If Bakersfield teams are going to win either the Division I or II Central Section football titles this year, it's going to be an upset. The Fresno area, while perhaps not as deep as Kern County, has a monopoly on the top teams in the section thus far.

That could change, of course, and it will, beginning with this week. No. 1 Fresno-Edison plays No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan this week in the first of what could be several top-10 showdowns up north: Remember, Buchanan, Clovis West and Clovis East are all in the same league, as are Edison and Fresno-Bullard.

On to the rankings:

1. Fresno-Edison (4-0, Div. II, last week: 1) — Domination of another state power proves Tigers might have eyes on more than the section title. Meanwhile, another test awaits.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Merced, 43-14. THIS WEEK: at No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan.

2. Clovis-Buchanan (3-0, Div. I, last week: 4) — I just can't imagine a high school defense shutting down quarterback Lance Orender, WR Corvaughn Archie and the Bear offense when it's clicking. Guess we'll find out if I'm right.
LAST WEEK: won at No. 6 Bakersfield, 41-34. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 1 Fresno-Edison.

3. Visalia-El Diamante (4-0, Div. II, last week: 3) — Miners certainly have been impressive, but they won't get a real chance to prove exactly how good they are till playoff time.
LAST WEEK: won at Fresno-Central, 48-13. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Mt. Whitney.

4. Fresno-Bullard (3-1, Div. I, last week: 10) — Knights go from 2-8 two years ago to back in the section's top five. Wins at Clovis East will help moves like that.
LAST WEEK: won at No. 2 Clovis East, 24-14. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 8 Clovis West.

5. Stockdale (3-0, Div. I, last week: 5) — I'll give the Mustangs the benefit of the doubt for close call against Clovis. But the effort needs to be better this week, or Stockdale will miss its chance to be Division I's only unbeaten.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Clovis, 29-26. THIS WEEK: at Centennial

6. Clovis East (2-2, Div. I, last week: 2) — Timberwolves couldn't slow Bullard early, falling behind 21-0. Schedule lightens up, though: next four opponents are 2-11.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. No. 10 Fresno-Bullard, 24-14. THIS WEEK: at Modesto-Davis.

7. Bakersfield (1-2, Div. I, last week: 6) — Drillers will likely still have a say in this before the end, but a win this week is a must.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. No. 4 Clovis-Buchanan, 41-34. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 13 Liberty.

8. Clovis West (1-2, Div. I, last week: 7) — It's hard to punish the Golden Eagles for losing to Corona-Centennial, ranked No. 13 in the nation by USA Today. It's a little easier when you realize Clovis West had no shot from the moment it stepped on the field.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Corona-Centennial, 42-7. THIS WEEK: at No. 4 Fresno-Bullard.

9. Tulare Union (3-0, Div. II, last week: 9) — Blowout after blowout continues to be impressive, but there's probably a ceiling on the Redskins' ranking until playoff time.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Visalia-Mt. Whitney, 60-30. THIS WEEK: at Chavez.

10. Exeter (3-0, Div. IV, last week: 11) — Monarchs step up and control Division II Frontier with mighty-mite running game. Another test waits against 3-0 Dinuba.
LAST WEEK: won at Frontier, 28-14. THIS WEEK: at Dinuba.

11. Bakersfield Christian (2-1, Div. V, last week: 12) — I was tempted to move the Eagles up further after Derek Carr's 360 yards and 4 TDs at Madera Ranchos-Liberty. This is obviously the class of Division V.
LAST WEEK: won at Madera-Ranchos-Liberty, 41-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Cambria-Coast.

12. Sanger (2-2, Div. II, last week: 13) — Is it possible that Division II is actually better than D-I this year? Or maybe it's not even a question.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Lemoore, 41-7. THIS WEEK: at Clovis.

13. Liberty (1-2, Div. I, last week: 8) — Snake-bitten Patriots have a chance to feel better about themselves with a win this week.
LAST WEEK: lost at West, 23-21. THIS WEEK: at No. 7 Bakersfield.

14. Hanford (3-0, Div. III, last week: NR) — I made a mistake last week: Hanford beat Oakhurst-Yosemite in a D-III showdown, not the other way around. Bullpups get their due this time around.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Madera, 30-12. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Redwood.

15. Highland (3-0, Div. III, last week: NR) — Tim Hartnett has the Scots rolling, out of their bye week and into SEYL play. The big showdowns against BHS and Liberty come late, so Highland could make considerable noise in the meantime.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at East.

Dropped out: No. 13 Garces, No. 15 Oakhurst-Yosemite
Waiting: Corcoran, Chowchilla, Oakhurst-Yosemite, West, Dinuba, Foothill, Visalia-Redwood, Garces, Fowler, Frontier, Taft

Week 4 predictions and podcast are on the way in the next two days.

We'll be back to football on Tuesday with the newest Central Section rankings, but tonight I'd like to give a little love to the other fall sports, which, like football, are in full swing and rapidly approaching (or already zipping through) league play.

VOLLEYBALL — League play started last week, and it's pretty clear already who the haves and have-nots are. Stockdale plays at Centennial tomorrow night in a game that should decide the early pecking order in the Southwest Yosemite League, while the SEYL probably will crown a new champion. Bakersfield is down, with five starters gone from last year's Central Section Division I runner-up, and Liberty and Garces are way up. The Patriots and Rams — Garces has already beaten BHS twice, by the way — tangle Oct. 8 at Liberty and Nov. 4 at Garces in matches that could decide all.
Among smaller schools, expect Bakersfield Christian to continue to roll until they meet Visalia-CVC, the Eagles' nemesis, in the playoffs. The Eagles took a four-set match from CVC in early-season play. Tehachapi also has a strong team; the Warriors host BCHS Oct. 14 and travel to Bako on Oct. 30.

GIRLS TENNIS — This week brings another key match, with Stockdale traveling to Liberty. The Mustangs are three-time defending section champs but split with Clovis-Buchanan early in the year; Liberty beat the Bears later. This is a big one for seeding for the team playoffs and the section's singles tournament, where Stockdale's Frances Ellison and Liberty's Estefania Limpias are both going to contend — Limpias came back to beat Ellison in their first meeting this year, reversing a couple of losses from last year.
Also predictably strong is Bakersfield Christian, which boasts section singles runner-up Lyndsay Cooke and a strong supporting cast. And in the SEYL, East sophomore Nancy Ramirez will contend and Highland has looked good, perhaps enough to challenge Garces or Liberty, on the team side of things.

GIRLS GOLF — It's the Garces show in Kern County this year. The Rams boast Mica Guzman and Cassie Clayton, the two best local players thus far in mini-tournament play. Clayton actually shot a 68 the other week, and Guzman is the returning Californian Golfer of the Year. On the west side of town, Frontier has held off Stockdale at all three mini-tournaments thus far. The young Titans are led by freshman Taylor Shweiki.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY — Another year, another season of domination from McFarland. The deep and talented Cougars are one of the state's best teams — no matter the school size — and, if they stay healthy, should be the favorites to win the Divsiion IV title on Nov. 29 in Fresno. Say the same in Division I for Foothill's Chris Schwartz, who wins all the time and dominates whenever anyone dares to push him.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY — It's been a Ridgeview surge. The Wolf Pack don't have one runner who can win a bunch of races, but they don't have any weaknesses in their top five, either. Tijerra Lynch and Jessica Hulzar lead Ridgeview, while Shafter's Elizabeth Wittenberg and North's Cecilia Lopez have won two of the big early meets. The season gears up with the Kern County Championships at Hart Park on Nov. 1, which leads directly into the postseason.

Another exciting week means there's plenty to talk about again. And we can do it with a distinct look ahead to the league races that are coming to stadiums near you everywhere next Friday.

First, if you need a handy guide to some Week 3 scores, look no further.

—  I don't know that Bakersfield High is going anywhere, or that the Drillers will do anything close to last year under quarterback Pete Mitchell when they won nine games in a row to clinch the Division I Central Section title. I really don't know. But it's safe to say BHS looked better this week in a 41-34 loss to Clovis-Buchanan than they did in losing to Stockdale last week. That doesn't take any sting off the 1-2 record, but I still say Bakersfield will be in the playoff picture at the end. Oh, and you can still pencil them in as league favorites.

— That's because Liberty, the other Southeast Yosemite League power, also is 1-2 after falling into a hole against West and not being able to climb out in a 23-21 loss. You could see this one coming — it was a trap game against a quality opponent — but that's two close losses for the Patriots. The other SEYL contenders — 3-0 Highland, 2-1 Foothill, 2-1 Garces (though we'll get to them later) — have to be licking their chops a bit. First, though, comes what's still the league's biggest game. Liberty is at Bakersfield next week.

— Meanwhile, Stockdale had cemented itself as the clear favorite in the Southwest Yosemite League after the BHS win, but the Mustangs pretty clearly had some letdown issues against Clovis. Still, it's a sign of maturity that Stockdale was able to hand the Cougars their 15th straight loss, even if it was a sloppy effort. I'd still consider the Mustangs SWYL favorites, barring another couple of subpar efforts.

— That's because the league's other undefeated team, Frontier, showed that it's not quite ready to dance with the big boys, even if they're small guys from Division IV. Exeter came to town and handed the Titans a 28-14 defeat. It's still a little too early for Frontier to compete in a game like that, though you can clearly tell Rich Cornford has his new team on the right track.

 — Speaking of coaches with new teams, congratulations to Chad Grider, who won his first game at West High by holding off Liberty when the Patriots' stud kicker, Colton Schmidt, missed a 41-yard kick in the waning seconds. The Vikings still have a ways to go as far as consistency if they're going to catch Stockdale, though. It's not just one game up, one game down. It's even one half up, one half down.

