RAMS SET TO BRING FIREPOWER   Garces will have a strong utility Friday night on offense

GOOD NEWS...BAD NEWS - The good news...Tehachapi will have Garces at home for the second straight year.  The bad...most of their strong speed backfield will be returning.  Above is wingback Tommy Barron as a sophomore for the Garces Rams.  Barron is expected to have a strong season this year after rushing for over 863 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons for the varsity team.

Posted 08-20-06

TEHACHAPI NEWS - The only their more bizarre about playing the first game in the prep football season in August is having that opponent be Garces. 

In season’s past, a date against the Rams has predominantly been a final regular-season game often deciding the victor of a league title.

Because the game is so early in the year the contest may feel like a scrimmage, but when the whistle blows for the opening kickoff this Friday night it will be anything but. Tehachapi and Garces will be clashing at Coy Burnett Stadium, and in the end, the score will count.

Both teams come into the contest with the season series even at a record of 15-15-2 in 32 games played dating all the way back to 1946. On paper, Garces looks to be poised to take the series lead with speed as their primary marker.

With two of the best runningbacks in the southern valley returning in Xavier Tavorn and Tommy Barron, things potentially could get out of hand early if Tehachapi fails to wrap up these two dynamos at the line of scrimmage.

Barron is a relative unknown to varsity football stardom, but anyone that has seen this multi-gear back play in the underclassmen level knows what he brings to the table on game day. Barron is expected to have a breakout year this season after finishing his junior campaign scoring six touchdowns overall (three rushing and three receiving), including a season-best 72 yards rushing against the Warriors last year on homecoming.

While dealing with Barron on sweeps will be difficult, even more deterring will be trying to gain interior control over Tavorn, who had a team-best 757 yards rushing and 17 total touchdowns last year. Expect this Garces workhorse to get the ball early and often this Friday night. Mountain Football’s answer to Tavorn’s up-the-gut plunges and off-tackle surges will be a good indicator of what kind of night the Warrior defense may have.

At quarterback, the Warriors will receive some reprieve from last season with the graduation of Brenden Barkate, who almost single handedly won the game last season for Garces over Tehachapi with his QB-option bootleg runs. Replacing Barkate might be a player just as effective though, with last season runningback Steven McDermott assuming his role behind center after quarterbacking the Rambler programs his freshmen and sophomore years.

McDermott is an explosive player in the Ram arsenal, and Tehachapi has felt the pinch from his athleticism in 2005, with the shifty back catching three passes for 50 yards last season against the Warriors, logging in 584 yards overall rushing/receiving in all games played.

At wide receiver, Garces has lost Division I scholarship recipient Brett Willis to graduation, but is optimistic that McDermott can find Kevin Kobliska and Kevin Inman in the flat. Kobliska played exclusively on defense last year, and Inman is the brother of Stanford-bound Jeff Inman, who was an ace-pitcher for the Rams last season in baseball.

On the line of scrimmage, Garces has high expectations from returning starters Oliver Sill, Tommy Haupt, and Chris Boyer to pave holes for their talented utility.

This game against Garces will be an important one on many levels. Not only will the overall series lead be on the line in this epic this rivalry, the game itself will play a pivotal role in CIF playoff implications.

While the season may be a marathon, the victor this Friday night should have an early push on a favorable seed in the playoff bracket (Division III). The winner of this week’s contest can stake a claim on a higher seed justification when the November committee formulates their decision at the conclusion of the regular season.

You can’t ask for a better opening round battle to start the season than Tehachapi against Garces.

With so much on the line, it will undoubtedly make the game all that much more special.

Hit and Fly!

MOUNTAIN MEDIA VIDEO Game-By-Game Video Highlights

	FOOTHILL v. TEHACHAPI SCRIMMAGE - Tehachapi gained 206 yards on four series last Friday afternoon, scoring twice in a scrimmage against the Foothill Trojans. Most of Tehachapi’s yardage came in their first series, where Gabe Bressler had runs of 48 and 32 yards to lead the Tehachapi offense. Bressler’s 48 yard run can on the Warriors fourth play, with the senior back taking a carry up the middle and outracing the Trojan secondary. “We tried to do a lot of different things in this scrimmage to change it up,” said head coach Steve Denman. “We’ll need to break down the film this week, but overall we had some ball carriers that did well and both our quarterbacks had a strong game, with Levi running and Ehren passing.” Junior Ehren Ochsenrider led Tehachapi with 61 yards passing, 51 of those yards going to Steffan Bekker, who scored on a 26 yard touchdown catch and run on Tehachapi’s third series. On defense AJ Meza and Jeff Waldram led the Tehachapi defense with three tackles apiece, while Josh Carmichael had a key fumble recovery in the red zone to thwart a Foothill drive and an interception. Josh Schulgen also had a touchdown-saving tackle in Tehachapi’s third series on defense when a Foothill back broke into the open field. After three-straight weeks of two-a-day practices, Tehachapi is looking forward to getting started in the school year and their first game against Garces. “We’re looking forward to getting into a routine this week with practice and getting ready for Garces,” Denman said. “Our opponent this week does not make a lot of mistakes and we’ll need to come into it playing hard-nosed football.”
	If you get a chance check out (or even contribute) to the thswarriors.com open forum!  There's a great recent story by Sal Murguia, a former All-SSL defensive back that was the '92 team MVP and honoree for the thswarriors.com All-90's first team squad.
	The Tehachapi Warriors Booster Club has RESERVED green seats on the 50 yard line.  Current green seat holders have the option to keep or relinquish their seats. Open green seats for the 2006-2007 football season will be sold in the form of a lottery.  You must be a 2006-2007 booster member to purchase green seats and be present at the lottery.  Green seats are sold for $10 per seat.  For more information please call Lisa Lopez at 822-9788.
	Tehachapi and Garces are tied 15-15-2 in 32 games played.  For a brief history of each of the games that the Warriors and Rams have played each other, click here.  You can also view 2005 Weekly Warrior analysis and 2005 game stats of the last meeting between these two teams.
	Be sure to tune in frequently to get the latest new, highlights, and commentary!  Be sure to check out the Central Valley Sports chat room forum at some point this year...and don't forget to follow statistical highlights on all Warrior sports on maxpreps.  On maxpreps, a link to each Tehachapi sport can be found by scrolling on the left-hand side of the page.  Thanks to all of you for logging in and supporting Tehachapi High School Warrior athletics!  Keep loging on to this page throughout the season for highlights and commentary!

Questions?  Concerns?  Corrections?  Send Tom Shea an email, he'd like to hear from you.