Football Semifinals – 2016

A reminder of the 2015 winners for the Valley Championship and Section Championship

  • Division 3- Hanford 42 Memorial 28 (Back to back Champions) 
    • Hanford beat Sonara 42-18 in the regional state play in game.
  • Division 2-Ridgeview 45 Lemoore 19 (Back to back Champions) 
    • Ridgeview Lost to Narbonne 35-20 in the state play in game
  • Division 1- Liberty 56 Clovis 21 (The Patriots are the Valley Champions for the 1st time) 
    • Liberty Lost to Del Oro 28-24 in the state play in game
    • Beat Bonita Vista 33-21 in the state championship game and the Bullpups are State Champions!)
  • Division 4- Chowchilla 20 Washington Union 16
    • Beat Fairfax 28-16 in the regional state game.
    • Lost to Sierra 20-15 for the state championship
  • Division 5- Immanuel 35 Mendota 20
    • Beat Bradshaw Christian 31-21 in the regional playoff game
    • Lost to Mater Dei in state championship game 56-21
  • Division 6- Kennedy 30 Avenal 14 (Back to back Champions) 
    • Lost to Saddleback Valley Christian 59-45 in the state regional playoff game

Friday Night Lights

Semifinal Final scores and notes

This week is REAL tough to pick who will be playing on Championship Friday?- Best of luck to all the teams!!

Pag Meter Prediction for the Semifinals 2016

Valley Championship Division 1

No 3 Liberty Patriots (9-4) vs No 2 Bakersfield Drillers (10-2) 

  • Final Bakersfield 44 Liberty 34
  • Pag Meter Line Bakersfield -12

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Liberty beat Clovis North 33-28

The Patriots jumped out 21-0. One of the best players in the valley Johnny Balderas began the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD. Cameron Meek scored on a 2 yard TD run, and Balderas caught a 64-yard TD pass from Isaiah Hill. Hill threw for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns. Liberty was a done deal until CN blundered  the shotgun and the ball sailed over Brent Bailey’s head ….Liberty recovers the fumble…Johnny Balderas caught a 10-yard TD pass from Isaiah Hill with 28 seconds to go and Liberty wins.

  • *Bakersfield beat Buchanan 44-14

The Drillers jumped out 21-0 and this game was over…

The Drillers used a two QB system, with junior Caden Ochoa completing 5 of 7 passes for 62 yards and rushing for 29 more and sophomore Cam Williams completing 5 of 6 for 159 yards and rushing for 61 more.

 The Scoop

  • This is a rematch from week 11 and Bakersfield won the SWYL championship 44-17. The Patriots turn the ball over way too many times and got rolled.
  • The X factor is the Patriots have to play a flawless game to beat the Drillers. Bakersfield is playing at the top of their game.
  • The pressure is on Bakersfield so Liberty should come in loose.  What can the Patriots defense do the second go around playing against the Drillers? Football is about match ups so we will see if the front 7 of the Patriots can hang around. The Drillers are a big play team and will strike at any time.  
  • This game could come down to turnovers again. Liberty is hoping that they win the turnover battle.
  • Clovis North should really be playing against Bakersfield so Liberty is playing with house money. Clovis North lost on a fluke blotched bad snap and the Pates took advantage of it. If the Drillers don’t turn the ball over and have a ton a penalties, the Drillers should roll but playing a team again is tough.  

Pag Meter Prediction Bakersfield 42 Liberty 30

Final Bakersfield 44 Liberty 34

  • Big plays by the Drillers was the big part of this game. 
  • Navonte Demison scored on a 48 yard TD run and caught 2 TD passe from Josh Maran. Maran went 14-17 for 268 yards and 3 TD’s. Justin McGill caught four passes for 139 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown
  • Pates Isaiah Hill threw for 215 yards and Sammy Stewart ran for 116 yards and a touchdown 

No 4 Clovis West Golden Eagles (8-4) at No 1 Central Grizzlies (11-1) 

  • Final Central 34 Clovis West 28 OT
  • Pag Meter Line Central -6

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Clovis West beat Clovis 42-28

Clovis had a 28-27 lead heading to the 4th quarter. Adrian Martinez scored on a 3 yard TD run,  CW pulled off a double pass…Nick Coleman hit Donovan Gonzales on a 20 yard TD and the Clovis West defense did the rest.