— The other team that will be there in the end is Centennial, which finally seemed to figure things out in a 41-21 beatdown of East. Already after four weeks, you can tell the transitive property (you know, Team A beat Team B and Team B beat Team C, so Team A must be better than Team C) isn't going to work in Kern County this year. Consider this: East beat West 26-20. Liberty beat Centennial 35-0. West beat Liberty 23-21. But Centennial beats East 41-21? It's impossible to rank those teams. To me, the odd game out is East's win at West, but you can't discount the Blades, either.

— Taft rebounded from its big loss at Exeter last week by beating Coalinga 38-18, but Bakersfield Christian made a bigtime South Sequoia League statement by beating Madera Ranchos-Liberty 41-3 up north. Derek Carr, in case you wondering, threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns. This is a type of offense that I'm not sure either Taft or shockingly 1-3 Tehachapi can defend.

— To end the weekend, Garces lost 20-6 to Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial on Saturday, a result I just can't figure out. The Rams looked so great, so refreshingly consistent, in the first two weeks that I figured a win against winless Memorial was a foregone conclusion. But Holy Bowl emotion helped the Panthers win back the Bishop Donahue Trophy.

— Some out-of-the-way teams continued to play well: Ranked Southern Section teams Boron (59-0 over L.A.-Ribet Academy), Mojave (35-21 over McFarland) and Burroughs (23-21 over Tehachapi) all won. Desert, meanwhile, tried to step up in school size to play Lancaster-Paraclete and didn't get the job done, losing 26-0.

Finally, a quick glance at next week's big games:

Liberty at Bakersfield: Which team is ready to step up?
Stockdale at Centennial: I get the feeling the Golden Hawks might give Stockdale another huge challenge
Highland at East: Scots have quietly gone about their business
Frontier at North: Winner can join Stockdale (and maybe Centennial) as a league conteder
Desert at Boron: Extend your eyes eastward for a regional rivalry between great teams

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)

Who am I to tell you how to spend your time, but if you like what you hear on this Week 3 podcast, you can tune in to the KRAB morning radio show on 106.1 FM tomorrow morning to listen to Francis, Meathead and I discuss some high school football goings-on. The segment should air around 7:15 a.m. Friday. And it'll be shorter than the podcast. I swear. 

Actually, Week 3 gets under way tonight up in the Fresno area with what should be a doozy of a matchup. Clovis East, No. 2 in my latest Central Section rankings, plays host to No. 10 Fresno-Bullard. That game's actually on TV if you have access to Comcast Sports Net for Northern Cal audiences, starting at 7:30. Also tonight is Kerman at Fresno-McLane and Tranquility at Fresno-Roosevelt.

For those of you looking for a change of pace, here's a volleyball story about the West High coach, who has overcome more in his life already that most people would in two or three lifetimes.

As exciting as last week was, I took a big hit in my predictions. Going .500 isn't exactly the point — after all, a coin flip or a chicken pecking at one team's name or the other would go .500 over the long run, and I'd like to think I do more research than either. No, we have much higher standards at School House Zach. So, like the athletes we cover, we're going to shake it off and go at it again.

Hopefully this time there will be more good than bad and more bad than ugly. Because last week was ugly.

Friday, Sept. 26
CLOVIS-BUCHANAN (2-0) AT BAKERSFIELD (1-1) — One more time, I'll remind everyone (as if you need it) what Bakersfield High did last year after losing an early intra-city game: Ran the table in the regular season, winning by an average of 34 points, then made its way through the Clovis East-Centennial-Clovis West gauntlet in the playoffs to win Paul Golla's second section title in three years. Sure, it's a new year, but I'm going to use past evidence. I'll take BHS in the ultimate rebound game.
Prediction: Bakersfield 28, Buchanan 21

CLOVIS (0-3) AT STOCKDALE (2-0) — I challenge you to come up with any team in the country that's lost 14 games in a row and could beat Clovis. I'll be there's not one. That said, the Cougars aren't as scary as TRAC brethren Buchanan, Clovis East or Clovis West (that schedule is part of the reason for the 14-game streak). Can Clovis pull the second consecutive shocker at Stockdale and snap the skid? Sure, but Mustangs coach Mike Snow doesn't strike me as a guy who'd let his team let down too much. Stockdale survives a mild scare.
Prediction: Stockdale 30, Clovis 22

LIBERTY (1-1) AT WEST (0-2) — We've had the Rebound Game and the Letdown Game, so how about the Trap Game? Think about this: Liberty just beat maybe its biggest rival, Centennial, 35-0 last week. West came out flat and was stunned by East, 26-20. The Vikings will be desperate to avoid an 0-3 start. It's West's homecoming. The Vikings are better than that record, and it's upset time.
Prediction: West 18, Liberty 17

EXETER (2-0) VS. FRONTIER (2-0) AT LIBERTY — Classic example of a great Division IV team testing itself against (what we thought was) a lower-level D-II team. Frontier is better than that, but Exeter is riding high after pummeling Taft next week. This time, a close game  goes against the Titans.
Prediction: Exeter 20, Frontier 16

EAST (1-1) AT CENTENNIAL (0-2) — The Golden Hawks are going to grow up at some point this season. I'm just not sure it's going to be this week. Then again, East is one of those teams I might pick wrong all year. I was way off in picking a victory against Stockdale (lost 33-0) and a blowout loss to West (won 26-20).
Prediction: East 34, Centennial 20

ARVIN (1-2) AT SOUTH (1-1) — Arvin is a finnicky team. There's just no other way to put it. Lose by one to Highland, beat Foothill by one, then Garces shuts you out for most of the game before winning 23-7. I don't get it. We know the Bears are good, but we're not sure how good. This also a great measuring stick for South, which wasn't quite good enough to top Golden Valley but smashed Shafter in Week 2.
Prediction: Arvin 26, South 21

BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN (1-1) AT MADERA RANCHOS-LIBERTY (2-0) — Scary thought for future BCHS opponents: Derek Carr threw for 343 yards last week — and coach Doug Barnett said his receivers dropped nine passes. Well then, what for this week? 400 yards? Nah, but another nice road win.
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 33, Madera-Liberty 16

TEHACHAPI (1-2) AT BURROUGHS (2-0) — Best player in Kern County you haven't heard of is Burroughs' sophomore quarterback, Derrick Dison. He'll test the Warriors, who haven't lost three in a row since the end of the 2005 season. They're reeling now, though, with nagging injuries bothering both of Tehachapi's top two running backs, Adam Mullen and Josh Strauss.
Prediction: Burroughs 27, Tehachapi 18

CHAVEZ (1-1) AT GOLDEN VALLEY (1-1) — If Chavez wants to meet its goal of a .500 season, this would be a good one to win. If Golden Valley has any thoughts of competing for a Southeast Yosemite League title, this is a must-win. Two games under the lights, two victories for Erich Smith's Bulldogs.
Prediction: Golden Valley 29, Chavez 23

SHAFTER (0-3) AT FOOTHILL (1-1) — I wanted to find a win on Shafter's schedule in the preseason, I really did. And I still do. But I don't see one. A tough non-league schedule, a tough league and a young team is a recipe for a trying season. And Foothill isn't going to make it easier.
Prediction: Foothill 47, Shafter 6

RIDGEVIEW (0-2) AT MADERA SOUTH (0-3) — The Wolf Pack has been competitive in losses to Highland and Foothill. This week, they break through with their first win in nearly a year.
Prediction: Ridgeview 32, Madera South 13

TAFT (2-1) AT COALINGA (0-2) — The Central Section's best nickname (Horned Toads) has had a couple of losses to good teams thus far. Add another to the list. That's what you get for a tough schedule: Life's rough when you're a Horned Toad. On a serious note, Taft could use a nice rebound over the next two weeks before starting SSL play.
Prediction: Taft 27, Coalinga 14

HANFORD WEST (2-1) AT DELANO (2-0) — Let the good times roll in north Kern, as the Tigers could move to 3-0 for the second straight year. Something to keep an eye on if Delano wins: It hasn't been 4-0 this decade. Hanford West, meanwhile, could be a paper tiger: Wins against Porterville-Granite Hills and Frazier Mountain don't show much.
Prediction: Delano 28, Hanford West 10

LINDSAY (0-2) AT WASCO (1-1) — Wasco will be a threat every time an SSL team goes up there. Mark my words.
Prediction: Wasco 33, Lindsay 9

McFARLAND (1-2) AT MOJAVE (2-1) — I hope the Cougars enjoyed their season-opening win against Kern Valley. Not sure there are many more out there. Mojave, meanwhile, broke into the Southern Section's Northeast Division rankings at No. 7.
Prediction: Mojave 34, McFarland 11

LANCASTER-PARACLETE (0-3) AT DESERT (3-0) — You've really got to hand it to the Scorpions (No. 4 in the SS East Valley Division). They will play a bigger school whenever they can, kind of like neighboring Boron. Here's saying knowing how to win — and having the area's leading rusher, Terrance Wells — gets the job done again.
Prediction: Desert 30, Paraclete 27

KERN VALLEY (1-2) AT MAMMOTH (0-3) — Broncs found a way to lose against Boron last week, with a late fumble and an onside kick going against them.
Prediction: Mammoth 24, Kern Valley 16

L.A.-RIBET ACADEMY (0-2) AT BORON (3-0) — You'll see in Thursday's podcast (check back for that, by the way), that I pronounce this school "Ribbit," like a frog. I don't know if that's right, but the name of the school, by golly, is the Fighting Frogs. Great name, but Bobcats have better game.
Prediction: Boron 48, Ribet Academy 15

BURBANK-BELLARMINE JEFFERSON (1-2) AT FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (1-2) — Falcons haven't flown very high, averaging just nine points in first three games.
Prediction: Bellarmine Jefferson 19, Frazier Mountain 9

