Prep football league races taking shape
BY ZACH EWING Californian staff writer zewing@bakersfield.com
High school football league races across Kern County will be firmly shaped by the end of the night, thanks to three unbeaten showdowns.
The most significant comes in the South Sequoia League, because that conference is already deep into league play. Bakersfield Christian (5-1, 3-0 SSL), fresh off a road victory over previously unbeaten Shafter, now travels to Wasco, the county's lone remaining undefeated team -- and one of just four in the Central Section.
The Tigers (6-0, 2-0) have won their six games by an average of 45.2 points, but they also haven't yet played a team with a winning record. Three of their final four opponents meet that criterion, though, beginning tonight with BCHS. The winner will be alone in first place.
Same goes for the winner of the South Yosemite League battle between Ridgeview (5-2, 1-0) and host South (5-1, 1-0). The Rebels opened SYL play with a 25-24 comeback victory at West; they trailed 17-0 early in the second half and 24-17 before scoring a touchdown and gutsy two-point conversion with less than two minutes left.
Meanwhile, Ridgeview beat Mira Monte 28-13 without suspended star quarterback Kamari Cotton-Moya, who will return tonight.
Last week's Southwest Yosemite League stunner, Liberty over state No. 5 Bakersfield, gives us this matchup tonight: The Patriots (4-2, 1-0) travel to Frontier (3-3, 1-0), with the winner taking a big step toward a league title. Other SWYL games are Stockdale (3-3, 1-0) at Centennial (2-4, 0-1) and Independence (4-2, 0-1) at Bakersfield (5-1, 0-1).
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