 Just One of Those Crazy Nights - Week 2
by Chris Terrence - 10 September 06
It was a beautiful night for football. Really nice weather, perfect in
fact, good crowds at the high school games (Fresno State was to play Oregon
on SATURDAY night not Friday night), and the spirit was great from the
players, the cheer and pep squads, and the fans all over our Valley as the
high school football season got in full swing. As usual, there were some
rough and tumble and exciting games, some big victories, some upsets and
some surprises as well. The biggest surprise of the night was not that
Clovis High School continued their winning ways. The Cougars are looking
good in the early season as their big, strong, fast, and maybe most of all
their veteran filled and focused squad is playing with confidence. It is
not a surprise either that the Bullard Knights are in a rebuilding year
after graduation last June took many of the main solid parts of the machine
that led the team to the Valley Championship Game last season. When you lose
the likes of Big Anthony McCoy, Alex Huerta, Paul Jamie, Kenny Hedrington,
Jason Cox, and others, it's going to be tough to follow the previous
campaign. All things considered, it was not a surprise that Clovis would be
favored in this situation. However, the Cougars beating the Knights by a
score of 75-0 was a surprise that shocked everybody. You have a Clovis team
that is looking at a good year ahead. While they, of course, at this early
date, still have a lot,of work to do, especially considering that they are
playing in one of, if not THEE toughest high school conference in
California. Coach Larry Kellom and his staff have to be excited about this
team that has so many talented and hard working personnel, but just the fact
that eight of the Cougar's starters have been starting since they were
sophomores, many of them two way players, no doubt, Clovis looks good.
With all this in mind though, who would ever had thought that this would be
a 75 point shutout?
It was just one of those crazy nights. Bullard turned the ball over on an
interception by Zach Shaver who ran 60 yards with it to the Knight's 3 yard
line to set up the Cougars' first TD by Nick Palomino. Then after a deep
kickoff by Shawn Plummer, the Knights went three and out and as punter Joe
Salavessa went to pick up a fumbled snap, his knee touched the ground on the
1 yard line before he got the punt off, and it was 1st and goal for the
Cougars and they went right in to score and around two minutes into the game
it was 14-0 and that's the way it went for the rest of the night. Clovis
scored on every possession and Bullard could not get their game in gear on
offense or stop the many talents of the Cougars. Knowing the history of
these two teams and the focus of coaches Kellom and Don Arax and their
programs, you know that they will put this game in the proper perspective,
and get on with the season, one game at a time.
Notes: Our TV half-time guests were former Clovis High football and
wrestling star, Casey Olson, who is now an Ultimate Fighter in the world
champ Chuck Ladell stable and is fighting on the big UFC card at the Save
Mart Center on October 7th. Tickets are going fast at (559) 304-6120....also
in our booth was Brian Noe of Fox Sports Radio 1340........Looks like the
young Sanger gave heavily favored Clovis a good run, trailing by one (7-6)
going into the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves wore them out, 21-6.
With all those sophs, Sanger this year is like Clovis two years
ago......Madera beat one of the best Merced teams in years, in overtime,
40-34 as Randy Blakenship is back.....Meanwhile Central beat Hoover in a
good battle, 35-16......and how about Matt Jelmini of Clovis West following
up his 200+ yard game last week vs Liberty-Bakersfield, with a 306 rushing
yard performance against El Diamante in leading the Eagles over the Miners,
42-14.......Edison went to 2-0 with a solid game vs Modesto 21 zip as John
Tate ran for 171, and Jerry Davis and Pat Dixon worked their airel magic for
nine completions and a couple of touchdowns......Meanwhile, Fresno City and
Fresno State, loaded with talented players from our local high school teams,
both played well, the Rams in beating the College of Marin and the Dogs
losing by a TD to the 20th ranked Oregon Ducks in front of a record 42,000+
crowd at Jim Sweeney Field. Both the Rams and the Dogs are looking good in
2006.......This week for us? We will be doing the Clovis West vs Edison game
at Buchanan's BEC in a battle of unbeatens. CIF Commissioner Jim Critchlow
is our half time guest.....One final note: We salute Bob Mathias and Hans
Wiedenhoffer who both passed away this past week. Bob, the great Olympic
decathlon champion, US Congressman, and star athlete (including football) at
Tulare High School, Stanford University, and Hans, the former football coach
and athletic director at Bullard High and Fresno City College and war hero
at Iwo Jima in World War II. Both great men from our Valley area....
Have a great week.
Chris Terrence
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