ROSAMOND (0-3) AT ACTON-VASQUEZ (0-2) — Roadrunners warm up for a visit from Tehachapi with their first victory.
Prediction: Rosamond 22, Vasquez 21

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (2-1) AT VICTORVILLE-EXCELSIOR EDUCATION CENTER (1-1) — These eight-man schools have the loooooongest names sometimes.
Prediction: Excelsior Education Center 58, Immanuel Christian 41

Saturday, Sept. 27
FRESNO-SAN JOAQUIN MEMORIAL (0-2) AT GARCES (2-0) — Garces has won the last two meetings in this rivalry series 49-3 and 34-7. The Bishop Donahue Trophy is going to stay in Bakersfield again, methinks. Holy Bowl emotion is the only thing that keeps this one somewhat close.
Prediction: Garces 27, SJ Memorial 10

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (1-1) VS. PACIFIC GROVE-CALVARY CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT MARINA — What was I saying about eight-man schools again? Crusaders, after league title in 2007, win first game of '08.
Prediction: Lighthouse Christian 38, Calvary Christian 27

MARICOPA (1-1) AT LOS OLIVOS-DUNN (0-1) — After splitting against the Lighthouse Christians (beating Bakersfield and losing to Santa Monica), Indians expand their horizon.
Prediction: Maricopa 38, Dunn 34

Last week: 12-11 (.522)     Season: 38-19 (.667)

Well, at some point, I've got to quit being so surprised at what happened in Kern County football's Week 2 and start to try to make some sense of the carnage.

That means answering questions like: What does Stockdale's victory against Bakersfield High mean? Is Stockdale better than previously thought or BHS worse? I think in this case, it's probably a little of both. That's reflected in the rankings.

I'm also starting to think the north end of the Central Valley might have an advantage at the top of the section this year. Unless Stockdale and BHS are both good enough to be at the top, we'll drop them down a few spots and see what happens this week when both take on Clovis schools — BHS against Buchanan and Stockdale against Clovis.

1. Fresno-Edison (3-0, Div. II, last week: 2) — That's 60+ points for Edison in two of its three games. In the other, the Tigers only netted 8, but it was good enough.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Fresno-Central, 70-27. THIS WEEK: vs. Merced.

2. Clovis East (2-1, Div. I, last week: 3) — Impressive victories against Redlands and Sanger have Timberwolves looking like D-I favorites.
LAST WEEK: won at No. 13 Sanger, 31-14. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 10 Fresno-Bullard.

3. Visalia-El Diamante (2-0, Div. II, last week: 4) — Hard to believe two Division II teams could be in section's top three, but Edison and El D have been that impressive.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Golden Valley, 61-7. THIS WEEK: at Fresno-Central.

4. Clovis-Buchanan (2-0, Div. I, last week: 5) — Two workmanlike victories against Sanger and Redwood should look better as year goes along. Now it gets really tough.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Visalia-Redwood, 25-8. THIS WEEK: at No. 6 Bakersfield

5. Stockdale (2-0, Div. I, last week: 10) — Wonder no more what Mike Snow would do at a school with talent dripping out the windows. Mustangs gallop into top 5.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 1 Bakersfield, 34-29. THIS WEEK: vs. Clovis.

6. Bakersfield (1-1, Div. I, last week: 1) — Driller faithful might blame the officials, but fact is both teams had calls go the other way. Stockdale simply was up for it, while BHS looked undisciplined.
LAST WEEK: lost at Stockdale, 34-29. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 4 Clovis-Buchanan.

7. Clovis West (1-1, Div. I, last week: 6) — The Golden Eagles will be a huge factor one before the playoffs are over. They can make a jump in these rankings this week with a statement victory over a Southland team.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Corona-Centennial.

8. Liberty (1-1, Div. I , last week: 8) — Patriots look like they have a defense to be reckoned with again; they might regret that blown lead against Clovis West all year.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Centennial, 35-0. THIS WEEK: at West.

9. Tulare Union (2-0, Div. II, last week: 7) — The Redskins posted another ho-hum rout; what will they do in D-II playoffs when top teams come calling?
LAST WEEK: won at Lemoore, 42-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Mt. Whitney

10. Fresno-Bullard (2-1, Div. I, last week: NR) — I probably have overlooked Knights, whose only loss is to state-ranked Orange-Lutheran. We'll find out more Friday.
LAST WEEK: won at Clovis, 31-15. THIS WEEK: at No. 2 Clovis East.

11. Exeter (2-0, Div. IV, last week: NR) — Monarchs can have Taft's spot after dominating victory.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 11 Taft, 31-7. THIS WEEK: at Frontier

12. Bakersfield Christian (1-1, Div. V, last week: 12) — Eagles' gutty victory against CVC was too close but is still solid; not many teams on schedule should threaten Eagles.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Central Valley Christian, 27-22. THIS WEEK: at Madera-Liberty.

13. Garces (2-0, Div. II, last week: 14) — Two weeks, two statements for Rams; they should be 4-0 when they visit Highland on Oct. 10.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Arvin, 23-7. THIS WEEK: vs. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial.

14. Sanger (1-2, Div. II, last week: 13) — Apaches aren't quite up to level of Clovis East, but the wins will start to match the ranking soon.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. No. 3 Clovis East, 31-14. THIS WEEK: vs. Lemoore.

15. Oakhurst-Yosemite (2-0, Div. III, last week: NR) — Division III is jumbled and will be more so by the end of the year; for now, this is your favorite.
LAST WEEK: won at Hanford, 19-14. THIS WEEK: at Reedley-Immanuel.

Dropped out: No. 9 West, No. 11 Taft, No. 15 Tehachapi.
Waiting: Corcoran, Chowchilla, Delano, Foothill, Frontier, Hanford, Highland, Tehachapi, Visalia-Redwood, West

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Wringling Bros. newest attraction! It's Kern County high school football!

Now, just kidding, we haven't gone into circus mode quite yet. But what a wild and crazy week it was in Kern County high school football. Let's see if we can decipher some meaning from it, and then look ahead to more fun next weekend:

— Boy, did first-year Stockdale coach Mike Snow have a satisfied look on his face Friday night after the Mustangs stunned Bakersfield High 34-29. And who could blame him? He was criticized in some circles for leaving Frontier before the new school even had a senior class — and to a new league rival, to boot. But now he's 2-0 — Stockdale was 2-8 last year — and the Mustangs clearly are the favorites in the Southwest Yosemite League.

— That seems crazy, considering Stockdale finished fourth in The Californian's preseason league coaches' poll, but look at the teams in front of them:

West understandably lost at Visalia-El Diamante, but then the Vikings came home and laid an egg against East. Jeff Evans, the reporter who covered East's 26-20 victory, said the Blades caught a few breaks and were able to take advantage in that game, but that he'd like West in a rematch almost every time. Still, it's who wins the game on the field, and East gave Jerald Pierucci his first victory at the school.

Centennial hasn't looked like the Golden Hawks teams of old, or of the recent past, not by a long shot. After losing a shootout to what appears to be an average Visalia-Redwood team, Centennial got blown out 35-0 by a Liberty team that really could contend for a league or section title.

North took a step backwards against Delano, losing 31-14 up north. The Stars still have sleeper potential — nobody expected them to go 10-0 — but things don't get easier from here. After a bye week, North enters a league schedule that's suddenly all about catching Stockdale.

— Amazingly, the biggest threat to the Mustangs could be the Frontier team that Snow left. It's early, but the Titans have gutted out close victories against Lancaster-Antelope Valley and Tehachapi, the latter by a 19-18 score Friday. New coach Rich Cornford, who came from West, has his boys off to a great start. We'll see how far it gets them in league play. First comes a tough test against Exeter.

— Speaking of the Monarchs, they're probably the new Division IV section favorite after pounding Taft 31-7. Steve Sprague is a great coach, so we might see a rematch in November up in Exeter. And then we'll see how far the Wildcats can come in two months.

— Elsewhere in the South Sequoia League, Bakersfield Christian had a bunch of trouble with Visalia-Central Valley Christian before pulling out a 27-22 victory. Winning at CVC is nothing to sneeze at, so the Eagles might have the most momentum of any of the SSL's three section champs from last year. Then again, maybe the league isn't quite as strong as it was a year ago.

— Finally, we'll go back to where we started: Stockdale beating BHS, which leaves the Drillers in a similar position to last year, when they dropped a close road game at Centennial early. What happened then? The Drillers ran the table, avenging the one loss by beating the Golden Hawks 56-7 in the Division I semifinals. That's the plan again, I'm sure, though the Southeast Yosemite League looks tough as nails again. Garces went to 2-0 by dominating Arvin 23-7. That's something neither Highland nor Foothill could do. Highland is 3-0, though, and Liberty showed everyone something against Centennial. Can BHS be caught? Sure, but that doesn't mean I think it'll happen. We'll get another answer about the Drillers next week when they host Clovis-Buchanan.

With that in mind, let's look at the best matchups for Week 3:

Clovis-Buchanan at Bakersfield: How BHS bounces back might also tell us about the strength of Kern County football in general
Liberty at West: In the grand scheme, West can afford to lose another non-league game. But what would 0-3 do to the Vikings' confidence?
Clovis at Stockdale: If Mustangs are for real, they roll in this one
Exeter at Frontier: As a D-II team, we'll see whether Frontier can handle D-IV's best
Fresno-SJ Memorial at Garces (Saturday): The Holy Bowl could move Rams to 3-0
Arvin at South (Saturday): Bears continue to test themselves; South needs a statement

UPDATE: I'm not a big Chris Berman fan, but the longtime ESPN anchor has one saying that's perfect for Valley football tonight: "That's why they play the game."

