UPDATED, 12:31 a.m.: It was statement night in high school football around Kern County tonight. Check out the list below for the scores we've compiled for Week 1 (and a note, especially to you South/Golden Valley folks: If you have a score we're missing, please drop a comment below. We had a reporter back out of South-GV at the last minute with illness, and we were unable to track that final down.)

Here's a breakout of some of the night's biggest statements:

Bakersfield 43, Canyon Country-Canyon 7: The Drillers took on a quality Southern Section team and beat the stuffing out of it. And even if Canyon goes on to have a down year by its standards, like last year's 6-5 campaign, this was still impressive. The Drillers had 404 rushing yards and 536 of total offense. They led 30-0 after three quarters. Quarterback Brian Burrell might have had his own coming-out party: He threw for one TD and ran for three others, accouting for 278 yards of total offense. Stockdale won 48-0 against East, by the way, so that sets up quite a collision at BHS next week.

Ridgeview 35, Highland 7: Speaking of coming-out parties, you need to pay attention to the Wolf Pack's Tyler Dogins, if you weren't already. He had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown; 83 rushing yards and two more scores; and 79 passing yards to boot. As I said earlier in the week, Ridgeview's schedule sets up very nicely now: at Foothill, home against Madera South, home against West and at North are the next four weeks. All of those teams lost Friday to varying quality of opponents.

Frontier 61, Lancaster-Antelope Valley 0: Guess who Ridgeview plays in Week 6? Yep, it's these Titans, who opened some eyes tonight as well. Antelope Valley was 1-9 last year, but this was a beatdown on a whole other level. A kickoff return and a punt return for TDs surrounded three first-quarter scoring drives, giving the Titans a 34-0 lead after just a quarter. We should get a better read on Frontier when they travel to Tehachapi next week. Which leads me to...

Tehachapi 27, Garces 6: For those of us who thought the Warriors would take an inevitable step back after losing two great running backs and linebackers from their back-to-back Division III section champs, well, we were wrong. This was a close game for 2 1/2 quarters, but Tehachapi dominated thereafter. I think they just wear down teams after a while, and you hear a lot of coaches talk about that, but the Warriors actually do it. Very impressive efforts for Jesse Olofson and Max Clark, who combined for 274 yards (Olofson scored all four TDs.)

Centennial 45, Visalia-Redwood 20: Nice day for the Golden Hawks, who get off to a good start in what's supposed to be a rebound season. Cody Kessler didn't get to air it out too much: 18-of-28 for 194 yards, plus 29 yards rushing and a touchdown running and one passing. Bigger challenges await for Centennial, which plays Week 2's other enormous game at home against Liberty. Can't wait.

Porterville 16, North 14: The Stars turned it over four times, twice deep in their own end, directly leading to the loss. You just can't do that and consistently win, and unfortunately for North, it's become pretty par for the course. The Wing T demands precision because the ball changes hands so many times, and right now the Stars are not particularly good at it.

There are some other interesting scores down there, so check out the list. I'll be back Sunday with some Most Important Things.

UPDATED, 10:43 p.m.: Tehachapi scored again before this one was over, totally running away in the second half for a 27-6 victory. This program apparently will be A-OK without Josh Strauss, Adam Mullen et al. For Garces, it's back to the drawing board. The Rams didn't look as bad as the score would indicate. I'll be back in a little while with a look at some other games and a bunch of final scores.

UPDATED, 9:41 p.m.: Tehachapi finishes off that drive in dominating fashion, with big runs by Olofson and Clark setting up Olofson's 3-yard run. When Garces had the threat of a running game, they were able to pass the ball early, but in a 20-6 game, the Warriors will now it's coming. Warriors in strong position here.

UPDATED, 9:30 p.m.: As we end the third quarter, Tehachapi appears to have taken some kind of control of this one. The Warriors stopped Garces after one first down after the touchdown, then, after a scare on a muffed punt, have started to drive again. It's 13-6 and Garces could use a big play early in the fourth if they're to stay in this one.

UPDATED, 9:22 p.m.: From Ridgeview: Tyler Dogins strikes again, this time with a 26-yard TD run that makes it 28-0 Wolf Pack.
Here, Tehachapi got a long pass play to help convert what had been a first-and-30, and now they're knocking on the goal line. The Warriors have looked a bit sloppy but otherwise very good here tonight. Now they take the lead on Jesse Olofson's 1-yard plunge. This time, Jake Reimer's PAT is good and Tehachapi leads 13-0 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

UPDATED, 9:15 p.m.: Garces has handed it right back, letting a Blake Campbell pass go through a receiver's hands. It was then picked off by Tehachapi's Adam Bullard, who gives the Warriors a first down at the Garces 28.

