As you might have read in this morning's Californian, Garces football coach David Fanucchi apparently has told his team he will resign at the end of this season. It's a strange situation at Garces, where no one is allowed to share any personnel information, not even the man who resigned. But a couple of parents have confirmed for us that Fanucchi told his team Monday morning that he's through at the end of the year.

My personal thought is that this has little to do with football. Fanucchi has been pretty successful at the school, racking up a 41-33-1 record in seven years and winning a Division III Central Section championship in 2006.

The Fanucchis are also a well-known institution at the school — David's older brother John Fanucchi was the football head man before David, and is now the school's president. The oldest brother, Vince, is the boys athletic director at the school — or at least he was, as of Monday, the last time I looked at the school's website. As of today, Vince is the "assistant athletic director." Lela Steiber, who has been the girls golf coach and was named the girls AD last year, is now the "athletic director."

But none of those are in charge of personnel. That duty falls to second-year principal Kathleen Bears. Swirling rumors have her at the center of all of this, but again, no one will confirm how — or confirm anything on the record, for that matter.

If there are parents out there who can enlighten us a bit more, you can e-mail me at zewing@bakersfield.com. I'd love to clear things up as much as possible. Nothing I hate more than unclear rumors that treat some unfairly and don't tell the whole story.

Anyway, on the football field, I wonder how this affects Garces. The Rams could rally around their out-going coach or fold up amid the news and confusion. If I had to guess, I'd say the first. And while I'm guessing, let's get to some other on-field predictions for Week 4.

First a recap of Week 3:

The good: Overall, it was a better week than last, a respectable 16-9 mark*. I picked Buchanan to beat Bakersfield in a shootout, Frontier and Stockdale to get road wins, and Highland to outlast Independence.

The bad: Still wasn't a great week. I totally missed Golden Valley's upset of Chavez and thought Wasco had too much firepower for Lindsay, not the other way around.

The ugly: Picking Delano and Shafter to lose when, in fact, both teams won quite handily. My bad. I also totally whiffed on Bakersfield Christian's loss and McFarland's win.

*—I'm not counting Immanuel Christian's game. The Crusaders were slated to play L.A.-Pilgrim on Thursday but apparently had a schedule change and instead played a rematch with Mammoth on Saturday. They lost like they did the first time the teams played, but since I never predicted the game, I won't count it.

Now on to Week 4:

CENTENNIAL (3-0) AT STOCKDALE (2-1) — A rivalry in any sport, any time, this one just became one of Kern County's games of the year when Centennial rolled off three impressive wins, including one against Liberty, to open the season and Stockdale took it to Clovis after a heartbreaking loss to Bakersfield. This, plus the game below, are the next pieces of the puzzle when it comes to figuring out the best Division I teams in Kern. Last year, if you recall, was a wild shootout won by Stockdale in the final minutes. Seeing as that was in a down year for the Golden Hawks, will the result turn around this year? Nope. Here's saying Stockdale's Wing-T will find enough holes early to force Centennial into pass-only situations. That will make it much easier on the Mustangs' D.
Prediction: Stockdale 31, Centennial 23

BAKERSFIELD (2-1) AT LIBERTY (1-2) — Even more so than in the SWYL showdown, this game is pretty clearly for the league title in the SEYL. The winner likely won't be challenged by the best among a group of Garces, Highland and Golden Valley (though I said that last year and GV later took out BHS). The only way I see Liberty winning it is if Bakersfield turns it over a few times in its own end and gives the Patriots anemic offense a few short fields to deal with. That could certainly happen given Bakersfield's mistake-prone ways and Liberty's hard-hitting defense, but if it doesn't, the Drillers might run away with it. They have too much talent to be held down far enough to give Liberty's offense a chance.
Prediction: Bakersfield 24, Liberty 10

WEST (1-2) AT RIDGEVIEW (4-0) — The Vikings defense was good enough to mostly shut down Liberty, but it's a bit hard to say exactly what that proves. They also couldn't score, but it's definitely hard to say what that proves. This should be a speedy game, and Mustafaa Cobb and Tyler Dogins ought to break off enough big plays to keep it entertaining, but I think the Wolf Pack will continue to ride its wave of momentum and get to 5-0. Don't sleep on West, though; the Vikings have the athleticism to jump on a victory if Ridgeview plays a sloppy game.
Prediction: Ridgeview 23, West 17

NORTH (1-2) AT FRONTIER (3-0) — North High's Wing-T is one of those attacks that will make coaches lose sleep, but this is the sort of game Frontier needs to win if it wants to take that step to SWYL and Division II section contender. I think the Titans are good enough for that, and they're exactly the kind of team that will give the Stars issues. I can see Matt Darr punting North deep, the quick defense forcing a turnover and Frontier turning it into an easy score. In fact, I can see that happening more than once.
Prediction: Frontier 34, North 10

GARCES (1-2) AT GOLDEN VALLEY (1-2) — I was out at a Garces practice a day after David Fanucchi told his team he'd be resigning, and it seemed to be business as usual out on the practice field. I take that as a good sign for the Rams, who have the talent to make a run at a six- or seven-win season if they can rally. Golden Valley is a hard team to get a read on — a big loss to South showed that the defense had work to do, but then it held 3-0 Chavez down in a 7-6 victory last week. Garces was shut out at Memorial, so I'd expect another defensive slugfest. But the Rams pulled one out against a better GV team at the end last year, and I like the Rams to put together a couple of nice scoring drives and pull away here.
Prediction: Garces 27, Golden Valley 7

SOUTH (3-0) AT FOOTHILL (1-2) — We had quite the discussion the other day at School House Zach about the South photo on The Californian's Saturday front page, but what struck me most about it was never mentioned: Lee West, the Rebels back featured in the photo, is big and athletic. He's the kind of player we talk about when we say that a Stockdale or a Bakersfield are "too athletic" for a team like South. If the Rebels are running a bunch of guys like that out there, that explains a lot of the reason for South's huge offensive outputs so far this year — the Rebs have averaged 51.3 points a game thus far. I doubt Foothill can keep up with that.
Prediction: South 38, Foothill 6

EAST (0-3) AT HIGHLAND (2-2) — One of these weeks, the Blades are going to jump up and bite somebody. Their schedule is tough, though, so the opportunities will be limited. I don't think it will be this week, because Highland isn't prone to upsets. The Scots will fend off a few big blows from East's improved offense, but in the end, it'll have enough to win another with a bit of newfound offense.
Prediction: Highland 30, East 14

CORCORAN (2-1) AT WASCO (3-1) — The Tigers haven't been kind to me the past couple of weeks, running past Porterville when I thought they'd lose and getting shown up on defense against Lindsay when I thought they'd win. So what about this week? Corcoran is a tough test, perhaps this year's Division V champion. But Wasco is a quality D-IV team, and I'm fairly confident they'll be able to run the ball. Is it a slight upset to call a Wasco victory? Maybe. But I'm going to do it anyway — The Tigers will keep giving us what we don't expect.
Prediction: Wasco 35, Corcoran 34

VISALIA-GOLDEN WEST (0-3) AT DELANO (3-0) — Perhaps the most unheralded unbeaten team around is Delano, which lost offensive stars Mychal Quiddam and Alex Cabalona and 10 — count 'em, 10 — defensive starters off of last year's 8-4 team. But the Tigers don't seem to have missed a beat. They've rolled off a 72-0 win against Shafter, then outlasted North and beat up on an improved Hanford West team. Marcus Avellanoza and Joshua Garcia have picked up the ball-carrying duties, and the defense seems to be playing very well. How long can the run continue? The schedule sets up nicely, with this meeting against a Golden West team that gave Tulare Western its first win in two years, then a winnable game against Porterville-Monache. That's at least 5-0 before a trip to Porterville, and, two weeks later, the ultimate East Yosemite League test, a visit from Tulare Union.
Prediction: Delano 35, Golden West 7

INDEPENDENCE (1-2) VS. KENNEDY (0-4) AT CHAVEZ — The opener for the Freeway League, or what's now officially being called the South Central Sequoia League, pits the only team in the league with a win against a team that's been shut out in three of its four games and given up 185 points in four games. That's as big of a mismatch as you'll find between two new schools, and it's a chance for the Falcons' new charges to shine.
Prediction: Independence 34, Kennedy 0

CHAVEZ (3-1) AT TULARE UNION (3-0) — This game could have been looked at something of a showdown before the Titans laid an egg at home last week against Golden Valley. That 7-6 loss really just brought to the surface the offensive problems Chavez has been having all year — after scoring 33 points against Mira Monte in its first ever game, the Titans relied on defense to win a couple more before turnovers and more slow-going offense bit them against Golden Valley. That's not going to fly against the Redskins and their multi-faceted attack that might even be improved from last year's Division II section championship version.
Prediction: Tulare Union 37, Chavez 6

ARVIN (1-3) AT BURROUGHS (1-2) — For the second half of their two-step SSL tour, the Burros get a visit from Arvin after losing a shootout at Tehachapi last week. It's an interesting test for the Bears but a tough one. Burroughs has a lot of weapons, and I don't see Arvin's young team keeping up on the scoreboard. It's a no-lose situation for Arvin heading into SSL play next week. Win this one, and you can consider yourself a league-title contender. But I don't think Arvin will pull it off.
Prediction: Burroughs 38, Arvin 15

SHAFTER (1-3) AT WOODLAKE (3-1) — The only victory for Shafter last year came against these Tigers (though I'm sure the Generals would prefer a win against another Tigers whose town starts with a W). Woodlake actually finished with a 6-5 record, so don't read too much into that gaudy 3-1 mark they have coming into this one. It was gathered against a couple of Sierra-size schools and one solid opponent, Caruthers. What concerns me most for Shafter is that Woodlake has been putting up some decent offensive numbers. As the Generals continue to learn Ben Ansolabehere's Wing-T offense, they'll have some problems winning shootouts.
Prediction: Woodlake 31, Shafter 21

McFARLAND (2-2) AT CAMBRIA-COAST UNION (0-4) — It's been a great couple of weeks for the Cougars, who got their first win against Kennedy and then out-slugged 3-0 Mojave last week. All of a sudden, this team is looking like an East Sierra League (and thus Division VI) title contender. The trick for second-year coach Andy Dunn and company will be consistency. Many times you'll see a team get a bit high on recent success and fail to keep it going. Call this a litmus test for that theory at McFarland.
Prediction: McFarland 30, Coast Union 22

BORON (2-2) AT DESERT (1-2) — It's pretty clear this matchup doesn't have the luster of last year's, when both teams came in a combined 7-1 and the teams scored 96 points in showing off great offenses in a Desert win. This year, it's more about who can right the ship before league play. Fortunately for the Bobcats, their league is much more manageable than the High Desert. That doesn't have much to do with this week, but I do think Boron has shown more in terms of strength of schedule and offensive firepower. Certainly wouldn't be surprising to see a bigger Desert team win, but I'll chalk this up to Boron's proven capability to keep a season going the right way.
Prediction: Boron 33, Desert 24

CALIFORNIA CITY (0-3) AT MOJAVE (3-1) — Two teams that lost last week and probably felt different ways about it: Cal City had to be thrilled to get the first touchdown in school history and at least be competitive against Acton-Vasquez; Mojave was probably bummed that it couldn't stay on the undefeated train at McFarland. Still, the Mustangs should have no problem rebounding here before they enter their new domain, the Desert Mountain League.
Prediction: Mojave 37, California City 3

SIMI VALLEY-GRACE BRETHREN (2-2) AT FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (3-0) — The Falcons have a big game with Panorama City-Ste. Genevieve next week and the start of High Desert League play at usually competitive Desert the week after, so this has the makings of a trap game. And it won't be an easy one. But Frazier Mountain has impressed me thus far and fits into my don't-doubt-go-with-the-home-team theory. So the Falcons it is.
Prediction: Frazier Mountain 28, Grace Brethren 24

ACTON-VASQUEZ (2-2) AT ROSAMOND (1-2) — I was surprised last week by the Roadrunners' victory against Lancaster-Desert Christian. The question is if that was a team rising up and playing well for a week or a turning of the corner under new coach George Esquer. This will provide a pretty nice test before Rosamond heads into the most difficult stretch of its schedule — starting with Tehachapi next week. I'll say the Roadrunners grab some more momentum with a slight upset for the second straight week.
Prediction: Rosamond 16, Vasquez 14

Saturday, Oct. 3
VISALIA CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (1-2) — This 8-man league opener will tilt towards Lighthouse because (a) it's the more experienced program, (b) Visalia Christian has just one game under its belt and (c) the Guardians probably just the better team, period.
Prediction: Lighthouse Christian 52, Visalia Christian 14

MARICOPA (3-0) AT GRANADA HILLS-HILLCREST CHRISTIAN (2-1) — A look at the Coast Valley League's non-conference happenings leads me to believe the Indians might get a league title for longtime coach Al Allen this year. But this one represents Maricopa's toughest game of the whole year.
Prediction: Hillcrest Christian 27, Maricopa 20

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (1-2) AT LANCASTER-BETHEL CHRISTIAN (0-1) — Only in the world of 8-man football: For the second straight week, Immanuel Christian is playing a different team than what was on its original schedule, and are playing a team that has played two games but only has one result known to all of mankind (or at least a few persistnet internet searches). That makes this, ladies and gents, almost a complete guess.
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 35, Bethel Christian 27

Last week: 16-9 (.640)
This year: 61-25 (.709)

Sorry this is a bit late; I'm working Saturday, so I took a rare Monday off and then have had a few stories to track down/catch up on.

But that doesn't change the fact that Week 4 of football season is upon us. Let's set the scene with some Central Section rankings.

1. Fresno-Bullard (4-0, Division I, last week: 1) — Buchanan's victory probably was more flashy, but I see no reason to drop Knights after they dismantled a Tri-River Athletic Conference team. Bullard probably still has shown it's the most well-rounded team in the section. They'll have to prove it again this week.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 12 Clovis East, 52-12. THIS WEEK: at No. 3 Clovis West

2. Clovis-Buchanan (3-0, Division I, last week: 2) — Thinking back on it, Bakersfield actually had Buchanan's passing attack somewhat off-kilter early in last week's game. But the minute the Drillers made a mistake, Lance Orender and company were on it, usually for a big gain. And these Bears can run the ball, too. No meeting with Bullard, by the way, in the regular season.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 3 Bakersfield, 56-41. THIS WEEK: at No. 7 Fresno-Edison

3. Clovis West (1-2, Division I, last week: 4) — Too high for a 1-2 team whose starting quarterback, Ian Hall, is out with a broken collarbone? Keep in mind that the Golden Eagles have played the Valley's toughest schedule by leaps and bounds and that they stayed with state power Corona-Centennial even after Hall left last week's game.
LAST WEEK: lost at Corona-Centennial, 41-23. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 1 Fresno-Bullard

4. Bakersfield (2-1, Division I, last week: 3) — The talent is overflowing on this team, and if it can ever clean up mistakes, it can be a Valley champ. But if they don't, the Drillers could end up losing to Liberty this week, too. It's dangerous to bet for or against this team, but I still like the total package — nobody else is going to score 41 points on Buchanan all year, I promise you that.
LAST WEEK: lost at No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan, 56-41. THIS WEEK: at No. 12 Liberty

5. Tulare Union (3-0, Division II, last week: 5) — If you thought the BHS-BHS game was a shootout, check out what the Redskins did to Mt. Whitney: 102 total points and over 1,000 yards of offense, 601 coming for the road team. New divisional-alignment proposals for the next two years have Tulare Union in Division I; I hope that comes true, buecause I'd love to see this team throw it down against some real powers.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Mt. Whitney, 69-33. THIS WEEK: vs. Chavez

6. Stockdale (2-1, Division I, last week: 7) — The Mustangs don't want to make a habit of falling behind 14-0, but they've come back from it two weeks in a row, eventually losing one and winning one. But a Wing-T offense isn't what you want to make a comeback with normally, and I wouldn't recommend it against Centennial. Win this one though, and the door is wide open for a big run to end the sesaon.
LAST WEEK: won at Clovis, 47-22. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 9 Centennial

7. Fresno-Edison (3-0, Division II, last week: 8) — Pounding Sac-Joaquin Section foe Merced is one thing, but the Tigers' Week 2 result speaks even louder this week also: Edison beat Fresno-Central, which turned around and whipped Visalia-El Diamante in Week 3. Now comes a big test against Buchanan, and you can bet sparks will fly.
LAST WEEK: won at Merced, 34-3. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan

8. Centennial (3-0, Division I, last week: 9) — One of the most exciting things about this week's Stockdale-Centennial showdown is that we get to find out exactly how for real the Golden Hawks are. The win against Liberty was nice, but we don't know about the Patriots offense. Win against Stockdale, and you can call yourself a threat to win a section title.
LAST WEEK: won at East, 56-13. THIS WEEK: at No. 6 Stockdale

9. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (3-0, Division II, last week: 10) — A Holy Bowl shutout for the Panthers, who have allowed just 23 points in three games against quality opponents. Quality is an understatement for Buchanan and Hoover, though, the Panthers' next two opponents.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Garces, 20-0. THIS WEEK: at No. 15 Fresno-Hoover

10. Fresno-Central (2-2, Division I, last week: NR) — Not sure if the Grizzlies really are this good, but not many teams are able to put an two-touchdown victory up against El Diamante. Combine with a close loss to Edison and you've got yet another TRAC contender — and Division I section contender.
LAST WEEK: won at No. 6 Visalia-El Diamante, 41-27. THIS WEEK: vs. Fresno-Sunnyside

11. Kingsburg (3-0, Division IV, last week: 13) — This is a big jump, but the Vikings and Tennessee commit Tyler Bray have been plenty impressive to warrant the spot, especially after last week's 35-13 beatdown of presumptive Division V favorite Corcoran. Showdowns with Dinuba and Visalia-Central Valley Christian remain, but I could very easily see a 10-0 season here.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Corcoran, 35-13. THIS WEEK: vs. Reedley-Immanuel

12. Liberty (1-2, Division I, last week: 11) — Tony Mills had an interesting comment in Liberty's (very well done) program this week. He was quoted saying, "We knew we were heading into a new phase this season with our spread offense. And we knew it would take some time to get going. But we didn't know it was going to take this long." Very telling comments, and that was after Week 2. The Pats better get it figured out quickly.
LAST WEEK: won vs. West, 14-0. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 4 Bakersfield

13. Visalia-El Diamante (2-1, Division II, last week: 6) — A few readers tried to tell me last week that No. 6 was too high for the Miners, and they proved it against Central, letting a team that probably won't sniff the top of the TRAC push them around on defense. With the exception of a visit to Paso Robles in a couple of weeks, things lighten up for the rest of the season. But I don't see this team on the same level as Tulare Union or Edison in Division II.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Fresno-Central, 41-27. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Mt. Whitney

14. Frontier (3-0, Division II, last week: 14) — Not a small hiccup for the Titans on the road in Exeter, but there's also something to be said for a team that can regroup and win when things aren't going well. Now the question is whether Frontier can find some consistency against a league schedule that will test it just about every week.
LAST WEEK: won at Exeter, 20-14. THIS WEEK: vs. North

15. Fresno-Hoover (3-0, Division II, last week: NR) — I'll give the Patriots the final spot this week after Oakhurst-Yosemite struggled mightily in a 42-41 win against Reedley-Immanuel. Hoover has allowed just 15 points in three games, but its stay could be short-lived. A visit from Memorial will be easily this team's toughest test to date.
LAST WEEK: won at Tulare Western, 31-0. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 9 Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial

Dropped out: No. 12 Clovis East, No. 15 Oakhurst-Yosemite
Waiting: Oakhurst-Yosemite, Clovis East, Ridgeview, Tehachapi, Clovis North, Chowchilla, Taft, Lindsay, Tollhouse-Sierra, Dinuba, Madera, South, Wasco

I'm taking a break from crying over fantasy football (who knew a team with Philip Rivers, DeAngelo Williams, Steve Slaton and TO could be so bad?) to think back on another great high school football Friday. There was only one really big game, but I think we learned more about other teams even as they played some ho-hummers.

— The big game, of course, was Bakersfield's shootout 56-41 loss at Clovis-Buchanan. The Drillers had a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter but just couldn't keep their finger on the hole in the dam without letting the Bears' passing game rush through. I'm looking forward to seeing Cody Kessler and Centennial, but the only high school passing attack in high school like this one that I've seen was last year's Bakersfield Christian team. And I don't think that team had the big line or the running game to complement what QB Lance Orender had going in the passing game. Still, Bakersfield's offense was almost as impressive, and early in the game the D was disrupting Buchanan's timing routes. I think both teams are good enough to at least reach the section's Division I semifinals, and should they meet again, the Drillers will have a good chance — but it'll be up at Buchanan again.

— One team that won an important seeding battle was Stockdale, but a loss at Clovis would have been more of a disaster than this win is a coup. The Mustangs pulled away from the Cougars for a 47-22 win after spotting Clovis a 14-0 lead. There had to be some scary moments after an opening TD drive and a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but for the second straight week, Stockdale climbed out of the hole and this time, it held on. Malik Henderson (123 yards) and Spener Prince (91) had big days again, and Efren Vengas even added two touchdown passes. The Mustangs have a big date with Centennial next week; win there and late in the season against Ridgeview and Frontier, and 9-1 with a nice seed should be the destination.

— Also escaping with a road win was Frontier, which trailed Exeter 14-6 heading to the fourth but came back for a 20-14 victory. The Titans finally took the lead on a 50-yard fake-punt pass from Matt Darr to Jacob Adelman, and Adelman also had an interception to seal it. Frontier's first six points came on Darr field goals of 32 and 53 yards. The guy is a weapon, and I dare say no team around has better special teams than the Titans. But nonetheless, this was certainly a wake-up call for a team that had cakewalks in Weeks 1 and 2. Next up are very winnable games against North and West before a showdown with Ridgeview in Week 6.

— Liberty finally got some of that great defense to set up offense in a 14-0 victory against West. That's what this team has to do: Score points on short fields set up by the D. And West really was powerless against it — just 79 yards and two first downs all night. The Patriots finally scored on a Carson Moyer run midway through the third quarter and got another touchdown from Moyer late in the fourth to ice their first victory. But the offense still is a big concern. If Liberty can't hold BHS' explosive offense to 14 or fewer points next week, a huge task, then it had better set up the offense with some scores. Otherwise it'll be another 1-3 start.

— Also skating to victories were Ridgeview, 31-13 over Madera South, and Centennial, 56-13 against East, that kept both teams undefeated. The Wolf Pack is now just one of three Central Section at 4-0 (Lindsay and Fresno-Bullard are the others). In fact, the SWYL as a whole is rolling: the Wolf Pack, Golden Hawks, Frontier and South are all unbeaten, and the league is a combined 17-5. League play next week will start to thin that out.

— Speaking of the Rebels, this run is getting more impressive all the time. After a 59-13 win at Arvin, the Rebels had a photo on the sports cover of The Californian for the first time since I started working here two years ago — in any sport — and probably quite a bit longer than that. Beat Foothill next week, and the Week 5 game at home against Stockdale suddenly becomes very interesting.