Kern County has been turned on his head as far as I'm concerned. You can check out the list of scores below (I'll continue to update throughout the evening and weekend), but here are the biggest shockers of the night for me:

Stockdale 34, Bakersfield 29
East 26, West 20
Frontier 19, Tehachapi 18
Foothill 35, Ridgeview 34 (not so much the result but the margin)
Garces 23, Arvin 7 (again, not the result but the margin)

ORIGINAL POST: The second official week, and third overall (I'm sorry, but that "Week 0" designation is just weird), of the high school football season gets going tonight. There was one interesting game last night, when Hanford outlasted Oakhurst-Yosemite 19-14 in a key game for Division III section seeding. It'll be interesting to see if either or both of those teams gets seeded ahead of reigning D-III champ Tehachapi now that the Warriors have lost their home winning streak to D-II Garces, even though half the game was without RB Adam Mullen.

That's the key for some of these early-season games. League races will get underway in a couple of weeks, but it's these early out-of-league and out-of-town contests that can really become a factor in November when the Central Section is making up the brackets.

One more bit of bittersweet news, before we get to the running schedule/score list for Week 2 below. Fallen Boron sophomore Vinnie Rodriguez was well-supported last night at a spaghetti dinner to raise money for his family. Rodriguez, who died Tuesday evening after injuring his head in last Friday's game, sounded like the kind of kid people would get behind, and they did.

Check back below for score updates throughout Friday night.

Kern County scores
Bakersfield Christian 27, Visalia-Central Valley Christian 22
Stockdale 34, Bakersfield 29
Frontier 19, Tehachapi 18
Liberty 35, Centennial 0
Garces 23, Arvin 7
Exeter 31, Taft 7
Delano 31, North 14
Visalia-El Diamante 61, Golden Valley 7
Porterville 40, Wasco 27
East 26, West 20
Foothill 35, Ridgeview 34
Highland 24, Chavez 0
South 49, Shafter 14
Corcoran 76, McFarland 0
Boron 36, Kern Valley 35
Burroughs 48, Apple Valley 32
Desert 34, Acton-Vasquez 19
Frazier Mountain 20, Lancaster-Desert Christian 13
Mojave 35, Mammoth 21
Lone Pine 50, Immanuel Christian 32
Santa Monica-Lighthouse Christian 38, Maricopa 8
North Hills-L.A. Baptist 27, Rosamond 0 (Saturday)
Atascadero-North County Christian 46, Lighthouse Christian 0 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
Hanford 19, Oakhurst-Yosemite 14 (Thursday)
Clovis-Buchanan 25, Visalia-Redwood 8
Los Banos 49, Dos Palos 10
Fresno-Bullard 31, Clovis 15
Porterville-Monache 13, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 12
Visalia-Golden West 39, Tulare Western 14
Tulare Union 42, Lemoore 0
Fresno-Edison 70, Fresno-Central 27
Clovis East 31, Sanger 14
Fresno-Hoover 21, Madera South 20
Madera-Liberty 36, Reedley-Immanuel 7
Stockton-Chavez 47, Madera 20
Selma 49, Fresno-McLane 6
Kingsburg 21, Fresno-Washington 14
Fresno 38, San Jose-Piedmont Hills 0
Fresno-Roosevelt 45, Porterville-Granite Hills 13
Fresno-Sunnyside 27, Reedley 21
Woodlake 46, Farmersville 7
Fowler 32, Tollhouse-Sierra 18
SLO-Mission Prep 28, Avenal 14
Mendota 44, Riverdale 28
Parlier 16, Lindsay 14
Chowchilla 44, Le Grand 13
Tranquility 31, Laton 0
Dinuba 41, Hanford West 14
Caruthers 27, Cambria-Coast Union 13
Kerman 33, Coalinga 30
Sacramento-Christian Brothers 40, Fresno-SJ Memorial 25
Clovis Christian 54, Coalinga-Faith Christian 8
Strathmore 56, Fresno Christian 21
Gilroy-Anchorpoint Christian at Riverdale Christian (Saturday)
Pacific Grove-Calvary Christian at Alpaugh (Saturday)

 Ladies and gents, your Week 2 podcast. A quick note you might have seen commented on in the last post: Looks like Clovis East and Fresno-Edison, two of the premier football programs in the Central Section are either already in some recruiting trouble (Clovis East can't have home playoff games) or might be (Edison is under investigation) up north. Hopefully this alone serves as a wake-up call to coaches everywhere: Play by the rules, guys. No recruiting.

Before we begin, there's some gravely sad news to report out of Riverside. Boron sophomore Vinnie Rodriguez, who was taken to the Loma Linda Medical Center in Riverside after sustaining apparent head injuries in the Bobcats game Friday, died last night.

It's a shock any time this happens, but I'm sure a lot of us were hoping we'd never deal with it again after the sudden death of Bakersfield Christian senior Patrick Allen last month. Now, young death has reared its ugly head once again.

My condolences and prayers to the Rodriguez family.

The Boron players and administrators decided to play the Bobcats game at Kern Valley on Friday, though, and so, taking a cue, we'll charge ahead with our predictions as well.

Check back tomorrow afternoon for the Week 2 podcast.

Friday, Sept. 19
BAKERSFIELD (1-0) AT STOCKDALE (1-0) — What a terrific test for Stockdale after it stomped East in the second half last week. If the Mustangs can hang with BHS, I'll not only buy Stockdale stock; I'll proclaim it the early SWYL favorite. Do I think that'll happen? I'm not ready to be so bold.
Prediction: Bakersfield 38, Stockdale 18

CENTENNIAL (0-1) AT LIBERTY (0-1) — Hard to believe one of these teams will be 0-2, but there you have it. Sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler completed 34-of-45 passes for 331 yards, but tight end/linebacker Bryan Maxwell is out with Valley fever and Centennial might not yet be ready for a primetime win. Liberty, meanwhile, has had two weeks to stew over blowing its lead against Clovis West in Week 0.
Prediction: Liberty 24, Centennial 13

TEHACHAPI (1-1) VS. FRONTIER (1-0) AT BAKERSFIELD HIGH — If Adam Mullen is back from an injury sustained last week against Garces, Tehachapi is a different team. If not, Frontier could spring another surprise after the Titans beat Lancaster-Antelope Valley on the road last week. Also, do you think Griffith Field will be rocking for this one? I don't know about that, but it should be a good neutral-site atmosphere for a couple of good teams.
Prediction: Tehachapi 28, Frontier 19

NORTH (2-0) AT DELANO (1-0) — This could turn out to be the game of the week. Both teams handled Shafter with ease (North won by 12 even though it made five turnovers, and Delano beat the Generals 36-0) and then North crushed Porterville last week, all without running back Julian Dean-Johnson. They'll need him back this week if they're to move to 3-0.
Prediction: North 32, Delano 30

EAST (0-1) AT WEST (0-1) — A couple of reeling teams after big defeats. Difference is, West was on the road at Division II defending champion Visalia-El Diamante, and East was at home against unheralded Stockdale. Blades coach Jerald Pierucci still might have some work to do before East is a factor again.
Prediction: West 37, East 9

ARVIN (1-1) AT GARCES (1-0) — Which surprise team keeps it going? And can Arvin go 2-1 vs. Southeast Yosemite League teams? Garces obviously is better than originally thought, but I'm going to say the Bears have another upset in them. Score another close one for Arvin in an all-time series that's tied 27-27-1.
Prediction: Arvin 23, Garces 20

GOLDEN VALLEY (1-0) AT VISALIA-EL DIAMANTE (1-0) — If the Bulldogs can air it out against El D, they'll do it against anyone on their schedule, Bakersfield and Liberty included. Either way, GV's not going to be able to stop the Miners and stud back Stefphon Jefferson in this one.
Prediction: El Diamante 43, Golden Valley 7

FOOTHILL (0-1) AT RIDGEVIEW (0-1) — Another SEYL-SWYL bragging-rights game that's maybe a bit of a mismatch. I wouldn't expect Foothill to mess around after losing at home to Arvin last week. Then again, Ridgeview has got to be better if it wants to worry anybody this year.
Prediction: Foothill 41, Ridgeview 12

HIGHLAND (2-0) AT CHAVEZ (1-0) — Nice test for Chavez, which took care of Roosevelt last week. Meanwhile, Highland is a somewhat shaky 2-0. But that's what Tim Hartnett does, I guess. Doesn't really matter how the game goes, as long you have more points at the end.
Prediction: Highland 26, Chavez 18

BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT VISALIA-CENTRAL VALLEY CHRISTIAN (1-0) — Eagles get to find out what it's like to play a team that doesn't have celebrities' kids at quarterback — or monster lineman, or huge running backs or ridiculous depth, or... you get the picture. CVC is tough, but I think BCHS shows what it's really about here.
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 35, CVC 17

SOUTH (0-1) AT SHAFTER (0-2) — I drank the South Kool-Aid before the year, thinking this was the season John Wren could turn the Rebels around. They took a step backwards with a loss to Golden Valley, but they shouldn't have a problem getting win No. 1 here.
Prediction: South 33, Shafter 14

PORTERVILLE (0-1) AT WASCO (1-0) — Wasco very quietly made a statement against McFarland in its opener, but you can only make so much of a statement against smaller, struggling McFarland. A bigger school like Porterville offers a much better chance.
Prediction: Wasco 31, Porterville 23

TAFT (2-0) AT EXETER (1-0) — If the Wildcats can win here, you can pencil them in for 5-0 when they travel to Arvin on Oct. 17.
Prediction: Taft 20, Exeter 10

BORON (2-0) AT KERN VALLEY (1-1) — Rodriguez's death will surely affect Boron in an emotional way first, but keep in mind that at such a small school, the football team consisted of 22 players. Any loss is a big one to those numbers. Still, I think the Bobcats rally and beat another bigger school.
Prediction: Boron 24, Kern Valley 20

