40+ FOR THE MOUNTAIN MEN AGAIN
Posted 09-27-03

Above:  The Warrior defense takes down Tulare tailback Fernando Sun in first -half action.

Was it just me, or did this game look a lot like the Burroughs contest a few weeks ago...only backwards?  With a first half surge to 35-0...and then fending off a 24-0 run by Tulare Union...I think we all know the anxiety the Burros felt against the Warriors in week 1.

All in all, Tehachapi played very well, particularly when they needed to, putting the game away with 2:12 left in the contest when Tanner Hutchinson ran in his third touchdown on the night with a fourth-and-goal scoring jaunt, putting the Warriors up thirty-five-zip.

And you really have to give credit to the defense, particularly in the first quarter, racking up negative 22 yards rushing with all those punt blocks.  In fact, three of the Redskins first five series were punt denials.

After having a similar-like outcome in the game against Foothill in week 2, one might dare to say that punt blocks may be the Tehachapi's special teams forte.

Nothing wrong with that, right Warrior fans?

Senior Mike Wright got the special teams party started with 3:29 left in the first quarter, blocking the Tulare Union pooch try with a jab in the backfield that sent the pigskin rolling to the one yard line.  Next play, #21 touchdown.

Just like they drew it up.

The next punt block, at the 2:29 mark of the first quarter, proved to be even more costly for Tulare, when Matt Munoz got in the backfield to deny the kick, and Matt Patience scampering 17 yards to tack on another score.

Ouch.  Two already.  Not done though.

To further frustrate the home crowd, Dan Haycock decided that two wasn't enough, thwarting the fifth Redskin possession of the quarter on a block with 0:13 left to help put Tehachapi in the driver's seat to score again at the Tulare 32-yard line.

"We played well the first half, but you always have room for improvement," said Warrior Josh Lange.  "The second half with their short passing helped them get back in it, but overall we're happy to get another win...but we have some things to work on before next weeks' game."

Tehachapi's defense, which racked up four sacks all-together and two interceptions (both by safety Zach Harris), did not play bad.  However, Emmanuel Lewis did have more time than the defensive frontline wanted to give the shifty QB, allowing the sophomore to pass for 329 yards on 18 completions and three touchdowns.

In retrospect however, Tehachapi made sure that Tulare only had the opportunity to beat them in the air, focusing in on Fernando Sun, avenging his 198 yards in 2002 by limiting him to 10 carries for negative 3 yards.

"We came out flat in the second half," said Tehachapi defensive standout Anthony Scott. "We shut down their running game pretty well, but they beat us on some big plays in the (second period).  We just need to continue to work hard and make sure that we step up the defensive pressure (in our future games)."

Overall in the contest, Anthony Scott and Josh Lange proved to be the biggest headache for the Tulare offense, helping to contribute to the 13 yards total on the ground and 93 total yards in the first half.  Scott seemed to be everywhere on the field, posting eight tackles, five pressures, a sack, and a fumble recovery to help seal the win for Tehachapi.  Scott's fumble recovery was a key part of his contribution for the night, helping to end a drive with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter where the Redskins were driving, down only 35-24.  The momentum shift proved to be detrimental for Tulare, with Tehachapi taking the ball down 43-yards in eight plays, capping it off with an 11-yard Hutchinson score at 5:37 left in the game.

Lange's additions were just as important, with the defensive leader amassing five tackles, four pressures, three pass deflections, and a fumble recovery of his own.  The most vested Warrior on the team was a sturdy force at his linebacker position, never allowing Sun or the Tulare ground game to get started, while starting a ground assault for the Warriors', getting 88 yards on 11 carries at his fullback position on offense.

For both players accomplishments, they have been selected as week 4 players of the week, congrats guys....

Anthony Scott (#55), Josh Lange (#5)
WEEKLY WARRIOR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Other players that turned in solid performances included the always reliable, 2002 Co-WeeklyWarrior MVP Hutchinson, who had 116 yards on 21 carries and four touchdowns, and AJ Barcelona, who had 5-9 passing for 68 yards, including a 29-yard pass-and-catch to Kris Haycock.

On defense, Jeremy Clark had four tackles, Matt Patience had four tackles and two pass deflections, Kris Haycock logged in three tackles, and Sean Finley had three tackles, two pressures, and a sack.  Matt Munoz also chipped in with four tackles, three pressures, and a punt block, Mike Wright had three tackles and a punt block, while Vincent Flores two tackles and two pressures. 