— Huge win also for Golden Valley, a 7-6 victor at previously unbeaten Cesar Chavez. You can say this exposes the Titans a litlte bit, but mainly to me it shows the difference in strength between the Bakersfield leagues and the East Yosemite League that is Tulare Union and the six dwarves (soon to be Tulare Union and the eight dwarves). But the Bulldogs showed that they might not be as big of a pushover as the SEYL might have though — keep in mind that Chavez won at Highland just last week.

— The eventual SSL race continues to fascinate me, but this week more than ever I'm convinced it'll come down to Taft's Oct. 30 trip up the mountain to Tehachapi. The Wildcats bowled over Coalinga 34-21, and the Warriors out-gunned Burroughs 42-34. Meanwhile, Wasco finally slipped in a 36-21 loss at Lindsay that saw the Tigers move the ball — 262 rushing yards — but commit six turnovers and play spotty defense. I still like Wasco as a third-place team (especially considering how much offensive trouble Bakersfield Christian had at Pasadena-Maranatha) but I have a hard time seeing them stop the big two SSL contenders.

— Garces' offensive trouble re-emerged in the Holy Bowl against a very good Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial team that won 20-0 Saturday night. The Rams had barely 200 yards of offense and obviously didn't find the end zone. Tough to see anything better than a distant third in the SEYL for Garces if it can't move the ball a bit more.

— First-win congratulations are in order for Foothill and Shafter, which beat Kennedy and Mira Monte, and their first-year coaches Mike Gregg and Ben Ansolabehere. Still waiting on the Thunderbirds and Lions, who meet in two weeks.

— A quick look at the Southern Section: Kern Valley and Frazier Mountain both stayed unbeaten, the Broncs with another heart-stopping overtime win, further confirming that they might be the top two contenders for a High Desert League title. Mojave, meanwhile, let me down after I talked up its 10-0 chances, losing to McFarland.

League play begins this Friday, so many games have a lot of importance — first place is on the line everywhere, right? — but here are my picks for the five biggest in Week 4 (and let me say, the Kern High School District ought to do something about having the Division I teams meet in the first week of league play. I want my biggest games in Weeks 9 and 10, not in Week 4:

Centennial at Stockdale: Could be another shootout, though both Ds have had their moments
Bakersfield at Liberty: Has lost a little bit of luster, but the league title still is on the line
Corcoran at Wasco: Tigers can erase this week with a win against D-V favorites
West at Ridgeview: The Vikings could provide an interesting test; either way, this will give us an insight into who will challenge the Centennial-Stockdale winner in the SWYL
Garces at Golden Valley: This could be a true contender-vs.-pretender game

UPDATED, 1:27 a.m.: It's late, so I'll save most of my thoughts for the Most Important Things post coming Sunday, but here are a few results I'm ruminating on after Week 3:

Clovis-Buchanan 56, Bakersfield 41: Obviously, you can't give up 509 passing yards — and 751 total yards — to anyone and consider yourself a championship team. So BHS has work to do. But coach Paul Golla was somewhat upbeat afterwards, saying the mistakes the Drillers were making on defense were correctable offenses — take fewer risks, be sounder tacklers. If the Drillers get back here, expect them to give the Bears another fight.

Frontier 20, Exeter 14: Just goes to show you you better not take anyone lightly. The Titans trailed 14-3 but came back, so they get the best of both worlds: a win, and a chance to learn something about themselves.

Lindsay 36, Wasco 21: Meanwhile, the Tigers didn't answer the bell on their road test. Lindsay must have gotten better by leaps and bounds since last year. Quentin Cheatham did have 223 more rushing yards. He's a force.

Liberty 14, West 0: The Patriots finally broke through for a couple of second-half TDs, and they held the Vikings to just two first downs all game long. That's the kind of D we know Liberty has, but the offense just has to get better. You think Bakersfield will have just two first downs next week?

Centennial 56, East 13: Speaking of future matchups, do you think Cody Kessler's eyes will light up when he sees what Buchanan's passing attack did to the Drillers? BHS and Centennial meet in two weeks. Kessler had 158 yards on an easy night tonight.

Golden Valley 7, Chavez 6: How about the winless Bulldogs taking down the unbeaten Titans? Chavez was going in for a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter but lost the ball on a fumble and GV sprung the upset. When you play these low-scoring affairs all the time (ahem, Liberty), you can't make mistakes or you'll get burned. Really good win for Golden Valley, which can now set its sights on at least finishing ahead of three or four teams in the SEYL.

For some more thoughts, check back Sunday. Meanwhile, I'll update the scorelist below throughout the weekend.

UPDATED, 11:10 p.m.: Sorry for the lack of updates there. A lot of passing and a lot of scoring means a long game, and I had to worry about the deadline crunch for about an hour there. That's behind me, so here's how we finished: 56-41 Buchanan, which took a three-touchdown lead late in the third quarter, then tried to ease off the gas. Bad idea, because Bakersifeld came back with a touchdown and another drive that could have made it a one-score game with about a minute left. At that point, we'd have been just an onside-kick recovery away from something really interesting. But on a fourth-down play at the Buchanan 20, Brian Burrell was intercepted, effectlvely ending the game.
The story here for the Drillers was the defense. Paul Golla said that he counted five different times his defensive backs tried to jump a route — usually a slant — and ended up giving up a huge gainer. Give lots of credit to Orender, because he hit the small window the Drillers were giving him, but that's too risky for Bakersfield, especially when they were actually playing good stay-at-home D for the first quarter and a half.
Orender finishes with 509 yards passing and six touchdowns. Jake East had 231 yards receiving, and Seth Moranda had 186. Buchanan also had two running backs go over 90 yards. Bakersfield's offense was supreme too, with 548 total yards (248 passing for Burrell, 176 rushing and 107 receiving for Jackson), but you can't give up 751 yards and expect to have a chance. Just can't do it.
The bottom line is that Bakersfield still has the explosiveness to be the best team in Kern County. And if they can limit the mistakes and play a little more solid D, they can come back and beat Buchanan in the playoffs. But this loss proves the Drillers have a long way to go, and it proves that if they do go deep in the D-I bracket, they'll be playing up north again.
In other games, Frontier came back to escape Exeter with a 20-14 win. The Titans trailed 14-3 at the end of three quarters. Scary, but it might prove as a nice wake-up call for Frontier. No, boys, you can't just run over teams every week like you did Antelope Valley and Tehachapi.
Speaking of the Warriors, they pulled away from Burroughs late for a 42-28 win. I don't have a final for Centennial, but the Golden Hawks were up 49-0 late. Big win there, setting up a showdown next week with Stockdale, which handled Clovis 47-22. So the south Valley does get one win up here tonight, though that one won't carry nearly as much seeding weight as the BHS-BHS slugfest.
I'll make the drive back to Bako now, and have one more update in a couple of hours when I can get my hands on some box scores.

UPDATED, 9:49 p.m.: Here's an exchange that could decide this one: Bakersfield sacks Orender, he fumbles, but a Bears back falls on it. Then, on third-and-16, Orender hits Jake East for 86 yards and a TD. He's at 494 yards passing with six touchdowns. Insane. And the Drillers almost had the ball down 7 in the red zone. Instead, it's a two-score game again.

UPDATED, 9:42 p.m.: No dice on that stop. Buchanan scores again, this time Orender to Jake East for a 24 yard TD. Orender is up over 400 yards. It's getting late, so I've got to get on this story even though there's still five minutes to go in the third quarter. 42-28.
Whoops. Make that 42-35. Alfonso Jackson slips through the backfield and catches a ball from Burrell for a 79-yard TD. 42-35. Jackson was wide open. How do you let that happen?

UPDATED, 9:34 p.m.: Same old story for the magical Buchanan offense: 80 yards marched, ending with another slant from Orender to Moranda. That play is almost indefensible, this time going for 29 yards and a score on third-and-14. Now Bakersfield is driving, desperate to answer. And they do — most unusually, on a fullback dive from Dakotah Velasquez, who breaks a few tackles and rumbles for a 26-yard TD. That cuts it to 35-28. Drillers need a stop now.

UPDATED, 9:21 p.m.: I've crunched some numbers and determined that Bakersfield is darn lucky to even be in this thing. The Drillers are losing the turnover battle 2-1, the first directly leading to a Buchanan score, and they've been outgained 433-318. If the Drillers can get a stop to open the second half, they could even this game up very quickly, and that seems unlikely if you just look at the numbers. Here are some specifics:
Buchanan — Lance Orender 18-of-26 passing, 326 yards, 3 TDs, INT; 5 rushes, 43 yards, TD
Buchanan — Seth Moranda 6 catches, 146 yards, 2 TDs
Buchanan — Jake East 5 catches 121 yards; Kyle Novak 3 catches, 25 yardes, TD
Bakersfield — Alfonso Jackson 5 carries, 162 yards, 2 TDs
Bakersfield — Walter Hunt 7 carries, 79 yards
Bakersfield — Brian Burrell 6-12 passing, 56 yards, INT; 3 carries, 7 yards, TD
Yards per play — Bakersfield 11.0; Buchanan 11.4 Wow

Also, the surprising score of the night thus far comes from Exeter, where Frontier, which looked so mighty the first two weeks, is down 6-3 to the Monarchs at the half. I'll try to update that one as we go here. About a minute from the second half here.

UPDATED, 9:05 p.m.: The Drillers go three-and-out there, exactly what they didn't need, and Buchanan has another chance for points, with 1:47 before half. Keep in mind the Bears also get the ball first in the second half. This 28-21 deficit could grow quickly. And like clockwork, there's a pass complete, Orender to Jake East, a missed tackle and a big 54-yard gain. There was an offensive facemask at the end of the play that will cost Buchanan 15 yards of that, but they've got first down in Driller territory.
Now, Mercy Maston finally steps in a passing lane and picks off Orender! That could be the play of the game if Bakersfield goes on to win this one. They've got it first down at their own 49, still 1:29 to play.
But the Drillers can't do much with the opportunity, getting one first down via penalty and then stalling. Buchanan's defense is shining now, keeping those myriad Driller handoff options bottled up at the line.
There's a few seconds left for the Bears, but a short pass-and-run turns into a long gain but nothing more. Stats coming, but how bout 326 yards passing for Lance Orender in a half?

UPDATED, 8:48 p.m.: Bakersfield coach Paul Golla said this week that his defense had to understand that it would surely surrender some yards to Buchanan's passing attack. I'm not sure this is what he had in mind. Orender just hit Seth Moranda for a 41-yard TD strike to make it 28-21, 2:48 before halftime. That's now 253 yards and three TDs passing for Orender and six catches, 146 yards and two of those scores for Moranda. Bakersfield needs some adjustments badly, but the timing is so exquisite, I'm not sure there's much they can do, except keep scoring themselves.
Interception for Brian Burrell on the Drillers' last drive by the way, Bako's second turnover of the night.

UPDATED, 8:40 p.m.: Before I post this update, let me first say that we're still not halfway through the second quarter. 6:02 remains until halftime, and it's now 21-21. Buchanan scores on Orender's 9-yard keeper. That's twice Bakersfield has gone for a fake pitch on an option play, and Orender is plenty athletic enough to keep it and get big yardage. He's up to 43 yards on the ground and 187 yards in the air already. Of course, the Bears have to kick it away now...

UPDATED, 8:29 p.m.: Couple of score updates from Bakersfield: Liberty's offense continues to struggle, as the Patriots are locked in a 0-0 game with West at halftime. And South is up on Arvin 7-6 at the end of a quarter.
Here, Buchanan's offense is starting to roll. A couple of big plays get the Bears out to their own 41, and from there, Lance Orender lets go of the ball just as he's rocked to a wide-open Seth Moranda, who sprints in for a 59-yard TD. Just like that, it's 21-14, and we haven't yet played two minutes of the second quarter.

UPDATED, 8:22 p.m.: Back to a shootout. After a Lance Orender completion for 26, he keeps on an option play and rumbles for 36 yards inside the Bakersfield 20. After the teams switch sides for the second quarter, Bakersfield's Anthony Davis comes up with a big sack. The kid has been in the backfield all season long, and here he gets a coverage sack on Orender on third-and-long to force a field goal attempt that's well short. So Kern's BHS remains on top 14-7.
And now, Alfonso Jackson continues his Ryan Mathews impression! He cuts through left tackle, simply out-races the secondary, then cuts back across the field to the opposite sideline to avoid the last safety. It's an 85-yard touchdown. Jackson has three carries: 156 yards, two touchdowns and one fumble. More famine than feast, so far, and it's 21-7.

UPDATED, 8:12 p.m.: The southern BHS capitalizes, getting a key second-and-long pass from Brian Burrell to Mercy Matson for a first down and then a long run from Walter Hunt to set up Burrell's 1-yard TD dive for a 14-7 lead with 2:06 left in the first quarter. Beautiful response from the Drillers after an awful start. Now we'll see if their defense can keep it up.

UPDATED, 8:08 p.m.: Bakersfield moves the ball out of the goalpost's shadow with one first down but not much else, and the Drillers punt. That gives Buchanan the ball at the midfield stripe, great field position for a super offense. After a penalty, Mercy Matson jumped a route and nearly had a pick-six, but he couldn't come up with the interception. The missed chance doesn't hurt too bad, though, because Bakersfield holds three-and-out and forces another Bears punt. All of a sudden, the defenses are making their stand in a game that was supposed to be a shootout.

UPDATED, 8:01 p.m.: Bakersfield's defense looks actually pretty sharp so far. The Drillers are in the right position on most plays, though they've missed a couple of tackles and let Buchanan's receivers make some catches. A missed slant play there creates a fourth down and gives the Drillers the ball back. But a special-teams victory for Buchanan, as its punt lands at the Drillers 4. After a false start, Bakersfield has it 1st-and-12 from its own 2.

UPDATED, 7:49 p.m.: Worst start possible here for Bakersfield, which took the opening kickoff and then lost the ball on a fumble — the Drillers' 11th turnover already on the year — on their first play. Buchanan took four plays to slice 25 yards for a TD and a 7-0 lead a minute and a half into the game. Whoops. Turnovers will kill the Drillers quickly tonight.
And then, before I can even post that update, Alfonso Jackson makes up for his fumble with a 71-yard end-around down the left sideline that ties us up. This rings of last week's Fresno State-Boise State game that took place a few miles southwest of here. 1:47 in, already 7-7

UPDATED, 7:21 p.m.: I'm settled here at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High, one of the two Clovis schools (Clovis High being the other) that actually has an on-campus field. This is where Liberty played Clovis West two weeks ago and where the state track and field championships were held in June and will be again next June.
Tonight, the stadium hosts what is one of the Central Section's more enticing matchups — not just tonight, but for the whole regular season. It's Buchanan, generally ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the section (I've got the Bears at 2) against Bakersfield, a pretty consensus No. 3. That's a heady matchup, it might determine who's No. 1 in next week's rankings and it could well determine the top seed in the Division I playoffs come November. Yep, it sets up as a doozy. Whether it lives up to that — like BHS' 32-31 squeaker past Stockdale last week did — remains to be seen. The scoreboard clock says we're almost exactly 20 minutes from kickoff.

ORIGINAL POST: It's a road-trip Friday for me and for several of Kern County's premier high school football teams. I'll be heading to Clovis, following Bakersfield for its game at Buchanan. Stockdale plays at Clovis High, Frontier at Exeter and Wasco at Lindsay.

Ever wonder what it's like to take a trip with a football team? Or want to re-live your days of doing it? Check out my story from The Californian this morning, in which three area coaches share their best and worst road-trip stories.

We can only hope everything goes well on the way there tonight. There are also some good in-town matchups, with West visiting Liberty, Independence at Highland, Centennial at East and South at Arvin, to name a few. I'll try to get as many updates as I can from those games and put the fresh scores here. Like always, I'll also be doing live analysis and updates from my game, Bakersfield at Buchanan.

In the meantime, peruse the list of games below (will be updated throughout the night), or check out Week 3 predictions and podcast.

(Central Section ranking in parentheses; games start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)

Kern County scoreboard
(2) Clovis-Buchanan 56, (3) Bakersfield 41
(7) Stockdale 47, Clovis 22
(9) Centennial 56, East 13
(10) Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial 20, Garces 0 (Saturday)
(11) Liberty 14, West 0
(14) Frontier 20, Exeter 14
Golden Valley 7, Chavez 6
Highland 28, Independence 13
South 59, Arvin 13
Lindsay 36, Wasco 21
Pasadena-Maranatha 28, Bakersfield Christian 2
Ridgeview 31, Madera South 13
Tehachapi 42, Burroughs 34
Shafter 30, Mira Monte 11
Foothill 31, Kennedy 0
Taft 34, Coalinga 21
Delano 49, Hanford West 7
McFarland 20, Mojave 14
Kern Valley 38, Piedmont 37, OT
Frazier Mountain 52, Burbank-Bellarmine-Jefferson 14 (Saturday)
Arcadia-Rio Hondo Prep 28, Boron 20
Acton-Vasquez 27, California City 7
Rosamond 20, Lancaster-Desert Christian 3 (Saturday)
North Hills-L.A. Baptist 21, Desert 12
L.A-Pilgrim at Immanuel Christian (Thursday)
Maricopa 14, Los Olivos-Dunn 12

Other Central Section scores
(1) Fresno-Bullard 52, (12) Clovis East 12
Corona-Centennial 41, (4) Clovis West 23
(5) Tulare Union 63, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 33
Fresno-Central 41, (6) Visalia-El Diamante 27
(8) Fresno-Edison 34, Merced 3
(13) Kingsburg 35, Corcoran 13
(15) Oakhurst-Yosemite 42, Reedley-Immanuel 41
Madera 24, Hanford 17
Fresno-Hoover 31, Tulare Western 0
Sanger 17, Lemoore 14
Reedley 47, Visalia-Golden West 10
Atascadero 35, Visalia-Redwood 21
Porterville 22, Visalia-Central Valley Christian 20
Dinuba 41, Porterville-Granite Hills 0
Porterville-Monache 28, Fresno 0
Fresno-Washington Union 54, Fresno-Sunnyside 18
Kerman 34, Fresno-McLane 7
Fresno-Roosevelt 14, Tranquillity 6
Fowler 27, Madera Ranchos-Liberty 7
Strathmore 71, Avenal 0
Fresno Christian 41, Laton 32
Orosi 13, Mendota 9
Cambria-Coast Union 48, SLO-Mission Prep 14
Modesto Christian 40, Chowchilla 20
Parlier 36, Orange Cove 29
Riverdale at Firebaugh 38, Riverdale 14
Tollhouse-Sierra 37, Farmersville 12
Woodlake 20, Caruthers 6
Shandon 52, Alpaugh 16 (Saturday)
Monterey-Calvary Christian 46, Coalinga-Faith Christian 6 (Saturday)
Clovis Christian 37, Atascadero-North County Christian 12 (Saturday)

Here's the latest rumblings and musings from myself and Californian copy editor Todd Camps. I've got kind of a fun story coming out in the paper in the morning, on just what it's like to take a road trip for an important football game, like Bakersfield, Stockdale, Frontier and Wasco all have to do tomorrow. I'll be road-tripping it, too, heading up to Clovis to watch the Drillers and Buchanan Bears. A scoreboard post will be up before then, one I'll use as a running thread when I get to Buchanan. Happy football, everybody.

Which of the following most efficiently sums up my feelings after my gaudy 2009 predictions record went up in flames last Friday?

(a) Oi vay!
(b) Aye carumba!
(c) C'est la vie
(d) Oh man that was so pathetic

I tend to think in English, so if you guessed (d), you're our big winner! But you don't get anything special. Just a chance to watch me redeem myself in Week 3.

First a (painful) recap of last week's predictions:

The good: Well, I nailed a close win for Bakersfield against Stockdale, and Taft, Ridgeview and Delano made me look good. Also, calling for Independence's first win.

The bad: About everything else. Failing to see that Centennial's defense could play, too. Not trusting in Chavez's 2-0 start. Picking Boron, not Kern Valley, in a Southern Section shootout.

The ugly: The biggest misses in an ugly 12-10 week (remember, my cats could probably go .500) were Frontier and Wasco, who went on the road and pounded teams I thought they'd lose to.

There's an eight-man game on Thursday night, so let's get that out of the way first. Also, if you're just looking for the big games, check the bottom, because Garces and Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial are staging the Holy Bowl this week.