APPLE VALLEY (0-1) AT BURROUGHS (1-0) — Apple Valley lost an ugly one to Fontana-Kaiser, while Burroughs won a pretty one against Lancaster-Paraclete. I don't know if that makes this one ugly or not, but I'll go with the Burros.
Prediction: Burroughs 30, Apple Valley 13

CORCORAN (1-0) at McFARLAND (1-1) — Corcoran pounded Porterville-Granite Hills 49-0 last week, a team from the East Yosemite League. McFarland is in the East Sierra League. That means this is trouble for the Cougars.
Prediction: Corcoran 52, McFarland 3

DESERT (2-0) AT ACTON-VASQUEZ (0-1) — Vasquez hasn't won a game in nearly two years. The drought won't end against the talented Scorpions.
Prediction: Desert 44, Vasquez 14

FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (0-2) AT LANCASTER-DESERT CHRISTIAN (1-1) — The more I look at the Falcons' schedule, the fewer wins I see. This might be a good chance.
Prediction: Desert Christian 25, Frazier Mountain 19

MAMMOTH (0-2) AT MOJAVE (1-1) — The Huskies have played a terrificly difficult schedule for a small school. They get respite this week, but it won't be that easy.
Prediction: Mammoth 33, Mojave 17

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT ATASCADERO-NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN (1-0) — Tough for Guardians to take on NCC with such a young team.
Prediction: North County Christian 37, Lighthouse Christian 17

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (2-0, 0-0) AT LONE PINE (0-1, 0-1) — The area's first league game goes to Crusaders.
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 42, Lone Pine 18

SANTA MONICA-LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT MARICOPA (1-0) — The Indians took care of one Lighthouse Christian last week. Now it's your turn, Santa Monica.
Prediction: Maricopa 38, Lighthouse Christian 27

Saturday, Sept. 20
ROSAMOND (0-2) at NORTH HILLS-L.A. BAPTIST (2-0) — I'm not convinced L.A. Baptist is that good, but Rosamond has really struggled.
Prediction: L.A. Baptist 27, Rosamond 23

Last week: 16-6 (.727)    Season: 26-8 (.765)

Lots of big games this week in the Central Section resulted in surprisingly little movement at the top of this week's rankings.

1. Bakersfield (1-0, Div. I, last week: 1) — Is Edison's win against Compton-Dominguez better than BHS' 38-32 Week 0 triumph over Canyon? Hard to say. It's really too bad Edison dropped down a division, because we won't see these teams play.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at No. 10 Stockdale.

2. Fresno-Edison (2-0, Div. II, last week: 2) — After all we heard about the speed in that Dominguez game, we get 8-6? Really? Maybe it was the defenses that were so fast.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Compton-Dominguez 8-6. THIS WEEK: vs. Fresno-Central.

3. Clovis East (1-1, Div. I, last week: 3) — Hard to believe Timberwolves were the only Tri-River Athletic Conference team to win last week. It was a big one.
LAST WEEK: won at Redlands 21-13. THIS WEEK: at No. 13 Sanger.

4. Visalia-El Diamante (1-0, Div. II, last week: 4) — New quarterback Josh Lorentzen was good in opener; new running back Stefphon Jefferson was phenomenal. Yeah, the Miners will be fine.
LAST WEEK: won vs. West 34-14. THIS WEEK: vs. Golden Valley.

5. Clovis-Buchanan (1-0, Div. I, last week: 6) — Bears move up a spot without lifting a finger. Victory against Sanger still looks good.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Redwood.

6. Clovis West (1-1, Div. I, last week: 5) — Golden Eagles come up empty in the second half; after a bye, it's Centennial time — that's state-ranked Corona-Centennial, not the Bakersfield variety.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Anaheim-Servite 35-21. THIS WEEK: BYE

7. Tulare Union (1-0, Div. II, last week: 8) — The best team you'll hear nothing about will be hard to get a read on. Keep an eye on Halloween matchup against Delano.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Golden West 47-13. THIS WEEK: at Lemoore.

8. Liberty (0-1, Div. I, last week: 7) — If Liberty wants to keep this spot, it'll pound young Centennial in the Freedom Bowl.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Centennial.

9. West (0-1, Div. II, last week: 9) — Let's call this spot 9.5 or something. West deserves to move down a bit, but who takes its place?
LAST WEEK: lost at Visalia-El Diamante 34-14. THIS WEEK: vs. East

10. Stockdale (1-0, Div. I, last week: NR) — Mustangs zoom into top 10 with dominating second half in Mike Snow's debut.
LAST WEEK: won at East 33-0. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 1 Bakersfield.

11. Taft (2-0, Div. IV, last week: 14) — Still not sold on the Wildcats, but again, who takes this spot?
LAST WEEK: won vs. Avenal 49-0. THIS WEEK: at Exeter.

12. Bakersfield Christian (0-1, Div. V, last week: 12) — Tough road game will be a good barometer for Derek Carr and the boys.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Central Valley Christian.

13. Sanger (1-1, Div. II, last week: 15) — Apaches pass test with North Yosemite League favorites. Now comes another TRAC test.
LAST WEEK: won at Fresno-Sunnyside 27-14. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 3 Clovis East.

14. Garces (1-0, Div. II, last week: NR) — I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. But I wasn't brave enough to predict it. Rams in mirror are tougher than they appear.
LAST WEEK: won at Tehachapi 27-21, OT. THIS WEEK: vs. Arvin.

15. Tehachapi (1-1, Div. III, last week: 10) — Mid-game loss of stud RB Adam Mullen to injury has made Warriors' aura of invincibility at home vanish.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Garces 27-21, OT. THIS WEEK: vs. Frontier at BHS.

Dropped out: No. 11 Centennial, No. 13 Foothill.
Waiting: Arvin, Fresno-Bullard, Chowchilla, Corcoran, Delano, Foothill, Fowler, Hanford, Highland, North

Sorry this is late. I've been out of town for the weekend recharging the batteries a little bit, but here are your Week 1 most important things. Check back tomorrow for new Central Section power rankings.

— Statement of the week goes to Stockdale, which made me look like a fool with a huge second half in a 33-0 victory against East. I don't think the Mustangs are really 33 points better than the Blades, but they certainly were the better team and took advantage of every opportunity while denying East all of its chances. All of a sudden, that Stockdale home game next week against Bakersfield is looming large. Do I think the Mustangs can pull off the shocker? It's a long shot, but you'll have to wait until my predictions later in the week to find out.

— Some of the teams we thought would be league and section contenders this year were exposed a bit on Friday in their first game. Foothill isn't going anywhere in the Southeast Yosemite League or in the Division III playoffs if they don't play better than they did in a 30-29 loss to Arvin, and Centennial might have farther to go to get to contention than we thought if it can't beat Visalia-Redwood at home even with Cody Kessler throwing for 300+ yards in a 34-31 defeat. Then again, young teams can improve dramatically. The Golden Hawks will have to if they're going to win next week in the Freedom Bowl against Liberty. And though West can have a mulligan for its 34-14 loss at Visalia-El Diamante, the Vikings have to be able to move the ball more consistently against good teams.

— Speaking of Arvin, I'm about ready to throw the Bears in with Taft, Tehachapi and Bakersfield Christian in the South Sequoia League's haves-and-have-nots discussion. Arvin nearly beat (maybe should have beat) Highland in Week 0 and now pulled off the stunner at Foothill. Meanwhile, Tehachapi lost to Garces, 27-21 in overtime, in another surprise, and Wasco pounded McFarland 55-13. Not ready to make any proclamations on who'll rise or fall in the SSL yet, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

— Big ups to Golden Valley for going out and knocking off South 24-21 in its first game on campus under the new lights. I said last week that the winner of this game would have real momentum towards making a surprise league or playoff run and that the loser would have to start over in Week 2 or risk a "here we go again" season. Pressure's on, South. Up next is a winnable game at Shafter and then another "show me" game against Arvin on a Saturday.

— North, which rolled up the points in a 55-28 win against Porterville even without Julian Dean-Johnson, and Delano, which shut out Shafter 36-0, will stage an overlooked game in Delano next week. It shouldn't be overlooked.

— Here's a bonus one, added Tuesday around noon: What a win for Burroughs, which played Saturday and got no attention from a certain Bakersfield blogger (oops) but edged Lancaster-Paraclete 26-20. That's a terrific win over a perennial Southern Section contender for a Burros team that struggled to a 1-9 record last year and has sophomore Derrick Dison at quarterback.

That's one game on my list of games to watch in Week 2:

Centennial at Liberty: One of these teams will be 0-2 and not happy about it.
Bakersfield at Stockdale: Even a close game would might make Mustangs look like SWYL favorites.
North at Delano: Should be a good SWYL vs. EYL barometer; North needs Dean-Johnson.
Arvin at Garces: Another week, another SEYL opponent for Arvin. Can Bears go 2-1?
Tehachapi at Frontier: Frontier looks to continue momentum; Warriors need to build some.
East at West: If Vikings are worth their salt, they'll bounce back with a big win.
Taft at Exeter: Probably only chance for Wildcats to stumble before league play.

UPDATE: Well, sometimes best-laid plans ....

I had technical issues all night up in Visalia (thanks, Starbucks) and so I wasn't able to get any blog updates out until now that I'm back in the office. If anybody's still up, I've posted all the scores we have below.

