1965 Warriors
Front row, left to right, Gilbert Parks, Bill Cox, Ron Brothwell, Monty Faulkner, Mike Wells, Leonard Sanchez, Dave Sneed,
Jim Herrera, Martin Bidabe, Glenn Ochsner, Bill Leiva, back row, manager Jerry Gassaway, Pat Wilson, Daniel Popejoy, Brad Scott,
Mark Clayton, Jim Blair, John Bradley, Frank Valenzuela, Tim Sanders, Elliot Williams, Pete Hernandez, Don Mitchell,
Sonny Riley, Steve Thompson, Donny Jackson, Jack Iriart, Ron Austin, and Fred Schmidt.
The Desert-Inyo League expanded to ten teams in 1965 as newcomers Rosamond and Paraclete (Lancaster) joined the league. Trona won the league championship finishing at 8-0-1, then advanced to the CIF small schools championship game, losing to Needles, 45-20. Warriors Finish at 5-3-1 in DIL Play
Jim Herrera Named Team MVP
The Warriors finished the season with a 5-3-1 league record. Tehachapi's offense was led by junior quarterback Tim Sanders, running backs Don Mitchell and David Sneed, and wide receiver Jim Herrera. The 1965 saeason got off to a rough start when starting QB Glen Ochsner and stellar lineman Martin Bidabe went down with season ending injuries.
Through the first four weeks of the season, the Warriors were in the race for the league title with a 3-0-1 record, primarily behind the powerful running of Mitchell.
Week 5 was a disaster however, as Mitchell was injured early in the game against rival Bishop and the Broncos went on to blank the Warriors, 31-0. It was the sixth straight time the Warriors had lost to the Broncos, and the ninth time in ten years.
Week 6 put the "nail in the coffin" as the Warriors dropped a heartbreaker at home to the Lone Pine Golden Eagles, 12 to 7. PAt Riley scored the lone Warrior TD.
The Warriors then crushed Paraclete and Kern Valley, and actually had a shot at the playoffs as the second place team going into the final week of play.
But life in The Pit against a good team proved to be too much for the Warriors as Trona stopped the Warriors, 14-0. The Warrior offense never got untracked in the sand and were held to less than 100 yards in total offense.
For the season, Mitchell was the workhorse on offense collecting close to 850 rushing yards and scoring 12 TD's. QB Sanders connected on 30 of 60 passes for 436 passing yards, and Herrera caught 13 passes for 223 yards, including two TD receptions.
Herrera and Mitchell earned 1st team all-league honors. QB Sanders was selected on the Honorable Mention team. Herrera was also selected as the Most Valuable Player of the team by the coaching staff.
Click Here For |
| OPPONENT | THS | OPP | L | GAME HIGHLIGHT | |
| Sep 25 | Mojave | 34 | 06 | H | Don Mitchell: 2 TD's, 88 yds. rushing |
| Oct 1 | Boron | 07 | 07 | A | Don Mitchell: 1 TD, 111 yds. rushing |
| Oct 9 | Desert (Edwards AFB) | 13 | 07 | H | Don Mitchell: 2 TD's, 110 yds. rushing |
| Oct 16 | Rosamond | 21 | 07 | H | Don Mitchell: 3 TD's, 133 yds. rushing |
| Oct 22 | Bishop | 00 | 31 | A | |
| Oct 30 | Lone Pine | 07 | 12 | H | Pat Riley: 1 TD rushing |
| Nov 5 | Paraclete (Lancaster) | 64 | 06 | A | Don Mitchell: 3 TD's |
| Nov 12 | Kern Valley (Lake Isabella) | 33 | 07 | H | Don Mitchell: 1 TD, 156 yds. rushing |
| Nov 19 | Trona | 00 | 14 | A |