  • *Central beat Edison 24-19

Central had to hang on in the win. Central jumped out 21-0 in the 1st quarter with a 13-yard pass from Trent Tompkins to Malik White, Mathew Mendoza’s 30-yard fumble return and a 2-yard run by Mendoza. The final scoring came from Grizzlies kicker Tiago Paim’s who nailed a 25-yard field goal at the end of the half.

The Scoop

  • This is the rematch from week 10/for the TRAC championship and Central won 49-28. This game was close 17-14 at the half with Central leading and Central blew it open in the 2nd half.
  • The X factor in this game is the Golden Eagles Defense and what can they do to make the adjustments to slowing down QB Trent Tompkins and the Grizzlies offense? In week 10 it was bombs away from the Grizzlies offense. Last week Edison held the Grizzlies in check but the Clovis West defense is not Edison and the CW secondary is shaky. Edison defensive backs could hang with the Grizzlies WR’s but can CW DB’s do the same? Don’t think that will happen so CW has to change it up a bit if they want to win.
  • Clovis West QB Adrian Martinez is on fire and he will need a huge game for the Golden Eagles.
  • If the Clovis West defense can play better than they did in week 10 then CW can win. They didn’t. CW has to avoid the big early knock out punch by Central and keep it close heading into the 4th quarter. The loss of Grizzlies Jaylon Johnson will be affected more on the offense side of the ball than defense.  It’s hard to go against red hot Adrian Martinez and it’s hard to go against Central at home. 

Pag Meter Prediction (Mini Upset) Clovis West 33 Central 30

Final Central 34 Clovis West 28 OT

  • Pag Meter had the right spread at -6 for Central ,missed on the upset pick
  • Trent Tompkins hit Malik White on a 24 TD pass in overtime for the game winner. 
  • Tompkins threw  for 219 yards and 3 TD passes and for year Trent has thrown for  2,961 yards and 35 TD’s. Jacob Torrez, caught 6 passes, including 63 and 17 yard TD receptions. 
  • Adrian Martinez threw for 262 yards and 2 TD passes and rushed for 142 yards and scored 2 TD’s.  His 68-yard TD pass to Rodney Wright on third-and-10 tied it, 28-28, with 9:37 remaining. Wright,finished with 5 catches for 109 yards. 

Division 2 PLAYOFFS

No 7 El Diamante Miners (8-5) at No 6 Ridgeview Wolf Pack (7-5) 

  • Final Ridgeview 46 El Diamante 14
  • Pag Meter Line Ridgeview -21

*Quarterfinal results

  • *The Miners beat Garces 29-28

The Miners scored and went for the win!! Miners QB Parker Boswell scored on a 1-yard run with 33 seconds left to cut Garces lead to 28-27 and then seconds later the Miners decided to go for the win instead of overtime and Parker fired a game-winning 2-point conversion pass completion. WOW!!!  The Miners 3-headed rushing attack of Tyler Youngblood, DeVonte Freeman, and Drake Beano rushed for 180 yards on 42 carries and kept the Rams offense off the field.

  • *The Wolf Pack beat Redwood 42-21

Wolf Pack running back Jamar Moya rushed for a game-high 153 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, with two of those coming in the 4th quarter.

Senior wide receiver Jaleyn Prevost caught 5 passes for 133 yards with 3 total touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing). His 82-yard touchdown run was a huge game change 

 The Scoop

  • The X factor is the Miners game plan has to be the same again this week and pound the rock. Can the Miners defense stay with the speedy Pack? Not a chance. The Miners beat Redwood as well so if the Miners play their A game….they can pull out win. The Miners must slow the game down. The Wolf Pack head coach Dennis Manning and his staff can flat out coach. This year Wolf Pack had injuries, players quitting, everything you can think of in the middle and the staff kept it together. Great story!

Pag Meter Prediction Ridgeview 35 El Diamante 14

Final Ridgeview 46 El Diamante 14

  • The Wolf Pack took a 33-0 lead heading into the 4th quarter before they shut it down. 
  • Jamar Moya rushed for 129 yards and scored 3 TD’s including TD runs of 34, 33 and 17 yards. Alexander-Williams rushed for 136 yards and scored 2 TD’s. 

No 5 Sunnyside Wildcats (9-2) at No 1 Sanger Apaches (11-0)

  • Final Sanger 56 Sunnyside 9 
  • Pag Meter Line Sanger -21

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Sunnyside beat Tulare Union 66-55

Marcus Hawkins rushed for 153 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. He also scored a pair of 2-point conversion and threw for another. Breaun Heights had 172 receiving yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Nate Hughes threw for 367 yards.