Here are my quick-hit thoughts of what was a wild 'n' crazy Week 1 (check back later in the weekend for a more complete and coherent list):

— Both league races were turned on their head. Centennial couldn't pull out a shootout with Visalia-Redwood, and that is nothing more than a mediocre team from last year. Meanwhile, Stockdale rolled East in the second half (I really whiffed on that pick) and West, though I was a little surprised they couldn't move the ball more consistently, at least looked like it belonged on the same field as reigning D-II champ El Diamante.
In the SEYL, Foothill was shocked at home by Arvin, which has a one-point loss and now a one-point win against SEYL teams. Is Arvin this good or does the SEYL just dramatically drop off after Bakersfield and perhaps Liberty?

— How 'bout Garces? Going up to Tehachapi and coming out with a win is no easy task, no matter the circumstances (Warriors back Adam Mullen out in the second half, an overtime game, etc.) I knew underrated the Rams was a bad idea, and they made me pay for doing it anyway. Congrats to David Fanucchi and the boys. Heck, maybe this is the team that will push BHS and Liberty this year.

— North rolled up 55 points on Porterville — without top back Julian Dean-Johnson. Porterville isn't very good, mind you, but that's still impressive. Goes to show you what the Stars are capable of when they're hanging on to the ball.

— Those who said I was crazy for picking Frontier to beat Lancaster-Antelope Valley, well, I actually got one here! Congrats to the Titans for winning their first game with a senior class. The SWYL is incredibly wide-open, even more than we thought at the beginning of the season. Maybe not that great at the top, but I could honestly see any one of five teams — West, Stockdale, North, Centennial or Frontier — winning that race. Every week will be a dogfight.

— Mixed bag for the big Fresno-area games I mentioned — Edison gets a fantastic 8-6 win against Compton-Dominguez and Clovis East takes out Redlands East Valley-Redlands 21-13. Combine those two with Bakersfield High's win against Canyon last weekend and you've got three really strong victories for the Central Section that could be important come state-bowl selection time. Clovis West, however, was tied at halftime against Anaheim-Servite but lost 35-21. Madera and Clovis were also blasted by out-of-section teams, but those were more expected.

(scores are below the original post)

ORIGINAL POST: I'm staying up late and getting excited about tomorrow night's football games (later today, actually) and I'm doing some thinking about the Fresno area. We don't pay a lot of attention to the rest of the Central Section here at School House Zach, but we need to this week.

Two state powers come marching into Fresno county Friday evening: Compton-Dominguez at Fresno-Edison is the biggy, but Anaheim-Servite at Clovis West will be a doozy, and Clovis East, another Central Section contender, travels to Redlands East Valley-Redlands also.

Like these teams or hate them, want them to win the section or yield to the Bakersfield teams, you need to root for Edison, Clovis West and Clovis East this weekend. The better they do, the more respect the section gets around the state, and the more respect the section gets, the better chance your team has of winning a state bowl championship this year or in the future.

With that, I'm going to bed. I'll be up early to be on the KRAB radio (106.1 FM) morning show at about 7:15 a.m. So if you're up at and at 'em, tune in and listen to us talk a little football. If not, check back here throughout the day: I'll update scores as I get them and try to give a few updates, depending on the internet situation up at the West-El Diamante game.

Week 1 Kern County scores

Chavez 18, Fresno-Roosevelt 7 (Thursday)
Visalia-El Diamante 34, West 14
Stockdale 33, East 0
Visalia-Redwood 34, Centennial 31
Golden Valley 24, South 21
Arvin 30, Foothill 29
Garces 27, Tehachapi 21, OT
Highland 30, Ridgeview 13
North 55, Porterville 28
Frontier 22, Lancaster-Antelope Valley 16
Delano 36, Shafter 0
Wasco 55, McFarland 13
Taft 49, Avenal 0
Boron 56, Riverside-California School for the Deaf 18
Arcadia-Rio Hondo Prep 34, Mojave 0
Desert 48, Lucerne Valley 14
Hanford West 45, Frazier Mountain 7
Kern Valley 28, Pomona 14
Maricopa 36, Lighthouse Christian 32
Burroughs 26, Lancaster-Paraclete 20 (Saturday)
Quartz Hill 56, Rosamond 7 (Saturday)
Immanuel Christian 44, Alpaugh 30 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
Lemoore 7, Fresno-Hoover 2 (Thursday)
Visalia-Central Valley Christian 24, Tollhouse-Sierra 22
Chowchilla 29, Coalinga 6
San Jose-Bellarmine Prep 48, Clovis 6
Dinuba 35, Fresno-Washington Union 14
Fresno-Edison 8, Compton-Dominguez 6
Selma 28, Reedley 21
Visalia-Mt. Whitney 53, Tulare Western 8
Kingsburg 38, Dos Palos 34
Fowler 35, Firebaugh 0
Kerman 27, Fresno 13
Tulare Union 47, Visalia-Golden West 13
Corcoran 49, Porterville-Granite Hills 0
Hanford 30, Porterville-Monache 0
Caruthers 24, Mendota 0
Oakhurst-Yosemite 9, Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial 0
Sanger 27, Fresno-Sunnyside 14
Tranquility 33, Kings Christian 0
Exeter 33, Woodlake 17
Fresno-Bullard 39, Atwater 15
Paso Robles 44, Fresno-Central 7
Clovis East 21, Redlands East Valley-Redlands 13
Anaheim-Servite 35, Clovis West 21
Clovis Christian 56, Baker 0
SLO-Mission Prep 47, Cambria-Coast Union 28
Merced-Stone Ridge Christian 32, Fresno Christian 29
Greenfield 34, Fresno-McLane 8
Orange Cove 20, Lindsay 12
Merced 61, Madera 22
Vacaville Christian 26, Madera South 20
Strathmore 27, Farmersville 14
Parlier 25, Orosi 16
Riverdale 39, Laton 6
Riverdale Christian 71, Coalinga--Faith Christian 12 (Saturday)
Gilroy-Anchorpoint Christian 74, Sanger-Bethel Christian 0 (Saturday)

Here's your Week 1 podcast. Enjoy and comment below.

Isn't it nice when things work out?

After a star-studded and heavy-on-drama Week 0, the opening day's major players — Bakersfield, Bakersfield Christian, Liberty — take this week off to cede the spotlight to some of the other teams we need to keep an eye on. Everyone will reconvene next week, but for now, have a look at West, Centennial, Foothill, Frontier, Ridgeview, Stockdale, South, Golden Valley, Garces and East, who are all starting their seasons Friday. It's like opening night all over again. 

I went 10-2 in my first round of predictions. Not too shabby, if you'll allow me a minute to brag, especially when we don't know who has what until they've all played a few games. Aw, shoot, it probably was just dumb luck. But I'll give it another shot.

Also, check back tonight for a Week 1 podcast.

Thursday, Sept. 11
CHAVEZ (0-0) AT FRESNO-ROOSEVELT (0-1) — The opener of the weekend should be a competitive matchup. If the Titans from Delano are as improved as they hope (or if they plan on getting above .500 for the first time in the school's short history), they need to take care of the Rough Riders, who struggled with Selma last week.
Prediction: Chavez 27, Roosevelt 17

Friday, Sept. 12
WEST (0-0) AT VISALIA-EL DIAMANTE (0-0) — It'd be quite a statement for West to open up the Chad Grider era with a win against the defending Division II section champions. Then again, it'd be quite a statement for El Diamante to blow out a team many consider the best in the Southwest Yosemite League. I'm not sure either one of those will happen entirely, but I'm going with a comfortable win for the Miners.
Prediction: El Diamante 37, West 19

VISALIA-REDWOOD (0-0) AT CENTENNIAL (0-0) — This might be the most intriguing game on the docket. Centennial, as has been well-documented, has just four returning starters. But the Golden Hawks always seem to find a way to be winners under Bryan Nixon. Then again, Redwood actually gave a more experienced Hawks team fits in this game last year. This is also the debut of sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler for CHS. That might mean a struggle for two or three quarters, but Centennial will get it rolling at some point.
Prediction: Centennial 26, Redwood 16

STOCKDALE (0-0) AT EAST (0-0) — The Mustangs' Mike Snow and Blades' Jerald Pierucci might both be at new schools, but that's about all they have in common. Snow is implementing a Wing-T offense at Stockdale and Pierucci a pro-style attack at East, both big changes for their schools. What does that mean for this one? It's really hard to tell. Maybe I'm influenced because Pierucci sounds more confident in early-season success than Snow, but I'm going with the home squad in a minor upset and a big statement for East.
Prediction: East 29, Stockdale 26

SOUTH (0-0) AT GOLDEN VALLEY (0-0) — Another game you could look at as the most important of the weekend. Both of these teams have intentions of improving dramatically over last year, and a loss in the opener against another perceived bottom-feeder could be quite a blow. A victory, on the other hand, could serve as a springboard.
Prediction: South 32, Golden Valley 25

ARVIN (0-1) AT FOOTHILL (0-0) — If Foothill is up to snuff in the SEYL, it'll take care of Arvin easily. Of course, we said the same thing about Highland last week, and the Scots nearly lost. Maybe Arvin is better than previously thought. It's hard to say early, but I think the Trojans re-establish some SEYL dominance.
Prediction: Foothill 27, Arvin 12

GARCES (0-0) AT TEHACHAPI (1-0) — After the Warriors slogged through the second half to hold off Santa Ana-Segerstrom 17-12 last Saturday, coach Steve Denman told his team it had to be better to beat Garces. I'm not really sure that's the case, considering Tehachapi took on a bigger school in Segerstrom and out-gained it 205-1 in the first half. Garces has its work cut out for it, especially if Tehachapi does play better.
Prediction: Tehachapi 30, Garces 14

RIDGEVIEW (0-0) AT HIGHLAND (1-0) — The other half of that interesting Highland-Arvin result welcomes in Bakersfield's doormat from last year. Ridgeview beat only a one-win Burroughs team last year in a season ravaged by injuries. The Wolf Pack are presumably healthy this time around, but they may be hurt instead by transfers and attrition.
Prediction: Highland 28, Ridgeview 7