UPDATED, 9:11 p.m.: Well, Olofson took the first handoff of the second half and gained eight yards, so I'd say he's just fine. Scary moment has passed for the Warriors. Now they're driving, using the Clark-and-Olofson attack just like they used Strauss-and-Mullen the last two years to the tune of two D-III section championships.
And there's a beautiful pass from Chris Rush to Zach Maravigli, who streaks down to the Garces 10, only to cough it up! Sam Layton jumps on it for Garces, which catches a break and takes over at its own 5. Still 6-6.

UPDATED, 9:02 p.m.: Got some more scores to update: Centennial and Frontier are up big, as is South against Golden Valley. See below for complete details.
Good news for Tehachapi here: Jesse Olofson was out for the captains' coin toss for the second half and looked OK to me. We'll see if he plays here.

UPDATED, 8:58 p.m.: Got another update from Ridgeview, where it sounds like Tyler Dogins has taken over. He just extended the Wolf Pack's lead to 21-0 with an interception return for a TD. That's two picks and two TDs (one rushing) for Dogins in the game, part of what sounds like a really impressive effort for everybody's favorite sleeper this year.
Here, Tehachapi has a 113-103 edge in total yards, though again, if Jesse Olofson can't return, the Warriors will have to find something else that works in the second half.

UPDATED, 8:47 p.m.: Garces' drive reached the Tehachapi 35, but a Zack Puente fumble gives the ball back to Tehachapi, and they'll run out the remaining 48 seconds. Still 6-6 at halftime here after some early offensive fireworks. One concern for Tehachapi is Jesse Olofson, who had a leg (knee?) injury on the previous series and was down for quite a while. He was able to get up and off with help, but I didn't see him out there in that final minute, and Max Clark was buried the two times he touched the ball. Much harder to find holes when you don't have that other threat back there with you. If Olofson doesn't come back, it'll be difficult for the Warriors to move the ball.
Here's the biggest halftime stat for me: Blake Campbell is 8-for-9 for 66 passing yards for Garces. That threat has kept the Rams' offense balanced. For Tehachapi, Olofson has 58 yards and a TD on 12 carries, and Clark has 51 yards on 10 totes.

UPDATED, 8:37 p.m.: And the Garces D stands tall, stuffing Olofson on a third-and-2 and then getting a couple of Tehachapi penalites to force a punt. Garces now driving, less than three minutes to go in the half.
Big news from Griffith Field, where the Drillers are looking very, very good. They lead 28-0 over Canyon, the 2006 state bowl champion, with a 256-12 edge in total yards. Quarterback Brian Burrell has thrown for one touchdown and ran for three others. Wow.
Elsewhere, Ridgeview still leads Highland, 14-0, about to start the second half. The Scots have just 56 yards of offense.

UPDATED, 8:29 p.m.: The defenses have caught up in this game, but Garces just blinked first. After the teams traded punts, Garces was forced to kick again and the snap went over Nick Vehlewald's head. He picked it up and tried to run but was easily caught, and, even after a personal-foul penalty, the Warriors have a first down at the Garces 41.

UPDATED, 8:13 p.m.: Tehachapi has answered nicely with a drive all on the ground. Last week, Jesse Olofson was the Warriors' big gainer on the ground in a win against Santa Ana-Segerstrom with 157 yards, but on this drive I've really been impressed with Max Clark and his speed and cutback ability. That's typical Tehachapi — you can't just worry about one guy. Now it's Olofson's turn. He converts a third-and-3, then takes it 14 yards inside the 10. Garces stuffed him that time, though, to force a fourth-and-inches at the 8. Olofson around right tackle for the first down and a TD. He had 51 yards on that drive, and Clark had 39. Not too shabby. But Jake Reimer, one of the area's better kickers, hit the right upright on the extra-point attempt to keep the score knotted, 6-6.

UPDATED, 7:56 p.m.: We've just started here, Garces with the ball first, but they've already completed a quarter at Ridgeview, where the Wolf Pack has an early 14-0 lead on Highland. Big start for the Wolf Pack, which fell behind Independence early last week.
The Rams, meanwhile, are looking very good on their first drive. A nice mix of runs and short passes has them down to the Tehachapi 10. Jalen Sykes is providing the lightning, Grant Campbell the thunder and his brother Blake Campbell a couple of nice-looking throws. But there's a nice tackle by Cory Lange to push Garces back to the 14 (we've heard that surname from Tehachapi before). But a swing pass to Sykes get the Rams to the 3, and Garces pushes it in from there for a quick lead. It was Grant Campbell who pushed it in. A bad snap on the extra point keeps the score at 6-0.

