A STUMBLE IN THE ROAD
Posted 10-06-03

Above: Warriors Josh Lange and Sean Finley chase down Ricky Bravo in 2nd Quarter action

Ouch.  Siegfred and Roy weren't the only ones that had trouble with Tigers this past weekend, that's for sure.  (For those that don't know, Roy Horn, 50% of the 'Siegfred and Roy' act at Las Vegas, was mauled by one of his white tigers on stage a few days ago, and remains in critical condition at the UNLV Medical Center.)

There was a lot of pain that came out of the pre-season contest finale last weekend.  It was a homecoming loss, it was defeat against an opponent that many predicted would fall to the Warriors, and it was a down-note to what will be the start of a tough league schedule for the Mountain Men this week.

In the game against Delano, probably the most telling story was the run defense, which gave up 254 yards on the ground (including 190 to Ricky Bravo) in the 20-6 loss.  Of course, getting penalized on key possessions didn't help either, especially when the yellow laundry seemed to thwart every big play that Tehachapi dished out (a 54 yard pass from AJ Barcelona to Kris Haycock, a Tanner Hutchinson 26 yard run, and a Mike Wright 48-yard kickoff return.)

Momentum was tough to get a hold of in this game, especially when the Warriors were desperate for something...anything...in trying to mount more than one score.  I mean, after all, it's not like Tehachapi didn't show up to the game...as illustrated by their first drive...The problem was...Delano wouldn't go away.

And that first drive by Tehachapi was a pretty darn good one too, with Josh Lange leading the way with 31 yards on three carries.  AJ Barcelona found the endzone to add the exclamation point at the 8:16 mark...capping an eight play drive with a six-yard touchdown run.  Extra point...no good.

That's when the spiral towards the bottom began to swirl.

The first two drives by Delano in the contest displayed their capability...69 yards on the first...and 81 on the second.

Not good...still...only 7-6 at the break...we still got a ball game.

After intermission, the backbreaker for the Warriors...more than anything...was the Tigers' star kicker Armando Flores, who accounted for two booming 44-yard field goals to seal the win, holding Tehachapi scoreless in the last two quarters.

Overall, the loss was tough.  But football isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.

Even though the Warriors may have tripped over a pot hole in their homecoming loss...the best thing they can do is get up, brush themselves off, and get ready for the games that count.

With players that know what it's like to be on the winning track, there is high probability in Warrior-land...and the rest of the league...that the Warriors will do just that.

 Player of the game honors go out to a couple of players this week, the first one on offense to Tanner Hutchinson, and the second to defensive end Matt Munoz

Hutchinson was a player that never backed down from start to finish in the Delano game even though the offense had trouble getting rolling.  Tanner was subject to a few licks on the gridiron as well, but played tough to account for 119 yards on 12 carries, bringing his season totals to 511 yards and a 7.3 yards-per-carry average.  Hutch has been the workhorse all year, and even though the Warriors lost, his accolades halfway through the regular season are to be commended...and a bright spot for the team if the reliable #21 can continue the effort from week-to-week.

The other honoree, Matt Munoz, registered five tackles, a sack, and three pressures to help limit Delano's TD scoring capability.  The Warrior defense, even though giving up 20 or more points for the second straight week, held steadfast to the constant pressure put on by Ricky Bravo and the potent Delano offense.  For Tehachapi to fair well in league, players like Matt will be needed to provide the presence on the outside corners so SSL backs like Taft's Daniel Kerr, Shafter's James Zrofsky, and Garces's Braxton Tarver can't break out long runs on the outside.

Pictures will be taken of both of you at a home game down the road, congratulations!

Matt Munoz (#1), Tanner Hutchinson (#21)
WEEKLY WARRIOR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Other players that turned in solid performances included Anthony Scott and Sean Finley with six tackles and two pressures, Mike Faulkner with five tackles, a sack, and two pressures, Josh Lange with five tackles, David Gonzalez and Zack Harris with four tackles, Jeremy Clark with three tackles and a sack, and Kris Haycock and Vincent Flores with three tackles.

On offense, Lange led all fullbacks with 71 yards on nine carries, while Clark had 52 yards on seven carries.  AJ Barcelona completed four passes for 58 yards and a running score.