Thursday, Sept. 24
LOS ANGELES-PILGRIM (0-1) AT IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (1-1) — It's a little easier to score in eight-man ball, but it's still hard not to be impressed with the Crusaders' 64-14 victory against Alpaugh last week. Pilgrim shouldn't be much more of a test.
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 55, Pilgrim 10

Friday, Sept. 25
BAKERSFIELD (2-0) AT CLOVIS-BUCHANAN (2-0) — I mentioned this in yesterday's rankings, but I'll say it again: At what point do we begin to accept that the Drillers have a turnover problem? It cost them multiple times last year (including a 41-34 loss to Buchanan) and it almost cost them last week against Stockdale. They've now got eight turnovers in two games this year. I think Bakersfield is talented enough to execute a ball-control, stout-defense gameplan for victory against the Bears, but that's only if they play a clean game. They haven't yet, and Buchanan can make you pay in a hurry if you don't. Expect another Driller thriller, complete with big plays and momentum shifts, but I'll say Bakersfield can't escape its mistakes two weeks in a row.
Prediction: Buchanan 37, Bakersfield 33

WEST (1-1) AT LIBERTY (0-2) — This is probably the best game on the in-town docket this week, because it offers a number of intriguing storylines. First off, Liberty wants to avenge a surprising defeat at West last year that contributed to a messy 1-3 start. Second, the Patriots absolutely need to avoid going 0-3 (with games against BHS and Stockdale in the next two weeks). Third, West's Mustafaa Cobb ran roughshod over East last week to the tune of 233 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards and four total TDs; can he put on a show against Liberty's stout D. And finally (and perhaps most important): If Liberty can't solve its offensive woes against West, which has allowed 36 points a game so far, the Pats might not ever solve them.
Prediction: Liberty 30, West 13

STOCKDALE (1-1) AT CLOVIS (1-2) — Despite some continued troubles this decade in the Tri-River Athletic Conference and against Division I competition, the Cougars have proven they can cause problems for overconfident opponents. They beat a very good Atascadero team in Week 1 and gave Stockdale a fight to the end last year in Bakersfield. But I'd like to think (and I'm sure Mike Snow would, too) that this Mustangs team is more mature than that one — and a bit peeved about letting the BHS game slip through its fingers — that they'll take care of a tricky road game before returning to Kern's Division I round robin.
Prediction: Stockdale 34, Clovis 19

CENTENNIAL (2-0) AT EAST (0-2) — Just by adding the ability to put points on the board — 35 against West last week — the Blades have proven they're improved over last year's version. But that still doesn't mean much this week. East also gave up a whopping 58 to the Vikings, so you'd think Centennial could pretty much name its score right here. The Golden Hawks want to make sure everything is running smoothly heading into the next two weeks' showdowns against Stockdale and Bakersfield. It could also be an interesting test for the latest revelation at Centennial, the fact that they play some tough defense, too.
Prediction: Centennial 49, East 10

FRONTIER (2-0) AT EXETER (1-1) — Last year, the Monarchs doubled up Frontier 28-14 on their way to a 9-0 start. Things have changed quite a bit since then on both sides. Exeter lost its last regular-season game, was upset in the playoffs by Fresno-Washington Union, lost quite a bit off that team and was handled easily by Taft last week. That loss especially, combined with Frontier's simeltaneous whipping of Tehachapi, took the luster off this matchup. In future years, with Frontier growing in population and prowess, you won't even see a game like this scheduled. I think it's on the slate one year too long for Exeter.
Prediction: Frontier 38, Exeter 13

WASCO (3-0) AT LINDSAY (3-0) — It occurred to me that this might be the only matchup of 3-0 teams in the section; not only is that true, but how about this fact: There are only five 3-0 teams left, period. Three of them (Ridgeview and Chavez are the others) are from Kern County, with Fresno-Bullard the fifth (and the only Division I or II school among them. Obviously there are quite a few 2-0 teams hanging around.) All of those schools, with the exception of Bullard, have feasted on weak schedules, especially these two. Wasco's opponents are a combined 2-6; Lindsay's 1-6. But both teams are doing what you should do to weak teams. I'm leaning towards Wasco with the edge here simply because one of their three victims, Porterville last week, really isn't all that week. I think the Tigers' rushing attack will be too powerful again.
Prediction: Wasco 35, Lindsay 17

INDEPENDENCE (1-1) AT HIGHLAND (1-2) — Here's another interesting coaching intersection: Independence's Sean McKeown coached at Bakersfield High under current Highland coach Tim Hartnett. They won a section title in 2001. I'd imagine that means there's a lot of mutual respect there. This year, Hartnett's Scots have been underwhelming in losses to Ridgeview and Chavez, but those teams have proven their merits elsewhere, too. The Falcons, meanwhile, took just two games to get the program's first win, but that was against hapless Shafter. I think Independence can throw some haymakers here and put a scare into the home crowd, but Highland's depth should be enough to wear down Indy, eke out a win and get back to .500.
Prediction: Highland 24, Independence 16

SOUTH (2-0) AT ARVIN (1-2) — A week or two after I ran my South preview this season with a prediction that the Rebels would go 0-6 in the SWYL, I had a chance to talk to coach John Wren, who told me "there's no way" that would happen. Two lopsided victories behind them, the Rebels look like they're much better than rebuilding. I wonder how long it will take for people to take note? If they can win this one, then next week against Foothill, they'll be 4-0. You'd think that would bring a pretty big crowd out to watch Stockdale visit. The Rebels might struggle to run with the Mustangs, but they'll have plenty of horsepower for this one.
Prediction: South 41, Arvin 12

GOLDEN VALLEY (0-2) AT CHAVEZ (3-0) — Speaking of teams that are worth taking a note of, Chavez continued its string of impressive defensive performances by winning at Highland last week. Keep in mind this is a young school that has exactly one winning record in its history. The Titans will be just a couple of wins away from that mark if they take care of the Bulldogs, who have an offense to test the Titans but will have to score quite a bit if they don't improve on defense. Golden Valley surrendered 98 points over the first two weeks to South and Visalia-El Diamante. Chavez won't win like that, but it should get to some pretty lofty 4-0 heights.
Prediction: Chavez 24, Golden Valley 14

MADERA SOUTH (0-3) AT RIDGEVIEW (3-0) — In its third season, Madera South is what Independence and Mira Monte don't want to become: The Stallions are 1-23, and they've provided bad Ridgeview teams with two of their three victories over the past two years. The Wolf Pack are having no such problems earning victories this year, but it'll still gladly take one from a team that has scored 0, 9 and 8 points in its first three games. Ridgeview, meanwhile, has given up 15, 7 and 3.
Prediction: Ridgeview 34, Madera South 6

MIRA MONTE (0-3) AT SHAFTER (0-3) — Look at this one as a positive: Either Mira Monte will get its first victory in school history, or Shafter will get off the 2009 schneid. Either the Lions' Tony Varela gets his first career victory or the Generals' Ben Ansolabehere does. It's just hard to tell who gets the nod. After being hammered in two shutouts to open the year, Shafter managed but a single touchdown against another newbie, Independence, last week. Mira Monte's only points came against newbie Clovis North, and the Lions have given up at least 33 in every game. Think I'll go against my don't-doubt-the-home-team rules and give Mira Monte the victory here. But I'll be happy for whoever wins it.
Prediction: Mira Monte 27, Shafter 24

FOOTHILL (0-2) AT KENNEDY (0-3) — Another chance for a first win for someone, though this one's more clear-cut to me. The Trojans have really struggled on offense, scoring just three points against Arvin and Ridgeview, but Kennedy still is on the learning-the-game phase and should provide quite a tonic for Mike Gregg's team, offering the coach his first career win the process.
Prediction: Foothill 33, Kennedy 0

BURROUGHS (1-1) AT TEHACHAPI (2-1) — Not sure what to make of Tehachapi, world-beaters on defense against Garces and only able to wave as Frontier found the end zone all night. Burroughs' talent probably lies somewhere in between those two, but I was a little surprised the Burros lost to Apple Valley last week. That, combined with the mountain home-field edge, makes me think the Warriors get Jesse Olofson and Max Clark untracked again, keep Burroughs QB Derrick Dison off the field and avenge last year's loss in this series.
Prediction: Tehachapi 28, Burroughs 17

BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN (1-1) AT PASADENA-MARANATHA (0-2) — A win here would cure some of the bad taste BCHS must have left over from last week, when they showed up at about 8:15 for a 7:30 game against Visalia-Central Valley Christian. By the time the Eagles starting bombing away, they'd already dug a 21-0 hole and it was the second quarter. Bakersfield Christian isn't the team it was last year, to be sure, but this is going to be a very dangerous offensive team if it gets any kind of running game going — Arend Bos is one of the more accurate passers around, and he's got good receivers.
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 31, Maranatha 24

COALINGA (0-2) AT TAFT (2-1) — It's too bad that a team possessing one of the Valley's best nicknames, the Coalinga Horned Toads, gives itself so little chance for success. These poor little amphibians play in the rugged Central Sequoia League, against the likes of Kingsburg, CVC and Exeter and before that, they decide they'll play a non-league slate that consists of 2-0 Madera Ranchos-Liberty, 2-0 Chowchilla and 2-0 Kerman, plus Taft. I would think that after most of those games — this week against the rock 'em, sock 'em Wildcats being no exception — the Toads have lost most of their horns.
Prediction: Taft 36, Coalinga 3

DELANO (2-0) AT HANFORD WEST (2-1) — This is a very underrated game with a storyline: Last year, the Tigers were on their way to a nice season, but they were derailed a couple of times by teams you would have figured (I did) they would beat. The first of those was Hanford West, which came into Delano the week after the Tigers dismissed a good North team and won a 53-50 shootout. Can they do the same thing in Hanford? It's hard not to think so, considering the Huskies have gotten better from last year and Delano probably isn't as good. I'll go with my home-team theory here, though I will say that if Delano gets by this, it's got a great chance of being 5-0 by the time it travels to Porterville.
Prediction: Hanford West 30, Delano 27

MOJAVE (3-0) AT McFARLAND (1-2) — Larry Satterfield hasn't been terribly excited about his school's downsizing and subsequent move to the Desert Mountain League, but if you look at the schedule, there's a fair shot the the Mustangs could well go undefeated after they got by L.A. Baptist last week. The biggest challenge will be a trip to Boron in Week 9. McFarland, meanwhile, can't wait for East Sierra League play to start: The Cougars should be competitive there.
Prediction: Mojave 42, McFarland 24

PIEDMONT (2-0) AT KERN VALLEY (3-0) — Speaking of undefeated chances, how about the Broncs? Kern Valley got by Boron in overtime last week, and the High Desert League is balanced but without a dominant team this year. That leaves this game and next week's against La Habra-Whittier Christian. Of course, this was the kind of game Kern Valley had big trouble with last year.
Prediction: Piedmont 34, Kern Valley 21

FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (2-0) AT BURBANK-BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON (2-1) — Here's another peripheral Kern team that's gone out and beat a couple of outsiders in the first two weeks. Good football being played out there. And if you're up for following the HDL, it might be fun. If so, here's a name to know: Frazier Mountain QB Mike Morgan, who has thrown for 317 yards and five touchdowns in two games. That should be enough to help the Falcons turn around a 20-19 loss to Bell-Jeff last year.
Prediction: Frazier Mountain 28, Bellarmine-Jefferson 27

ARCAIDA-RIO HONDO PREP (3-0) AT BORON (2-1) — Turned out to be a smart move for Bobcats coach Todd Fink to add Rio Hondo Prep to the schedule: This is the team that knocked Boron out of last year's Southern Section playoffs, so Boron will know how far it has to go after this week. Fink is a bit like Fresno State's Pat Hill in that he plays bigger schools and schedules tough wherever he can. Of course, as we've seen with FSU, that doesn't always turn out well.
Prediction: Rio Hondo Prep 35, Boron 28

ACTON-VASQUEZ (1-2) AT CALIFORNIA CITY (0-2) — Two games, no wins, no points for the Ravens. It will surely mean more for a school to get its first victory if it has to wait longer. That's the positive way of thinking for Kennedy, Mira Monte and Cal City. For the Ravens, scoring should be the first goal.
Prediction: Vasquez 47, California City 7

ROSAMOND (0-2) AT LANCASTER-DESERT CHRISTIAN (1-2) — Speaking of teams that haven't scored, I present the Roadrunners. That should change this week — Desert Christian isn't the caliber of teams Rosamond played in Weeks 1 and 2 — but I'm not sure that means a victory. Considering Frazier Mountain beat Desert Christian 49-9, that might tell you how far Rosamond has to go in the HDL.
Prediction: Desert Christian 20, Rosamond 16

DESERT (1-1) AT NORTH HILLS-L.A. BAPTIST (1-2) — The Scorpions took a big and strange step backwards last week, losing to Acton-Vasquez a week after going down and getting a quality win at North Hollywood-Campbell Hall. Which Desert team shows up this week might determine a win or a loss, though I'll guess the Scorps can handle an L.A. Baptist team that lost to ex-HDL member Mojave.
Prediction: Desert 17, L.A. Baptist 14

LOS OLIVOS-DUNN (0-0) AT MARICOPA (2-0) — It's hard to believe there's a team out there that has yet to play its opener, but here are the Earwigs. Wow. What a nickname.  That almost makes me want to pick the upset here, but I think the Indians are too tough for even the mighty Earwigs.
Prediction: Maricopa 32, Dunn 8

Saturday, Sept. 26
GARCES (1-1) AT FRESNO-SAN JOAQUIN MEMORIAL (2-0) — Last year, Memorial came to Bakersfield and played ball-control with Garces until it had a rather stunning victory in hand. That started a turnaround for the Panthers that has carried over into this season with bigtime wins over Oakhurst-Yosemite and Sacramento-Christian Brothers. That has me thinking SJM can be one of the top seeds in Division II, but it has to avoid a similar trap here. Garces is perfectly capable of going up and running the ball well, taking time of the clock, getting a couple of turnovers and winning this one, and it would be a huge victory for Holy Bowl rivalry purposes and for D-II seeding from the Rams' perspective. But after seeing what Frontier's offense did to Tehachapi, I can't help but think Garces has a long way to go on that side of the ball. And if that's the case, this is going to be an extremely difficult game to win.
Prediction: San Joaquin Memorial 28, Garces 10

Last week: 12-10 (.545)
This year: 45-16 (.738)

Bigtime high school weeks tend to shake up the rankings, and this one was no exception. Big movers and shakers in both directions set the stage for Week 3, when it's all about a showdown at the top. I don't want to spoil my predictions coming tomorrow or anything, but what the heck: BHS wins this one.

(No, no, I'm not saying which one. Wait till tomorrow.)

1. Fresno-Bullard (3-0, Division I, last week: 1) — Facing three Tri-River Athletic Conference games in a row, the Knights knock off the easiest. Now for the tougher tests; if Bullard gets through the next two weeks, it should be 8-0 when it faces Fresno-Edison in November.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Clovis, 48-14. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 12 Clovis East

2. Clovis-Buchanan (2-0, Division I, last week: 2) — With all due respect to Cody Kessler and Centennial, the section's best passing attack resides here: Lance Orender and Tyler Genuser have combined for 565 yards, nine TDs and just one pick through two games. They'll need to continue that kind of prodcution against the Drillers.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Redwood, 43-21. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 3 Bakersfield

3. Bakersfield (2-0, Division I, last week: 4) — At what point do we quit chalking it up to bad luck and just admit the Drillers have a turnover problem? All the credit in the world for digging out of it last week, though. It'll be fun to see Drillers try to do their thing at Memorial Stadium.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 7 Stockdale, 32-31. THIS WEEK: at No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan

4. Clovis West (1-1, Division I, last week: 3) — Golden Eagles drop again without playing. I wasn't so much blown away by Bakersfield as I was underwhelmed by Liberty, which is the win CW was hanging its hat on. I'll put this ranking back at No. 1 if they find a way to win this week against an absolute state power.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Corona-Centennial

5. Tulare Union (2-0, Division II, last week: 5) — I made a mistake last week: James Guerrero hasn't graduated; the Redskins just decided Trevor Jones was a better fit at QB. That's opened up time for Guerrero at receiver and on D, where he had 12 tackles and a fumble return for a TD in a tidy victory against Lemoore.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Lemoore, 35-13. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Mt. Whitney

6. Visalia-El Diamante (2-0, Division II, last week: 8) — No one below them really deserved this spot, so the Miners serve as a placeholder. After a couple of ho-hummers against West and Golden Valley, interesting tests come to Visalia each of the next two weeks: First Central, then Mt. Whitney.
LAST WEEK: won at Golden Valley, 50-20. THIS WEEK: vs. Fresno-Central

7. Stockdale (1-1, Division I, last week: 7) — An impressive effort from the Mustangs, but I hate to move a team up after a loss. Still, Stockdale showed at Griffith Field that it will be a factor for the long haul; unfortunately for locals, the long haul might be to the Fresno area in the playoffs.
LAST WEEK: lost at No. 4 Bakersfield, 32-31. THIS WEEK: at Clovis

8. Fresno-Edison (2-0, Division II, last week: 9) — An interesting out-of-section game this week pits the Tigers against Merced, who had an 11-2 season a year ago but lost 41-0 to Bullard in Week 0. How Edison stacks up could tell us a lot about the County-Metro race.
LAST WEEK: won at Fresno-Central, 25-17. THIS WEEK: at Merced

9. Centennial (2-0, Division I, last week: 13) — It was defense that carried the Golden Hawks to a big upset of Liberty. The question now is whether Centennial can hold offenses like Stockdale and Bakersfield at bay, and we'll find the answer in Weeks 4 and 5.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 6 Liberty, 10-6. THIS WEEK: at East

10. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (2-0, Division II, last week: 10) — The schedule ligthens up in the second half for the Panthers, so wins this week in the Holy Bowl or in the next two weeks against Fresno-Hoover or (gulp) Buchanan would go a long way towards a very nice D-II seed.
LAST WEEK: won at Sacramento-Christian Brothers, 31-6. THIS WEEK: vs. Garces (Saturday)

11. Liberty (0-2, Division I, last week: 6) — All of a sudden, my thoughts on the Patriots have turned from their great defense to their lousy offense. Coach Tony Mills preaches against mistakes and negative plays, but they keep happening. Still, against most teams Liberty ought to be able to set up its offense well enough to win.
LAST WEEK: lost at No. 13 Centennial, 10-6. THIS WEEK: vs. West

12. Clovis East (1-2, Division I, last week: 14) — Give the Timberwolves credit: After a couple of severe Southern Section tests, they came back home to pound Sanger. But minus longtime coach Tim Murphy, the rest of the schedule still looks daunting.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Sanger, 35-0. THIS WEEK: at No. 1 Fresno-Bullard

13. Kingsburg (2-0, Division IV, last week: 12) — This is the team local D-IV hopefuls Taft and Wasco likely will be chasing; the Vikings backed that up by coming back on, then holding off, Fresno-Washington Union in an important seeding battle.
LAST WEEK: won at Fresno-Washington Union, 28-21. THIS WEEK: vs. Corcoran

14. Frontier (2-0, Division II, last week: NR) — From the mountaintops, the Titans shout, and I hear. Yes, boys, you belong in the rankings. Now the coast looks clear until at least a trip to West in Week 5; a visit from Ridgeview in Week 6 will be the next litmus test.
LAST WEEK: won at No. 15 Tehachapi, 43-14. THIS WEEK: at Exeter

15. Oakhurst-Yosemite (1-1, Division III, last week: NR) — The Badgers scamper back into the rankings after crashing and burning against Memorial in Week 1. Division III looks wide, wide open, but Yosemite surely will have some seeding cred for beating Hanford.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 11 Hanford, 35-30. THIS WEEK: vs. Reedley-Immanuel

Dropped out: No. 11 Hanford, No. 15 Tehachapi
Waiting: Hanford, Fresno-Hoover, Ridgeview, Tehachapi, Wasco, Chowchilla, Taft, Corcoran, Tollhouse-Sierra, Dinuba, Lindsay

It was a fabulous Week 2 around Kern County high school football (for everything but my predictions, but that's a topic for another day). There were great games, surprising results, wonderful individual performances and everything in between.

So what should we take away from it heading into the last true non-league week of the year?

— The top teams in Bakersfield still have work to do. For as much athleticism as we saw in the Stockdale-Bakersfield game, there were too many mistakes on both sides at key moments. The Drillers, who won the game, actually made more miscues and still won the game. That's a good sign, but it becomes a problem if BHS can't get that fixed. Like now, with Clovis-Buchanan coming up next week. As for the other Division I teams, Liberty obviously has offensive issues after its 10-6 loss to Centennial. The Golden Hawks might have been the most complete team out of these four, but they're still relatively inexperienced and had trouble scoring on a good defense.

— That said, the Mustangs and Drillers put on a high school football show the likes of which you don't often see. This game had everything: Big plays, good defense, momentum changes, comebacks by both teams, a twist at the end and a thrilling finish, one that gave BHS a 32-31 win. It just goes to show you how important special teams is: A bad punt snap cost Stockdale a victory in the end; then again, if Bakersfield had been able to make its extra points, Stockdale wouldn't have had a chance to win it anyway. Brian Burrell, Spenser Prince and Malik Henderson were great, but my underrated tip of the cap goes to the BHS defense, which gave up some big plays but got got stops when it needed to, including the three-and-out that led to the crucial punt.

— Now for the elephant in the room: What if the best team in Kern County isn't in Division I? After Frontier went up to Tehachapi and whipped the defending D-III champs 43-14, I'm not sure we shouldn't be including the Titans in this discussion. We'll get a couple of chances to find out how they stack up against Stockdale and Centennial later, but for now, Frontier has made as big of a statement as you can make in two weeks: 104-14 combined score, including a blowout of a Tehachapi team that was 2-0 with an easy win against Garces. Frontier has it going on offense, on defense, in the kicking game (thanks Matt Darr) and in the return game, with two kickoff return TDs in two weeks, by Bryson Lockwood and DeShaunte Webber.

— Huge South Sequoia League wins for Taft and Wasco, who announced their presence as legitmate contenders for that tough league title with surprisingly easy wins against Exeter (30-13 for Taft) and Porterville (34-14 for Wasco). Finally against a good opponent, Quentin Cheatham finally got to show what he can do — hows about 270 yards and four touchdowns? That's a player-of-the-week type performance, and that's not even mentioning Jacob Salinas, who had 210 yards and another TD. As for Taft, it got 241 yards and two scores from Cody Shirreffs as the Wildcats did what they do: Beat you up physically on both sides of the ball.

— Meanwhile, Bakersfield Christian couldn't answer the bell in its first test of the season, last night against Visalia-Central Valley Christian. A terribly slow start doomed the Eagles, and even though they impressed with their passing game late — Arend Bos finished with 303 yards — it wasn't enough in a 28-19 loss. Losing to CVC is nothing to be ashamed of, but this isn't a vintagely great Cavaliers team either. At this point, I think BCHS is a notch below Tehachapi, Taft and Wasco in the SSL. It'll be fun to find out.

— Two teams it would unintelligent to sleep on: South and Cesar Chavez. The Rebels rolled up their second big blowout, beating Mira Monte 48-0, but what really impresses me about South is what they did to Golden Valley in Week 1, a 48-7 win that looks even better after GV at least mounted some offense in a 50-20 loss to Visalia-El Diamante. As for Chavez, it finally gave up points but beat Highland 19-14. That's a result that will have legs: If the 3-0 Titans are respectable in the East Yosemite League, they'll have a nice seed for the D-III playoffs. Same goes for South in the SWYL.

— Speaking of Division III, Hanford lost a shootout to Oakhurst-Yosemite, so the best undefeated team left in the playoff bracket might well be Ridgeview. The Wolf Pack took a few prisoners in a ho-hum 29-3 victory against Foothill. No surprise that Ridgeview might have taken it a little easy — coach Dennis Manning was facing his old team. There were probably a few Wolf Pack mistakes in there too, but you take what you can get when you're 3-0 after being 3-18 the past two years.

— The first of what I think will be many victories for Sean McKeown and Independence High came Friday, 27-7 against Shafter. Louis Bennett had 111 yards and a TD on the ground, and Kenny Wiley had a fumble return TD (on the game's first play) and a TD reception. The Falcons have a big test against Highland next week, but there are more winnable games on the horizon.

— Turn your eyes to the Southern Section for a moment, where Kern Valley and Boron put on a show for the second straight year. Last season, Boron recovered a late fumble and stormed back to beat the Broncs 36-35; this time, it was Kern Valley with the late heroics. In overtime, Boron scored but missed the two-point conversion, and KV got a TD run from Kyler Emery and the all-important PAT from Jordan Lawson to win it 31-30.

Now on to Week 3's games to watch. The schedule is admittedly a little underwhelming, but there's a great game at the top and some intriguing trap games below that.

Bakersfield at Clovis-Buchanan: Could be for the top spot in section rankings
Stockdale at Clovis: Chance for Mustangs to show Kern's strength
West at Liberty: Not quite time to panic about Pats' offense, but they'd better get going
Frontier at Exeter: Tricky, but you wouldn't think impressive Titans would have trouble
Burroughs at Tehachapi: Interesting game to compare section strength within county

UPDATED, 10:46 p.m.: With Derek Carr watching from the sideline, Arend Bos threw for one more touchdown to pull BCHS within 28-19. But there was some confusion on the Eagles' sideline as to whether coaches wanted to go for one or two, and by the time kicker Darian Azemika sprinted out onto the field, he rushed the kick and missed it. That left it a two-possession game and basically ended it right there (CVC recovered the onside kick anyway).
Bos was impressive in comeback mode, finishing with 303 yards and three TDs, but he and the Eagles made too many mistakes early to come back in this one. CVC had a 21-0 lead after just 17 minutes of play, and even though BCHS stiffened on D after that, the Cavs were still able to soak up a lot of clock.
This loss tells us a lot about the Eagles. Yes, their passing offense will move the ball on anybody. But this isn't near the team that BCHS had last year, and I don't think it's good enough to run the table again in the South Sequoia League. In fact, with Tehachapi, Taft and Wasco all looking impressive, it's hard to pin the Eagles any higher than third or fourth in the league. The Division V playoffs might be a different story (CVC is D-IV), but the Eagles will have to clean up the myriad mistakes they made tonight and bring some balanc to their offense first. Next up is a couple of tests against Southern Section teams — powerful Pasadena-Maranatha and the Sun Valley-Village Christian — before Wasco comes to down to start league play.

