Tulare County Football: Top games to watch in 2023
The 2023 Tulare County football season is just around the corner.
Here are some of the top Tulare County football games to watch this season:
Aug. 17: Monache at Mission Oak, 7:30 p.m.
Mission Oak hosts Monache for a non-league game to officially kick off the 2023 high school football season in Tulare County. Under second-year head coach Marty Martin, the Hawks have one of Tulare County's most talented offenses this season led by returning seniors and starting quarterback Danny Gonalez and receivers Kenny Jackson and Jacob Ramirez. Monache's Aaron Berry will make his Mauraders debut as the team's new head coach.
Aug. 25: Mt. Whitney at Morro Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Morro Bay head coach Robert Doughtery, the former Mt. Whitney quarterback and coach, will face his alma mater when Mt. Whitney makes the two-and-a-half-hour trip to play on the coast. Doughtery took over the Pirates before the start of the 2022 season, leading the San Luis Obispo County school to a 5-7 record. The Pioneers won four games last season and advanced to the 2023 Central Section Division III playoffs.
Sept. 2: Butte at College of the Sequoias, 11 a.m.
COS will kick off the 2023 junior college season at the newly renovated on-campus Sequoia Stadium — a nearly 4,000-seat facility complete with a 32-foot video scoreboard and a new building that houses restrooms and a snack bar called "Timber's Cafe." The Giants used to play their home games at Mineral King Bowl but started playing on campus in 2021. COS is coming off a 6-5 record with a loss to San Francisco in the Golden State Bowl.
Sept. 15: Central Valley Christian at Mission Oak, 7:30 p.m.
This meeting will mark the first time in school history that CVC is playing a football game in Tulare. The Cavaliers have arguably been one of Tulare County's premier programs for nearly a decade now. Since 2014, CVC has compiled a combined 79-31 record. Head coach Mason Hughes' teams have won nearly 72% of their games during that span. CVC is 2-0 all-time against Mission Oak. The Cavaliers won last season's contest 42-7. Mission Oak advanced to the Central Section Division III quarterfinals in 2022.
Sept. 22: Kingsburg at Tulare Union, 7:30 p.m.
Tulare Union is 2-1 against Kingsburg since the 2014 season. The Tribe defeated the Vikings in 2014 and 2015 and dropped at least 45 points in each victory. Kingsburg topped Tulare Union in its 2022 matchup, winning 49-28. Head coach Darren Bennett's squad has averaged 40.6 points per game in its last three meetings against the Vikings. Kingsburg racked up nine victories last season while reaching the Central Section Division II postseason.
Oct. 27: El Diamante at Golden West (Battle for the Saddle), 7 p.m.
Under first-year head coach Devin Ramos, El Diamante upset Golden West, 14-12, in last season's Battle for the Saddle game to register its first win of the 2022 season. The Miners lead the all-time Saddle series 11-6. Golden West head coach Travis Anderson enters his second season this year as the Trailblazers' top boss. A defensive-minded coach, Anderson added former Porterville and Mission Oak head coach Michael Machado to his staff in the offseason. Machado will serve as the Trailblazers' offensive coordinator.
Oct. 27: Tulare Union at Tulare Western (Bell Game), 6:30 p.m.
Tulare Union has won six of the past seven Bell Games, including a 49-6 rout in last year's game. Tulare Western last captured the Bell Game trophy in 2019 when the Mustangs earned a 24-14 victory. The Tribe leads the all-time rivalry series 42-16 and has won three consecutive Bell Games. This year's contest marks the 59th meeting between the two Tulare schools.
Oct. 27: Mt. Whitney at Redwood (Cowhide), 6:30 p.m.
Redwood hosts Mt. Whitney for the 68th annual Cowhide rivalry game at Mineral King Bowl. The Rangers shut out Mt. Whitney 28-0 to win back the Cowhide last season. It was the first goose egg in the rivalry showdown since the 1996 season. The Pioneers have won three of the past five Cowhide games. The Rangers lead the all-time rivalry series 38-28-1.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Football: Top games to watch in 2023
