Tulare County Football: Nine teams still in hunt for section title, top performers
Nine Tulare County teams are still in the hunt for a Central Section title after kicking off the 2023 playoffs with a victory:
Central Valley Christian (Division II)
Tulare Union (Division II)
Mission Oak (Division III)
Mt. Whitney (Division III)
Porterville (Division III)
Exeter (Division IV)
Orosi (Division V)
Strathmore (Division VI)
Woodlake (Division VI)
CVC (10-1) is considered the favorite to capture the Central Section Division II crown as the bracket’s top overall seed. The Cavaliers turned in a resounding performance in a 43-7 rout of 16th-ranked Stockdale. That game was played with a running clock in the second half and head coach Mason Hughes and his staff pulled his starters to start the third quarter.
The Cavaliers were the runner-ups for the Division II title last season.
The Cavaliers (10-1) will now host undefeated and ninth-seed Tehachapi (11-0) on Friday night in a quarterfinal game. The Warriors defeated No. 8 Bakersfield 35-14.
No. 4 Tulare Union (7-4) has won back-to-back games after defeating 13th-seed San Luis Obispo 42-14 to open Division II postseason play.
The Tribe’s quarterfinal game on Friday against No. 5 Kingsburg (9-2) will be a rematch of a non-league contest from earlier this season. Tulare Union won that game 42-14.
CVC handed the Vikings their only other loss this year.
More: Tulare County Football: Week 1 Playoff Scoreboard
In Division III, third-ranked Mission Oak (6-5) will host Mt. Whitney (8-3) on Thursday in another rematch. The Hawks outlasted the Pioneers 25-22 in early September.
Kickoff for all postseason games are at 7 p.m.
Here are the other playoff games featuring Tulare County teams this week (all games Thursday):
No. 5 Orosi (10-1) at No. 4 Morro Bay (6-5)
No. 11 Roosevelt (7-4) at No. 3 Exeter (10-1)
No. 8 Porterville (7-4) at No. 1 Mission Prep (7-3)
No. 5 Woodlake (6-4) at No. 4 Strathmore (7-4)
Orosi’s Andrew Camarillo joins elite company
Orosi’s Andrew Camarillo is in elite company.
The senior running back surpassed 6,000 yards career rushing in the Cardinals' playoff 42-26 win over 12th-seed Hoover.
Camarillo exploded for 314 yards rushing and four touchdowns and now has 6,300 career rushing yards. He has scored 93 touchdowns in his four-year Cardinals career.
Camarillo is just the seventh player in Tulare County history to rush for more than 6,000 career yards. He joins Exeter’s Cameron Loeffler (6,149 yards), Strathmore’s Joseph Garcia (6,250 yards), Tulare Union’s Kazmeir Allen (6,276 yards), Porterville’s Isaiah Jones (6,376 yards), and Tulare Union’s Romello Harris (7,311 yards) and Dominique Dorsey (7,761 yards).
The Orosi star is also the first Tulare County running back to post back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons since Garcia accomplished that same feat during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Lucky No. 7s
CVC and Mt. Whitney are both riding seven-game winning streaks heading into the second week of the section playoffs.
The Cavaliers continue to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the section behind the offensive exploits of senior running Bryson Donelson, senior quarterback Brent Kroeze and junior wideout Gunnar Piepgrass.
Donelson and Piepgrass combined for five total touchdowns in the Cavaliers’ demolition of Stockdale. Kroeze threw four touchdowns in the victory.
Donelson scored three total touchdowns (rushing, two receiving) and Piepgrass hauled in a pair of touchdowns.
Donelson, a Fresno State verbal commit, has rushed for more than 1,900 yards this season while scoring 37 total touchdowns. Piepgrass has nine receiving touchdowns on the year.
Mt. Whitney, the Cowhide and East Yosemite League champion, turned in another impressive performance against Nipomo and posted the Pioneers’ first playoff win since the 2018 season.
Junior quarterback Micah Rodriguez led Mt. Whitney with 208 yards passing and fired a touchdown each to Donald Brook and Xavier Soto. Junior running back Kysen Sing ran for 97 yards and found the end zone twice in the Pioneers’ seventh straight win.
State’s finest
Statistically speaking, Tulare Union sophomore quarterback Jordan Crisp is one of the state’s finest.
In stats reported to MaxPreps.com, Crisp leads the state in yards passing with 3,593. The strong-armed field general is averaging 326 yards passing per game and leads a Tribe team that is averaging 40.1 points per game.
Reilly Brousseau, of Eagle Rock-Los Angeles, is second in the state with 3,128 yards passing.
This season, Crisp is completing nearly 70% of his passes for 40 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. He has thrown at least two touchdowns in every contest this season.
Nathan Lamb is the last Tulare Union quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season. In 2018, Lamb tossed a single-season school record 4,441 yards passing to direct the Tribe to the Central Section Division II championship.
More: See Tulare County's top high school sports performers for Week 12 of the fall season
Performances of the week
Every week, the Times-Delta/Advance-Register will recognize the top football performances of the week (Coaches, email your top impact players to vyang2@gannett.com).
