The Yosemite High football team (6-0), currently ranked No. 2 in the Central Section for D-V teams by maxpreps.com, scored on all eight offensive possessions to rout the Parlier Panthers (1-7) 63-7 last Friday.
“We played our best game overall this season,” said Coach JD Burnett. “We executed on every play, we didn’t make mistakes or have too many penalties. Our receivers did a great job blocking downfield to open up huge running plays.”
The 63 points is second all-time in Badger history.
The offensive line of Caleb and Clay Burke, Noah Burns, Dylan De La Cruz, Klay Kliest, and tight end Ty Peterson opened holes for a season-high 475 yards rushing (nearly 14 yards per carry average).
Running backs Nicholas Harper and Austen Burgeno led YHS with 161 and 146 yards respectively.
Harper and Burgeno scored first on runs of seven and 51 yards. Sophomore corner Kevin Cruz then picked off a pass and returned it 65 yards for a score. Harper added a 19 yard touchdown, all that in just the first quarter.
Fullback Peter Martinez added 54 rushing yards, including TD runs of nine and 38 yards. Cruz caught a 15-yard TD from quarterback Tyson Mansfield (4 of 16 for 54 yards) and Yosemite went into halftime up 50-0.
A running clock was mercifully turned on in the third and fourth quarters. Back up Badger running back Ernie Jimenez (7 carries for 74 yards) scored on a 7-yard run in the third and Peterson, who took over for Mansfield, scored on a 5-yard bootleg to complete the Badger scoring.
A 20-yard TD run by Jose Rodriguez with less than a minute to play prevented the Panthers from being shut out.
On defense, Peterson led all Badgers with 7 tackles, with Jimenez recording 5 tackles, and 4 each for Austin Burgeno, Cruz, and Martinez. Cruz also had an interception.
JV team wins 39-0
The Badger JV team (5-1) recorded its third shutout of the season with a 39-0 win over Parlier (2-6).
Since an opening loss on the road at Le Grand, the Badger JV have won five straight games scoring an average of 45 points a game. The stingy Badger defense has limited opponents to an average of just six points a game.
Badger quarterback Jadyn Carter had another stellar night, throwing three TD passes and running for another. He was 10 of 14 passing for 130 yards. Overall, the Badger offense racked up 279 yards.
The Badger defense kept the Panthers at bay and preserved a shutout with a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. The defense forced three turnovers with Matt Dugovic stripping a Panther runner twice and Grayson Bulmer another. YHS took advantage scoring three touchdowns off turnovers.
Yosemite scored the first four times on offense. After a Dugovic strip and fumble recovery, Carter scored on a 4-yard sneak. Carter then connected with Holden Eames on a 32-yard touchdown pass. Dugovic stripped the ball again recovered this time by Gabe Swigart. Carter connected twice with Steven Baker with Baker scoring on a touchdown catch from the one. The Badgers had a 20-0 lead after one quarter.
Kyler Schaeffer (4 carries for 49 yards, 2TDs) scored on a 9-yard run and Eames caught his second touchdown pass, this time from 10 yards out and YHS was up 32-0 at halftime. Schaeffer added his second score on a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Homecoming Friday
A week of special activities and competitions on the YHS campus will culminate with the Homecoming game, and senior night, Friday at 7 p.m., when the Badgers host the Amador High Buffaloes (3-5, 2-3 Mother Lode League).
It will be a motivated Badger squad as YHS will try to avenge a 35-7 loss last season at Sutter Creek.
The 2016 season was magical for Amador. The Buffaloes were 14-2 and were the 6-AA CIF NorCal champs defeating Mendota 21-14. Amador lost to Rancho Christian of Temecula in the state title game 38-13.
Amador’s three wins this season have been over Linden (Fresno State/Yankees Aaron Judge’s high school), Bret Harte, and Delta Charter - combined those programs are 2-20.
Tailgate Party for PJ
PJ Kuzmitski will be honored as the Honorary Captain of the JV team and will be on the field for the coin toss for the varsity game.
Kuzmitski was a running back for the JV team when a horrible accident during practice forced the amputation of his right leg below the knee on Oct. 3. He has been rehabilitating at Valley’s Children’s Hospital.
Mountain Muscle’s 2nd Annual Homecoming Tailgate Party will be a fundraiser for PJ Kuzmitski and his family.
The Tailgate Party will start at 4 p.m. Friday, at The Landing, directly across the road from Yosemite High.
“We are very optimistic and hoping to have hundreds of people attend to support PJ and his family therefore food donations for the tailgate would be greatly appreciated,’ said Meloni Mullins of Mountain Muscle. “Please respond to the Facebook post on Mountain Muscle’s page re: the tailgate party, if you would like to bring a dish.”
There is no cost to attend the Tailgate Party although donations will be accepted on behalf of the Kuzmitski family.
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