NORTH (1-0) AT PORTERVILLE (0-0) — North is going to have to be better than it was in an opening win against Shafter (five turnovers) to win on the road. Julian Dean-Johnson won't play again; he's week-to-week with disciplinary issues. Still, if the Stars can limit the turnovers, their offensive and defensive lines should be able to control the Panthers. If not, all bets are off.
Prediction: North 29, Portervile 21

FRONTIER (0-0) AT LANCASTER-ANTELOPE VALLEY (0-0) — A thought occurred to me as I was watching a wild Frontier-Centennial girls tennis match the other day: The Titans are going to get a big boost in a lot of sports the next two years as the youngest teams in town grow up. How 'bout a season-opening victory to spark the football team?
Prediction: Frontier 24, Antelope Valley 19

AVENAL (0-0) AT TAFT (1-0) — Avenal has some big plans in the West Sierra, its new league, but traveling to Taft isn't the right way to kick-start a winning streak.
Prediction: Taft 34, Avenal 6

DELANO (0-0) AT SHAFTER (0-1) — Could be a tricky first game for the Tigers, who have high hopes in the EYL. But they have a nice margin for error: Shafter had those five turnovers from North last week and didn't really come close to cashing in.
Prediction: Delano 37, Shafter 20

WASCO (0-0) AT McFARLAND (1-0) — Cougars surprised me last weekend by topping Kern Valley, but wrestling an SSL opponent is a different game altogether.
Prediction: Wasco 23, McFarland 13

MARICOPA (0-0) AT LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (0-0) — A new era begins for Guardians, who lost starting QB, RB and best defensive player from last year.
Prediction: Maricopa 35, Lighthouse Christian 28

FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (0-1) AT HANFORD WEST (1-0) — A bit of a pillow-fight, perhaps, but Hanford West's opening victory over Porterville-Granite Hills looks a lot better than Frazier Mountain's loss to Mojave.
Prediction: Hanford West 26, Frazier Mountain 6

LUCERNE VALLEY (0-0) AT DESERT (1-0) — Scorpions handled Mammoth, which will probably win Lucerne Valley's league.
Prediction: Desert 41, Lucerne Valley 12

RIVERSIDE-CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (0-0) AT BORON (1-0) — The School for the Deaf hasn't won a game since October of 2006. Tall order this week.
Prediction: Boron 38, CSFTD 0

QUARTZ HILL (0-0) AT ROSAMOND (0-0) — Thirteen returning starters from a playoff team? A Division I playoff team? Roadrunners are in over their heads.
Prediction: Quartz Hill 55, Rosamond 9

MOJAVE (1-0) AT ARCADIA-RIO HONDO PREP (0-0) — This is the kind of game Mojave needs to win to claim the only playoff spot in its division not tied to a league.
Prediction: Rio Hondo Prep 27, Mojave 23

KERN VALLEY (0-1) AT POMONA (1-0) — I trusted the Broncs last week on the road, and they let me down. What the heck, fool me twice.
Prediction: Kern Valley 16, Pomona 13

Saturday, Sept. 13
LANCASTER-PARACLETE (0-1) AT BURROUGHS (0-0) — I feel good about Burroughs improving, but we won't see it this week against a fine Paraclete team.
Prediction: Paraclete 41, Burroughs 16

ALPAUGH (0-0) AT IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (1-0) — My eight-man sleeper keeps rolling.
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 36, Alpaugh 10

I'm going to try something new for the remainder of the football season: Rankings, brought to you by the inside of my head.

We're currently working on getting some entirely objective, computerized rankings to compare these to, but those won't be ready for another week or two. So in the mean time, this is it.

And before anybody says it: No, I haven't seen every team in the section play. And no, these aren't going to be universally correct. But they're a jumping-off point for discussion. Treat them as such:

CENTRAL SECTION RANKINGS

1. Bakersfield (1-0) — As far as I'm concerned, the champs can stay here as long as they look like they belong. And the Drillers own perhaps the section's best victory thus far.
LAST WEEK: won at Canyon Country-Canyon, 38-32. THIS WEEK: BYE.

2. Fresno-Edison (1-0) — Is this the year the Tigers live up to their considerable talent level and hype? Friday night will go a long way toward answering that question.
LAST WEEK: won at Madera, 69-10. THIS WEEK: vs. Compton-Dominguez.

3. Clovis East (0-1) — Gutsy effort against top Texas team says Timberwolves will be a factor.
LAST WEEK: lost at Colleyville (Texas)-Heritage, 41-26. THIS WEEK: at Redlands.

4. Visalia-El Diamante (0-0) — When Edison dropped to Division II, the Miners suddenly received some stiff competition for their title.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 9 West.

5. Clovis West (1-0) — Disturbing game for Golden Eagles against Liberty; they probably should have lost.
LAST WEEK: won at Liberty, 22-19. THIS WEEK: vs. Anaheim-Servite

6. Clovis-Buchanan (1-0) — The Tri-River Athletic Conference will be absolutely loaded, as usual.
LAST WEEK: won at Sanger, 30-16. THIS WEEK: BYE.

7. Liberty (0-1) — Patriots might have said more in loss than most teams do in wins.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Clovis West, 22-19. THIS WEEK: BYE.

8. Tulare Union (0-0) — With light schedule, Redskins could be safest bet to go 10-0 — until the playoffs.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Golden West.

9. West (0-0) — Vikings travel to El Diamante as immediate measuring stick in Chad Grider's first game.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at No. 4 Visalia-El Diamante.

10. Tehachapi (1-0) — Victory over Santa Ana-Segerstrom could have been easier, but it still speaks volumes about what a quality program this is.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Santa Ana-Segerstrom, 17-12. THIS WEEK: vs. Garces.

11. Centennial (0-0) — If Bryan Nixon can earn another league title with four returning starters, it'd be his best coaching job. Visalia-Redwood should be a win to start.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Redwood.

12. Bakersfield Christian (0-1) — No shame in losing to Celebrity High, especially considering Eagles looked like they belonged.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Westlake Village-Oaks Christian, 35-7. THIS WEEK: BYE.

13. Foothill (0-0) — Interested to see if the Trojans handle Arvin better than Highland did.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Arvin.

14. Taft (1-0) — Maybe this is too low. Who wants to go play the Wildcats right now?
LAST WEEK: won vs. Templeton, 28-3. THIS WEEK: vs. Avenal.

15. Sanger (0-1) — Apaches certainly don't do themselves any scheduling favors, with Clovis East coming two weeks after Buchanan loss.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Clovis-Buchanan, 30-16. THIS WEEK: at Fresno-Sunnyside.

Waiting: Fowler, North, Highland, Hanford, Corcoran, Chowchilla, Stockdale

I've just rolled down the mountain, where I was covering the last game of the first weekend of this year's high school football season. Tehachapi rolled to a 17-0 lead in the first half and held on to beat Santa Ana-Segerstrom — a bigger school from the Southern Section — 17-12.

Here are Week 0's most important things:

— Bakersfield High's state-title hopes are alive and well after the Drillers held off Canyon Country-Canyon 38-32 in a road opener. The Drillers now have a victory over a name opponent from another section on their resume. The hard part is what lies ahead: After a bye week, BHS has to win nine in a row, then probably three more to win the section title. So let's not get carried away, especially with the way the Drillers let Canyon get out to an early lead and then let the Cowboys get back in the game. But it was a good first step, at least cosmetically.

— Bakersfield Christian, meanwhile, didn't quite live up to the hype against Westlake Village-Oaks Christian. Still, the Eagles accounted well for themselves most of the night (too bad Will Smith had already left; he missed a pretty good game). They had a chance to tie the game in the third quarter, and things only got out of hand when QB Derek Carr started having problems with cramps and the Eagles couldn't get off the field on defense. But Carr proved he's the real deal, and BCHS confirmed, even in a lopsided 35-7 loss, that it's a legitimate league and section-title threat.

— The more things change at Tehachapi and Taft, the more things stay the same. Both SSL schools and section champions lost a major portion of last year's teams, but both still beat quality teams from the Southern Section the way you'd expect — a ball-control offense and a hard-hitting defense. Taft's final was 28-3. Should be another hell of a race in the SSL.

— Liberty will be a player in the SEYL. I didn't think they'd touch Bakersfield High in the teams' Oct. 3 game at BHS (that's not that far off, by the way), but the Patriots led another section favorite, Clovis West, 19-7 through three quarters before making a couple of miscues and blowing it to lose 22-19. But it sounded like Chris Neal had good numbers against one of the better defenses he'll see, and the Liberty D was fantastic.

— Sometimes it's harder to get over the hump than you think. North and Highland both had aspirations of competing in their respective leagues this season, and both are 1-0 after beating SSL teams in Week 0. But neither one was impressive in doing so. Highland needed a bizarro decision from Arvin to hang on for a 7-6 victory (the Bears were stuffed on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the fourth quarter), and North fumbled four times in a lackluster 26-14 victory against Shafter without star back Julian Dean-Johnson (his absence and possible return is a story to keep an eye on, too). The Stars' problems might be more fixable — just hang on to the cotton-pickin' ball, guys — but that problem plagued North last year, too. Suffice it to say that to compete week in and week out in the SEYL and SWYL, the Scots and Stars have to be better than they were Friday.

And that leads us to next week, when nearly every team plays, many for the first time. Here's a list off the top of my head of games to keep an eye on:

West at Visalia-El Diamante: Welcome back to West, Chad Grider. There are no warm-up games here.
Stockdale at East: Perfect way to get an early gauge on two teams with new coaches.
Arvin at Foothill: Will Bears redeem themselves by finishing off an SEYL opponent?
Garces at Tehachapi: Warriors can't get away with playing only two quarters for long.
Visalia-Redwood at Centennial: My hunch is ultra-young Golden Hawks will be OK, but we'll get our first glimpse at a definite answer here.
South at Golden Valley: Winner gets much-needed momentum boost early in the season.

