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Tigers, under new coach Josh Kloster, prepare for a demanding, competitive football season
Earlier this year, the district’s board of trustees approved the hiring of Kloster, a 1991 Lemoore High School grad who as a student-athlete, excelled in his studies – on and off the field. The tall and lanky Tiger was quite the athlete, and his chief claim to fame was as a three-year varsity football standout at the center position.
He and his senior-season football teammates came close to winning a Central Section championship, but powerful Bakersfield High, as it has done so many times to other teams over the decades, narrowly beat the Tigers in the semifinals and continued its march to the Valley title that season.
That particular Tiger team produced four Division I players. Legendary Fresno State coach, Jim, Sweeney, recruited Kloster, and the young LHS grad joined fellow Tigers Lorenzo Neal, Charlie Jones, Tommy Jones, Gene Smith, and Chris Tolbert as Bulldogs. His most memorable moment was beating USC in the Freedom Bowl.
Upcoming Schedule
8/23 at Clovis East 7 p.m.
8/30 at Chowchilla 7:30 p.m.
9/6 Tulare Western in Tiger Stadium 7:30 p.m.
9/13 Sanger in Tiger Stadium 7:30 p.m.
9/20 Tulare Union in Tiger Stadium 7:30 p.m.
10/4 Redwood in Tiger Stadium 7:30 p.m.
Kloster has a formidable task ahead. He takes over a football program in decline in the past few years. A year ago, the Tigers were 2-9. After winning their first two games, Lemoore failed to win another. The Tigers last winning season was in 2015 when then-coach Shannon Pulliam led the Tigers to a 10-3 record, including a 6-0 blitz of the West Yosemite League.
Kloster and his youthful Tigers will begin their 2019 campaign on Friday (Aug. 23) when they hit the road for a non-league game at Clovis East, one of two teams Lemoore defeated in 2018. Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Clovis High School Stadium.
Lemoore currently plays in Division III where it joins fellow West Yosemite League schools Mt. Whitney and Golden West. The Tigers initial WYL encounter will be on Oct. 4 when they host Redwood High School.
The Tigers play their first two games on the road (they travel to Chowchilla on Aug. 30) before playing their home opener against Tulare Western on Sept. 6.
The Tigers have several first-tier players returning in 2019, including quarterback Justin Holaday and defensive stalwart William Kloster, who when he’s not dispatching opposition runners from his spot at linebacker, he’s running roughshod through defensive backfields as one of the team’s fullbacks.
Helping to anchor the defense is 6-5, 220-pound Chris Schalde, an outside linebacker, and offensive tight end. “He’s a team leader, and he’s been one of our mainstays here lately,” said Kloster.
Senior wide receiver and free safety Chris Taylor is also expected to do well this year. “He’s very, very fast. He’s very athletic and he’s going to make a lot of plays on both sides of the ball for us,” said the first-year Tiger coach.
“We’re working on changing the mindset of the student-athlete,” said Kloster. “We’re getting them prepared to have a successful season. Our schedule is very, very tough, and It’s like a meatgrinder, one of the toughest schedules in the Valley. I feel it’s going to prepare us for league. Hopefully, we’ll make the playoffs.”
Kloster told The Leader this year’s team has plenty of optimism as it begins its season Friday night. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm. They’re working hard. We’re ready to play football, and we will be competitive.”
