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Tigers continue struggles as Golden West delivers blow to Lemoore's playoff hopes. LHS at Mt. Whitney Friday
The Pioneers are 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the West Yosemite League and will play a Tiger squad no doubt reeling after Friday night’s surprising 71-40 home field loss to visiting Golden West.
Lemoore fell to 2-6 on the year and is 0-3 in the WYL. Friday’s game against the Pioneers and an Oct. 26 date with Hanford – in Tiger Stadium – are all that remain for the 2018 Tigers. The Bullpups, thanks to an impressive 34-14 victory at Redwood, assumed command of the WYL as it closes out its season.
West Yosemite League Standings
Friday night’s shocker was surprising in that the Tigers led the Trailblazers 20-16 at the end of the first quarter. But a Golden West three-touchdown run in the second quarter placed the Tigers in the unenviable position of having to recover from a 37-26 deficit.
The Tigers made the first move Friday night when quarterback Justin Holaday completed a 24-yard pass to Brandon Hargrove early in the first quarter for a quick 6-0 lead. The Tigers missed the point after attempt.
Things looked promising with about six minutes to go when Holaday and Hargrove connected again from 25 yards out for a 12-0 lead. Again, the Tigers failed on a two-point conversion attempt.
Golden West finally scored at about the three-minute mark of the opening quarter when Lonnie Wessel scored from two yards out.
Still in the opening quarter, the Blazers scored on a safety, and moments later scored when Tyson Sandri completed a 51-yard pass to Josiah Washington to give the Blazers the first lead of the game at 16-12.
Lemoore’s Steven Wilhite, on the ensuing kickoff – still in the first quarter – took the ball and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown and the lead at 20-16, and after a score from Michael Wessell the Blazers grabbed a quick 23-20 advantage until Holaday completed a 64-yard touchdown pass to Wilhite to recapture the lead at 26-23.
With about a minute left the Blazers upped the ante to 37-26, and that’s how it remained as the two teams entered the half.
What had been a tight first-half back and forth between the two teams, the game turned into something of a rout in the second half as the Blazers outscored Lemoore 33-14 to secure the victory.
Holaday tossed another touchdown pass, again to Hargrove, a 62-yarder to cut the deficit to 43-32 at one point in the third quarter, but Golden West regained control later in the third when Lonnie Wessell made it 49-32 on a six-yard touchdown run.
Holaday had perhaps the best game of his career, completing 17 of 22 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns, the longest, a 68-yarder to Hargrove, the final Tiger TD with under a minute left in the third.
Hargrove, while held to just 20 rushing yards, hauled in five catches for 180 yards and caught four of the five Holaday touchdown passes. Wilhite finished with three receptions for 81 yards, while Amier Hollis had three catches.
On defense, William Kloster again led the Tigers with 16 total tackles while Koy Davis and Jalen Daniels each record ten tackles apiece.
