Down to the final 2 games
Monache plays tonight in Tulare
It’s rivalry week…almost.
One week away from one of the most important games on some teams’ schedule and two weeks away from the postseason, the 10th week of the football season is inching closer to excitement that’s been building all season.
The playoff picture remains the same, with Division IV Porterville and Monache as well as Div. VI Strathmore all
qualified for their respective CIF Central Section championship tournaments, while Div. VI Granite Hills and Div. V Lindsay still need
one more win to qualify for playoffs.
The Panthers and Marauders are two of the top three teams in Div. IV, making their Granite
Bowl next week the talk of the town. But until then, the two are focused on their secondto-last EYL games this week, with Monache traveling to Tulare for a game against Div. II Tulare Western and Porterville on the road Friday against Delano.
Friday in the ESL, Strathmore travels to Porterville to face Granite Hills while Lindsay hosts Div. VI Sierra Pacific.
Monache (6-2, 2-1 EYL) vs. Tulare Western (8-0, 3-0 EYL) at Bob Mathias Stadium, 7 p.m. Thursday Monache has their work cut out for them
when they face off with Tulare Western. The Mustangs are well known for their run game, with one of the best rushers in the Valley and state in Tairyn Johnson. Johnson averages 175.8 yards a game and has already racked up 1,406 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground this season.
The Marauders defensive line has played solid all season, but limiting Johnson will be a big test for them. The Mustangs don't have much of a passing game, with Elijah Burrell completing 40 of 77 passes with six interceptions for 619 yards and eight touchdowns. But when given the chance Burrell will run the ball.
Monache's top running back, Aidan Galvan is the No. 7 rusher in the Valley with 1,173 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He's been stellar on offense and defense as well as a defensive back, with three interceptions and one interception returned for a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Along with Galvan in the backfield, senior quarterback Antonio Andrade and the Marauders' receivers also provide an offensive boost, with Andrade throwing for 969 yards and six touchdowns on 85 of 169 completions with four interceptions. Tulare Western has posted shutouts in two of their three EYL wins, except for a 50-26 win over Porterville (6-2, 1-2 EYL) and all three of the Panthers touchdowns were receiving touchdowns.
Porterville (6-2, 1-2 EYL) at Delano (3-5, 0-3 EYL) , 7 p.m.
After back-to-back losses against not only the top two teams in the league but also in Div. II, Porterville looks to regain their footing against Delano and keep the Tigers from picking up their first EYL win against them. Both the Panthers and Tigers are coming off losses, with Porterville losing 49-0 to Div. II Tulare Union (80, 3-0 EYL) and Div. IV Delano losing 37-13 to Monache (6-2, 2-1 EYL).
The Panthers weren't given many opportunities against the Tribe, but they should have a big game against the Tigers. Sophomore quarterback Hector Nava Jr. has played well for Porterville and is on pace to break 2,000 passing yards against Delano. The young star has thrown for 1,946 yards and 18 touchdowns on 117 of 212 completions with 10 interceptions through eight games, but was limited to about 30 yards against the Tribe.
A balanced offense still remains Porterville's biggest strength, with Nava in the pocket and freshman Isaiah Ellis (238 yards, two touchdowns) and senior Demario Ennis (197 yards, one touchdown) helping the team out on the ground. Nava (280 yards, two touchdowns) is also one of the team's top rushers.
Delano hasn't had much luck in the EYL, with their loss to Monache being their closest in league. However, the Tigers did surprise the Marauders some by switching from starting senior quarterback Fernie Ferrell to junior Aaron Chavez, who threw the ball better.
Strathmore (7-1, 3-1 ESL) at Granite Hills (26, 2-2 ESL), 7:15 p.m.
The last time Granite Hills and Strathmore squared off, it was a meeting of the top two teams in Div. VI, with the No. 1 Spartans beating the No. 2 Grizzlies 40-9 at Spartan Stadium en route to a CIF State championship.
And while neither team is the same as last season, Strathmore is still a top team in Div. VI with one of the better run games in the ESL, with the team averaging 8.7 yards a carry. Running back Alonso Acevedo has been hard to slow down this season with 891 yards and 20 touchdowns on 82 carries. The senior averages 127.3 yards a game while right behind him freshman Carlos Moreno (499 yards, six touchdowns) and junior Christian Onsurez (280 yards, three touchdowns) have also produced big games for the Spartans.
The Grizzlies split their offense mostly between two running backs, senior Jason Alvarez (546 yards, seven touchdowns) and junior Roman Valles (417 yards, two touchdowns), who have been productive but not consistent. Senior Domingo Colon made some noise in last week's 29-27 loss to Sierra Pacific with 92 yards and a touchdown on six carries with no fumbles, which is huge since Granite Hills has 18 fumbles on the season.
Turnovers have been a problem for the Grizzlies all season with junior David Ramirez accounting for six of the team's fumbles and nine of the team's 12 interceptions. On the other hand, the Spartans have just two fumbles and two interceptions on the season while picking quarterbacks off 14 times and returning two interceptions for touchdowns.
Granite Hills needs a win to qualify for playoffs, but getting one against Strathmore won't be easy. Outside of their loss to Div. V Woodlake (7-1, 4-0 ESL), the Spartans have blown out opponents in nearly every game, including a 56-14 win over Corcoran (5-4, 2-3 ESL).
Sierra Pacific (4-4, 2-2 ESL) at Lindsay (4-3, 2-2 ESL), 7:15 p.m.
Lindsay picked up a much-needed win last Friday, with a 6118 blowout of Div. VI Farmersville (0-9, 0-5 ESL). The Div. V Cardinals was spread out with seven different players scoring, including junior Mario Diaz returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Junior quarterback Ethan Natera also had his second best game of the season, going 10 of 16 for 230 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. He also rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns on three carries.
It was a big but expected win for Lindsay, with the Cardinals heading into an almost must-win situation with Sierra Pacific, who barely escaped last week with a 29-27 win over Granite Hills (2-6, 2-2 ESL). The Golden Bears didn't have much of a run game against the Grizzlies, but quarterback Chad Leslie threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 28 attempts. Gavin Gamble was Leslie's main target with 120 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions as well as one rushing touchdown.
In ESL play, Lindsay has scored a total of 124 points but given up 123. The Cardinals recently blew a 35-27 lead in the fourth quarter to a Corcoran (5-4, 2-3 ESL) team that plays similarly to Sierra Pacific with a balanced run and pass offense.
All stats and rankings provided by Maxpreps. com