Full Slate

All Orange Belt teams in action this week

It will be a full slate of football games this week when all five Orange Belt football teams take the field.

Porterville will host Golden Valley tonight while Monache will go to Golden West, Strathmore will travel to Caruthers, Granite Hills will play at Orosi and Lindsay will host Exeter all on Friday.

PORTERVILLE (1-0) VS GOLDEN VALLEY (0-0), 7:30 P.M. TODAY, RANKIN STADIUM

The Panthers were supposed to play last week at Roosevelt but the game was canceled when a Panther player test positive for COVID-19. This week was originally the Panthers’ bye week but PHS is cleared to play and picked up the game with Golden Valley.

Golden Valley is playing its first game of the season after having its first two games canceled but went 4-1 in the spring.

“They had lots of success in the last couple of years with their new coach. They were able to play in spring. They went 4-1,” PHS coach Keith Thompson said.

The team health wise is good, Thompson added.

STRATHMORE (2-0) AT CARUTHERS (0-2), 7:15 P.M. FRIDAY

Star running back Carlos Moreno isn’t expected to return to until next week when Strathmore hosts Monache.

“They are very talented’l said Strathmore head coach Jeromy Blackwell about Caruthers.

Last time when they faced each other was when they played each other in 2019 when Caruthers knocked Strathmore out in the semifinalsof the playoffs.

“They are a tough team to play,” said Blackwell. He said Strathmore and Caruthers have had defensive battles over the years.

“Their coach has been there for a long time,” Blackwell said.

Strathmore’s passing game has progressed more compared to previous seasons, said Blackwell. The Strathmore defense is talented, allowing just one touchdown in two games.

MONACHE (1-0) AT GOLDEN WEST (0-1), 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY

When Monache faces Golden West it will be playing a tough team, MHS coach Shane Focke said.

Focke said, “They are very difficult to stop because they do lots of misdirection and fakes.”

That can also cause the defense lots of problems and can be tricky, Focke said.

“They also like to run the football between tackles”, said Focke. “They are a traditional Wing offense.”

Focke said his team is healthy for the most part with two injured players

When they played Caesar Chavez last week “it was a great effort because the tam keeps their energy the whole time,” which was key to the win, Focke said. Monache opened with a 13-6 win over Chavez.

Focke said, “I was very proud of the team staying focused and keep their level at a high level all the way through the end.”

Monache and Golden West were originally supposed to play the opening week of the season but the game was postponed due to bad air quality and falling ash caused by surrounding wildfires. Both teams originally had a bye scheduled for this week.

GRANITE HILLS (1-1) AT OROSI (1-1), 7 P.M. FRIDAY

Granite Hills picked up its first win last week under new coach Carl Scudder in 38-6 win over Sierra.

Daniel Ramirez was a triple threat, running for two touchdowns, catching one and throwing for one to quarterback Gage Snider, who was 7-of-7 for 150 yards and two scores.

EXETER (2-0) AT LINDSAY (0-2), 7 P.M. FRIDAY

It will be another tough test for Lindsay when it hosts Exeter.