UPDATED, 9:16 p.m.: The first big play of the fourth quarter takes considerably less time to develop. Brandon Dykstra breaks a tackle at the line and keeps for a 69-yard TD scamper for CVC, and just like that it's 28-13. BCHS is running out of time now.

UPDATED, 9:10 p.m.: First big play of the third quarter comes with 13 ticks left, on a third-and-11, Arend Bos hits Basil Ike in stride down the left sideline for a 76-yard touchdown. BCHS missed a big extra point though, so it's 21-13 in the waning seconds of the third.

UPDATED, 9:00 p.m.: Both teams have a little something going on their first drives of the second half, but both stall out in enemy territory. That's good for CVC, which is content to let time roll off the clock with their two-touchdown lead. BCHS has the ability to go through the air quickly, but they've gone mostly backwards — or turned the ball over — all night tonight.

UPDATED, 8:46 p.m.: Sorry, some computer problems for a sec there, but I've got some quick first-half stats. Justin Roeloffs has 90 yards and two TDs on 11 carries, and Connor Potts has 76 yards and a TD on the same no. of carries for CVC.
Arend Bos is 7-of-12 passing for 107 yards and a TD, but two of the five incompletions have been picks. The Eagles have turned it over four times in all and have just negative-7 rushing yards.

UPDATED, 8:29 p.m.: BCHS finally got a CVC mistake there when the Cavaliers fumbled inside the BCHS 30 with less than two minutes to go in the half, but the Eagles gave it right back. Arend Bos threw a jumpball over the middle that was tipped and then picked off by Jacob Tevelde. Still, it effectively stopped the Cavs from adding more points in the first half. They ran out the clock and lead 21-7 at the break. BCHS gets the ball first in the second half. Points would be a good idea. Back with some stats in a sec.

UPDATED, 8:21 p.m.: A very much needed answer there from BCHS, which got its passing game going on the previous drive, only to lose the ball on another fumble. But the Eagles got the ball back and kept it going, getting three big receptions from Cody Ford, including one over the middle to get BCHS down to the 4. From there, Arend Bos threw a 3-yard TD to Dillon Fahrney. It's 21-7 CVC, 4:59 to play first half.

UPDATED, 8:06 p.m.: The Eagles finally got a little traction in this game, getting two three-and-outs, but their offense continues to be inept. They've ran six plays, gained  (or lost, I should say) negative-5 yards and turned it over twice. The latest turnover, a fumble, led to CVC's third easy scoring drive. 21-0 Cavs with 9:35 to play in a surprisingly lopsided first half.

UPDATED, 7:46 p.m.: BCHS compounds that first drive with an Arend Bos interception on the Eagles' second offensive play, and CVC is in good shape again. And Connor Potts makes the Eagles pay, with a 32-yard TD run that makes it 14-0, not even midway through the first quarter. Trouble for BCHS here.

UPDATED, 7:40 p.m.: Well, if you wanted a clear indication that tonight would be a different ballgame for BCHS than its first two games, you didn't have to wait long. CVC marches down the field 79 yards for an opening TD, puncuated by Justin Roeloffs' 47-yard TD scamper on a counter play. 7-0 Cavaliers, BCHS offense about to get its chance.
CVC apparently swept all three levels of volleyball and won the girls cross country meet this morning. Not sure about boys cross country, but I'd say BCHS needs to win this to have a shot at the first iIlk Bowl trophy.

ORIGINAL POST: Welcome to a special editon of the School House Zach live football blog. Saturday is not a day off around here, mind you, not with Bakersfield Christian welcoming Visalia-Central Valley Christian (henceforth CVC because that's too hard to type when I'm sitting on a tall stool at a short table) for a small-school football showdown.

All day today, BCHS and CVC have been competing in their various sports in the first editon of the Milk Bowl, what the schools plan on being a tri-annual event with a rivalry milk-jar trophy at stake. I know BCHS won the girls tennis earlier today, and the Eagles also won the JV game here, 21-14. I'll post more results (including a big volleyball match) as I get them.

The finale of this all-day event is the varsity football game. This one's an important proving grounds for both schools — Bakersfield Christian is 2-0 but has wins over two cupcakes, Avenal and Kennedy. CVC had a great year last year, earning the No. 1 seed in the Division IV playoffs, but the Cavaliers were upset last week in their opener against Tollhouse-Sierra. They'd like nothing more than to turn things around against their rivals. BCHS has won 14 in a row, starting with a 27-22 win at CVC, since losing to Westlake Village-Oaks Christian in last year's season opener. Can the Eagles make it 15? Or will the streak end against the same team it started against? Keep it here to find out first.

UPDATED, 12:30 a.m.: As advertised, it was a great night of high school football. Bakersfield's heart-thumping comeback against Stockdale probably tops the list, but there's plenty of action to recap. The complete scorelist is below (and it will continue to be updated as I get scores), but let's pick out a few key results:

Bakersfield 32, Stockdale 31: My two recurring thoughts as this one see-sawed its way to conclusion: (1) The winner has to feel mighty lucky and (2) I'm not sure either one of these teams is ready to win a section title. Not with as many mistakes as were made. I guess we'll find out, because the lucky team is Bakersfield, which got to 2-0 and still has its unbeaten dream alive but has eight turnovers in its two wins. BHS was stopped exactly once other than its turnovers; if the Drillers take away those, they can win at Clovis-Buchanan next week. That's a huge if.

Centennial 10, Liberty 6: Our correspondent Jeff Evans said this score was more due to great defense than putrid offense, though you have to assume there's some of both involved. Still, props to the Golden Hawks, who came through with defense — not what we talk about with Centennial. Cody Kessler threw for 252 yards, too, but most of it was between the 20s. Liberty's great defense stiffened in the red zone, but the Patriots just have to get something out of that offense if they're going to compete against tough teams.

Frontier 43, Tehachapi 14: Ladies and gents, your newest power in Bakersfield! This was a true coming-out party for Frontier, which beat Tehachapi last year in kind of a flukish, injury-influenced game. This time, the Titans left no doubt. They threw, they ran, they defended, they kicked (boy does Matt Darr kick) and they dominate in the return game. That's two straight games with a kickoff return TD. Now Frontier gets Exeter, a good team but a beatable one, then can coast until Week 6 when Ridgeview visits.

Wasco 34, Porterville 14: And here's perhaps the team that can take down Tehachapi in what is shaping up to be another loaded SSL. Beating up on Kennedy and McFarland is one thing; taking out Div. III's Porterville is totally another. Quentin Cheatham is the real deal, and so are the Tigers. And, after they cruise past Lindsay next week, they get D-V powerhouse Corcoran. Can't wait for that one.

Taft 30, Exeter 13: Speaking of SSL contenders, this is the Taft I expected to see this year. This is a reversal of what Exeter did to Taft last year: Pull away in the second half for a big seeding-rights victory in Division IV.

Ridgeview 29, Foothill 3: Dennis Manning compared playing his old team to a Venus vs. Serena grand slam tennis match. He wanted to win badly, but now he's rooting for Foothill. He'll have to root pretty hard for an offense that is at 96 minutes and counting without a touchdown. Ridgeview's defense is a big strength.

Chavez 19, Highland 14: After two and a half games of shutout football, Chavez finally gave up some points, but the Titans got to 3-0 anyway. With Golden Valley next week, they've got a great shot at being 4-0 when a trip to Tulare Union comes.

Independence 27, Shafter 7: Congrats to the Falcons on the school's first varsity victory.

Saturday football: Remember, Bakersfield Christian hosts Visalia-Central Valley Christian tomorrow night at 7. I'll be there with another live-blog you can follow while soaking up college football or whatever else you might be doing. Should be a good one.

UPDATED, 10:07 p.m: The Drillers choose to kick this one deep, and Craig McMahon gets it into the end zone for a touchback. Stockdale has 52 seconds and a timeout to get into field-goal range. A four-yard reverse from Nic Shannon and a spike. It's third down. Pass complete for the first down to Kyle Desimone, but a nice open-field tackle keeps him from getting more than 10 yards. 30 ticks left. Now a pass interference penalty that's going to give Stockdale the ball at the BHS 49! 25 seconds left. Venegas pressured and he gets rid of it. Second down, 20 seconds left. Need at least 20 more yards, I'd say. Malik Henderson is bull-rushed over at the line of scrimmage. Stockdale uses its last timeout, 15 seconds left. 2-yard loss on that play, so third down. Probably have two more plays, if they're passes and they end with the clock stopped. Or you can run and try to spike and get one more play. Here we go. Halfback pass. Nic Shannon. No one open. He runs, picks up good yardage and gets out of bounds with 7 seconds eft. Ball on the BHS 43. Now it's fourth down, and the Mustangs are going to try a 60-yard field goal with their kickoff specialist, Andre Heidart. Make it a 61-yarder.  Boy, if he makes this, he's a legend from one play. It's up. boy it nearly had the distance but not quite. And a bit wide right, too. The Drillers win a thriller, and I didn't just say that to rhyme. 32-31, final

UPDATED, 9:59 p.m.: This game appears to have turned once again. A huge three-and-out for the Drillers, then a bad snap on the punt and a shank that went out of bounds at the line of scrimmage. BHS takes over at the Stockdale 26.
Three short runs equal a first down at the 15. Under three minutes to go. Burrell keeps down to the 12. Stockdale might think about using timeouts here. The Mustangs have all three left. Now Burrell gets around the right tackle, lowers his shoulder and has a first down inside the 5 at the 4. Mike Snow has to use a timeout, doesn't he? Stephen Scroether down to the 2. Still no timeout. Inside 1:20. This might be it. Peter Welsh stoned on second down right at the goal line. Third down. Less than a minute. And finally Mike Snow calls a timeout, 54 seconds left. He needed one earlier, I think. We'll see what the strategy does for him. Pardon me, they had already used one, so now that's just one left.
It really comes down to this: BHS has two downs to move the ball a foot. And Brian Burrell sneaks in there on third down! 52 seconds left. BHS will try for two again to make it a three-point game. Again Burrell's pass knocked away, so it's 32-31 Bakersfield and a field goal can win it for Stockdale.

UPDATED, 9:47 p.m.: Looks like we'll get an exciting finish. BHS scores on a 53-yard pass from Burrell to Mercy Matson to cut the lead to 31-26 with 4:59 left. The Drillers, after a  5-yard substitution penalty, will go for two to cut the lead to three. Now another penalty, a false start. From the 13, Burrell's pass is knocked away, and it's 31-26. bakersfield has all three timeouts, so Stockdale will need a few first downs — or a score — to salt this one away.

UPDATED, 9:39 p.m.: A couple of HUGE conversions there for Stockdale, one on a third-and-11 from its own 31 on a pass to Henderson from Venegas and another on second-and-11, a beautiful counter that Spenser Prince took 47 yards to the house. Stockdale is on the verge of knocking off Bakersfield for the second year in a row with a 31-20 lead and 7:17 on the clock.

UPDATED, 9:33 p.m.: Another Driller killer, aka a turnover. Brian Burrell throws his second interception of the game, this one to Bladen Seinick, that sets up a third-down touchdown pass from Efren Vengas to Ryan Barnett. It went 21 yards for Venegas' first completion of the season and it gives Stockdale a 24-20 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Now a dropped pass on third-and-2 gives Stockdale a stop, and the Mustangs will get the ball back. Just 9:11 left.

UPDATED, 9:17 p.m.: Bakersfield is trying to take control of this game, forcing a Stockdale three-and-out there. But give Stockdale punter Andre Heidari a lot of credit. He boomed one over everybody's head that rolled 63 yards to the Drillers 10. So bad field position for BHS.
Meanwhile, Centennial's defense making a big statement against Liberty, and now they've stretched the lead. 10-0 Hawks in the third quarter.

UPDATED, 9:11 p.m.: Boy, the Drillers look unstoppable when they hang on to the ball. It took them just 50 seconds to cash in on the Stockdale turnover with a Silas Nacita 9-yard run off an option pitch from Brian Burrell. The extra point, however, is no good. It's 20-17 BHS with 6:02 to play in the third.

UPDATED, 9:09 p.m.: Stockdale able to convert a couple of third downs early in this drive with counter plays to get into Driller territory. I'll be shocked if both Malik Henderson and Spenser Prince don't get over 100 yards tonight. They're both over 80 now.
A halftime score update from the mountain: Frontier 34, Tehachapi 7. Yowzers.
And Henderson is the first over 100, going over with a 16-yard gain. Arm tackles are not going to do it for BHS. Henderson fumbles on his next carry, but the ball bounces right back to him. Lucky play for Stockdale, but they've committed a holding penalty on the next play, and it's second-and-20 back at the BHS 37. And on the third-down play, David  Williams sacks and strips Stockdale QB Efren Venegas, and this time the bounce does go the Drillers' way. First down BHS at the 50

UPDATED, 8:59 p.m.: Before we get going, Ryan Mathews busted yet another long TD run, this one of 68 yards, to pull Fresno State within 41-34 of Boise. He has 223 yards rushing, but BSU just scored again. It's 48-34. Not much D being played.
Here, Stockdale takes the ball first trying to extend its 17-14 halftime lead.

UPDATED, 8:53 p.m.: Some halftime numbers: BHS actually has a 202-150 edge in total yards, but the Drillers are being crushed 4-1 in the turnover battle right now. Brian Burrell has thrown for 30 yards and rushed for 76 on 12 carries. Alfonso Jackson has 51 yards on seven carries. Malik Henderson has 68 yards on 11 carries with 2 TDs, and Spenser Prince has 66 yards on just 7 carries.
One more halftime score: Chavez 13, Highland 0 at half. The Titans still haven't given up a point in 2.5 games now.
About to kick off the second half here.

UPDATED, 8:44 p.m.: Some other scores to update, complete list is below: Centennial up 3-0 at halftime on Liberty, thanks to Cole Hallum's 46-yard field goal. the Pats' offense must really be struggling. Elsewhere, Ridgeview leads Foothill 22-0 at the half and Frontier is up 20-7 on Tehachapi in the second quarter. Looks like the Titans are for real, but the second half on the mountain won't be easy. Taft and Exeter tied at 7 in the second. Big D-IV game there. I'll have some halftime stats from Griffith in a few secs.

UPDATED, 8:34 p.m.: Well, guess what happened next. Bakersfield fumbled it — again. This time the culprit was Peter Welsh, on his first carry of the game. This fumbilitis is contagious. Stockdale recovered again and has countered with a 41-yard Prince run, this time not called back on penalty. That got Stockdale inside the 30, but they've stalled a bit and face a third-and-12 from the BHS 29 with 1:09 left in the half. Henderson gets the carry and  pulls himself down to the 26, where it'll be fourth down. The Mustangs are going to let the clock run down to 23 seconds and attempt a field goal that would give them the lead at the half. This is a long one, about a 43-yarder for Tyler Schleicher, who was one of the area's better kickers a year ago. And Schleicher ducks it through with about three yards to spare! 17-14 Stockdale, seconds before the half.
In other games, Garces is pounding Arvin 42-0 and Taft leads Exeter 7-0 late in the first. I'll have more scores at half.

UPDATED, 8:23 p.m.: Another Bakersfield fumble, this one on a broken play by Alfonso Jackson, gives the ball back to Stockdale. This is the one thing that could kill the Drillers in this game, is turnovers.
Of course, Stockdale just committed a huge penalty. Spenser Prince broke a backfield tackle and scooted down the sideline for a 54-yard TD run on the play after the fumble, but a lineman behind the play made a block in the back. It was the right call, but it's got to be frustrating for Stockdale considering Prince would have scored anyway if the block had never been made. Now the Mustangs punt. Still 14-14.

UPDATED, 8:13 p.m.: What else could Stockdale want? Brian Burrell fumbles the first snap on BHS' ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Mustangs, who then score on Henderson's spinning, tackle-breaking fourth-down run from the 10. Tie game, folks. That was quick; there's still 10:20 to go before the half.

UPDATED, 8:06 p.m.: Just what the Mustangs ordered: A momentum-changing touchdown drive that ate up some clock, gave the D a rest and cut the BHS lead to 14-7.  Malik Henderson dove in from 3 yards out. We're 30 seconds into the second quarter. Yeah, I didn't think this one would be a blowout.

UPDATED, 8:02 p.m.: The Mustangs finally get something to go their way, totally fooling BAkersfield with a fake punt on fourth-and-3 from their own 45. Malik Henderson took it 30 yards for a first down at the BHS 25. Now it's second-and-8 from the 23 as a quick first quarter comes to a close.

UPDATED, 7:56 p.m.: Stockdale goes three-and-out, shanks a punt and the Drillers capitalize, driving 34 yards in just four plays, ending with a 17-yard Alfonso Jackson TD run up the gut. Big trouble for Stockdale, which is not a team capable of throwing on every down if they have to play catch-up. The Mustangs need a response here.

UPDATED, 7:49 p.m.: Bakersfield got a second chance on its first drive, and the Drillers made the most of it. After driving to the Stockdale 40, BHS QB Brian Burrell threw an interception, but on his return, Stockdale's Hank Hobson (yep, K.C.'s little brother) fumbled the ball back to Bakersfield at its own 45. From there, using a steady diet of Burrell runs mixed in with a few pitches, converted a couple of third downs and a fourth down before Stephen Schroeter punched it in from a yard out for a 7-0 Bakersfield lead. 5:35 to go, first quarter. Now Stockdale's turn.

UPDATED, 7:19 p.m.: Wow. I still promise that this won't be a Fresno State open thread, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention it if a local boy ripped off a 60-yard TD run. Which Ryan Mathews just did. Again. This one was 60 on the dot. He's got 143 yards already, and the Bulldogs have closed to within 24-17.
Here, the teams are going through their warmups. I've heard Stockdale coach Mike Snow described as a college-style coach in the amount of discipline and structure he has with his teams, and that's showing tonight. This Mustangs team split quickly into position groups and has looked very organized and crisp with everything they do. BHS is running some 11-on-11 drills on the other end. There's nothing unorganized about it, either, but the Mustangs just come off as more polished. We'll see if that keeps up when the whistles start blowing.

UPDATED, 7:07 p.m.: And just like that, West High grad Ryan Mathews takes one 69 yards to the house. Unfortunately for Fresno State, it was preceded by another Boise State touchdown, so the score's 24-10.
I promise this won't be a Fresno State thread all night. Varsity teams are on the field warming up at Griffith. Twenty-eight minutes from showtime.

UPDATED, 7:02 p.m.: I'm probably not the first person you'll hear this from, but Fresno State is off to a bad start against No. 10 Boise State. The Bulldogs just now got on the board with a field goal to cut the Broncos' second-quarter lead to 17-3. And then BSU returned the ensuing kickoff all the way down to the Fresno State 21. Oof. Got to play defense if you want to beat the big boys.
Ryan Colburn is having a rought night thus far, passing just 4-of-8 for 10 yards and an interception. Ebahn Feathers took snaps on the last series. Makes me wonder if Derek Carr will get a few snaps. Ryan Mathews has five carries for 14 yards.
Here, Stockdale's JV has continued to pour it on, expanding a 21-11 halftime lead to 48-11 at this point, with just a couple of minutes left.

UPDATED, 6:37 p.m.: Those of you who read the blog regularly know that I play no favorites, but it's hard to argue that there's few places in Kern County like Griffith Field on a Friday night. Especially if you're here for a big game. The limited parking lots are already full, and the street is getting that way too, right next to where the BHS band is warming up for its performances.
On center stage right now are the Stockdale and Bakersfield JV teams, with the Mustangs leading the Drillers 34-11 midway through the third quarter. That's a good omen for Stockdale, I guess, though it will have little to do with tonight's 7:30 varsity tilt. I'm trying to figure out how many Division I college athletes will be out there tonight. It's difficult, especially with Stockdale's Wing T, but I'd throw Stockdale LB Isaiah Turner and Bakersfield QB Brian Burrell out there for sure. Drillers RB Alfonso Jackson is that caliber of an athlete, but he has had grade problems in the past. He'll have to get those sewn up or go the junior-college route. Linemen? Maybe Bakersfield's Anthony Davis. Stockdale's stud Duane Seaton is a great high school player but probably is too small for Division I. But what do I know? I'm no scout. I just know there will be plenty of talent out there.

ORIGINAL POST: I'm up early after my radio stint on KRAB radio, and I'm already excited about tonight. T-minus 11 hours until the biggest Friday of the 2009 high school football season so far. No matter where you're headed tonight, there are intriguing games galore and it should be a good time.

Of course, the other big game tonight is in Fresno, where Boise State will visit Fresno State in some college action — for the record, I love college football but Friday night ought to belong to the high school kids. Still, it'll be worth keeping an eye on West High grads Ryan Mathews and A.J. Jefferson up there plus a host of other former Valley high schoolers lighting it up one more time under the Friday night lights.

If you're not headed anywhere tonight, or you want an option B to keep track of your team's game and the other big games, or you just want to watch Fresno State on ESPN, stay in and log on here to School House Zach. I'll have live updates from Stockdale-Bakersfield, plus some updates from Liberty-Centennial, Exeter-Taft and hopefully Frontier-Tehachapi among other games. Keep your cursor on that refresh button and I'll update scores and analysis all night long from Griffith Field.

If you want to get warmed up between now and then for Faceoff Friday (does that work?), then be sure to check out my Week 2 predictions and the Week 2 podcast hosted by myself and Californian copy editor Todd Camps. There's also a list of this week's Kern County and Central Section games below, one that will be updated throughout the night.

Also, for on-the-go updates, you can follow me on Twitter at @zewing.

