North, Liberty win thrillers to highlight action
Evan Siffing could feel every eye gazing upon him as he trotted out onto to the North High football field Friday night.
After the Stars had battled back from a two-touchdown deficit to force a 14-14 tie, Siffing had a chance to complete the comeback as he lined up for a 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation.
Siffing, who is just a sophomore, admits he was nervous in the high-anxiety situation, but was happy to lean on supportive words from senior quarterback James Dixon, the team’s holder.
“There was a lot of pressure.
It’s hard in situations like that,” Siffing said. “But my quarterback who was holding for me told me ‘take a deep breath and kick how you usually kick at practice.’” He did just that.
Siffing sent the kick through the uprights just before time expired, lifting North to a 17-14 win, its first of the season.
If Siffing was nervous when he trotted onto the field, those nerves were long gone once the decisive kick was in the air.
“Once it left my foot, I knew it was going to go in,” he said. “It felt good.”
Xavion Foreman had a touchdown catch and Alex Ruvulcabra a touchdown run during the comeback. Mar Kai Shaw led North with 115 yards on 19 carries.
The Blades (1-2) scored on a 60-yard interception return by Johnathan Patino and a 1-yard run by Johnie Salazar.
LIBERTY 23, FRONTIER 19
The Patriots had to sweat it out in their first road game of the year, but pulled ahead for good on an 11-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run by Prentice Boone.
It was the second touchdown run of the game for Boone, who finished with 138 yards on the ground. Quarterback Haden Mann also had a rushing touchdown for Liberty, which won its first two games by a combined score of 87-20.
It looked to be more of the same after the Patriots jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but the Titans (1-1) turned the game into a thriller, even taking a 19-17 fourth-quarter lead on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Vincent Igoa to John Appleton.
SHAFTER 49, FOOTHILL 6
Tyson Dozhier continues to solidify himself as the BVarsity Offensive Player of the Year front-runner.
A week after throwing for seven touchdown passes, the Shafter quarterback accounted for seven more Friday, with six of them coming through the air, as the Generals put up 28 points in the first quarter. Shafter has outscored its opponents 149-9 during a 3-0 start.
GOLDEN VALLEY 46, KERN VALLEY 0
The Bulldog offense rose to the level of its dominant defense, leading Golden Valley to its first 3-0 start since 2014.
Marquel Bruley threw two touchdown passes, Nick Abbot had 104 yards receiving and Iziah Coronado accounted for 168 of the Bulldogs’ 300 rushing yards.
It was more than enough for a defense that pitched its second
shutout and has allowed just 15 points through the first three games.
SANTA BARBARA-BISHOP DIEGO 42, BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN 22
The Eagles rallied to take a 22-14 lead in the fourth quarter, only to see Bishop Diego close the night by scoring 29 unanswered points.
After scoring three touchdowns in the season opener, emerging Eagle sophomore Kresean Kizzy accounted for two more Friday, including a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown.
SOUTH 35, WEST 13
King Ellis needed just four carries to gain 155 yards and two touchdowns as South coasted by the Vikings to improve to 2-1.
Tyrone Wilson and DeeShawn Brown also had rushing touchdowns, while Damareah Wafford added a 65-yard defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery.
Daylon Leach ran for 154 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (0-3).
MIRA MONTE 24, ARVIN 14
Behind a 275-yard rushing performance, Mira Monte (2-1) finds itself over .500 past the third week of the season for the first time since 2012.
Miguel Lara had a team-best 116 yards for a Lion team that averaged 13.8 yards per carry. Vic Hernandez added 78 yards and a touchdown receiving.
PALMDALE-PARACLETE 34, GARCES 6
It was another rough night for the Ram offense, as Garces dropped its third game in a row and lost starting quarterback Travis Plugge to a hand injury in the process.
Ian Jernagin was a bright spot for the Rams, rushing for 168 yards and scoring the game’s first touchdown before Paraclete answered by scoring 34 unanswered points.