Above:  Action against the Tulare Union Redskins

For the Warriors, the going was tough to start the season, then it got a little easier, with two 40-point scoring nights against Tulare and Foothill. For Tehachapi's homecoming match-up with Delano in week 5, the tough might be starting to rear its ugly head again, especially when Delano will be foaming at the mouth to beat Tehachapi deep in the passing game. The Tigers may have suffered week two, three, and four losses to Dos Palos (25-20), Hanford West (29-26), and Highland (35-12) to bring them in to their game with Tehachapi with a 1-3 record, but losing to two outstanding programs in DP and HW is nothing to frown upon, especially when they were nail-biters when the final tally was documented on the scoreboard. And when you consider that Delano lost a heartbreaker in the final minutes to Tehachapi last year 15-6, the Tigers will undoubtedly hope to inflict some payback in their fifth game of the season. "Delano was tough last year, we know that they have some juniors that are really good receivers this year," said Anthony Scott.  "Our goal this week is to try and make them one-dimensional, try to shut down their running game, and try get our offense going." Losing Kern County's 12th leading rusher in 2002 in Matt Aquino (931 yards rushing in '02) was presumed to be a big loss for Delano heading into the fall of 2003, but with a very talented junior varsity team and key transfers, the Tigers have feel they've filled their gaps to contend for an East Yosemite League Title, with Granite Hills - Porterville seemingly the only team standing in their way of taking the crown. This season, the brunt of the damage coming so far for Delano in weeks 1-through-4 has come from McFarland transfer Ricky Bravo, who has amassed 394 yards on 50 carries and two scores rushing coming into their pre-season finale, while also hauling in a nice 66-yard catch for a TD in the week 1 win over Lemoore.  In 2002 with the Cougars, Bravo carried the ball 74 times for 296 yards and two touchdowns to lead all McFarland runners. Ricky is by no means a one man show however, with returning kicker/placekicker Armando Flores posting eight catches for 192 yards and a score, with the passes coming from talented 2002 junior varsity standout Michael Chavez, who so far has fit in nicely from the departure of last year's senior QB AJ Gonzalez.  In fact, Chavez already has passed for 94 more yards than Gonzalez passed for all of last season, with 263 yards overall and three TDs.  In the game against Highland, Chavez did not take any snaps, giving way to Randy Camat at QB, who had 119 yards passing on eight completions.  It is unknown on the status of Chavez in week 5, but to be safe, Tehachapi better be ready for both very capable passers. "Getting two wins in a row is great, but this week we need to get back down to basics and not let our guard down at any point in the game," said Josh Lange. Up front, the Tiger line will try to out-beef the Warrior defense with returning linemen Alejandro Lopez, Humberto Martinez, and junior standouts Noe Enriquez and Fred Valov.  In the skilled positions, Bravo will be coupled with a pair of Lucas's to help share the offensive load against the Warriors, with Senior Terrance Lucas at runningback and Junior Ahearn Lucas at wideout, along with returning senior Angel Villalobos, who had five carries for 49 yards in the five-point loss to Dos Palos, including a 29-yard TD. Defensively, Isreal Chavez helps bolster a secondary that includes juniors Scott Perigo, Randy Camat, and Rob Quinones, and a mature linebacker core that is led by Gabriel Luna and Richard Moreno.  The Tiger defense has allowed 64 points so far in 2003, but with experience from the Tehachapi Wing-T from last year, they will look to limit the big-play potential and grind out the clock for another close contest in the final minutes. For the Warriors, the hope will be to continue their offensive production from their last two games, and get their homecoming in-game festivities off to a good start with capitalizing on scoring opportunities.  Another 329 yard passing performance by a Warrior opponent could spell disaster on the scoreboard, especially with a good top-to-bottom team like Delano. The Tigers have brushed up on their defense on the Wing-T in their game against Highland in week 4, so essentially the two weeks of practice against the misdirection offense will be a bonus for Delano. If all goes well, hopefully the Warriors' mountain-wing will show a few different wrinkles for the Tigers to chew on during the homecoming game. Above:  Last year's action verses Delano, Tehachapi won the 2002 contest, 15-6.

Not football related, but probably some of you were able to check out Cooper Campbell on the Fox show "Performing As..." these past couple of weeks.  Getting some exposure on the show were some of Cooper's old stomping grounds (Tehachapi), with some nice screenshots of notable downtown landmarks like Kelcy's Restaurant.  For those that may not know, Cooper is the younger brother of Kris Campbell, who was the Warriors quarterback during the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

In SSL action, Shafter played tough against Washington Union for the first three quarters in the game, but let the Panther attack got the best of them in the closing minutes of the game in a 32-14 loss.  Wasco continues to reel, losing 35-2 to Lindsay, while Arvin turned back Ridgeview with a 35-15 win on a three-touchdown fourth quarter.  Taft is looking more and more like the team to beat in the SSL, with a 42-0 thrashing over Porterville.  Garces had a big win on Saturday in Lancaster, upending southern-section ranked Paraclete 39-20 to bring their record to 2-2.

In other sequoia action, Yosemite had a very impressive win against previously-unbeaten Kerman in week 4 with a 42-14 win, while Selma showed that they might be ready to give the Badgers a battle in the Central Sequoia League, logging a 44-24 victory over Dinuba.  Coalinga improved their record to 3-1 with a 33-6 win over 0-4 Corcoran, while Dos Palos continued their onslaught over the Sac-Joaquin league, defeating Hilmar 17-7. Notable match-ups in week 5 Coalinga @ Taft Dos Palos @ Garces Arvin @ East Kerman @ Dinuba