(All games are 7:30 p.m. unless noted; Central Section ranking in parentheses)

Kern County scoreboard
(4) Bakersfield 32, (7) Stockdale 31
(13) Centennial 10, (6) Liberty 6
(8) Visalia-El Diamante 50, Golden Valley 20
Frontier 43, (15) Tehachapi 14
Ridgeview 29, Foothill 3
West 58, East 35
Taft 30, Exeter 13
Wasco 34, Porterville 14
Chavez 19, Highland 14
Delano 14, North 13
Garces 42, Arvin 13
South, 48, Mira Monte 0
Independence 27, Shafter 7 (at Stockdale)
McFarland 45, Kennedy 13 (at Delano)
Kern Valley 31, Boron 30
Frazier Mountain 49, Lancaster-Desert Christian 9
Acton-Vasquez 19, Desert 7
Apple Valley 29, Burroughs 26
Mojave 34, North Hills-L.A. Baptist 31
Lighthouse Christian 28, Atascadero-North County Christian 16
Visalia-Central Valley Christian 28, Bakersfield Christian 19 (Saturday)
Immanuel Christian 64, Alpaugh 14 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
Reedley 13, Fresno-Sunnyside 10 (Thursday)
Fresno-Hoover 29, Madera South 8 (Thursday)
(1) Fresno-Bullard 48, Clovis 14
(2) Clovis-Buchanan 43, Visalia-Redwood 21
(5) Tulare Union 35, Lemoore 13
(9) Fresno-Edison 25, Fresno-Central 17
(10) Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial 31, Sacramento-Christian Brothers 6 (Saturday)
Oakhurst-Yosemite 35, (11) Hanford 30
(12) Kingsburg 28, Fresno-Washington Union 21
(14) Clovis East 35, Sanger 0
Selma 33, Fresno-McLane 0
Dinuba 22, Hanford West 12
Madera 61, Stockton-Chavez 30
Clovis North 28, Fresno 7
Tollhouse-Sierra 35, Fowler 28
Fresno-Roosevelt 41, Porterville-Granite Hills 0
Corcoran 49, Tulare-Mission Oak 0
Visalia-Mt. Whitney 41, Porterville-Monache 40
Tulare Western 20, Visalia-Golden West 14
Los Banos 35, Dos Palos 19
SLO-Mission Prep 58, Avenal 0
Kerman 14, Coalinga 0
Caruthers 28, Cambria-Coast Union 0
Chowchilla 14, Le Grand 7
Woodlake 28, Farmersville 6
Strathmore 54, Fresno Christian 19
Vacaville Christian 49, Lemoore-Kings Christian 18
Lindsay 63, Parlier 0
Mendota 18, Riverdale 13
Tranquillity 35, Laton 0

A quick note on this podcast — Todd and I mention that Shafter will visit Independence on Saturday because the Falcons don't yet have lights. I've since found out that instead, the game will be moved to Stockdale and played Friday night. So make that mental correction. I've also changed it in the Week 2 predictions post.

I had an interesting breaking news story to do Tuesday night. The Porterville Recorder ran a story in its Tuesday edition based on a letter it received from Rick McIntire, who's the father of Porterville senior Jordan McIntire.

You can read the Recorder's initial report here, and my full report here from this morning's paper, but the gist is this: Jordan took an illegal hit from North High's Jason Bennett while he was waiting for a punt early in Friday's game between the teams. You know the situation, defenseless punt returner, a punt-coverage guy gunning for a big tackle, he mis-times it and lays into the poor returner early. Sometimes, you'd think, it's intentional. You hope that's never the case, especially in high school ball, but sometimes it probably is. Well, Rick McIntire thinks it was in this case. His wife was shooting photos of the play, and he said that in the sequence of photos she has, it's obvious that the ball was so far away that Bennett had to have known he was hitting early. I'm not so sure. Those gunners rarely turn their head around for the ball, and without seeing video of the play, you can't tell how fast ball and player were moving.

Anyway, it gets really juicy after the game, when Bennett reportedly looked for Jordan McIntire to apologize for the hit (Bennett was penalized for a personal foul but not ejected; McIntire left the game with an injured hand, and despite some swelling, returned later. He'll be fine to play this week). Bennett couldn't find McIntire, so he sent an apology through a couple of teammates, who said Bennett also mentioned that the North coaching staff told him to make the illegal hit.

Come again? If that were true, that's bad news. Despicable, even. But North's athletic director and principal talked to Bennett on Tuesday, determined that whatever he said to the Porterville players was taken out of context and have declared the matter over. KHSD athletic director Mark Wyatt contacted Rick McIntire and told him as much. So apparently there was no coaches' orders, and if you know Mark Camps, that's not him anyway. So in the end, it's become a non-story. Certainly something to talk about though — would everyone be as forgiving of Bennett if McIntire had been seriously hurt? Should he at least have been ejected for a flagrant foul? Or is this, like North AD Steve Faulk said, just an unfortunate but not malicious violent play in a violent game?

Anyway, time to move on.

Everyone getting pumped up for this week yet? We've got a couple of fantastic main events — Stockdale-Bakersfield and Liberty-Centennial — with an intriguing undercard — Frontier-Tehachapi and the Manning Bowl, Ridgeview at Foothill.

But don't worry. We don't short-change anyone here at School House Zach. A look at all of the Week 2 games in Kern County is below. And don't forget, there are a couple of significant Saturday games this week as well.

First, a quick look back at last week's predictions:

The good: Taking Ridgeview and South in a couple of the week's toss-ups; another solid overall record on a week where the key was to not think too hard (I'm good at that)

The bad: Thinking North could avoid crippling mistakes against Porterville; expecting Golden Valley, Highland and Antelope Valley to hang tough

The ugly: Tehachapi made me look mighty stupid up in that press box, wearing out Garces in the second half; also, my apologies to Arvin, who took it to Foothill.

Friday, Sept. 18
STOCKDALE (1-0) AT BAKERSFIELD (1-0) — Yes, both sides of Griffith Field will be shaking (not that you can really "shake" the stone home side, but you get what I mean). Yes, this is a matchup of Bakersfield's two most proven teams coming into the year and the defending champs from the two big leagues from last year. And there will be hype. But what about on the field? Stockdale's tri-headed backfield of Spencer Prince, Malik Henderson and Nick Shannon will gain yards, and dual-threat QB Brian Burrell and electric back Alfonso Jackson will counter for BHS. Both defenses should make big plays too. But in the end, I like the Drillers, because (a) I think their defensive line and linebackers are athletic enough to run down the Mustangs enough to keep the score down and (b) I think Jackson and Burrell are the two best athletes on the field. One or two big plays will decide it. I whiffed on this game last year, but I'm going with Bakersfield again.
Prediction: Bakersfield 33, Stockdale 27

LIBERTY (0-1) AT CENTENNIAL (1-0) — This is an attractive matchup of Centennial's high-flying offense, led by Cody Kessler, against Liberty's stout defense, led by linemen Rane Cravens and Cody Temple and defensive back Zach Vasquez. But what about the other side? The Patriots proved they have some offensive playmakers in Dillon Meadows and Tyler Gellinck, but their offense is still way too mistake-prone, especially in the spread. The Golden Hawks mostly shut down Redwood, but memories of last year are fresh. And what about Centennial's offensive line? It has a bunch of returners, but this will surely be its stiffest test. If the Hawks play a perfect game, they can win it. But I don't see the two teams having changed so much from last year to cause a swing that reverses Liberty's 34-0 rout.
Prediction: Liberty 24, Centennial 14

FRONTIER (1-0) AT TEHACHAPI (2-0) — I'm half tempted to eschew the big games in town and drive up the mountain for this doozy. Just kidding, but this is a great matchup. Frontier's great linebackers — Will Harvey, Ted Agu, Matt Darr — against Tehachapi's brilliant Wing T scheme and capable running backs. Tehachapi's inexperienced but stalwart defense and Frontier's inexperienced but explosive offense. The Titans nipped an injury-plauged Warriors team last year, but that was in Bakersfield. On the mountain, Tehachapi will find a way to get to 3-0.
Prediction: Tehachapi 27, Frontier 21

WASCO (2-0) AT PORTERVILLE (1-0) — It's been quite some time since Wasco played a game this big. I know it's a non-conference game against a Division III opponent that might not mean much in the long run, but if the Tigers, winners of their first two games by a combined score of 116-6 against overmatched opponents, can win this one on the road, we know they're for real. Like for real, for real. And then there will be plenty more big games down the road. And though I respect Wasco's running ability — Quentin Cheatham is a name you should know by now — I don't see them doing it on the road against a team that can run it pretty well itself and also shut down North's powerful running game last week.
Prediction: Porterville 35, Wasco 28

EXETER (1-0) AT TAFT (1-1) — The honeymoon from Taft's 2007 Division IV section title was officially over when the Wildcats traveled to Exeter last year, ate a few too many oranges (or something like that) and lost 31-7. That will put a dent in expectations pretty fast. This time around, the Wildcats get Exeter at their own place, a notoriously rocking Friday night atmosphere. That, combined with Taft's returning starters and a younger Exeter team, makes me think the Wildcats just might be able to reverse their fortunes this time around. I'm calling for a slight upset.
Prediction: Taft 20, Exeter 16

RIDGEVIEW (2-0) AT FOOTHILL (0-1) — Unfortunately for the Trojans, the only interesting thing about this one might be the fact that Dennis Manning is traveling to face his old team. Ridgeview has too much speed on defense to lose to a Foothill team that is still finding its sea legs under Mike Gregg and couldn't score on Arvin last week. That's the same Arvin team that lost handily to Highland. Yep, that's the same Highland team that lost handily to Foothill.
Prediction: Ridgeview 40, Foothill 7

WEST (0-1) AT EAST (0-1) — One of the more stunning results from last year was when the Blades earned what ended up as their only victory of the season against talented West. This Vikings team is much less unproven than that one, and East should be improved. Still, it would take another big-time upset for East to repeat the 2008 feat. I'll be curious to see if Mustafaa Cobb (58 yards on 13 carries, plus a 46-yard TD on a halfback pass, against El Diamante) can put up big numbers here for West.
Prediction: West 31, East 16

CHAVEZ (2-0) AT HIGHLAND (1-1) — Very underrated start for Chavz, which hasn't allowed a point yet. Granted, th first was against brand-new Mira Monte, but last week, the Titans forced Fresno-Roosevelt, 7-4 a year ago,into six lost fumbles and a modest 250 yards, all on the ground. Still, now that it's showtime for the Titans against an SEYL  team, that total concerns me a little bit. Highland wasn't quite ready for Ridgeview, but the Scots ought to be able to pound out enough on the ground to out-defense Chavez, which itself had just 89 yards last week.
Prediction: Highland 17, Chavez 7

DELANO (1-0) AT NORTH (1-1) — It's very tough to glean much about the Tigers from their 72-0 victory against Shafter last week except that things probably went exactly as planned. If the Stars could have that happen for them, they'd rush for 600 yards every week. But North can't seem to stay out of its own way, either with turnovers or penalties. I don't see any reason to believe that trend will change against a team that's apparently already hitting on all cylinders.
Prediction: Delano 23, North 12

MIRA MONTE (0-2) AT SOUTH (1-0) — Again, this was overlooked last Friday night, but the Rebels put together one of the most encouraging efforts of the young season, battering Golden Valley despite a lot of offensive turnover. Now we can expect more of the same.A southeastern tour over the next three weeks (first the Lions, then Arvin and Foothill)  could easily have South at 4-0 heading into its league opener against Stockdale.
Prediction: South 52, Mira Monte 9

GARCES (0-1) AT ARVIN (1-1) — This is a tough assignment for a Garces team that has to feel a little pressure after bowing to Tehachapi last week to end an optimistic preseason. Going to visit Arvin, which really has nothing to lose in this game, will not be a picnic. But the Rams still have more talent than the Bears, and if they can straighten out a few turnover issues from last week, they should get on track here. Those fans of passing games should keep an eye on Garces QB Blake Campbell, who showed off a good arm in last week's loss.
Prediction: Garces 31, Arvin 13

VISALIA-EL DIAMANTE (1-0) AT GOLDEN VALLEY (0-1) — On the flip side of that South blowout is Golden Valley, which has a lot of work to do if it wants to match last season's solid run. Even if progress is made this week, it'll be tough to see against El Diamante, which was sluggish last week at West but eventually dispatched the Vikings rather easily.
Prediction: El Diamante 49, Golden Valley 6

SHAFTER (0-2) AT INDEPENDENCE (0-1) AT STOCKDALE — A great chance for either team to get victory No. 1. I actually think the senior-less Falcons are better prepared to take advantage of that in their first "home" game in school history, but that comes with a large caveat. If Independence, which led Ridgeview 13-0 after a quarter before completely wearing down, can't build quite a lead against the Generals, the same thing might happen here. The Falcons just don't have a lot of players on their young roster yet. But I think Independence will do enough to earn rookie coach Sean McKeown's first career victory and keep fellow newbie Ben Ansolabehere waiting for his.
Prediction: Independence 33, Shafter 24

McFARLAND (0-2) AT KENNEDY (0-2) — The great news here is that one team is going to get its first win. Both will have more opportunities down the road, with the Cougars facing a mostly Division VI schedule and the Thunderbirds a Freeway League slate that has other new teams. Right now, I'm going to go with the older team that has a bit less turmoil in its program right now. But Kennedy should get the first points in school history.
Prediction: McFarland 27, Kennedy 19

KERN VALLEY (2-0) AT BORON (2-0) — This matchup produced the unknown game of the year last year, when the Bobcats came back at Kern Valley to win 36-35 with two touchdowns in the final two minutes with a Broncs fumble in between. Boron is the much smaller school that's much more steepd in football tradition, so the victory wasn't that surprising. But the circumstances around it — up on the road and three days after Vinnie Rodriguez had died from injuries suffered in the previous week's game — won't be there this time around. That means an even bigger edge to Boron.
Prediction: Boron 41, Kern Valley 29

LANCASTER-DESERT CHRISTIAN (1-1) AT FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (1-0) — Fitting for a high-altitude team, the Falcons have spread their aerial wings this season. MIke Morgan connected with Jake Gale three times last week for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Morgan had 208 passing yards and three scores overall as Frazier Mountain beat Van Nuys-Montclair Prep. Expect more of the same this week.
Prediction: Frazier Mountain 31, Desert Christian 21

DESERT (1-0) AT ACTON-VASQUEZ (0-2) — A good start to the Scorpions' post-Terrence Wells era last week with a 14-13 road victory at North Hollywood-Campbell Hall. Yes, that's the basketball factory that produced Jrue Holiday. No, he didn't suit up for the football team. Desert should have an easier, if less star-studded, time of it this week.
Prediction: Desert 44, Vasquez 17

BURROUGHS (1-0) AT APPLE VALLEY (0-1) — It was a diverse running game that helped the Burros survive Week 1 against Palmdale-Highland. Three different players had 30 or more rushing yards, led by QB Derrick Dison's 86, in a 20-13 victory. But Dison can throw the ball too, and that should be enough to out-score the Sun Devils in another tricky non-league game.
Prediction: Burroughs 24, Apple Valley 16

NORTH HILLS-L.A. BAPTIST (1-1) AT MOJAVE (2-0) — A nice start to the season for the county's other Mustangs, who knocked off Acton-Vasquez and the Central Section's Cambria-Coast Union in their first season as part of the Desert Mountain League. This will be a tougher test against a team that shut out Rosamond last year as part of a 6-5 season.
Prediction: L.A. Baptist 22, Mojave 17

ATASCADERO-NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (0-2) — This version of North County Christian doesn't seem as formidable as last year's, which went 8-2 and beat Lighthouse 46-0. But I don't think the Crusaders from the coast have dropped off enough to give the Guardians from Kern much of a chance in this one.
Prediction: North County Christian 34, Lighthouse Christian 13

Saturday, Sept. 19
VISALIA-CENTRAL VALLEY CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN (2-0) — Who says the Eagles will need to rebuild after losing Derek Carr and Jake Peterson? Last year, they were 1-1 after two games. This year, they're 2-0 without surrending a point. OK, OK, so BCHS has played Avenal and Robert F. Kennedy instead of Westlake Village-Oaks Christian, one of California's best teams at any size. This will provide us with a better glimpse of how good the Eagles are the year after they dominated Valley teams. CVC, meanwhile, has plenty to prove itself after losing in an upset to Tollhouse-Sierra last week. The Cavaliers only scored nine points in that one, so it'll be tough for them to come to BCHS and get a win. Ryan Colburn beat out Carr for the starting job at Fresno State, but Carr's alma mater gets a measure of revenge on Colburn's alma mater in this one.
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 27, Central Valley Christian 17

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT ALPAUGH (0-0) — A big edge for the Crusaders here in that they have a game under their belt and Alpaugh is just teeing it up for the first time. That means a lot, win or lose, and it should be enough to carry Immanuel Christian past the Central Section foe in this one.
Prediction: Immanuel Christian 30, Alpaugh 20

Last week: 20-5 (.800)
This year: 33-6 (.846)

One of the difficult things about doing these rankings early in the season is that many Central Section teams are playing out-of-section games. Should a win against the Central Coast, Sac-Joaquin or Southern Section be worth as much as a win against another top Central Section team? Should a loss hurt as much? 

I think you have to consider the strength — it's very difficult to punish Clovis West for losing to Anaheim-Servite, the L.A. Times' No. 2-ranked Southland team. It's also hard to ignore a Bakersfield rout of Canyon Country-Canyon or Division I also-ran (we thought) Clovis beating Atascadero. I guess that underlines the subjectivity of all of this. My opinion is just as good as the next guy's, and that ain't worth much when it comes to lacing them up on Friday night.

One more thing — the Kern County portion of these rankings is sure to be shaken up severely after Bakersfield and Stockdale and Liberty and Centennial tangle this weekend.

1. Fresno-Bullard (2-0, Div. I, last week: 2) — Nothing but impressed so far by the Knights, who have racked up blowout victories over two Sac-Joaquin Section teams that actually have a pulse. Next week's battle with Clovis suddenly got more interesting though, now that the Cougars have the big Atascadero win to feed off of.
LAST WEEK: won at Atwater, 35-12. THIS WEEK: vs. Clovis

2. Clovis-Buchanan (1-0, Div. I, last week: 3) — I don't want to punish Clovis West too much for that loss to Servite, but the Bears' Week 0 punishment of Sanger suddenly looks even better after the Apaches beat Fresno-Sunnyside this week. Too bad Buchanan and Bullard won't meet until the playoffs.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Redwood

3. Clovis West (1-1, Div. I, last week: 1) — I'd say the Golden Eagles have been the least impressive of the top five or six teams thus far, but you can't discount the strength of schedule. Liberty still is the best win by any of these teams, and Servite is by leaps and bounds the best loss. CW will continue to be a tough out, but it continues to face a murderous schedule.
LAST WEEK: lost at Anaheim-Servite, 47-13. THIS WEEK: BYE

4. Bakersfield (1-0, Div. I, last week: 5) — How you measure one blowout against another is up to you, but I give the Drillers the nod over Tulare Union right now because that beatdown of Canyon could have been even worse — BHS racked up 500-plus yards of offense and turned it over three times in the red zone. Of course, that'll have to stop for a win this week.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Canyon Country-Canyon, 43-7. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 7 Stockdale

5. Tulare Union (1-0, Div. II, last week: 4) — Now, you can't blame the Redskins for beating the opponent on its schedule 55-0, either. Check out these stats for TU quarterback Trevor Jones: 11 throws, six completions, four touchdowns, 220 yards. Yeah, I'd say replacing James Guerrero wasn't so tough.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Golden West, 55-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Lemoore

6. Liberty (0-1, Div. I, last week: 7) — Still impressed by the Pats in a losing effort in Week 0 up at Clovis West. But I don't like the fact that they didn't get a game to work out the kinks before going up against another toughie here in Week 2. Can great defense stop good offense? Can mistake-prone offense score against leaky defense?
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at No. 13 Centennial

7. Stockdale (1-0, Div. I, last week: 8) — The Mustangs did exactly what you're supposed to do when you're a league favorite up against a team that went 1-9 the year before: Play to your strength and roll up big numbers. Stockdale had more than 400 rushing yards — five guys had 60-plus — as it eased into perhaps the biggest game in the Central Valley this weekend.
LAST WEEK: won vs. East, 48-0. THIS WEEK: at No. 4 Bakersfield

8. Visalia-El Diamante (1-0, Div. II, last week: 6) — I'm not sold on a young West team yet, so the fact that the Miners had so much trouble putting away the Vikings concerns me (it was just 17-14 through three quarters). El D should have another easy win this week before things get interesting with a visit from Fresno-Central.
LAST WEEK: won at West, 37-14. THIS WEEK: at Golden Valley

9. Fresno-Edison (1-0, Div. II, last week: 9) — A dismantling of Clovis in Week 0 looks fantastic for the Tigers now that the Cougars beat Atascadero. A visit to speedy Fresno-Central should provide a nice pre-test to Weeks 3, 4 and 5, at powerful Merced and home against Buchanan and Clovis West. High risk/high reward scheduling there.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Fresno-Central

10. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (1-0, Div. II, last week: 12) — The early-season showdown between the Panthers and then-No. 10 Yosemite evolved into a rout as the night wore on, with Memorial scoring in bunches after falling behind 7-0. Safe to say the SJM offense is better than last year's version that lost 9-0 at Yosemite.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 10 Oakhurst-Yosemite, 41-17. THIS WEEK: at Sacramento-Christian Brothers

11. Hanford (1-0, Div. III, last week: 13) — Not an overally impressive first effort for the Bullpups against Monache, but I'll excuse it for now. If they can't take down a wounded Yosemite team, though, this ranking is sure to drop.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Porterville-Monache, 28-20. THIS WEEK: at Oakhurst-Yosemite

12. Kingsburg (1-0, Div. IV, last week: 14) — The Vikings allowed a 77-yard touchdown pass to Dos Palos before getting their footing and responding with Garrett Steele (three TD runs) and Tennessee commit Tyler Bray (two TD passes).
LAST WEEK: won at Dos Palos, 44-13. THIS WEEK: at Fresno-Washington Union

13. Centennial (1-0, Div. I, last week: 15) — I'm tempted to put the Golden Hawks higher, but a big offensive effort is what should have been expected by a ranked team against Redwood. If Centennial does that against Liberty, you can color me truly impressed — and this ranking truly going up.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Redwood, 45-20. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 6 Liberty

14. Clovis East (0-2, Div. I, last week: 11) — You can excuse the Timberwolves for opening the season with losses to two very tough teams, but they weren't particularly close, and most of their schedule is against very tough teams. So what happens if they don't improve?
LAST WEEK: lost at Redlands East Valley, 39-13. THIS WEEK: vs. Sanger

15. Tehachapi (2-0, Div. III, last week: NR) — I'm not from around here, so it's hard for me to imagine the Warriors having a bad year, not after watching them rebound so efficiently (so far) from a team that lost so much (so far). But there it is; Tehachapi was just 6-5 in 2006 and 4-7 in 2005. I doubt this year's team will be 4-7, though.
LAST WEEK: won at Garces, 27-6. THIS WEEK: vs. Frontier

Dropped out: No. 10 Oakhurst-Yosemite

Waiting: Oakhurst-Yosemite, Fresno-Hoover, Frontier, Porterville, Ridgeview, Chowchilla, Corcoran, Dinuba, Bakersfield Christian

While you're occupied with high school football (or even if you're not), the local high school volleyball, girls golf, cross country and girls tennis teams have all gotten their teeth into their respective seasons. Not much going on today, so it's a good time to look at what we know so far.

We'll get back to football on Tuesday with new Central Section rankings.