This is now a final list of Week 0 scores. I'll add some of my thoughts in a blog post tomorrow, but for now, enjoy:

Bakersfield 38, Canyon 32
Westlake Village-Oaks Christian 35, Bakersfield Christian 7
Clovis West 22, Liberty 19
North 26, Shafter 14
Highland 7, Arvin 6
Taft 28, Templeton 3
McFarland 19, Kern Valley 14
Boron 21, Rosamond 18
Desert 35, Mammoth 18
Mojave 19, Frazier Mountain 0
Ridgecrest-Immanuel Christian 34, Lancaster-Antelope Valley Christian 13
 

Here's the first edition of what will become a weekly high school podcast. This week's loudmouths are myself and assistant sports editor Ross Priest. Give it a listen and feel free to leave your comments below.

In case you missed it, I gave my predictions for all the Week 0 games in yesterday's post.

As I type this, it's 7:33 p.m. That means that in two days, the national anthems will be sung, the balls will have been checked for air, the kickoffs taken, and the first plays in the high school football season finished.

In two days, we'll finally begin to figure out who the haves and have-nots of the 2008 season will be, and we'll begin to see which teams have magical seasons in store.

In two days, it's game time.

We've been gearing up for it all month at the Californian:

— If you missed them, I previewed every team in Kern County here at School House Zach. Here's an index of each team's preview.

July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces
Aug. 22: Highland
Aug. 23: Foothill
Aug. 24: Liberty
Aug. 25: Bakersfield
Aug. 26: Central Section big schools
Aug. 27: Central Section small schools
Aug. 31: Statewide glance

— For more in-depth information, be sure to check out our election-themed preview sections within each day's paper. The South Sequoia League and other Kern County schools were previewed Wednesday; the Southwest Yosemite League will be Thursday and the Southeast Yosemite League runs Friday. And make sure you make your voice heard on our ballot propositions, football-style.

— Every week here on the blog, I'll offer weekly predictions of every last Kern County game and post a weekly podcast. (This week's podcast has been done, with myself and Assistant Sports Editor Ross Priest as the stars, but we're having a few technical difficulties getting it on the Web site. Check back a little later and it should be up.)

Here are my Week 0 predictions:

Friday, Sept. 5
BAKERSFIELD (0-0) AT CANYON COUNTRY-CANYON (0-0) — I don't think there's any question this will be the Drillers' toughest opponent in the regular season. That's not to say that a victory Friday secures a 10-0 mark for BHS, because strange things happen all the time in sports, but it'd go a long way towards that goal.
Big keys for me are Bakersfield High's running game, which could be the bread and butter of that offense with Alfonso Jackson and Jerek Johnson carrying the load. That, and some great defense, will take pressure off of new quarterback Alex Mitchell and his rookie receivers.
Canyon won the 2006 state championship but slipped to 4-6 last year with a young team and a tough schedule. The Cowboys aren't backing down from anyone again this year, but I'll give the Drillers a big early-season victory.
Prediction: Bakersfield 28, Canyon 20

WESTLAKE VILLAGE-OAKS CHRISTIAN (0-0) AT BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN (0-0) — All the talk has been, and will continue to be about, the star-studded parents Oaks Christian is bringing to town. Yes, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and Will Smith all have sons on the team, but that's not the only reason OCHS is a sight to see. Nick Montana wasn't even the clear-cut choice at quarterback — he had to beat out St. Bonaventure transfer Tony Macarena. The team returns 15 starters from an 11-3 team last year, including Arizona State-bound tight end Christopher Coyle and a host of juniors who could accepting college scholarships next year. Bakersfield Christian probably will have a great year, but the 4,000 strong (some coming by helicopter, I hear) at BCHS on Friday night won't see the first victory.
Prediction: Oaks Christian 41, Bakersfield Christian 24

CLOVIS WEST (0-0) AT LIBERTY (0-0) — It's a bit lost, at least in the southern half ot the Central Valley, that Clovis West had a really good team last year. The Golden Eagles were snake-bitted in their losses, losing all four by seven or fewer points, including games to Fresno-Bullard, Clovis-Buchanan and Bakersfield by a field goal each. And check out this string of victories: Visalia-El Diamante, which dominated Division II, Fresno-Edison, Clovis East, Bullard in another game, and Liberty to open the season. I like Clovis West to kick-start another run at the section title.
Prediction: Clovis West 23, Liberty 10

SHAFTER (0-0) AT NORTH (0-0) — Keep in mind, Shafter opened last year with a surprise against Highland. Does it happen again against a hopeful Bakersfield team? I don't see it. North is too well-coached and has too much talent returning to slip up here.
Prediction: North 34, Shafter 13

HIGHLAND (0-0) AT ARVIN (0-0) — I see this as a trap game for Highland. First, Shafter did it to 'em last year. Second, Arvin has a good team that no one knows about because the Bears underachieved last year. Third, Highland has to make the early trip down to Arvin. But right as I was about to pull the trigger on the upset, I decided I trusted the Scots to stave it off a lot more than I trusted the Bears to actually get it done. Call a big play or two on special teams the difference.
Prediction: Highland 28, Arvin 26

TEMPLETON (0-0) AT TAFT (0-0) — I didn't know a whole lot about Templeton, so I investigated a bit. This was a 7-3 team in a very tough Southern Section league (the Los Padres) a year ago, but lost 18 starters. That means young offensive and defensive lines, and that means trouble if the team on the other side of the field is Taft.
Prediction: Taft 40, Templeton 14

McFARLAND (0-0) AT KERN VALLEY (0-0) — A couple of teams in transition try to get off on the right foot. McFarland hopes new coach Andy Dunn can turn things around while Kern Valley breaks in a new quarterback, Kyler Emery. The difference, though, will be who's back, and that's Kern Valley fullback Justin Sulu.
Prediction: Kern Valley 20, McFarland 13

BORON (0-0) AT ROSAMOND (0-0) — Bobcats lost a lot — again — but will have a good year — again.
Prediction: Boron 29, Rosamond 12

DESERT (0-0) AT MAMMOTH (0-0) — The favorite from the High Desert League meets the favorite from the Desert Mountain League. I think one league is stronger.
Prediction: Desert 33, Mammoth 27

MOJAVE (0-0) AT FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (0-0) — The Mustangs are going to quickly realize it's a good thing they left the HDL.
Prediction: Frazier Mountain 22, Mojave 3

LANCASTER-ANTELOPE VALLEY CHRISTIAN (0-0) AT RIDGECREST-IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (0-0) — This mouthful of a game could be a coming-out party for the Crusaders (that's Immanuel Christian, for those not familiar with 8-man ball).
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 39, Antelope Valley Christian 38

Saturday, Sept. 6
SANTA ANA-SEGERSTROM (0-0) AT TEHACHAPI (0-0) — The hidden gem of the weekend. Segerstrom brings in a team stacked at the skill positiions and on defense; Tehachapi brings back a good nucleus from its section title team. The game's on the mountain and in front of a bunch of Warriors alumni brought back for Tehachapi's 80th anniversary, so the emotional edge goes to the Mountain Boys.
Prediction: Tehachapi 30, Segerstrom 27

Here's a promise: Because my last 50 or so blog entries have been football, football, FOOTBALL, I promise not to mention anything about that one sport that starts with Week 0 games Friday (those of you who want fo__ball, be sure to check back tomorrow for a podcast and predictions on this weekend's fo__ball games).

Anywho, there are some other fall sports already under way, and it's high time to shine the spotlight on them. Let's take a look at each of the other fall sports, with a quick run-down of the expected best teams and what's happened in limited action so far.

Volleyball: The king of girls sports during the fall has just gotten going, with many teams playing their opening matches Tuesday night. There were a couple of tournaments and stray non-league matches last week, though, that brought some interesting results.
First and foremost, Liberty surprised defending Division I Central Section champion Clovis-Buchanan 3-2. Buchanan turned around to beat Stockdale 2-1, the Mustangs' only blemish in a 4-1 record.
Tehachapi swept through the South High Tournament, going 18-0 in games against competition from the South Sequoia League (Arvin, Shafter, Taft, Wasco), the Southwest Yosemite League (South, West), the Southeast Yosemite League (Foothill) and the rest of the county (Delano, Kern Valley). The Warriors look like Bakersfield Christian's biggest threat in the SSL.
Speaking of BCHS, the Eagles are 1-0 but are one of three normally high-level teams yet to get into the meat of their schedule (as of Tuesday night, that is). The other two are Centennial and Bakersfield.
This week, look out for Thursday night, when Stockdale hosts Clovis West and Centennial travels to Clovis, and for Friday and Saturday, when many of the city teams meet (including Bakersfield and Bakersfield Christian) at the Highland Tournament.

Girls tennis: Stockdale, the defending Division I champs, earned a terrific result early with a 12-0 sweep of Bakersfield High before going up to Clovis and losing 5-4 to Buchanan. That could hurt the Mustangs' seed come playoff time.

Girls golf: Golden Valley hosted an early-season, didn't-even-count-team-scores event last week, and we still know who the cream of the crop is: Garces, which boasts returning Californian Golfer of the Year Mica Guzman and Cassie Clayton. Liberty and Stockdale should also have strong teams.

Boys and girls cross country: The runners' season doesn't actually get started until this weekend, but I think it's clear who we'll be keeping an eye on, at least in the boys races. Defending state champion Chris Schwartz of Foothill could win another title and this time, German Fernandez of Riverbank won't be there to steal the spotlight in the Division III race (or in the state track meet next spring, for that matter).