Above: Misc Photos from the Homecoming Game with Delano

	Warrior fans....I had PC trouble this week, accounting for the lack of pictures in this weekly warrior.  But, take heart, I do have a few to share.  Please come back to this site on Thursday or Friday...I should have some pictures loaded on the action against Delano then...
	Ok...in all reality, if there was one team that Tehachapi didn't want to face after a tough loss to Delano, it would have to be Taft. Another would be Garces. Both wishes granted...this week they get Wasco. Some may look at Wasco's record and see a team that isn't strong this year, but Tehachapi doesn't have the luxury of taking this week likely, especially after squeaking through a 2-3 pre-season campaign. This series has been known to produced some very interesting games, a notable one coming in 1995, when the Warriors offense could not get the ball rolling at all in a 2-0 loss. Yep, that's right, 2-0. Wasco, much like in the '95 game, will not look to lay down....no....not by any stretch of the imagination. Keep in mind Warrior fans, Wasco may be 1-4, but like the Warriors, they are 0-0 in league as of 7pm Friday night.  And with a group of talented offensive players at their disposal, it's not out of reach that the will give Tehachapi a game, and stake a claim at a league opening victory. Wasco features probably the one of the most talented wide receivers (next to Taft's Aaron Harlan) in the SSL in Chris Ballard.  Ballard was the second go-to-guy last year for Wasco, and is stepping up for last-year senior Tony Ruiz, who had 309 yards receiving and 3 TD's a year ago. Also gone for Wasco is Simon Loewen, who threw for 515 yards and five scores in 2002, and runningback Fred Island, who had 1,046 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, good for sixth in the county. All last year...it's a good thing too, considering the Warriors desperately need a win this week to get to 3-3. So far in 2003, things looked up for the Tigers in a 46-0 win over McFarland, but led by Senior QB Rich Garcia, it's been all messy from there...with losses to Burroughs 58-0, Coalinga 49-6, Lindsay 35-2, and Granite-Hills Porterville 45-0. In fact, the losses have been so bad, Wasco head coach Joey Mayo may elect to start sophomore QB Zach Johnson against Tehachapi this week, after Johnson received considerable playing time against Granite Hills a week ago. Against like-opponents, Wasco's Sal Sanchez had 42 yards on 18 carries against Burroughs, while Chris Ballard caught five passes for 16 yards in the 58-0 drubbing in week 2...and Tehachapi will need to stay focused to neutralize these two threats. On offense, Tehachapi will need to try and get by a front line that features returning defensive front linemen Cory Hood, Corey Lewis, and Rudy Ballardo.  Frank Andrarde and Orlando Landois will also look to create havoc for the wing-t offense this week in both team's league debut. All in all, starting league 1-0 would have a nice ring to it for Tehachapi, especially with teams on the horizon that will look to chomp into Tehachapi's loss column to add to the three current defeats.  Wasco should show Tehachapi's bounce-back ability, and all Warrior fans hope it will be a successful one after the lights come on on Friday.
	Arvin played East tough last week in their 38-27 loss, and look to be vastly improving as the weeks wear on.  In other SSL action, South edged Shafter 17-14, Garces shocked the Sequoia ranks with a 7-7 tie over #1 Dos Palos, and Taft solidified their claim for respect with a 29-13 win over Coalinga.

	Other notable games showed Ridgeview playing tough against Yosemite in their 44-26 loss, Dinuba ousted Kerman 16-10, Parlier upset Selma 30-12, and Washington Union moved to 5-0 with a 21-14 win over Porterville. Notable match-ups in week 5 San Joaquin Memorial @ Selma Kerman @ Washington Union Garces @ Taft
	There are a few former Warriors on the Antelope Valley College roster this year that should have some Warrior fans flocking to the Lancaster desert in 2003.  Former standout Mountain Men Bobby Unger (class of '01) and Keith Noonan (class of '00) are incoming freshmen for the Marauders, while Jared Romo (class of '01) and Matt Bramen (class of '99) are back for action as sophomores. AVC Coach Brent Carder is very high on all Tehachapi players, calling them "some of the most disciplined players I've coached."  On Unger, Carder told the Los Angeles Daily News that "he plays with intensity, and practices the same way." Romo has solidified the starting job so far in the Marauder's young season, ousting 2001 Desert High standout Justin Dion for the first team snaps in AVC's games.  Romo had a brief stint in '02 at AVC, earning the starting nod against Santa Barbara, rushing for 29 yards and completing 9 passes for 90 yards before his season ended abruptly in that same game with a broken collar bone. In 2003, Romo has had a career-best game so far against Reedley College, passing for 199 yards on 12-20 passing and two touchdowns.  This season, Romo has led the Marauders to a 1-2 record on 390 yards passing on 24 completions, 64 yards rushing, and three total touchdowns.  Former Warriors' Conner Morris and Dustin McBride (both class of '01) finished their Junior College eligibility in 2002 with AVC.
	Since we're on the subject, another Warrior standout is also playing junior college ball at Citrus, Joe Kapturkiewicz (class of '00).  Kapturkiewicz was an All-Western State Conference Honorable Mention at Tight End in 2002, with his season highlight a winning overtime touchdown catch over the Bakersfield College Renegades to help his Owls' win that game, 24-23.Citrus is off to a 3-0 start in '03, with victories over Riverside, Victor Valley, and LA Harbor. At Riverside College, Willie Greenan (class of '02) is playing wide receiver for the Tigers in his first year at the program.  Riverside is currently 0-4 on the year, with losses to Grossmont, Cerritos, Long Beach City, and Citrus.  And of course, you still can't forget about Chris Denman, who is playing D-1 ball at Fresno State.  Please let me know if you know of any other Tehachapi players that are playing college ball...I'll be sure to mention them in a weekly warrior down the road...