VOLLEYBALL
There have already been several collisions of titans in town, with Centennial beating Liberty and Bakersfield beating Frontier. Throw Stockdale and Garces in with those four and you probably have the best teams in town. The latter two get into the act this week when Stockdale hosts Liberty on Tuesday and Garces visits Frontier on Thursday, the same night Stockdale plays BHS.
The Bakersfield victory against Frontier probably was the match of the season to this point, with the Drillers rallying from a 22-13 deficit to win Game 2, Frontier coming back to take Game 4 and then BHS taking the decisive game 15-9. Frontier's coach was thrown out of that match, right after the Titans let the second game get away; I've heard it was the result of a few questionable line calls from the referees.
The Patriots brought quite a bit back from their D-I runner-up team but lost outside hitter Mariah Alvidrez to a season-ending knee injury over the summer.
As for the outlook Valley-wide, it's going to be tough to top the best teams up north again. Clovis West brings much back from its Division I championship team, and Clovis-Buchanan has already beaten Liberty twice and Bakersfield once.
Among smaller schools, Bakersfield Christian lost much of its roster from its Division IV section championship team but will still be in contention with Tehachapi for the SSL crown. It's also worth keeping an eye on North (7-3), Golden Valley (6-2) and young Independence (8-8) with former BCHS coach Judy Rexroth.

GIRLS TENNIS
It's no surprise to anyone who has followed local girls tennis that Bakersfield Christian is the team to beat again. The Eagles, who beat eventual Division I champ Stockdale in the Lewis Cup last year, then went on to dominate D-V and place two singles players (Lyndsay and Chelby Cooke) in the section semifinals. Just about everybody returns for BCHS, which won the consolation championship in the top division at the California High School Tennis Classic in Clovis last weekend. BCHS and Visalia-Redwood, which boasts two-time defending section singles champ Gabrielle Gatewood, were the only Central Section teams in the top division.
As for the bigger schools, Stockdale might still stand a chance to win its seventh straight Division I crown, even though the Mustangs lost a lot off of last year's team. That's because the rest of the section's Division I isn't overwhelming, either. At the least, Stockdale is a clear SWYL favorite, followed again by Centennial and Frontier in some order. In the SEYL, give Garces the bigtime nod, though the Rams will eventually run into Redwood in the D-II playoffs. East and Liberty might be the next-best teams, with Bakersfield having a down year.

BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Lots of new blood out on the 5K courses this year, most notably with the graduation of Foothill's Chris Schwartz, who won just about every local race of note in the past two years. At the East Invite out at Lake Ming, the first chance to see many local teams in the same place, the champion's void was filled by Stockdale's Blair Slaton, who won the three-mile course in an impressive 15:51. Not often you see a guy set his personal record in the first race of the season. Stockdale and Ridgeview, with a test from Highland, will battle it out among big-school boys this season. Of course, McFarland will probably have the best team of all again. The Cougars return three of their top five from their second-in-Division IV state from a year ago.
On the girls side, Tijerra Lynch of Ridgeview is the returning big dog. She was the Californian runner of the year last year and leads a Wolf Pack team that returns considerable talent from its Division III section championship team. But Lynch will be pushed. Ridgeview wasn't at the EB invite, and the winner, Bakersfield's Sarah Baker, will be with Lynch all year long. So likely will Garces' Monica Guzman, Stockdale's Carolin Haney and Amber Nelson and Liberty's Ashley Barton. You could also see some noise from Foothill's Natalie Fernandez or East's Lucy Garcia.
As for the girls teams, Stockdale narrowly beat BHS at the EB invite, though I don't know either team is quite ready to challenge Ridgeview.

GIRLS GOLF
Unfortunately, I don't yet have a lot to report here. I'm headed out to my first mini-tournament on Wednesday (SEYL), and I'll do the SWYL in the next week or two. At this point, I think the team to watch may be Frontier, which returns its top four players from the Division II section champions who qualified for the Southern Cal regional last fall. Many of the top players in town, including Garces' Mica Guzman and Cassie Clayton, Liberty's Deidre Crabtree and Stockdale's Tammy Park, graduated. So new blood here too.

 Another weekend of high school football in the books, and another weekend of blowouts. It seems like the good teams are really asserting themselves early this season — is that a mirage, or do we really already know the haves and have-nots?

Here's what I took from Week 1:

— You can argue about how good Canyon Country-Canyon might be, but one thing is for sure: Bakersfield is back to being a dominant team after an up-and-down 2008. The Drillers were supreme in all elements of this one, getting four total touchdowns from quarterback Brian Burrell and a dominant defensive effort in a 43-7 victory over the 2006 state bowl champions. Of course, BHS will have to be good over the next five weeks if they want to survive: Stockdale, at Buchanan, at Liberty, at Centennial, at Garces.

— That brings me to the first really fun week of the regular season, coming to you this Friday. Normally I just talk about next week's games at the end of this recap, but this is an exception. Bakersfield hosts Stockdale in a battle of perhaps the two best (and perhaps the two most popular) high school football teams in town. It'll be a rocking Griffith Field and a test of athletic and coaching mettle. Then you've got Liberty traveling to Centennial in a battle of the other two Division I teams in town, both of whom fell short in their league race a year ago. That one's the high-flying Golden Hawks offense against the stalwart defense of Liberty, and the mistake-prone Patriots offense against Centennial's sometimes porous D. If that's not enough, Frontier travels up to Tehachapi in a battle of unbeatens.

— Speaking of, Frontier absolutely obliterated Lancaster-Antelope Valley, 61-0. Again, the question in any of these blowouts is whether the winning team is that good or the losing team that bad. In most cases, it's probably a bit of both. In Frontier's particular case, the game was so out of hand so fast (34-0 after just a quarter) that the Titans really didn't get challenged at all.

— Tehachapi, meanwhile, got quite the stiff test at Garces. The Warriors responded, scoring the game's only second-half points in a 27-6 runaway victory. You have to admire the way Jesse Olofson (173 yards, four touchdowns), Max Clark (101 yards) and company have replaced that great running game Tehachapi had a year ago. Now you have to consider the Warriors a Division III favorite — again.

— Speaking of Division III favorites, is it too early to throw Ridgeview's name around? The Wolf Pack eased past Highland in a game we all thought would be a toss-up. If it's not Olofson or Burrell, the player of the week has to be Tyler Dogins, who rolled up 83 rushing yards, 79 passing yards, two interceptions and three total touchdowns. Speed kills, boys and girls, and Dogins has plenty of it.

— Lost in some of the hubbub around other games Friday was a strong start to the season for South, which beat up Golden Valley 48-7. Again, hard to say if this is an example of the Rebels being very good or the Bulldogs being bad. But South has to be encouraged by the result after losing the bulk of its offense from a team a year ago that went 5-6 and featured Californian Offensive Player of the Year Jose Ramos. In his stead are running backs Odail Crumb (13 touches, 151 rushing yards, two TDs) and Lee West (11 touches, 119 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards and a 67-yard punt return, three total TDs.) The Rebels get Mira Monte next week in another chance to run up some big numbers.

— Stockdale and Centennial opened their seasons with big victories over East and Visalia-Redwood, respectively. This is nothing we didn't expect, but it just lights up anticipation for those big matchups next week. Is the SWYL really better than the SEYL this year, the last one of this league configuration? From top to bottom, I say yes — Frontier, Ridgeview and South, plus maybe North, are proving that. But at the top, are the Mustangs and Hawks ready to challenge Bakersfield and Liberty. We find out next week.

— In the South Sequoia League, it might be about chasing Tehachapi. So which of Taft, Bakersfield Christian and Wasco is better equipped to do it? All looked spectacular against lesser opponents in Week 1. Taft rolled Avenal 70-0, BCHS has outscored two opponents 101-0 and for Wasco, the tally is 115-6 after McFarland got a garbage touchdown late Friday. There are going to be some fun games in that league schedule.

— I don't know what to say about Foothill except that the transitive property doesn't treat the Trojans well: Highland beat Arvin handily, and Ridgeview beat Highland easily, so if Arvin shuts out Foothill 27-0, that's not a good sign.

Now on to this week's five biggest games:

Stockdale at Bakersfield: Don't need to tell you about this one...
Liberty at Centennial: Or this one.
Frontier at Tehachapi: Winner here can make strong argument for county's top 5
Wasco at Porterville: Easily the Tigers' biggest challenge. Are they for real?
Ridgeview at Foothill: The Manning Bowl, though Foothill has to show up for this to be interesting

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)

Sorry about the delay; here's your Week 1 high school football podcast. One note: Early on, Todd and I are talking about the new Garces quarterback and I spit out the name Byron Campbell. That ain't right. Byron graduated from Liberty two years ago; it's his brother Blake who will start at Garces on Friday. Then I compound things by sitting there and mumbling for 10 seconds while I try to come up with the name I knew I forgot. And then I was too lazy/ignorant to edit it out. That's OK; just lets everyone see my human side, right?

A quick note on the local girls tennis scene, seeing as I was out at my first dual match of the year last night. The best teams in town might be Bakersfield Christian and Garces. The Eagles are typically loaded, but this year's team is especially so, with the Cooke sisters at the top. Garces returns its top six players and adds two freshmen who have cracked the varsity lineup. Stockdale, winners of six straight Division I section championships (can you imagine that happening in football in this day and age?), is a bit down after losing its top few players. But the Mustangs will be in it. Individually, keep a close eye on BCHS' Lyndsay Cooke, her sister Chelby Cooke and East's Nancy Ramirez.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Like last year, I'm borrowing a stunt from ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman and giving you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from my predictions the previous week. So, for Week 0:

The Good: Pretty much everything. I managed to go 13-1 in the first week, when we don't know too much about teams. Specifically, picking Liberty to go down in a tight one, and almost nailing the final scores on Ridgeview-Independence and Tehachapi-Segerstrom.

The Bad: To be honest, there weren't many toss-ups last week. And I blew the margin of victory of some of the blowouts, like Wasco, North and Chavez.

The Ugly: I really thought Taft would roll past Templeton on its way to a good season. I was way off base there, at least for Week 0.

Now on to Week 1:

Friday, Sept. 11
TEHACHAPI (1-0) AT GARCES (0-0) — After passing a tough test in Week 0 at Segerstrom, things don't get much easier for the Warriors with a trip into town to take on traditional rival Garces. Can Tehachapi escape with another road win? It's clearly possible, but the Rams are one of those teams that tends to stay in gaps and on assignment on defense, and that's crucial against Tehachapi. What about on offense? Garces will be breaking in a new QB — still don't have word on who it will be, but check Friday's Californian and I hope to have the answer. Either way, Jalen Sykes will likely see plenty of the ball. Garces athletic director Vince Fanucchi said the school has planned a 9/11 tribute celebration, and I'll say the emotion from that will carry the home team in a close one.
Prediction: Garces 29, Tehachapi 24

CANYON COUNTRY-CANYON (0-0) at BAKERSFIELD (0-0) — After taking it on the chin from BHS last year, the Cowboys didn't go on to have a great year — just 5-5, and 2-3 in the Southern Section's Foothill League. That's not up to snuff for a school that won the CIF's State Bowl Game for large schools in 2006. The Drillers, too, hope that they can beat Canyon again and then have the Cowboys go and make the win look good. It's hard to say if that will happen, but if Canyon can keep up with Bakersfield's big line and stable of backfield athletes, it'll have a good season. But even that doesn't guarantee a win at Griffith Field.
Prediction: Bakersfield 34, Canyon 20

HIGHLAND (1-0) AT RIDGEVIEW (1-0) — This is the only local game where both teams are 1-0, so it's a good one to keep an eye on. The winner here is set up for a wonderful start, considering both teams should be favored in their next three games. So who gets to 2-0? In a close game, I like having the Wolf Pack's stable of athletes, but I'm also worried about some game-changing mistakes. In the end, though, I just don't know if Highland has enough speed to counteract game-changing plays. If Ridgeview avoids mistakes, it wins a tight one.
Prediction: Ridgeview 24, Highland 17

CENTENNIAL (0-0) AT VISALIA-REDWOOD (0-0) — Something was wrong with the Golden Hawks from the beginning last year, and it started when they let one slip away at home against Redwood. This isn't an easy game for Centennial to prove it's back, either. The Rangers are competitive and it'll be quite a trip and hostile environment for Cody Kessler and his much more experienced squad to test themselves against. But I think that experience will help this time around; when Centennial gets a lead, it'll stretch it, not surrender it.
Prediction: Centennial 38, Redwood 20

PORTERVILLE (0-0) AT NORTH (1-0) — I sat next to Porterville Recorder reporter Sam Robinson at the Fresno State game Saturday and asked him a bit about his town's high school outlook. He said the Panthers clearly were the best team in town and that their Wing T had looked pretty good so far. Funny, I said, but North apparently looked pretty good with its Wing T against Shafter in Week 0. So then, this will be a quick game. And probably a close one. I'm giving the Stars the edge; last year, they put up 55 points on Porterville, and though much of that damage was done by graduated talent, I think North will still have too much speed.
Prediction: North 32, Porterville 24

VISALIA-EL DIAMANTE (0-0) AT WEST (0-0) — We'll find out real quick how far the Vikings have fallen. Remember, they gave the Miners all they wanted and then some in a Division II quarterfinal game nine months ago. But that team had David Born, Dion Curry and Ben Jarvis. This one will be relying on a young line, a young quarterback and talented (but also young) running back Mustafaa Cobb. It'll be fun to see what Cobb does against El D, but I think West will be overmatched in too many areas for it to matter.
Prediction: El Diamante 41, West 21

EAST (0-0) AT STOCKDALE (0-0) — Last year, I picked East to win this opener and double coaching debut in perhaps my biggest miscue of the whole season. I won't go down that path again (it was Mustangs 33, Blades 0 last year), but I do think East isn't as bad as it was showing by the end of 2008. East will be better in Year 2 of the Jerlad Pierucci era. Stockdale, however, is going to be even more improved in Year 2 under Mike Snow. And they'll start showing it in this one.
Prediction: Stockdale 38, East 7

LANCASTER-ANTELOPE VALLEY (0-1) AT FRONTIER (0-0) — A nice way for the Titans to start the season, against a team from a big league in the Southern Section that will give them a test, but also against a team that was 1-9 last year and should allow Frontier to start out on the right foot. I'm really curious to see what the Titans' offense will bring. If it can complement what we know to be a very solid D, this could be an exciting year at Frontier.
Prediction: Frontier 28, Antelope Valley 10

GOLDEN VALLEY (0-0) AT SOUTH (0-0) — I'm going to go ahead and call this one the Disrespect Bowl. Both teams had decent-to-good seasons last year complete with an outstanding Division I win (Bakersfield for GV, and Centennial for South), and both lost quite a bit of the big-name talent off those teams. So naturally, myself and others have predicted a dropoff. Neither coach, Erich Smith or John Wren, thinks it's going to be that way, and I've heard that both looked good in their respective scrimmages last week. So who earns respect this week? I think Golden Valley, with some attrition in its program, can probably play the disrespect card a little harder, but I think South has more pure talent remaining. When in doubt, take the talent. And, yes, Bulldogs, you can cry even more disrespect if you win this one.
Prediction: South 23, Golden Valley 20

KENNEDY (0-1) AT BAKERSFIELD CHRISITAN (1-0) — Kennedy got off to a great start as a program when they picked the nickname Thunderbirds. After that, it's been all downhill. A winless JV season, a sudden coaching change and a 62-0 loss to Wasco later, we come to this matchup. And the Thunderbirds (just has a really nice ring to it) are now going to face a team that has won 13 games in a row and, in their first post-Derek Carr and Jake Peterson game last week, rolled up 400 yards of offense and 54 points anyway. I hate to say it, but Kennedy's going to have wait another week before starting the climb back up.
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 49, Kennedy 0

FOOTHILL (0-0) AT ARVIN (0-1) — A tricky game here for new Foothill coach Mike Gregg, who I think would expect to win this one against a young Arvin team that Highland  dismissed last week. But the Bears did show that they won't totally roll over by scoring first and last against the Scots. Gregg kept a lot of continuity in the Trojans program from the Dennis Manning regime, so I'll give them the nod here. But it might be closer than you think.
Prediction: Foothill 26, Arvin 17

CLOVIS NORTH (0-1) VS. MIRA MONTE (0-1) AT FOOTHILL — These are two first-year varsity programs that were dealt different hands — the Broncos are expected to be immediately competitive up north, so much so that they've been put in the tough County-Metro Athletic Conference and are eligible for the Division III section playoff bracket in Year 1, something neither Mira Monte nor Independence can say. A bit of the luster was taken off of that assessment last week when Fresno-Central ran roughshod on Clovis North, but they at least hung with the Grizzlies. Do you think Mira Monte is ready for that at this point? Me neither.
Prediction: Clovis North 41, Mira Monte 13

AVENAL (0-1) AT TAFT (0-1) — The Wildcats ought to be foaming at the mouth after their game last week at Templeton, in which they (a) apparently didn't play very well, (b) were robbed on a last-second call that allowed Templeton a second chance at a field goal because, of all things, the clock didn't start and (c) wound up losing to a team that beat handily last year. Avenal, which provided BCHS with its hot start last week, probably is the perfect remedy for Taft to get back on track. Expect big rushing totals and no clock issues in this one.
Prediction: Taft 40, Avenal 7

SHAFTER (0-1) AT DELANO (0-0) — Not a good result in Week 1 for Shafter's new regime under Ben Ansolabehere, but he said all preseason that he wasn't interested in win and loss totals, especially not at first. That's good, because a trip to Delano isn't an easy second assignment. The Generals will have to be better on offense and defense to compete with the Tigers, who aren't as experienced (or as talented?) as last year's 8-4 squad but should have no trouble in their first outing.
Prediction: Delano 30, Shafter 10

McFARLAND (0-1) AT WASCO (1-0) — Remember when Wasco used to be one of those teams you schedule for a breather, or a chance to win if you were a fellow weakling? Russ Prado has changed those days rather quickly. The Tigers whupped Kennedy last week and now get a small school in McFarland that's still trying to find itself under Andy Dunn. If you want to see a rushing show, go see what Quentin Cheatham and Jacob Salinas can do a week after they combined for 260 yards and five TDs on the ground on just — get this — on just six carries.
Prediction: Wasco 55, McFarland 6

FRESNO-ROOSEVELT (0-1) AT CHAVEZ (1-0) — What's for sure is that these teams will probably have more exciting games than last week, when the Titans cruised 33-0 past Mira Monte and Roosevelt lost a 7-6 snoozefest with Selma. What's not for sure is who will win. Is Chavez ready to beat a non-league Yosemite Division opponent? Will that offense look just as good against a Roosevelt team that doesn't seem like it gives up many points? I'll say yes to the first and not quite to the second, but it'll be enough.
Prediction: Chavez 17, Roosevelt 10

BORON (1-0) AT CALIFORNIA CITY (0-1) — One of these years, someone in Boron is going to get a crazy idea and throw the team into the High Desert League. It probably wouldn't be wise, considering Boron isn't even a fifth of the size of some of these schools, but I guarantee the rest of the HDL wouldn't like it one bit. The Bobcats beat up on Rosamond last week, and now they take aim at another HDL team. Cal City didn't score a point in its opener against Desert Christian, and Boron didn't give one up against Rosamond. Can the Ravens (another new nickname I approve of) get the first varsity points in school history. Sure. Can they win? Nuh-uh.
Prediction: Boron 35, California City 3

VAN NUYS-MONTCLAIR PREP (0-0) AT FRAZIER MOUNTAIN (0-0) — Word is the Falcons have improved to the point of being able to challenge for a playoff berth or even the High Desert League title. If that's the case, they'll have very little trouble with Montclair Prep, a school making the leap from 8-man football to the join the full-squad teams.
Prediction: Frazier Mountain 35, Montclair Prep 9

KERN VALLEY (1-0) AT ACTON-VASQUEZ (0-1) — A good chance here for the Broncs to start 2-0 against a team that lost to Mojave last week. Kern Valley and Frazier Mountain, in my humble opinion, are ready to break through to the top tier of the Desert Mountain League. We'll see if their non-conference results back that up.
Prediction: Kern Valley 35, Vasquez 17

HESPERIA-OAK HILLS (0-0) AT ROSAMOND (0-1) — The Roadrunners go from playing historical power Boron in Week 0 to playing a new varsity program in Week 1. They can only hope that the 47-0 loss they took last week is reversed as well.
Prediction: Rosamond 21, Oak Hills 14

PALMDALE-HIGHLAND (0-0) AT BURROUGHS (0-0) — If you're looking for an under-the-radar game to keep an eye on in Kern County this week, here it is. Highland was just 3-8 a year ago, but not many teams play a tougher schedule in this state. Burroughs, after bottoming out with a 1-9 season two years back, rebounded to win a co-Desert Sky League championship last year. I think quarterback Derrick Dison and co. keep that momentum rolling against a team used to losing close games.
Prediction: Burroughs 31, Highland 25

CAMBRIA-COAST UNION (0-1) AT MOJAVE (1-0) — It's hard to read too much into the records here, seeing as Mojave beat a below-par Acton-Vasquez team and Coast lost to a very much above-par Madera Ranchos-Liberty squad. But confidence is one thing to consider, and home-field advantage is another.
Prediction: Mojave 24, Coast Union 19

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (0-1) AT MARICOPA (0-0) — I truly think both of these teams are better than they were last year, even withstanding Lighthouse's 40-14 debacle at Escondido-Christian Life last week. Maricopa brings back a big nucleus of its team, and Lighthouse had things figured out offensively late last year. The Indians beat Lighthouse last year, and they've got the home-field edge this time around, so that's the way I'll go.
Prediction: Maricopa 35, Lighthouse Christian 30

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN (0-0) AT MAMMOTH LAKES-MAMMOTH (0-0) — I can't seem to find a schedule for Mammoth anywhere, and since Immanuel is an 8-man team, I can only assume that the school has moved from 11-man status — last year, Mammoth competed with Boron in the Desert Mountain League — to 8-man. If that's the case, Immanuel could be in for a long night against a bigger school.
Prediction: Mammoth 44, Immanuel Christian 14

Saturday, Sept. 12
DESERT (0-0) AT NORTH HOLLYWOOD-CAMPBELL HALL (1-0) — It's hard to know too much about the Scorpions — Terrance Wells was such a huge part of their offense last year that when they lost him to injury for a few games, the team was totally unpredictable. Obviously, you'd think Desert will be better prepared for that scenario this year now that Wells has graduated, but doing it in Week 1 against a Campbell Hall team that beat much bigger Antelope Valley last week is a tall order.
Prediction: Campbell Hall 33, Desert 24

Last week: 13-1 (.929)
This year: 13-1 (.929)

So between watching my alma mater, Missouri, destroy a rival in its first game and spending an evening figuring out how good Fresno State is — it's impossible to tell, by the way, with a 51-0 beatdown of a clearly overmatched UC Davis team — I spent Sunday with my wife and Monday doing a fantasy football draft and going to see Inglorious Basterds. Rave reviews on both — I really like my team this year and the movie was one of Tarantino's best, if you like that sort of thing.

I also have to recommend the new theater in town, Maya Cinemas, It was new, therefore clean, and not at all crowded for a Labor Day. Plus they have $1 hot dogs every Monday. On second thought, I'll shut up: Don't want to let the secret out. Too late? Whoops. Well, maybe I'll see a chunk of their advertising budget.

Anyway, Labor Day weekend is a tough one to return from, in my case mostly because we've just got three days until football starts again. Lots to get to. Let's start by re-setting where I think the Central Section sits after what amounts to a half-week.