  • *Sanger beat Dinuba 42-6

After 1 quarter of play, the score was 0-0. Maybe the Apaches started slow because they came off a bye. The Apaches woke up and scored 42 straight points. Jalen Cropper scored 3 TD’s, (26, 51 and 17 yard runs) Andrew Azua scored 2 TD’s (38 and 52 yard runs). Christian Graney scored on a 7 yard run.

 The Scoop

  • The X factor is the Wildcats defense because they just gave up 55 to Tulare Union. That won’t cut it at Tom Flores stadium.
  • The other interesting match up is the Wildcats offense that scored 66 against TU. The Apaches have the best defense in the valley. Can the Wildcats offense put up points to stay in this one? Both teams are red hot. The big difference will be the CMAC is light years better than the NYL. Yep for sure

Pag Meter Prediction Sanger 42 Sunnyside 21  

Final Sanger 56 Sunnyside 9

  • The Wildcats just found out that the CMAC is way over their heads. This was a complete miss match.
  • The game was pretty much over on the kickoff when Sunnyside fumbled and Jalen Cropper picked it up and went 20 yards for a TD. Cropper wasn’t finished, the Wildcats hit 2 short passes on the same pattern over the middle and apparently the Wildcats thought it would work for the 3rd straight time, Cropper stepped in front of it, picked it off…took it back for a 37 yard TD. Cropper also scored on 2 TD runs of 60 and 50 yards. 

Division 3 PLAYOFFS

No 5 San Joaquin Memorial (7-6) at No 1 Bakersfield Christian (11-1)

  • Final BC 41 SJM 35
  • Pag Meter Line Bakersfield Christian -3

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Memorial beat South 27-0

Demarcus Wilson’s 13-yard run in the 1st quarter. Michael Alvarez and Alec Trujillo each had touchdown runs for Memorial and Luis Pelayo kicked 2 field goals. (24 and 30 yards) and the defense played outstanding

  • *Bakersfield Christian beat Fresno High 51-21

Braden Wingle and favorite target Jeremiah Foster connected on 2 touchdowns.

Wingle was 21 of 33 passing for 368 yards — including 300 yards in the 1st half — and 3 TDs. Foster had 10 catches for 169 yards.

The Scoop

  • The X factor is the Panthers defense. It was horrible! SJM is either in every game or will get blown out because the defense gets worn down. The Eagles are just like the Panthers in a lot of player going both ways. Can the SJM defense stay with the valley’s leading passer Braden Wingle? SJM could have played with 13 players and it wouldn’t have helped. Memorial has played a much tougher schedule and SJM should win this game but it’s hard to bet on the Panthers defense. If the Panthers offense is on they will crush the Eagles defense and same goes for the Eagles offense against the Panthers D. I would not be surprised if Memorial won by 3 touchdowns.  They played a division 1/division 2 schedule. 

Pag Meter Prediction BC 37 SJM 35

Final BC 41 SJM 35

  • I can’t tell if the Eagles offense is so good or the Panthers defense flat out stinks? I’m thinking after watching the game film it’s the Panthers defense.
  • Eagles QB Braden Wingle is outstanding and threw for a career-high 487 yards and 5 touchdowns. Jeremiah Foster caught 9 passes for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

No 3 Hanford Bullpups (7-4) vs No 2 Tulare Western Mustangs (9-3)

  • Final Tulare Western 39 Hanford 16
  • Pag Meter Line Tulare Western -6

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Hanford beat Kingsburg 36-21

Jordan Perryman rushed for 144 yards, scored 2 touchdowns and caught an 82-yard TD pass from Theron Dutra.

  • *Tulare Western beat Tehachapi 9-7

The Mustangs defense came up big 3 times when the Warriors were in the red zone.

TW QB Andre Aguilar hit Keshon Butler on a 6-yard TD pass on 4th down for the game-winning score with 4:23 left and the Mustangs defense did the rest.

 The Scoop

  • Both teams come in with outstanding defenses.
  • The X factor is the TW defense and can they slow down Jordan Perryman and the defending state champs? The Bullpups offense is Perryman and it’s no secret what they want to do. The big question is…can the Mustangs answer the challenge? Hanford will do everything they can to line up Perryman in different spots and get him the ball. For TW to win this game they have to stuff Perryman. TW has many more weapons on offense and they all need to step up against a very good Bullpups defense to play on championship night. Every time you count out the Mustangs they comeback with a great game. They will need a great game to get to Championship Night. 

