New look Tiger Stadium. New look Tiger football team takes the field Friday in season opener

Second-year coach, Rene Asensio is expecting better things in 2018, and he may have the tools to improve upon last year’s disappointing season.

Tigers 2018 Schedule

The Tigers hope to get off to a good start on Friday when they host Clovis East in a renovated Tiger Stadium. The Timberwolves didn’t have much to celebrate a year ago. They failed to win a game in a 0-10 season.

Lemoore’s stadium has been undergoing a sort of facelift the last few months, getting new bathrooms, a snack bar, and press box. A new locker room facility is also in the works at the stadium’s east end. Facelifts aside, the Tigers are still hoping to win in 2018.

Unfortunately, PG&E hasn’t had time to hook up the lights, forcing the school to hook up generators to light up the field. The stadium lights are expected to be connected for Chowchilla, which visits next week, August 24.

“They’re excited,” said second-year head coach Rene Asensio who hopes to improve upon last year’s mediocre season. “There’s excitement. They’re anxious to get (it going). They want it done.”

The Tigers have some pretty good players returning for what they think is a shot at the league title in 2018, and they may have the players to do it. Guys like Brandon Hargrove, who blossomed last year as a running back, is back. The talented senior will likely go both ways, as is the Tiger custom, as a running back and in the defensive backfield.

Other two-way players include junior Wil Kloster who expects to get plenty of time in the offensive backfield and as a linebacker. Damian Goudeau, senior, will see time as a defensive end and tight end while senior Steven Willhite has his spot reserved as a wide receiver.

Quarterback duties belong to junior Justin Holaday.

“That core right there are going to be the difference makers,” said Asensio. “We’re looking pretty good right now. The team has come out in the last scrimmage and showed us that they will be able to adjust. They’re able to communicate and fight,” he said.

“It’s little things we’ve been working on. We added some wrinkles to our offense. They’ve been willing to work and get after it. They’re a very cohesive group. It’s almost too much fun, but when it comes time to get to business, they get to business.”

Lemoore begins WYL action with a game on Sept. 28 at Redwood High School. Lemoore’s season-ending game featuring Hanford will be a home contest on Oct. 26.