By Gabe Camarillo
We are already at Week 4, over a quarter of the way through the Central Section high school football season. The rankings saw a big move in the top five, but not much else changed besides the residuals from impressive wins by Central Valley Christian, Clovis West, and Frontier.
More change should come after this week with a massive No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash between Liberty-Bakersfield and Buchanan, a Top 10 matchup between Hanford and Frontier, and an intriguing, unusual meeting between No. 6 CVC and No. 13 Clovis North. There will be one more week of the statewide heat wave delaying varsity kickoffs, and then, the fall weather will finally arrive.
Here is the updated ESPN Fresno Central Section Football Top 25 headed into Week 4, complete with a review of last week, preview of the upcoming week, and standouts for each team.
- Liberty-Bakersfield (2-0), BYE
The Patriots stand tall at No. 1 after the bye week. Senior running backs Jalen Hankins and Cameron Dangerfield are the one-two combo in the backfield. Dangerfield only played six games last season, but he has emerged this year. His patient running style and sudden acceleration have been difficult to stop.
Kresean Kizzy is the team’s most versatile weapon at wide receiver, cornerback, and punt returner. Line play has predictably been the team’s strength. The only question is, who’s the quarterback? Juniors Cole O’Brien and Jace Nixon have posted similar numbers.
- Buchanan (3-0) ⬆️ 1, W 35-21 over Foothill (Palo Cedro)
In front of Jeff Tedford and Kirby Moore, his future Fresno State coaches, quarterback Jayden Mandal completed 17 of 25 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores went to Colton O’Toole, who had a big game himself (8 catches, 115 yards).
The Bears handled the No. 1 team in the Northern Section last week. Now, they face the No. 1 team in the Central Section. The Liberty running game vs. Buchanan front seven is the battle to watch within the game. Senior linebacker Kannon Campbell recorded a whopping 20 tackles last week, and junior Logan Studt had three sacks and a forced fumble.
- San Joaquin Memorial (2-1) ⬇️ 1, L 10-7 to Queen Creek (AZ)
Memorial falls behind Buchanan after a tough loss Saturday to Queen Creek. The Panthers can move back in front if they beat the Bears in two weeks. They stay ahead of Clovis West, given the Panthers’ tougher non-conference schedule to this point.
Brandon Ramirez scored a 13-yard touchdown run with five minutes left, but Queen Creek responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass on 2nd and 10 with 57 seconds left. Memorial missed a late field goal attempt to tie it. The early-season loss could serve as motivation ahead of two big games, beginning with Garces this upcoming Saturday.
- Clovis West (3-0), W 40-14 over Lemoore
The Clovis West aerial attack is well-known. However, the defense displayed on local television against Lemoore gave the Golden Eagles overdue respect on that end. The unit went from allowing the most points in the TRAC last year to giving up the fewest among the league schools through three weeks.
Of course, Air West still shined. Earlier in the week, head coach Eric Brown told me they would not rotate quarterbacks mid-game and his word held true. Ryan Markarian played every snap and went 20-for-42 for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Marshel Sanders was the top receiver as he hauled in seven catches, 248 yards, and three scores.
- Central (2-1), W 54-41 over Turlock
It is wild to think the halftime score was 22-19 Turlock. That’s how much of a game-changer Dayton Tafoya and the Central offense was in the second half. Tafoya threw five touchdown passes, all of them after halftime, totaled 351 yards through the air, and added 73 rushing yards and a touchdown run.
On the ground, sophomore David Bell continued his strong start to the season with 109 rushing yards. Other stat stars included Ladanian Streets (7 catches, 105 yards, 2 TD) and Braylen Hall (7 catches, 139 yards, TD, and 70-yard kickoff return TD). Central is behind Clovis West because of comparative scores against their common opponent; CW beat Turlock, 48-0.
- CVC (3-0), W 34-14 over BCHS
It was a good week for Central Valley Christian, which picked up a Top 25 victory and beat its rival on the road. The Cavaliers played smashmouth football and ran the football 43 times. When the Cavs aired it out, they were usually successful; Max Bakker tossed touchdowns to tight ends Jaeden Moore and Zach Zwart. CVC has been dominant in the first three games, but they face a unique challenge in Clovis North, where strength vs. strength will meet.
- Hanford (3-0) ⬆️ 1, W 58-0 over Golden West
Cayden Muir put up numbers in two quarters that some take a full game to do – 217 passing yards and three touchdowns. We wish Muir a speedy recovery as he deals with a shoulder injury, but the Bullpups are in good hands with sophomore quarterback Daniel Gomez and the superb rushing attack of Kourdey Glass and Albert Richardson, who each ran for 116 yards. The Bullpups’ defense is their X-factor. The defense has been playing very well and their speed matches up nicely with Frontier’s spread offense.