Pag Meter Prediction Tulare Western 27 Hanford 21

Final Tulare Western 39 Hanford 16

  • The Pag Meter might be the only one that had TW winning. TW dominated and it wasn’t even close. 347 total yards by the Mustangs and 165 yards for the Bullpups.  
  • This game set a record with the only points scored in the 2nd quarter were 3 straight safeties.
  • Josh Portillo caught a 30 yard TD pass from Andre Aguilar. Keshon Butler caught a 41 yard TD pass from Aguilar and Aguilar scored on a 15 yard TD run. Mason Bernardo had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs.

Division 4 PLAYOFFS

No 3 Chowchilla Redskins (10-1) at No 2 Golden West Blazers (10-2)

  • Final Chowchilla 26 Golden West 24
  • Pag Meter Line Chowchilla -1

*Quarterfinal results

  • *The Redskins beat Madera South 49-7

The defense forced 4 turnovers and shut down Jonah Johnson. The Redskins had 5 different guys rush for scores while racking up 337 rushing yards. Justin Cantrell (4 carries, 92 yards, 2 TDs) and Asa Shields (10-93, 1 TD) led the charge. 

  • *Golden West beat CVC 42-24

Ryan Cook rushed for 3 touchdowns and Payton Allen threw 2 touchdown passes to Ian Kelly.

The Scoop

  • This will be a battle upfront on the line of scrimmage with two wing T teams.
  • The X factor is the defensive front seven and who plays better. This will be a very good game. This game could come down to turnovers. GW has played the tougher schedule but Chowchilla is a physical team and built for this type of game. 

Pag Meter Prediction Chowchilla 34 Golden West 33

Final Chowchilla 26 Golden West 24

  • The Game of the night!!
  • On the game’s final play, Cody Woolsey passes to Damon Perry, who laterals to Ronnie Reyes before getting tackled, and Reyes carries a defender the final 5 yards of a 6-yard touchdown pass. 

No 4 Chavez Titans (9-3) at No 1 Selma Bears (12-0)

  • Final Selma 35 Chavez 3
  • Pag Meter Line Selma -24

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Chavez beat Taft 35-14

Javier Fernandez returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and the Titans never looked back. Fernandez also caught a 47-yard TD pass from Deion Perkins. Clemente Montes rushed for 195 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on 31 carries.

  • *Selma beat Wasco 55-0

Rudy Rodriguez caught 2 TD passes from Junior Rimerez and the Bears rolled at home. Jordan Dominguez (58 yards) and Tiveon Stroud (46 yards) had TD runs and this game was over by halftime.

The Scoop

  • If you compare scores. Chavez lost to Wasco 24-13 and Selma beat Wasco 55-0. You can’t go by that but it is an eye opener.
  • The X factor is the Chavez offense and can they hang with a fantastic Bears defense? Not a chance
  • The Titans are very good on defense and Chavez can’t win in a shootout. The Titans have to force turnovers to pull the upset. The Titans defense held the valley’s leading rusher Robert Cozine from Taft to 40 yards so this defense is good. The Bears are different because they can spread it out and throw it all over the yard.
  • These are two of the best defenses in the valley. The Bears offense is dangerous and very streaky and will strike at any moment.

Pag Meter Prediction Selma 34 Chavez 10   

Final Selma 25 Chavez 3

  • Tiveon Stroud scored on runs of 32 and 35 yards and Abraham Rangel and Joel Aranda came up with a pair of big defensive stops. 

Division 5 PLAYOFFS

No 10 Yosemite Badgers (9-4) at No 3 Firebaugh Eagles (11-2) 

Final Firebaugh 37 Yosemite 20

Pag Meter Line Firebaugh -7

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Yosemite beat Dos Palos 29-14

The Badgers walked into Broncos land and beat them with a huge win. QB Tristan Eames threw a TD and ran for a TD. 

  • *Firebaugh beat Bishop Union 39-28

RB Jeshua Gutierrez rushed for 250 yards and scored 2 TD’s.

