Tulare County Football: Top 8 running backs to watch in 2023
Some of the Central Section's all-time leading rushers in high school football played on Tulare County teams.
Former Tulare Union star Dominique Dorsey erupted for a then-state record 7,761 yards rushing and scored 118 touchdowns before graduating in 2001 as a two-time Central Section champion.
Dorsey was followed years later by Romello Harris at Tulare Union. From 2012-15, the future Washington State and Fresno State running back amassed 7,311 yards rushing while scoring 91 total touchdowns.
In the past decade, Tulare County football fans have also seen their fair share of standout running backs who ended their careers with outstanding statistics like Porterville's Isaiah Jones (6,376 yards), Tulare Union's Kazmeir Allen (6,276 yards), Strathmore's Joseph Garcia (6,250 yards), Golden West's Gonzalo Rodriguez (5,304 yards) and Dinuba's Michael Wright (5,134 yards).
Which Tulare County running backs are prime for a memorable year this season?
Here's a look at eight tailbacks who will likely emerge as the county's top rushers by season's end:
Case Anders, Golden West
Anders enjoyed a breakout season under first-year head coach Travis Anderson in 2022, earning All-East Yosemite League first-team honors. During that sophomore run, he rushed for nearly 400 yards and scored three times during league play. The 5-foot-10 Anders had his best individual performance of his career in a loss to El Diamante in the 17th annual Battle for the Saddle game, breaking loose for 116 yards and a touchdown while averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
Andrew Camarillo, Orosi
Statistically speaking, Camarillo is one of the top running backs in the state. He is Tulare County's active leader with 58 career touchdowns. The four-year starter has rushed for 3,978 yards and is coming off a 2,000-yard-plus season in 2022. Camarillo is averaging a career 7.2 yards per carry. He set a single-game school record with 436 yards rushing in a win over Woodlake last season. He was a 2022 All-East Sequoia League first-team selection.
Jose Cortes, Lindsay
Cortes led Lindsay in rushing last season with 663 yards and five touchdowns. He posted three 100-yard rushing games and found his stride in ESL competition. During a four-game stretch in October, he rushed for 487 yards and five scores and helped lead the Cardinals to a 3-1 record. In a victory over Granite Hills that same season, Cortes posted a career-high with 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Bryson Donelson, Central Valley Christian
Arguably the top running back in Tulare County this season, Donelson is a dynamic NCAA Division I college football recruit who has six reported scholarship offers (Boston College, Colorado State, Fresno State, New Mexico, San Jose State, Washington State). The Cavaliers' senior running back is coming off a 1,466-yard and 23-touchdown season. Donelson averaged 10.1 yards per carry as a junior and enters his final year in high school as one of the Central Section's premier players, regardless of position. He was a 2022 All-Tri-Country Conference first-team pick.
Alex Perch, Redwood
Perch enters year three on varsity and has spent some time as Redwood's starter the past two seasons. He has tallied 633 career yards rushing and scored six touchdowns. Perch set career-highs last year in rushing yards (353) and touchdowns (five) and will likely lead a Redwood rushing attack that gained nearly 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns as a unit in 2022.
Tieler Peterson, Tulare Union
One of Tulare County's toughest runners, Peterson possesses the strength and power to break tackles and bowl over defenders. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, he finished second on the team in rushing last season, running for 374 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and had one of his best performances during his junior year on a 106-yard effort versus Redwood. Also a proven pass catcher, Peterson finished with 19 receptions for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2022. He was selected to the All-West Yosemite League second-team last season.
Jacob Poole, Strathmore
It was a Poole party in 2022. The Spartans' starting running back was just one of four Tulare County runners to surpass 1,000 yards rushing or more last season. The 5-foot-10 Poole generated 1,534 yards through the ground and accounted for 21 total touchdowns, including 19 rushing. A standout sprinter in track, Poole placed fourth in the 100-meter dash at 11.07 seconds at this past spring's 2023 Central Section Division IV championship meet. The 2022 All-ESL first-team honoree is averaging a career 11 yards per carry.
Michael Sanchez, Mt. Whitney
Sanchez enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, earning All-EYL second-team honors. He had one of his best performances last year in a 20-13 homecoming win over previously undefeated Reedley, rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Sanchez began 2022 as a reserve running back but emerged as a starter during his junior campaign.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Football: Top 8 RBs to watch in 2023