Here are this week's top performers:
Nathen Abrahams, Mission Oak: Abrahams turned in a sack with seven tackles.
Samuel Alcantar, Porterville: Alcantar ran for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
Israel Briggs, Mt. Whitney: Briggs had an interception and three tackles and also added four catches for 82 yards on offense.
Donald Brooks, Mt. Whitney: Brooks scored on a 10-yard touchdown reception.
Niqo Calderon, Exeter: Calderon rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Andrew Camarillo, Orosi: Camarillo exploded for 314 yards and four touchdowns to surpass 6,000 career rushing yards.
Julian Ceballos, Strathmore: Ceballos made 11 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Pedro Corona, Strathmore: Corona logged four sacks and a team-high 14 tackles.
Max Costa, Mission Oak: Costa had a sack and four tackles.
Jordan Crisp, Tulare Union: Crisp completed 32-of-35 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns.
Drew DeGroff, CVC: DeGroff found the end zone on a four-yard run.
Bryson Donelson, CVC: Donelson scored three touchdowns and finished with 85 yards rushing on just 10 carries. He also caught four passes for a game-high 132 yards.
Vincent Duran, Woodlake: Duran had a rushing touchdown and finished with 76 yards passing and 36 yards rushing.
Ethan Enriquez, Porterville: Enriquez threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Chris Garcia, Golden West: Garcia had six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Danny Gonzalez, Mission Oak: Gonzalez threw for 168 yards and rushed for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Leo Gonzalez, Golden West: Gonzalez made nine tackles and a sack.
Sonny Guess, Tulare Union: Guess scored two touchdowns (rushing, receiving) and finished with 49 yards rushing and three receptions for 60 yards.
Rashawn Hayes, Tulare Union: Hayes had an interception and eight tackles.
Fernando Hernandez, Woodlake: Hernandez recorded two sacks and four tackles.
Kenny Jackson, Mission Oak: Jackson led the Hawks with 134 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Brent Kroeze, CVC: Kroeze threw four touchdowns and passed for 306 yards.
Eli Lang, Woodlake: Lang had an interception and two tackles.
Jacob Molina, Exeter: Molina passed for 233 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown.
Jayden Najera, Golden West: Najera had a passing touchdown and also scored a rushing touchdown.
Dominic Perez, Porterville: Perez caught three passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Tieler Peterson, Tulare Union: Peterson broke free for 124 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Gunnar Piepgrass, Central Valley Christian: Piepgrass hauled in a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Jacob Poole, Strathmore: Poole ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns.
Demaje Riley, Tulare Union: Riley tallied nine receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a two-point conversion.
Isaiah Rivera, Mission Oak: Rivera scored a rushing touchdown with 63 yards. He also made a team-high eight tackles on defense.
Aidan Robertson, Exeter: Robertson registered seven catches for 177 yards and four touchdowns.
Mario Rodriguez, Mt. Whitney: Rodriguez racked up a sack and five tackles.
Micah Rodriguez, Mt. Whitney: Rodriguez had 208 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Gerardo Ruiz, Strathmore: Ruiz ran for 73 yards and three touchdowns in a playoff victory.
Jonathan Ruiz, Porterville: Ruiz hauled in a 27-yard touchdown catch.
Ruben Ruiz, Exeter: Ruiz intercepted a pair of passes and had three tackles.
Brayden Stevenson, Tulare Union: Stevenson had eight catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Kysen Sing, Mt. Whitney: Sing rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Daymion Soto, Mt. Whitney: Soto had six tackles and a sack.
Xavier Soto, Mt. Whitney: Soto added four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Wyatt Stockton, Exeter: Stockton had a sack and 10 tackles. He also forced a fumble.
Isaiah Taylor, Woodlake: Taylor erupted for 215 yards rushing with three touchdowns.
Raymon Velazquez, Golden West: Velazquez passed for 161 yards and scored a rushing touchdown.
Cayden Wallace, Woodlake: Wallace had five tackles and a sack.
Izaya Welsh, Porterville: Welsh scored on a 40-yard touchdown catch.
Demetrious Whitfield, Mission Oak: Whitfield had 96 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Dominic Wilson, Tulare Union: Wilson totaled 15 tackles.
Tulare County Cream of the Crop Power Rankings
1. Central Valley Christian (10-1): The Cavaliers are winners for seven straight.
Up next: Tehachapi (11-0)
2. Tulare Union (7-4): The Tribe are averaging 40 points per game.
Up next: Kingsburg (9-2)
3. Mt. Whitney (8-3): The Pioneers are also on a seven-game winning streak.
Up next: at Mission Oak (6-5)
4. Mission Oak (6-5): The Hawks have won three playoff games dating back to the 2021 season.
Up next: Mt. Whitney (8-3)
5. Exeter (10-1): The Monarchs are one of three 10-win teams in Tulare County this season.
Up next: Roosevelt (7-4)
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Football: Nine teams still in hunt for section title
