Tigers expect another big year as squad takes on the best in Central Section football

Well, here it is 2015 already and according to Tiger Coach Shannon Pulliam, his Tigers are gearing up for another run at a league title, and just maybe a Central Section championship.

And he’s got a lot of the tools - many from last year - to do it again.

Back for another stab at immortality is senior wide receiver and defensive back Allen Perryman, whose play last year earned him all-league honors and a spot on the state’s junior all-state squad. Perryman and fellow back Gerald Campbell are key components in a vaunted Lemoore secondary, both of whom can catch a few balls as well.

A week ago, against Monache, in which the Tigers won 56-7, Perryman had three touchdowns, one on an interception and two receptions. “He’s doing real well,” said Tiger Coach Shannon Pulliam. “He had a great game last week. He had three touchdowns and two of them on passes.”

Campbell also had an interception and touchdown return.

Pulliam said his team was well prepared for the Marauders. “We had a great week of practice. It was a good win. We knew going into these games we had to take everybody seriously and we executed real well.”

The Tigers will have their hands full on Friday when they travel to Clovis to face the Central Section’s top team in Clovis High School. The Cougars beat Paso Robles last week in a thriller. Pulliam says his team will be prepared. “Again, we’ll take them one game at a time. We had a nice win against them last year, and our kids are going into Friday’s game with a lot of confidence. Our kids know they’re good and we’ve accepted the challenge and we’ll do a good job.”

Things don’t let up from there. The following week the Tigers return to Tiger Stadium for a matchup with always tough Buchanan High School, a game that will be broadcast on television. The Tigers beat the Bears last year too, en-route to a perfect 11-0 regular season.

Because the game is on Sept. 11, it will also be military night at Tiger Stadium. “It will be a big deal,” said Pulliam.

If the Tigers are missing anybody, it’s defensive player of the year Zach Frazier, who graduated from last year’s squad. Frazier is taking his talents to the college level. Matt Cole, another cog in the defensive line also graduated and he’s attending Minot State in North Dakota on a scholarship.

Starting behind center for the Tigers is Logan Ahlin. “He’s not a real big guy but he throws a good ball. He runs real well too. He’s a scrappy player,” said Pulliam.

Kyle Jue returns for another year. “He’s solid and has been a good starter for us,” said Pulliam.

The Tigers did get a transfer in from Santa Clara. Noah Wright recently checked into the Tigers lineup and Pulliam expects big things from this 6-4, 295-pound lineman. “He’s a very good football player,” said the Tiger coach.

Can the Tigers win it all again. They’ll probably have to get by a solid Hanford team to do it.  “Hanford is going to be really tough this year,” insisted Pulliam. “We also have some new coaches in the league and Golden West is on the rise a little bit.”

If everything goes right and the Tigers have a little bit of luck they can win the WYL, said Pulliam