- St. Joseph (2-0) ⬇️ 1, BYE
St. Joseph falls one spot on its bye week because of Hanford’s emphatic shutout of Golden West. There aren’t any more chances for the Knights to test themselves against the San Joaquin Valley as league play on the Central Coast starts next week. They will be somewhat of a mystery locally, but their lone result against a Valley school, a 38-7 win over Bakersfield Christian, speaks volumes of the talented squad.
- Frontier (3-0) ⬆️ 7, W 24-20 over Bullard
The Titans trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, but they came back with two touchdowns and scored their second impressive Top 25 victory in as many weeks. Those two ranked wins over Bakersfield and Bullard push them into the Top 10. However, they hit the road to face their stiffest competition yet, Hanford, which beat Bullard 41-22 by comparison, albeit with Muir at quarterback.
- Kingsburg (3-0) ⬇️ 1, W 21-14 over Dinuba
Kingsburg nearly fell to Dinuba, which would’ve been a shocking upset given the win Kingsburg had over Sunnyside the week prior. Dinuba won the clock game and took more time of possession, but Kingsburg’s explosive playmakers won out and kept the Vikings inside the Top 10. They dug out from a 14-7 hole thanks to Trace Jackson’s third 100-yard rushing game in a row and fourth quarter heroics from quarterback Ethan Winslow. Winslow found Caleb Irigoyen for the game-winning 10-yard score.
- Clovis East (3-0) ⬆️ 4, W 49-7 over Sanger
The Timberwolves sent their strongest message of the young season with a no-doubter against Sanger, a game expected to be close. Sophomore Ty Miller went 10 for 16 with 263 passing yards and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). If Harold Duvall keeps playing this way, he will demand more offers from college football programs – 6 catches, 185 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Aidan Wilson and Xavier Garcia caught the other touchdowns. The spread offense is clicking at East. The T’Wolves rocketed up the rankings as a result.
- Clovis (2-1) ⬆️ 2, W 21-3 over Whitney
The Long Beach Poly loss looks better by the week. The Jackrabbits defeated the No. 4 team in the state, and the Cougars handled business against a Top 10 team in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Defensively, Clovis has thrived. Senior defensive end Tovie Martin is getting looks from colleges, Jahlon Jimenez is coming into his own on the D-Line, and junior linebacker Noah Luginbill is disrupting the game in every way. Luginbill collected 13 tackles, an interception and tackle for loss last week.
- Clovis North (2-1), W 48-0 over El Diamante
Clovis North left no doubt at El Diamante after a close call against Redwood the week before. The Broncos jumped on the Miners early for a 35-0 halftime lead. This was the warm-up for a big opportunity for Clovis North to put themselves in the Top 10 – No. 6 CVC coming to Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday. That was the game head coach Michael Jacot hoped to have injured stars McKay Madsen and Brayden Bitter back by. (Monday morning update: Madsen played last week against El Diamante. He is good to go against CVC. Good news for the Broncos.)
- Garces (1-2) ⬇️ 3, L 35-14 to Bishop Diego
Let’s remind everyone – Garces has the toughest non-league schedule in the Central Section. The Rams fell to Central Coast power Bishop Diego with San Joaquin Memorial and San Diego Section D-I finalist Lincoln next at home. Garces will be well-prepared for its league opener hosting No. 1 Liberty at the end of the month.
The Rams run the football efficiently. David Smith rumbled for 113 yards last week and sophomore RJ Green reached 95 yards on the ground. They fall behind the TRAC schools because of their two losses, but their strength of schedule is still better than Centennial’s.
- Centennial (3-0) ⬆️ 3, W 60-14 over Independence
The Golden Hawks are swiftly making their way up the rankings after they debuted in the Top 25 last week. At 6-3 and 210 pounds, junior Jaxton Santiago lines up out wide and makes the offense go. He snagged four touchdown catches from star junior quarterback Adam Copus against Independence. Santiago has eight receiving touchdowns on the year to lead the Central Section. Centennial has Ridgeview next; the Golden Hawks could be 4-0 when they face Sanger in a couple weeks.