The Scoop

  • The Badgers offense is very good with a senior group led by QB Tristan Eames. Eames can run it and throw it and very dangerous with the ball in his hands. He torched the Broncos defense and the Broncos defense is better than the Eagles defense.
  • The Eagles are led by junior QB Noey Garcia who is also a duel threat.
  • The X factor is the Eagles defense and can they slow down a team that just knocked off the big and physical Dos Palos Broncos?
  • For Yosemite to win again on the road they need to play physical like they did in Dos Palos. The Eagles have speed and you can’t argue that the Eagles just don’t match up with  physical teams like Mendota or Dos Palos so Yosemite has to win the battle of the line of scrimmage. The Eagles can score a ton but can they slow down the Badgers offense? If they can they will win. 

Pag Meter Firebaugh 30 Yosemite 23

Final Firebaugh 37 Yosemite 20

  • Eagles QB Noey Garcia threw for 256 yards with 4 TD passes. (Tyler Palmer, Andrew Rodriguez, Oscar Revis and Brian Lopez) 

No 4 Sierra Chieftains (7-6) at No 1 Mendota Aztecs (12-0) 

  • Final Mendota 50 Sierra 14
  • Pag Meter Line Mendota -27

*Quarterfinal results;

  • *Sierra beat Woodlake 42-27. The offensive line played outstanding and RB Shane Maldonado rushed for 196 yards and scored 3 TD’s.

  • *Mendota beat Desert 44-12- QB Junior Cardenas has now thrown for 31 touchdown passes for the years after throwing 62, 53 and 4 yard TD passes to Julian Cardenas.

The Scoop

  • The X factor is the Sierra defense and can they match up with the Aztecs offense? Sierra has played the much tougher schedule. 

Pag Meter Prediction Mendota 48 Sierra 21

Final Mendota 50 Sierra 14

  • Aztecs QB Junior Cardenas threw 4 TD passes and went 12-14 for 287 yards. Fabian Jasso had 7 catches for 181 yards. Marquez Navarro’s scored on 18 and 55 yard TD runs.

Division 6 PLAYOFFS

No 3 Kennedy Thunderbirds (6-6) vs No 2 Sierra Pacific Golden Bears (7-4)

Final Sierra Pacific 40 Kennedy 21

Pag Meter Line Sierra Pacific -7

*Quarterfinal results;

  • *Kennedy beat Cal City 42-6-The Thunderbirds defense played outstanding.
  • *Sierra Pacific beat McFarland 63-33-The Golden Bears are averaging 68 points the last 3 games.

The Scoop

  • The back to back champions vs the team that wants to be the champions for the 1st time.
  • The Thunderbirds have played a division 4 schedule and the Golden Bears are finally knocking on the door and playing great football.
  • The Birds have a 2 horse monster at RB with senior Daniel Flores (958 yards, 13 TD’s) and junior Devon Lee (1,085, 11 TD’s)
  • The G Bears attack will have at running back senior Miguel Wharton (955 yards, 15 TD’s) senior Gerod Magee (1,262, 12 TD’s) and junior Phillips Jackson (877, 14 TD’s)
  • The X factor is the Golden Bears defense. It comes in banged up a bit but the offense is healthy. This could be a shootout.

Pag Meter Prediction Sierra Pacific 40 Kennedy 33

Final Sierra Pacific 40 Kennedy 21

  • Phillips Jackson returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Miguel Wharton rushed for3 touchdowns, Will Springer threw 2 touchdown passes to Hayden Costa. 

No 4 Riverdale Cowboys (8-4) at No 1 Strathmore Spartans (12-0) 

  • Final Strathmore 26 Riverdale 20
  • Pag Meter Line Strathmore -13

*Quarterfinal results

  • *Riverdale beat Tranquility 28-6- Fernando Zarate started the Cowboys scoring with a 2 yard TD run.  Mitch Maggini threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to J.P. Sanchez. Joseph Piceno and Ethan Paasch each scored on 2nd-half touchdown runs.
  • *Strathmore beat Orange Cove 28-0-The Spartans defense is very good with another playoff shutout.  Joseph Garcia scored  3 TD’s including a 95 yard TD run and Nick Salas hit Gilbert Acevedo on a 6-yard TD pass.

The Scoop

  • The Cowboys are physical and will need to play very good defense against the Spartans running back Joseph Garcia.
  • The X factor is the Cowboys offense vs the Spartans defense. Can the Cowboys hang against a defense that comes in with 2 straight shutouts?

Pag Meter Prediction Strathmore 34 Riverdale 21

Final Strathmore 26 Riverdale 20

  • Joseph Garcia rushed for 3 touchdowns and Nick Salas threw a 24-yard go-ahead touchdown to Amando Rodriguez. 

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