are 2-2, but there you have it. Nobody seems immune this year (in Division I, anyway). The other big game of the weekend not involving Kern County teams is perennial state power Corona-Centennial visiting Clovis West. You can't say the Golden Eagles don't test themselves.

All games are scheduled for 7:30 Friday unless otherwise noted. My Central Section rankings are in parentheses.

Kern County scoreboard
(4) Clovis-Buchanan 41, (6) Bakersfield 34
(5) Stockdale 29, Clovis 26
West 23, (8) Liberty 21
(11) Exeter 28, Frontier 14
(12) Bakersfield Christian 41, Madera Ranchos-Liberty 3
Centennial 41, East 21
South 24, Arvin 13
Burroughs 23, Tehachapi 21
Golden Valley 39, Chavez 20
Foothill 49, Shafter 14
Ridgeview 35, Madera South 20
Taft 38, Coalinga 18
Hanford West 53, Delano 50
Wasco 42, Lindsay 6
Mojave 35, McFarland 21
Lancaster-Paraclete 26, Desert 0
Rosamond 48, Acton-Vasquez 21
Victorville-Excelsior Education Center 54, Immanuel Christian 36
Kern Valley 49, Mammoth 13
Burbank-Bellarmine Jefferson 20, Frazier Mountain 19
Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial 20, (13) Garces 6 (Saturday)
Boron 59, L.A.-Ribet Academy 0 (Saturday)
Lighthouse Christian 54, Pacific Grove-Calvary Christian 8 (Saturday)
Los Olivos-Dunn 16, Maricopa 14 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
(10) Fresno-Bullard 24, (2) Clovis East 14 (Thursday)
Fresno-Roosevelt 42, Tranquility 0 (Thursday)
Kerman 49, Fresno-McLane 0 (Thursday)
(1) Fresno-Edison 43, Merced 14
(3) Visalia-El Diamante 48, Fresno-Central 13
Corona-Centennial 42, (7) Clovis West 7
(9) Tulare Union 60, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 30
(14) Sanger 41, Lemoore 7
(15) Oakhurst-Yosemite 47, Reedley-Immanuel 21
Dinuba 54, Porterville-Granite Hills 3
Visalia-Golden West 31, Reedley 17
Corcoran 54, Farmersville 0
Kingsburg 41, Tollhouse-Sierra 14
Fresno-Washington 45, Fresno-Sunnyside 21
Porterville-Monache 7, Fresno 6
Visalia-Central Valley Christian 38, Porterville 6
Hanford 30, Madera 12
Atascadero 24, Visalia-Redwood 10
Parlier 22, Orange Cove 20
Fresno-Hoover 34, Tulare Western 14
Fowler 63, Cambria-Coast Union 7
SLO-Mission Prep 69, Fresno Christian 3
Mendota 42, Orosi 13
Woodlake 9, Caruthers 0
Firebaugh 43, Riverdale 6
Lemoore-Kings Christian 32, Laton 20
Avenal 32, Strathmore 27
Gilroy-Anchorpoint Christian 54, Clovis Christian 40
Sanger-Bethel Christian at Los Altos Hills-Pinewood, Saturday
Visalia Christian 44, Coalinga-Faith Christian 15 (Saturday)
Huntington Beach-Marina at Alpaugh, Saturday
Riverdale Christian 47, Shandon 0 (Saturday)