1. Clovis West (1-0, Div. I, last week: 1) — No, the Golden Eagles were not nearly the most impressive team in the top five last week. But they played the best team, and they found a way to win. This week, however, is going to amp the competition level up to whole other level.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 8 Liberty, 31-21. THIS WEEK: at Anaheim-Servite

2. Fresno-Bullard (1-0, Div. I, last week: 2) — No complaints about the Knights' on-field performance — they throttled a Merced team that's usually competitve in the Sac-Joaquin Section — but what's up with coach Donnie Arax telling the media stud LB Daniel Snelling was hurt? When it's discipline, say it's discipline, coach.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Merced, 41-0. THIS WEEK: at Atwater

3. Clovis-Buchanan (1-0, Div. I, last week: 5) — The Bears leapfrog two idle teams because their dismantling of Sanger, even if it's a down Sanger, was so complete. Can't wait to see QB Lance Orender and the boys play Edison and Bakersfield in Weeks 3 and 4 (or Clovis West in Week 7, for that matter).
LAST WEEK: won vs. Sanger, 50-7. THIS WEEK: BYE

4. Tulare Union (0-0, Div. II, last week: 3) — Jontell Reedom might not be missed this week, and I'm not sure if he will be until December. The Redskins are that good, and their schedule that bad. Porterville appears to be the biggest test.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Golden West

5. Bakersfield (0-0, Div. I, last week: 4) — Not everything rides on the Drillers' game against Canyon, but a big win would go a long way towards re-announcing the presence of the section's most storied program as a title contender once again.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Canyon Country-Canyon

6. Visalia-El Diamante (0-0, Div. II, last week: 6) — I wasn't even here, and I still miss the days when what's now known as Divisions I and II were thrown into the "big school" playoffs. How fun would it be to see El D or Tulare Union duke it out with BHS or one of the TRAC boys? Doesn't happen often, though the Miners did get a playoff test from West last year.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at West

7. Liberty (0-1, Div. I, last week: 8) — I was impressed enough with the Patriots in a losing effort — defense and a couple of offensive threats, to be specifid — to bump them up a spot, but this is going to be their ceiling if they can't learn how to beat the top teams, not just play with them. I guarantee nobody will enjoy facing this team, though.
LAST WEEK: lost at No. 1 Clovis West, 31-21. THIS WEEK: BYE

8. Stockdale (0-0, Div. I, last week: 7) — The SWYL favorites get a tune-up with East (better not look too far past it, though) before a Week 2 crosstown showdown with Bakersfield. Not that the Mustangs, with 19 senior starters, need to bother with tune-ups.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. East

9. Fresno-Edison (1-0, Div. II, last week: 13) — Biggest jump of the week goes to the Tigers, who made supposedly improved Clovis look like the same old retreads in a Thursday game. Or was it just Edison back to being the speedy nightmare that they were early last year?
LAST WEEK: won 36-7 at Clovis. THIS WEEK: BYE

10. Oakhurst-Yosemite (0-0, Div. III, last week: 10) — In a week that's a bit devoid of big showdowns around the section, keep an eye on a nifty game between the Badgers and D-II contender San Joaquin Memorial. Both teams have a chance to play into December.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at No. 12 Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial

11. Clovis East (0-1, Div. I, last week: 9) — The Timberwolves lost a small halftime lead against Atascadero, getting bowled over in the second half. Things won't get any easier for a young team, with Southern Section power Redlands East Valley and No. 2 Bullard on the schedule in the next three weeks.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Atascadero, 33-21. THIS WEEK: at Redlands East Valley

12. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (0-0, Div. II, last week: 11) — Here's a team that goes out of its way to challenge itself before a ho-hum league schedule. After Yosemite, the Panthers play a solid Sac-Joaquin team, Sacramento-Chrisitan Brothers, then Garces and later Buchanan. Quite the gauntlet.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 10 Oakhurst-Yosemite

13. Hanford (0-0, Div. III, last week: 12) — This is one of those teams you just assume will be good, year in and year out. I expect the Bullpups to prove it against a competitive Monache team that's not at that level.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: vs. Porterville-Monache

14. Kingsburg (0-0, Div. IV, last week: 14) — There will be plenty of chances for the section's D-IV and D-V teams to challenge Kingsburg's status as favorite. But those start next week with Washington Union. This week the Vikings will show off.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Dos Palos

15. Centennial (0-0, Div. I, last week: 15) — First sign things were wrong in Hawk-land last year was a home loss to Redwood in Week 1. If things are right again for a proud program, Cody Kessler and Co. will return the favor.
LAST WEEK: BYE. THIS WEEK: at Visalia-Redwood

Dropped out: none
Waiting: Tehachapi, Fresno-Hoover, Porterville, Garces, Visalia-Central Valley Christian, Frontier, Fresno-Washington Union, Chowchilla, Corcoran, Ridgeview, North

This is the final feature we'll post on the blog each week, a sort of recap of what you should take away from that week of action, plus a brief look-ahead to next week.

Before we get started, I'll post one more update on Fresno State's game against UC Davis last night: Bakersfield Christian product Derek Carr threw swing passes on his first two plays, then didn't put the ball in the air again — understandable, of course, since FSU had such a huge lead — but it led me to wonder if Bulldogs coach Pat Hill really meant to keep the QB competition between Carr and Ryan Colburn semi-open through the first three or four games like he said he might over the summer.
So I asked him. Turns out, that's not going to be the case. He almost seemed surprised I even asked, but said (and you can read the full quote in this story) that Colburn was the starter, Ebahn Feathers would get a package in each game and Carr was the backup. Presumably that means Carr will only play in lopsided games or in case Colburn is injured or ineffective. Hmmm. I'm not sure that's the end of the story, because it would seem strange to burn Carr's redshirt just for mop-up duty. But we'll see. Bulldogs travel to Wisconsin for a game at 9 a.m. next Saturday.

Now on to the week that was in high school ball:

— Don't let the final result fool you: Liberty is one of, if not the, best teams in town. But the Patriots must learn how to finish. I know that sounds like a broken record, but they've really cemented their reputation over the past couple of years as a team that finds a way to lose big games. This time it was four turnovers, three of them inside their own 15-yard line, that canceled out three big plays — a scintillating touchdown run from quarterback Dillon Meadows, who's a good enough athlete to give Liberty hope for some offensive firepower; a kickoff return from Tyler Gellinck, also very impressive; and a fumble TD return from Rane Cravens, who made himself the front-runner for defensive player of the year in one night.

— I wonder what idle Bakersfield, Stockdale and Centennial thought of the Patriots' performance. Obviously, a Liberty win would have helped come playoff seeding time (the only result that's going to negate another northern advantage is a BHS win over Buchanan in three weeks), but had Liberty pulled it out, they'd also have taken on the feel of a bit of a juggernaut. Centennial gets the first local crack at the Pats, in two weeks. BHS and Stockdale also play Liberty later.

— After just one week, it's safe to say Independence is the best new team in Kern County. The Falcons gave Ridgeview a tussle for a half before finally wearing down and fading, 36-15. But Mira Monte, 33-0 losers to Chavez, and Kennedy, 62-0 to Wasco, weren't even close.

— As for Ridgeview, it has to be a bit disconcerting for a team that expects to contend in the SWYL to have so much trouble with a seniorless team, at least at first. But the Wolf Pack eventually found at least third gear, with Tyler Dogins rushing for 140 yards and passing for 89 more. Next up is an interesting game with Highland.

— A bit lost in the shuffle, at least for me, were the struggles of Taft and Tehachapi against Southern Section teams. The Warriors hung on to beat Santa Ana-Segerstrom 21-20, a tussle that wasn't unexpected because of how much Tehachapi lost and the quality of Segerstrom — remember Tehachapi had to hang on to beat the Jaguars last year as well. As for Taft, its 24-21 loss is the surprise of the week for me. I thought the Wildcats were primed to put a bruise on Templeton, a team they beat easily last year with a supposedly lesser team.
There was some controversy in that Taft loss, namely that Templeton's game-winning field goal actually missed. But the clock never started, and referees ruled that the Eagles got a second chance. They nailed that one. Is it just me, or would the more logical ruling have been to take the few seconds off the clock and call it a miss, since referees and players on both teams apparently thought the play was live?
The point is, win or lose, I thought the Wildcats shouldn't have had such a difficult time. Taft has work to do.

— The rest of the night locally was marked by blowouts. North (over Shafter), Highland (over Arvin), Wasco (over Kennedy), Chavez (over Mira Monte) and Bakersfield Christian (over Avenal) all posted comfy wins, with all but Highland pitching a shutout in the process. So who was most impressive? It's hard to say, because none of the opponents were world-beaters, but North and BCHS have to be happy with the way they came out after big years, and Wasco certainly looks primed for a breakout year of its own.

Now, to lead you into Week 1, here are five games to keep an eye on for next week:

Canyon Country-Canyon at Bakersfield: If Drillers are a section threat, they make a statement here
Tehachapi at Garces: A rivalry game that's our introduction to the Rams and another test for the champs
Highland at Ridgeview: Winner here could be best D-III team in town
Centennial at Visalia-Redwood: How much have Hawks righted the ship?
Porterville at North: This week will be tougher test for Stars

Central Section rankings coming Tuesday.

UPDATE, 9:29 p.m.: Forget the redshirt idea. It was far-fetched anyway, and Carr comes out for the second series of the second half. He immediately completed two swing passes that totaled 37 yards, then handed a ball off to Robbie Rouse and gave way to Feathers for the next play. Now Carr's back out there, first down on the Davis 20.
Robbie Rouse, a freshman with some moves, gets the ball to the 8 with a 12-yard carry. Another carry to the 5. This is a different offense than Carr ran last year at BCHS, that much is for sure. Another handoff to Rouse, who breaks a tackle and scores an impressive TD. So Carr, 2-for-2 for 37 yards in his career now, though both were on short swing passes where the receivers gained all the yardage after the catch. It's 49-0 now, so probably a lot more running to come.

UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.: Well, the redshirt theory is still alive after Fresno State's first second-half series. It was Ryan Colburn back taking snaps for the Bulldogs, who scored another touchdown to make it 42-0. Also haven't seen much of Ryan Mathews in the last quarter and a half; probably a good idea not to risk injury with a guy who has had that problem plenty in the past.

UPDATE, 8:42 p.m.: It was Ebahn Feathers' turn before Derek Carr's, and Feathers, a Fresno-Washington Union product, made the most of his first collegiate series. He sold a fake really well on a handoff to Lonyae Miller that went for 33 yards, then ended that drive with a 20-yard scamper around the left end. Feathers is QUICK. Carr was the first one on the field, headset and all, to congratulate him. So he's having fun. I would think he'll get his chance in the second half, but you have to consider the possibility that with both of the other QBs playing well, FSU coach Pat Hill would at least think about saving Carr's redshirt and getting him four more years. At least think about it, right? We'll see. It's 35-0 at halftime.
Unofficial stats of note:
Ryan Mathews 11 carries, 106 yards, TD
Ryan Colburn, 4-8 passing, 130 yards, TD, INT; 2 carries, 7 yards, TD
Ebahn Feathers, 0-1 passing (on a spike to stop clock), 1 carry, 20 yards, TD

UPDATE, 8:31 p.m.: First on-field sightings of Matt Akers from Liberty and Phillip Thomas from BHS in this series. Fresno State's starting has to be wearing down — Davis has had the ball almost the entire second quarter, albeit to no avail. Akers was in on a tackle early in the series and got some pressure on Greg Denham later. It's fourth-and-7 Aggies at the Fresno State 35 with 1:43 left in the half.

UPDATE, 8:23 p.m.: Well, I picked on him after the interception, so it's time to give Ryan Colburn props: Derek Carr is going to stay the backup if Colburn keeps making throws like the beatiful ball he just threw to a streaking Marlon Moore, who slipped one arm tackle and took the ball 91 yards to the house. It's 28-0 Bulldogs, who have had just six offensive plays in the first 11 minutes of the second quarter and yet doubled their lead.

UPDATE, 8:13 p.m.: Or maybe Jefferson was just waiting for another teammate to grab glory. Nico Herron just picked off UC Davis' Greg Denham and sprinted 95 yards for the Bulldogs' third touchdown. 21-0 FSU.

UPDATE, 8:09 p.m.: Well, A.J. Jefferson gambled and lost there. UC Davis set up a swing pass to Jefferson's side, and he had the route jumped. But instead of waiting to make a tackle for loss, he went for a surefire 80-yard pick six. When he barely missed, it ended up a four-yard gain instead. No harm, no foul, I suppose. The reward was greater than the risk.
But those four yards could end up being the difference between a Fresno stop and a Davis score. The series went to fourth-and-one, and Davis just punched a first down through the line to set up first-and-goal from the Bulldog 8. Got pretty loud in here for that one, but to no avail.

UPDATE, 7:53 p.m.: My unofficial stats were correct, and Mathews just went over the century mark on his second carry of the second quarter. He's at 106 yards on 11 carries. However, a holding penalty had FSU in third-and-long, and Colburn just threw an interception. So Davis takes over. Interesting  to see if Derek Carr will get on the field for Colburn at some point, but I doubt one pick on an overthrow is going to get Colburn pulled. It shouldn't, anyway.

UPDATE, 7:46 p.m.: Here's first-quarter stats of note, by my unofficial count:
Ryan Mathews 9 rushes, 90 yards, TD
Ryan Colburn 3-5 passing, 39 yards; 2 rushes, 7 yards, TD

Fresno State has a fourth-and-one at its own 42 as the second quarter begins. Still 14-0.

UPDATE, 7:42 p.m.: Maybe Davis should try Colton Schmidt at kicker, too. Sean Kelley just missed a 32-yard field goal to cap Davis' best drive of the young night, and it's still 14-0.
Mathews, by the way, has the first seven yards on the ensuing Bulldog drive and is already at 90 with three minutes left in the first quarter.

UPDATE, 7:29 p.m.: Can't believe I didn't realize this before, but there's a Bakersfield boy on UC Davis' team also. Akers' former teammate, Liberty's Colton Schmidt, is the Aggies' starting punter. He just hit one 41 yards to end Davis' first drive, but it trickled into the end zone for a touchback. All in all, not a bad kick, and all in all, not a bad defensive series for the Bulldogs, who yielded a couple of first downs but then held. One of the first downs came on a dubious pass interference call on A.J. Jefferson, but he also made some nice defensive plays on Chris Carter, a prolific Davis receiver.
Just thought of this, but Liberty sure could have used Schmidt over in Clovis last night. A couple of bad punts gave Clovis West great field position in that game.
And as I'm on my diatribe, West's Ryan Mathews just made the play of the game thus far, slipping through a hole in the line and then a tackle in the secondary before out-running the Davis defense for a 60-yard touchdown run. So he's already at 83 yards and a TD for the day. Goes to show you what health can do for you.

UPDATE, 7:17 p.m: Well, that didn't take long. It sort of did, I guess. Fresno State just took the opening kickoff and rammed the ball right at UC Davis, going 68 yards in nine plays, all of them runs. The drive took 5:35, and it's 7-0 FSU. Ryan Mathews, by the way, enjoyed the Bulldogs' sizable edge on the offensive line to the tune of five carries for 23 yards. The biggest runs of the drive, though, belonged to San Diego freshman Robbie Rouse, who took it 25 yards down to the Davis 10, and to new quarterback Ryan Colburn, a CVC product who won the starting job from Derek Carr. Colburn snuck the ball in for a TD after Mathews had gotten to the 1 on the previous play. Impressive start for Fresno.

ORIGINAL POST: Hey hey everybody, it's another School House Zach running thread. Only this time, the school house is a university campus. I'm sitting in the corner of the Fresno State press box (that's not as bad of a seat as it sounds, actually) and ready to bring some live updates and analysis on Fresno State's home opener against UC Davis.

I know there are a lot of Bulldog fans in Kern County in general, but I'll be putting special emphasis on the Bakersfield players in the game: starting running back Ryan Mathews, starting cornerback/kick returner A.J. Jefferson, both from West High, and backup quarterback Derek Carr, from Bakersfield Christian, being the three most likely to see time today.

Here are the other six Bakersfield Bulldogs on the roster: 

Matt Akers, Liberty, RS freshman, listed as a backup DE
Phillip Thomas, Bakersfield, RS freshman, listed as backup FS
Ryan Boschma, Bakersfield Christian, true frosh, DL, not on depth chart
A.J. Johnson, Highland, true frosh, WR, not on depth
Ryan Skidmore, East, sophomore, TE, not on depth
Pat Su'a, Highland, true frosh, LB, not on depth

UPDATE, 11:39 p.m.: Back in teh hotel room here in Fresno, now gearing up for Fresno State's home game against UC Davis tomorrow night, the return of a healthy Ryan Mathews and possibly Derek Carr's collegiate debut. But in the meantime, let's rehash what we saw on the first high school football Friday of the fall. The big games (as always, a complete Central Section and Kern County scorelist is below, and it will continue to be updated as the weekend progresses and we get more scores):

Clovis West 31, Liberty 21: After all the talk about finally winning a big game at Liberty, this one was there for the taking. And the Patriots took it. And then gave it back. I don't know if this one is especially frustrating for Liberty or not, because for once, some breaks were going its way and it was capitalizing with huge plays. But Clovis West had more left in the tank in the fourth quarter, and it was obvious when Kendall Brock started running roughshod over a once-stout Liberty D. The point is that the Pats are going to go far if they can stay out of their own way — three turnovers inside your own 20 is not going to get it done, period.

Ridgeview 36, Independence 15: This certainly isn't an unexpected result. What is a bit surprising is that Indy actually led this game 13-0 before the Falcons' lack of seniors (and therefore of depth) caught up to them. Ridgeview outscored Independence 24-2 in the second half and 36-2 over the final three quarters. For the Wolf Pack? A nice start, but I think Dennis Manning and company would like to see a little more consistency.

Templeton 24, Taft 21: Wow. Surprise of the night here. I really thought Taft would be able to control this one, but it was Templeton that hung tough and then got a late field goal to win. Pretty disappointing for the Wildcats, who I really thought would be an SSL front-runner. They still can, of course, but this is a sobering opener.

Tehachapi 21, Santa Ana-Segerstrom 20: Don't yet know too many details here, but I know that the Warriors are going to be OK without Josh Strauss and Adam Mullen. A missed PAT helped Tehachapi survive this tough roadie, and they've got plenty of weeks to grow into a Division III power again.

Bakersfield Christian 54, Avenal 0: Same story here. Minus Derek Carr, Jake Peterson, Christian Taylor, Ryan Boschma et al, the Eagles still put up a huge number and rolled over a foe. Trouble is, Avenal isn't very good, so this one might not have told a lot. The jury still is very much out on BCHS.

North 42, Shafter 0: Sorry, Shafter fans, but it's going to take time. North is turning into a bit of a Wing T machine under Mark Camps, and against less-talented teams, this is what's going to happen. Interested to see if North can keep it up with upcoming games against Porterville and Delano.

Highland 35, Arvin 21: Sorry, don't know many details here either (your Saturday morning Californian can help you with all these games), but it looks like Arvin put up a good fight with its one returning starter. I called the Bears to go 1-9, but against a tough Highland team they stayed in it. Meanwhile, the Scots have a very tough schedule ahead. We'll see how many more wins each of these teams can generate.

Wasco 62, Kennedy 0: The Tigers aren't going to be an SSL sleeper anymore if they keep doing this to people. Again, though, Kennedy is a first-year school and Wasco will have to prove it against tougher foes down the road.

UPDATE, 10:48 p.m.: Had deadline responsibilities there, but I wanted to update real quick before I head back to the hotel. Liberty drove down to the Clovis West 35 down three, but the drive stalled and CW added a late TD to make the final 31-21. A valiant effort from Liberty here, but I think they get tired of us saying that when they lose close ones.
Elsewhere, Independence couldn't hold on against Ridgeview and lost 36-15. Highland downed Arvin 35-21. Tehachapi survived 21-20 against Segerstrom because of a missed PAT. And then we had the blowouts: In descending order, Wasco 62-0 over Kennedy, Bakersfield Christian 54-0 over Avenal, North 42-0 over Shafter and Chavez 33-0 over Mira Monte. Be back in an hour or so with some quick thoughts. Scorelist is below.

UPDATE, 9:39 p.m.: Clovis West has stepped its game up, period. A quick stop of Liberty and the Eagles took it down the Pats' throat, getting a big second-and-long pass completion and then letting Kendall Brock do the rest. His impressive 14-yard TD run gives him 114 yards on the night and gives CW a 24-21 lead. Just over six minutes left.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: I can't figure out if Liberty is trying to win this one or just make it exciting at the end. Meadows throws an ill-advised third-down pass that's picked off by Clovis West at the Patriots 13. CW needs points here; three will do, but they really need seven.
Two Kendall Brock runs will make it first-and-goal at the 1, and on the last play of the third quarter, he pounds it in from there for a TD. Extra point is good, and it's 21-17 after three.

UPDATE, 9:17 p.m.: Tony Mills has said all along that Liberty needed to win the key plays to turn around its close losses from past years, and tonight the Pats are winning them emphatically. After Gellinck's kickoff return, Clovis West fumbles on a pitch on their third play from scrimmage. Rane Cravens picked it up and rumbled 39 yards for another quick Liberty TD. About 4:30 to play in the third quarter, so lots of time, but CW needs to figure out how to move the ball if they're going to come back here. Kendall Brock's kickoff return to the Liberty 49 will help.

UPDATE, 9:14 p.m.: Well, Dillon Meadows had the play of the first half and he's made the mistake of the second half thus far. On a third down, Liberty had a bad snap that Meadows recovered. But then he ran backwards against a fervent pass rush and eventuallly succumbed, fumbling the ball to Clovis West way back at the 4-yard line. First and goal CW here.
Two plays later, CW quarterback Connor Buss with a nice scramble to buy himself time, then hitting a wide-open Luke Reyes in the corner of the end zone for a 10-7 Golden Eagle lead. Too many mistakes on offense for Liberty, and now it's down.
WOW. And before I could even post this, Tyler Gellinck returned that ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. Once he broke through the first wave of CW defenders, it was off to the races. And Liberty retakes the lead in a suddenly firework-filled affair, 14-10.

UPDATE, 9:00 p.m.: Liberty ceded a couple of first downs to start the second half, then stiffened, but the result is that Clovis West was able to pin the Pats deep again. Starting from their own 9, got to get out of their own shadow here.

UPDATE, 8:41 p.m.: Some other scores for you as the Clovis West band rains Michael Jackson tunes down on our ears: North and Highland are dominating their SSL opponents, 21-0 and 21-7 respectively. Both games are about midway through the second quarter.

UPDATE, 8:29 p.m.: Liberty had a nice sustained drive there, really the first one in the game since Clovis West's first drive, but it stalled at the CW 40 and the Patriots punted with 1:14 on the clock. The Eagles aren't doing much with it, and it looks like we'll be 7-3 at the half. And that's what it is. Nice half for Liberty after an inauspicious start. 24 minutes away from a huge victory for the program.
Elsewhere, Californian staffer Jeff Evans checks in from Ridgeview, where Independence has a somewhat surprising 13-12 lead at halftime. But Jeff said Independence suited up just 23 players and had one of their better-looking ones, Michael Saunders, go off the field with an injury at the end of the first quarter. Indy had a 13-0 lead at the time. We'll see how long the Falcons can hold on...