UPDATED, 7:18 p.m.: Sitting here at beautiful Sam Tobias Field on the Garces campus, a stadium that was recently redone (before last season, I believe).
They're going to do a 9/11 tribute here that involves a flag that has been with a Garces alumna who is stationed with a helicopter unit in Afghanistan followed by a moment of silence. It ought to be touching, and it's a reminder that all of us should take a break from our football this weekend to remember those who fight so we can have these liberties.
Anyway, an interesting football note I was alerted to today: In my morning story for The Californian, I mentioned that Garces leads this longtime series with Tehachapi, 17-16-2. That's not entirely true, depending on who you ask. Tehachapi beat what was then St. Francis High School in 1946. St. Francis didn't exactly become Garces, but it was the school's precursor so to speak (the school treats Garces' history as different than that of St. Francis, but I believe the same students moved over from the church school. So, if you ask those in Tehachapi, they'll tell you the tally is 17-17-2 and tonight will break the tie. Again, it kind of depends on who you ask, but it adds some spice to a friendly historical rivalry.
The 9/11 tribute is coming in about five minutes, with the game to follow.

ORIGINAL POST: I'm lucky enough to get my pick of the litter when it comes to covering games on Friday nights — that's what happens when they let you assign 'em. But that wasn't really a good thing this week, because I had a heck of a time deciding which game to attend.

Should I choose: (1) Canyon at Bakersfield, (2) Highland at Ridgeview, or (3) Tehachapi at Garces?

The first probably involves the most talent. The second probably means the most at this point of the season. The third might be the best game.

I went with Tehachapi-Garces. I'll see BHS plenty this year, so I eliminated that one (the incomparable Jeff Evans will be at Griffith Field). The other two were a toss-up, but I decided I'll get a good look at the preaseason SSL favorite against the preaseason third-place pick in the SEYL (according to preseason coaches polls we conducted). But rest assured, I'll be keeping tabs on the other two, as well as many other games throughout the night.

That brings me to you. You're sitting at home, wondering what's happening out at the gridiron, but you don't feel like battling traffic or the ridiculous heat. Or maybe you're at one of those games, or another that's turned into a blowout, and you look to your phone for entertainment.

We're here for you. Check back at School House Zach often for live updates and analysis from Tehachapi-Garces and scores/updates from as many other games as I can get to. Below you'll find a complete Kern County and Central Section scorelist, which will be updated throughout the evening. Happy football.

(Central Section ranking in parentheses; game times 7:30 Friday unless noted)

Kern County scoreboard
(5) Bakersfield 43, Canyon Country-Canyon 7
(6) Visalia-El Diamante 37, West 14
(8) Stockdale 48, East 0
(15) Centennial 45, Visalia-Redwood 20
Tehachapi 27, Garces 6
Ridgeview 35, Highland 7
South 47, Golden Valley 7
Porterville 16, North 14
Frontier 61, Lancaster-Antelope Valley 0
Arvin 27, Foothill 0
Clovis North 52, Mira Monte 22
Bakersfield Christian 47, Kennedy 0
Taft 70, Avenal 0
Delano 72, Shafter 0
Wasco 54, McFarland 6
Chavez 12, Fresno-Roosevelt 0
Boron 60, California City 0
Frazier Mountain 35, Van Nuys-Montclair Prep 20
Kern Valley 27, Acton-Vasquez 13
Hesperia-Oak Hills 34, Rosamond 0
Burroughs 20, Palmdale-Highland 13
Mojave 35, Cambria-Coast Union 21
Maricopa 22, Lighthouse Christian 12
Mammoth Lakes-Mammoth 48, Immanuel Christian 24
Desert 14, North Hollywood-Campbell Hall 13 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
Visalia-Mt. Whitney 38, Tulare Western 28 (Thursday)
Anaheim-Servite 47, (1) Clovis West 13
(2) Fresno-Bullard 35, Atwater 12
(4) Tulare Union 55, Visalia-Golden West 0
(12) Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial 41, (10) Oakhurst-Yosemite 17
Redlands East Valley 32, (11) Clovis East 7
(13) Hanford 28, Porterville-Monache 20
(14) Kingsburg 44, Dos Palos 13
Paso Robles 55, Fresno-Central 42
Clovis 14, Atascadero 7
Madera 49, Fresno 14
Fresno-Hoover 28, Lemoore 7
Sanger 31, Fresno-Sunnyside 14
Chowchilla 52, Coalinga 0
Reedley 14, Selma 12
Tollhouse-Sierra 10, Visalia-Central Valley Christian 9
Madera Ranchos-Liberty 41, Reedley-Immanuel 18
Dinuba 21, Fresno-Washington Union 20
Fowler 61, Firebaugh 7
Corcoran 30, Porterville-Granite Hills 0
Exeter 34, Woodlake 6
Strathmore 46, Farmersville 13
Caruthers 27, Mendota 12
Hanford West 58, Tulare-Mission Oak 0
Tranquillity 58, Laton-Kings Christian 12
Riverdale 34, Laton 26
Kerman 20, Madera South 9
Greenfield 32, Fresno-McLane 12
Lindsay 48, Orange Cove 13
Parlier 45, Orosi 12
Fresno Christian 56, Merced-Stone Ridge Christian 0
Palos Verdes Peninsula-Chadwick 14, SLO-Mission Prep 13 (Saturday)