- Bullard (1-2) ⬇️ 4, L 24-20 to Frontier
Bullard started strong on the road but lost the lead in the fourth quarter to Frontier. However, the come-from-behind victory for the Titans could serve an important teaching moment for head coach Don Arax, who is coaching a lot of sophomores on both sides of the ball including starting quarterback Josh Madrigal. The Knights fell four spots because of the second loss. Throw out the records and rankings for their upcoming game against No. 4 Clovis West at McLane Stadium. It will be a good one.
- Lompoc (3-0) ⬆️ 2, W 62-7 over Cabrillo
The Braves emerged victorious last week behind the arm of senior quarterback Cavin Ross. You’ll read that sentence a lot this year. Ross is a backyard style of quarterback who makes something out of nothing. He threw for 284 yards and six touchdown passes against the rival Conquistadors. Lompoc is off this week before beginning league play next week. They will continue to steadily climb up these rankings if they keep winning – and if Ross keeps scoring.
- Lemoore (2-1) ⬇️ 8, L 40-14 to Clovis West
The Tigers lost their first game of the campaign to a Top 5 team in the section. They fell the furthest of any team in the rankings, but there was no reason for Lemoore to hang its head. The Tigers were competitive into the fourth quarter; Lemoore had the football and a chance to make it a one-score game with the Clovis West lead at 26-14. Another bright spot was quarterback Ty Chambers, who made plays with his feet and showed off the mobile aspect of his game. Their next opponent is Sanger, a team with a very different offensive philosophy from “Air West.”
- Bakersfield (0-2) ⬆️ 1, BYE
The Drillers took the week off but actually moved UP a spot. Why? Because of the return of Tybo Rogers. He showed in the second half against Frontier how dangerous he will be. He is, by my measure, the best running back in the state. Lately, Bakersfield has been a team that improves as the season goes on. Rogers figures to be too much for Stockdale this week, but a telling game about where the Drillers stand is next week when Clovis North comes into town.
- Washington Union (2-1) ⬆️ 1, W 35-20 over Torres
Washington Union returned to Top 20 with a bounce back win over Torres. The Panthers are such an exciting team to watch due to their ability to score at any moment. Josh Vega scored an 85-yard rushing touchdown, and William Fowler IV took the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Marquese Glynn directed the offense and scored a rushing touchdown himself. The Panthers are off this week.
- Edison (2-0) ⬆️ 4, W 54-0 over Hoover
The Tigers are knocking on the door of the Top 20. A long overdue promotion from their previous No. 25 ranking came after they beat Hoover, 54-0. This offense is among the most talented and confident in the Central Section because: 1) it’s led by cerebral senior quarterback Ya’J Vance, who tossed three touchdown passes; 2) it features dynamic youngsters like Dezjour Malone and Charles Butler and allows them to make plays in open space; and 3) there is a fun, family-like atmosphere on the Edison sideline. Something is brewing on the West Side.
- Bakersfield Christian (1-2) ⬇️ 5, L 34-14 to CVC
The Eagles fell five spots, but it’s hard to knock them down too much since their losses came against a pair of Top 10 teams. Bakersfield Christian stays ahead of Mission Prep due to the former’s head-to-head victory. A couple bright spots are linebacker Brody Herda, who recorded two tackles for loss last week, and running back Nathan Perez, who totaled 79 yards from scrimmages and a touchdown.
- Mission Prep (1-1) ⬆️ 1, W 37-0 over McLane
Mission Prep recovered from its season-opening loss at BCHS with a shutout. It was a good test for McLane, which scheduled the game with a college trip and prepared in case they are brought up from D-V in the playoffs. It served as another reminder that the Royals are likely headed to D-III. Quarterback Colby White was the focal point of the offense as he threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Drew Harrigan was a dynamo at running back. He carried the rock 11 times for 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
- Reedley (2-0) ⬇️ 2, BYE
Reedley fell two spots during the bye week due to big wins from Edison and Mission Prep, which were ranked below them. The Pirates still belong inside the Top 25, but there is a challenge coming to Reedley Friday – Coalinga, one of the top offenses in the area led by spectacular sophomore QB Noah Tasi. The Pirates’ stout defense will be put to the test.
- Mission Oak (3-0) NEW, W 28-13 over Roosevelt
Mission Oak is like Reedley and Mission Prep – a very, very good base Division IV team that will likely end up in D-III playoffs and make some noise there. New head coach Marty Martin has the Hawks off to a 3-0 start. Wide receiver/safety Kenny Jackson has played an important role in that hot start, providing playmaking at both positions. So has junior quarterback Daniel Gonzalez, who scored twice in the Roosevelt win.
Dropped out: Sanger
On the bubble: Liberty-Madera, Tulare Western, Sunnyside, Santa Ynez