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m.: And just like that, Liberty gives its lead and momentum right back. Tyler Gellinck fumbled an option pitch from Meadows as Liberty had the ball back, and Clovis West recovers on the LHS 10.
But two incomplete passes from CW quarterback Connor Buss, and it's third-and-10. Kendall Brock ran for just 2, and the Eagles settle for a field goal. It's 7-3 and Liberty needs good field position here.

UPDATE, 8:04 p.m.: Wow. Just wow. Dillon Meadows made a strong case for play of the season in Week 0. On a third-and-6 from the Liberty 24, It looked like the Pats had a screen play set up, like they allowed CW's blitzers to come through unimpeded. But the screen wasn't there, so Meadows took off. He shook off one tackle and ran past the other linemen, then sidestepped another defender, took off down the left sideline, broke another tackle and then another as he reached the ball across the goal line, 76 yards later. The kick's good, and suddenly, it's 7-0 Liberty. More yards on that play than both teams in the first quarter combined.

UPDATE, 7:59 p.m.: That time, Liberty got to punt from just in front of its own end zone after two penalties pushed it back again. Clovis West just committed its own five-yard infraction, but the Eagles still have good field position. Let's see if they do anything with it.
Nope. Liberty's defense is doing a great job against the run, at least after a big Kendall Brock 28-yarder on the second CW play from scrimmage. End of the first quarter, still (no surprise here) scoreless.

UPDATE, 7:50 p.m.: Liberty will have to do something to change around field position here. The Pats have the ball for the third time, the first two drives ending with punts from their own end zone. The good news is that they've stopped Clovis West both times and it's still scoreless.
And right on cue, Tyler Gellinck takes a pitch to the left and scampers up the sideline for a 15-yard gain and a first down on the 27. That's some breathing room, but Liberty has just taken its second timeout of the half already, with 2:52 left in the first quarter.

UPDATE, 7:42 p.m.: Well, I guess the new wrinkle is that Liberty is going five-wide spread. That's more than a wrinkle, but whatever it was, it was terribly ineffective. Patriots coach Tony Mills said his team needed to avoid negative plays, and they got three of them in that first series, including a 12-yard sack on a halfback pass play. Liberty actually fumbled on that play and was lucky to keep possession and be able to punt. Clovis West is now driving inside the Liberty 20. Not a good start for Liberty fans.
I'll keep it here for third-and-goal from the Liberty 5. Clovis West's Kendall Brock finds a seam on a dive play but is stuffed at the 2. Fourth down now, and it looks like the Golden Eagles are going. Big moment here. It's Tevin Villalba this time, and he's stopped in the backfield! Liberty holds, and they'll take over, though in bad field position, with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

UPDATE, 7:31 p.m.: Liberty didn't warm up on the field at all here, I'm told (I got here a bit late). Word is they might have added some wrinkles to the offense they didn't want to give away. We're about to kick off, so we'll see. Got another score? Post it in the comments below. Away we go!

ORIGINAL POST: I wouldn't exactly say it's football weather — 98 degrees ought to stay a boy band, not the weather on Sept. 4 — but the game is definitely in the air. Tonight we begin another journey that will end with six Central Section titles being handed out in December, and maybe with a state bowl game or two for the Valley the following weekend.

School House Zach will be here for all of it, so make it your place for meeting, following scores and discussing the action in Kern County. Throughout Friday nights, I'll be blogging furiously, keeping you up to date on what's happening at my game (tonight I'm at Liberty-Clovis West) and at other Kern games around the section. The game list below will be updated with scores as I can get them, and I'll put final scores here at the end of the night.

Also remember to sign up and follow me on Twitter, @zewing, for on-the-go updates throughout tonight and all of football season.

Countdown to Week 0 in famous jersey numbers: Jim Otto!

(All games are 7:30 p.m. Friday unless noted; Central Section rankings in parentheses)

Kern County scoreboard
(1) Clovis West 31, (8) Liberty 21
Ridgeview 36, Independence 15
North 42, Shafter 0
Highland 35, Arvin 21
Chavez 33, Mira Monte 0
Bakersfield Christian 54, Avenal 0
Tehachapi 21, Santa Ana-Segerstrom 20
Templeton 24, Taft 21
Wasco 62, Kennedy 0
Kern Valley 52, McFarland 0
Boron 47, Rosamond 0
Mojave 28, Acton-Vasquez 6
Escondido-Christian Life 40, Lighthouse Christian 14 (Saturday)
Lancaster-Desert Christian 38, California City 0 (Saturday)

Other Central Section scores
(5) Clovis-Buchanan 50, Sanger 7 (Thursday)
(13) Fresno-Edison 36, Clovis 7 (Thursday)
(2) Fresno-Bullard 41, Merced 0
Atascadero 33, (9) Clovis East 21
Fresno-Central 49, Clovis North 28
Arroyo Grande 35, Madera 20
Selma 7, Fresno-Roosevelt 6
Fresno-Sunnyside 22, San Diego-Torrey Pines 21
Atwater-Buhach Colony 23, Madera South 0
Hanford West 56, Porterville-Granite Hills 0
Los Banos 37, Fresno 8
Dos Palos 48, Mendota 0
Arcadia-Rio Hondo Prep 23, SLO-Mission Prep 7
Reedley-Immanuel 35, Tranquillity 19
Madera Ranchos-Liberty 49, Cambria-Coast Union 7
Firebaugh 20, Orosi 0
Lindsay 66, Tulare-Mission Oak 0
Laton-Kings Christian 25, Merced-Stone Ridge Christian 8
Woodlake 10, Orange Cove 6

TWO QUICK UPDATES: One, if you haven't done so already, pick up a Thursday Californian. It has the 2009 High School Football Preview magazine inside. Pick up a Friday and Saturday edition for all the weekend's high school football coverage. Or you could, you know, just subscribe. Save newspapers!

Two, I forgot this. Countdown to Week 0 in famous jersey numbers: Warren Moon (or Jim Thorpe with the 1920s Bulldogs)

ORIGINAL POST: Watching the college football opener between South Carolina and North Carolina State here on the TV at the office, and it's making me drool for more football. Tomorrow will bring it to the Valley. Here's a handy podcast edition of a Week 0 preview.

Tomorrow, be sure to make the blog your headquarters before, during and after the games. I'll have a live blog running from Liberty-Clovis West and a score iist I'll try to update throughout the night. You can follow me on Twitter as well, @zewing, and I'll give quick updates on the go there.

It's that time of year again, football fans. Time for me to put my pride on the line and be wrong about multiple game results each week!

Seriously, though, these predictions are meant more like brief game previews than betting advice or anything. Any prediction I give, especially early in the season, is based on research, matchups and the small amount I might have seen watching each team, so don't take them too seriously.

Aw, what the heck, let's have some fun. If it weren't for that, I never would have heard the phrase "School House Zach don't know jack" from Stockdale students (for the record, I did pick Liberty to beat the Mustangs that night. So boo-yah.)

Countdown to Week 0 in famous jersey numbers: Charley Trippi (I admit, I had to cheat on this one; but Trippi is the only NFL hall of famer to wear No. 2 primarily. Look him up. Pretty good player.)

Friday, Sept. 4
LIBERTY (7-4 last year) AT CLOVIS WEST (10-3) — There are three games that are going to determine a whole lot when it comes to Division I playoff seeding this year, and this is one of them. The others come Sept. 25, when Bakersfield travels to Clovis-Buchanan and Stockdale visits Clovis. Yep, all three are up north, but all three were down here last year. The Mustangs will be a big favorite, so it would go a long way if either Liberty or Bakersfield, or both, could make it two out of three. All three will be rooting for each other, because wins mean home games come playoff time. So what of this one? The last time the Patriots played, they played a tight, defensive battle with the Golden Eagles but came up short in last year's D-I quarterfinals. I'd look for a similar sort of affair Friday. Liberty is going to need some rust from Clovis West in its first game under a new coach. I'll bet they don't get quite enough.
Prediction: Clovis West 14, Liberty 12

INDEPENDENCE AT RIDGEVIEW (2-9), 7 p.m. — Don't be fooled by the Wolf Pack's 2008 record or the fact that the Falcons don't yet have seniors and have never played a varsity game. These teams will likely be a factor against their respective schedules, and we'll see why in this one. Neither team is particularly big, but they are fast, and long plays and big momentum swings should be expected. I also think both schools are in good hands with Sean McKeown and Dennis Manning as coaches. The difference in this one, I think, will be Ridgeview's depth and experience. It means a ton that Independence has never played a varsity opponent. If the Wolf Pack are going to be the sleepers everyone expects them to be, they'll roll here.
Prediction: Ridgeview 33, Independence 13

ARVIN (5-7) AT HIGHLAND (6-5) — It's funny how you can, at the end of a season, look back at the first week and decide whether those early results ended up being meaningful or not. Last year, Highland needed a missed Arvin extra point to squeak by the Bears. That seemed strange a few weeks later when Arvin struggled and Highland started out 5-0, but at the end of the season, that 7-6 result foretold quite a bit: Both teams were defensive-minded, tough teams who struggled to put points up on the board or beat good teams. This year? If Highland has dreams of a run at the SEYL or the Division III playoffs, it should take care of an Arvin team that has a lone returning starter. But if this game's close again, you can bet the Bears will be the SSL hunt. At this point, though, I don't think that's going to happen.
Prediction: Highland 28, Arvin 6

NORTH (8-3) AT SHAFTER (1-9) — One of the smartest things Mark Camps did when he took over North's program was to lighten the non-league schedule. Instead of playing Division II powers Visalia-El Diamante and Fresno-Edison, plus solid Fresno-Hoover out of the CMAC, the Stars chose Shafter, Porterville and Delano. Still some challenges in there, but it's much more manageable. I think that had a lot to do with how much confidence North took into SWYL play. They get the same slate this year, and the lighter schedule might be even more important considering the Stars are younger. Shafter, meanwhile, would love to make a splash in Ben Ansolabehere's first game. I get the impression Ansolabehere will be just fine. But the splash will have to wait until North runs its way through town.
Prediction: North 34, Shafter 18

CHAVEZ (3-7) VS. MIRA MONTE AT EAST — The Lions are Bakersfield's other new team, and they come in with considerably less hype than Independence. I'm going to say that's a product of (a) being an east-side school, where fewer and fewer people live and where the sports haven't been as competitive, and (b) not having won the makeshift Freeway League last year like Independence did. But this is a good chance to make a statement for Mira Monte: Chavez is a solid opponent but a beatable one. The Titans, meanwhile, know what it's like to be a new school trying to find footing. They've been doing it for almost a decade now. This, perhaps finally, is the year Delano's second school has a breakthrough — and this seems like a good place to start.
Prediction: Chavez 25, Mira Monte 15

BAKERSFIELD CHRISTAN (12-1) AT AVENAL (5-6) — A quick update on the Fresno State quarterback situation, since it's relevant here: Ryan Colburn, and not Derek Carr, will get the start for the Bulldogs against UC Davis on Saturday night. But I think Carr will still see significant playing time. The night before, his old mates will re-learn what life's like without him — not to mention WR Jake Peterson, DL Ryan Boschma, RB Christian Taylor or coach Doug Barnett. Yep, this is a way different team. But not one without talent. And Avenal should be a place the new-look Eagles can get their sea legs (talons?).
Prediction: Bakersfield Christian 37, Avenal 10

TEHACHAPI (10-4) AT SANTA ANA-SEGERSTROM (6-5) — My guess is this is one of the best games of the weekend. On the surface, it looks like the Warriors should roll — CalPreps' computers have them 41-17 winners. But Tehachapi is another team that needs to find a new motor. And don't underestimate the home-field advantage for Segerstrom, which gave a more experienced Tehachapi team fits in Week 0 last year. I think the two-time D-III champs should be OK, but this one could get interesting.
Prediction: Tehachapi 27, Segerstrom 23

TAFT (7-4) AT TEMPLETON (5-6) — I'm excited about Steve Sprague's team this year, and so is he. Like with so many others, this is a chance to show what we've been talking about all preseason. So does Templeton have anything to offer in the way of defense? Well, they didn't last year against Taft and that wasn't as good of a Wildcat team. I don't think it'll be quite that simple, but the Eagles also lost their starting quarterback and top two running backs from last year. Chalk up win number one of many for Taft.
Prediction: Taft 24, Templeton 7

WASCO (4-6) VS. KENNEDY AT DELANO — The Tigers are my designated sleeper in the South Sequoia League. They've got the talented Quentin Cheatham in the backfield and a host of linemen and defenders back. No less than the dean of coaching in Kern County, Tehachapi's Steve Denman, said he thought very highly of Wasco's team this year. That's a ringing endorsement. There will be tougher tests than this one, which should be a bit of a warm-up against yet another new team, Kennedy, that didn't win a JV game last year and then had to bring in coach No. 2 in year No. 2.
Prediction: Wasco 41, Kennedy 6

KERN VALLEY (5-6) AT McFARLAND (3-7) — Under Ben Goffinett, the Broncs have made the playoffs twice in a row out of the High Desert League. If they're going to take the next step and be a perenially winning team, this is a game they have to win. Last year, McFarland surprised them and gave Andy Dunn his first win. The Cougars are another team that has high hopes, but I think Kern Valley will return the favor this time around.
Prediction: Kern Valley 30, McFarland 21

BORON (10-2) AT ROSAMOND (2-8) — According to the CIF enrollment numbers released this week, Rosamond has 925 students. Boron has 156. That the Bobcats are the big favorites here just goes to show you how important continuity and community support are to a high school sports program. Boron eats, drinks and sleeps football, with just about every boy in town growing up with the gridiron in mind; Rosamond is a sleeping giant. George Esquer is the newest coach in charge of changing that, but it'll take time.
Prediction: Boron 35, Rosamond 14

MOJAVE (7-6) AT ACTON-VASQUEZ (2-8) — As transition years go, Mojave had a pretty wildly successful year in 2008, scratching out a .500 record and then upsetting its way past a couple of high seeds to the section semifinals. Now that the Mustangs have a home again, this game isn't nearly as important as last year, when they needed every win they got to get into the playoffs. I still say Mojave should start year one of the Desert Mountain era with an easy win.
Prediction: Mojave 29, Vasquez 9

Saturday, Sept. 5
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN (5-6) AT ESCONDIDO-CHRISTIAN LIFE (5-3) — How many jokes do you think I can come up with about the Guardians going to Tony's Pizza after wins? Don't worry, I'll refrain, but new Lighthouse coach Tony Martinez is the owner of the Bakersfield eatery. Can he manage a successful football team? I think so (he was the Guardians' offensive coordinator last year), but call this one a speed bump.
Prediction: Christian Life 28, Lighthouse Christian 20

CALIFORNIA CITY AT LANCASTER-DESERT CHRISTIAN (3-6) — The Ravens are Kern County's fourth new varsity program this year, and the only one jumping straight into their permanent league. Cal City can be the new Mojave — competitive in the High Desert League year in and year out — but it'll take some time.
Prediction: Desert Christian 21, California City 13

Last year: 183-70 (.723)

I've got quite the exciting week planned here, not only waiting for the football season to start but also catching some early-season Kern County volleyball. Tonight, it'll be the first varsity event in Independence's gym — and the Falcons get to welcome volleyball power Bakersfield in. It's a matchup that might be lopsided this year, but I think it will become quite the rivalry; remember, IHS coach Judy Rexroth coached at Bakersfield Christian, where she won five league titles, two section titles and a state title in five years. The Falcons are 3-3 so far this year; it'll be interesting to see how they stack up against a Division I title contender.

Speaking of D-I contenders, Liberty will play host to Clovis-Buchanan the following night in a rematch of last year's section semifinal won by Liberty in four games. Buchanan had won the previous three D-I titles; Liberty lost to Clovis West in the title game last year. The Patriots will be hurt by the loss of outside hitter Mariah Alvidrez, who blew out a knee for the second time in three years this summer. Should still be a great match.

After that, it's football time, with the high schools going on Friday (much, much more to come on that this week) and the colleges Saturday. I'll be driving up to Fresno for the weekend, to see Liberty take on Clovis West on Friday and then to see if Bakersfield Christian graduate Derek Carr makes any noise in his Fresno State debut Saturday against UC Davis.

To set things up, let's take a look at my preseason Central Section rankings, which ought to be taken with a whole rock of salt. I don't pretend to be a psychic, and these things probably will change bigtime before two weeks pass.

Countdown to Week 0 in famous jersey numbers: Bronko Nagurski

CENTRAL SECTION FOOTBALL RANKINGS

1. Clovis West (last year: 10-3, 4-1 TRAC, Div. I champions) — Yes, the Golden Eagles have their fourth coach in four years. Yes, that's ridiculous. But has it hurt them? They reached the section final in 2006 under Jim Hartigan, then again in '07 with Marty Martin. Gary Kinne took them all the way last year, and now it's Coby Lindsey, and so what? CW has 14 returning starters from the best team in the section. They go here until someone dislodges them.
FIRST GAME: Friday vs. No. 8 Liberty

2. Fresno-Bullard (9-3, 4-0 CMAC, lost in Div. I semifinals) — Oh for their history in terms of Central Section titles, the Knights would be well within their rights to have a good feeling about this year. Stud QB Kerr Taubler is back, as are seven starters from a mean defense. Bullard does play a tough schedule, but it has the seeding edge (or does it?) of being a prohibitive favorite in a weaker league than the TRAC.
FIRST GAME: Friday vs. Merced

3. Tulare Union (13-0, 6-0 EYL, Div. II champions) — Speaking of weaker leagues, it was difficult to know exactly how good the Redskins were until they got to the playoffs. I'd say they passed with flying colors, dismissing Sanger and then rather easily pulling away from El Diamante to win the D-II title. A couple of Tulare's studs are gone from the backfield, but the line remains almost intact, and enough backups will come up to fill the spots and make us wonder how good this team is again.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 at Visalia-Golden West

4. Bakersfield (7-4, 5-1 SEYL, lost in Div. I quarterfinals) — This might seem a bit high for the Drillers based on last year's results, but I just get that feeling watching this team that something special will happen. We'll find out really quick, considering Brian Burrell, Alfonso Jackson and company play highly regarded Canyon followed by Stockdale, Buchanan, Liberty and Centennial in the first five weeks.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 vs. Canyon Country-Canyon

5. Clovis-Buchanan (9-3, 4-1 TRAC, lost in Div. I semifinals) — Boy, now that I've done this, I don't like having the Bears this low in the least. But the top of the section is pretty loaded, and somebody had to fall. With quality matchups against a young Sanger team in Week 0 and then with Bakersfield in Week 3, quarterback Lance Orender and company will get a chance to prove they belong higher.
FIRST GAME: Thursday vs. Sanger

6. Visalia-El Diamante (11-2, 6-0 WYL, lost in Div. II championship) — Stefphon Jefferson, perhaps the section's best running back in 2008, is gone, but the Miners shouldn't have a problem putting up another gaudy record, especially with a back-loaded schedule.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 at West

7. Stockdale (8-3, 5-1 SWYL, lost in Div. I quarterfinals) — In Mike Snow's second year, the Mustangs won't be able to sneak up on anyone. They won't have to, with Spencer Prince and Malik Henderson joined by Liberty transfer Nick Shannon in a backfield that will give d-coordinators fits. And that's not all: Stockdale has 14 returning starters, and 20 senior starters, in all.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 vs. East

8. Liberty (7-4, 5-1 SEYL, lost in Div. I quarterfinals) — Forget about the Patriots at your own risk; Tony Mills' team might just have the best defense in the section. If they can muster some offense and find a way to win the close ones, you have quite a darkhorse here. A note for the season opener: Liberty had CW on the ropes until a fourth-quarter comeback/collapse.
FIRST GAME: Friday at No. 1 Clovis West

9. Clovis East (9-4, 4-1 TRAC, lost in Div. I championship) — In the cutthroat business of Division I, somebody has to slip when everyone else gets better. I'm going to guess the Timberwolves get that call this year, with longtime coach Tim Murphy taking the year off, just two returning starters in an intricate offense and a 2-8 JV record a year ago. But what do I know? After a 2-2 start last year, Clovis East won seven of eight to get to the title game.
FIRST GAME: Friday vs. Atascadero

10. Oakhurst-Yosemite (8-4, 4-2 NSL, lost in Div. III semifinals) — It might be time for the Badgers to make the leap to the top of D-III, with six starters back from an offense that gave Tehachapi fits in the playoffs last year when no one else was, plus seven back on D and a 10-0 JV team. Yosemite has big dates with San Joaquin Memorial and Hanford in its first two games; after that, it could be smooth sailing until the playoffs.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 at No. 11 Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial

11. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (8-4, 5-0 NYL, lost in Div. II quarterfinals) — One of the section's surprise teams in 2008, the Panthers had a solid win over Garces plus a clean sheet in league, then, most impressively, an upset of Visalia-Redwood and a night in which it gave Edison more than it wanted before bowing out, 7-3, in the D-II quarterfinals. We'll know quickly whether SJM and its 14 returning starters is ready to take another step.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 vs. No. 10 Oakhurst-Yosemite

12. Hanford (11-2, 5-1 WYL, lost in Div. III championship) — Not that Tehachapi wasn't a deserving champion (far from it), but the Bullpups have to feel like they let one get away from them in last year's title game: They had lost just one game, in a fight to D-II finalist El Diamante, and were facing a four-loss team at home for the championship. But no dice, and now Hanford has to replace Mr. Everything Cougar Williams plus most of its stifling defense. But a second chance in the title game certainly isn't out of the question.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 vs. Porterville-Monache

13. Fresno-Edison (9-3, 3-1 CMAC, lost in Div. II semifinals) — This was last year's "it" team for much of the regular season, until a loss to Bullard and a couple of lackluster wins derailed things. The Tigers went out to El Diamante, and now have to replace a couple of Division I (college) players. Still, Tim McDonald's team will be athletic again and likely Bullard's top threat in the CMAC.
FIRST GAME: Thursday at Clovis

14. Kingsburg (11-2, 5-1 CSL, lost in Div. IV championship) — The night before Thanksgiving, I drove up in the rain to see the Vikings play Taft in the Div. IV quarterfinals. What ensued was an offensive show, even on a muddy field and in a downpour, and a 39-0 Kingsburg victory. The Vikes bring back eight starters from that offense, including quarterback Tyler Bray and top receiver Dylan Newbill. Call this your early D-IV favorite.
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 at Dos Palos

15. Centennial (3-7, 2-4 SWYL, Div. I, no playoffs) — I'll buy into the hype of junior quarterback Cody Kessler and 15 returning starters and give the Golden Hawks this spot. But they're on a short leash — that defense needs to be better or there will be a team that did more last year in the rankings instead. How's that for a challenge?
FIRST GAME: Sept. 11 at Visalia-Redwood

Dropped out (from final 2008 rankings): No. 9 Bakersfield Christian, No. 12 Corcoran, No. 15 Tehachapi
Waiting: Tehachapi, Fresno-Hoover, Porterville, Garces, Visalia-Central Valley Christian, Taft, Sanger, Frontier, Fresno-Washington Union, Chowchilla, Corcoran