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Doctor has a career night with 345 yards as Tigers pound on Hanford West Thursday night
Yes, you heard that right. Lemoore’s running back sensation Richard Doctor rushed for eight touchdowns and carried the ball 23 times for 345 yards as his Tigers beat Hanford West 62-32. This may be the most yards ever rushed for in a Tiger football game by a single player. Lorenzo Neal never rushed for that many yards and to the best of anyone’s knowledge, Tiger great Dale Messer never had a 345-yard night while he played for Lemoore in the ‘50s.
“He’s something else,” said Tiger Coach Shannon Pulliam, who has seen his share of high school sensations. “He’s one of the best I’ve seen in high school football.”
The win kept the Tigers on pace to challenge for the WYL title again. They’ll have to get some help from El Diamante who must beat the Rangers in order for the Tigers to share the title. Of course Lemoore will then have to beat El Diamante, which they did last year to grab a share of the league championship.
Doctor isn’t doing this all alone, but it sure helps to have his kind of prowess on the field. He’s getting excellent blocking up from a pair of seniors, a junior and a sophomore up front. “Our offensive line is doing a terrific job,” said Pulliam.
Tiger linemen Kameron Gomness, Adrian Garza, Matt Cole, Nick Bettencourt and sophomore Mitchell Foote, as well as tight end Jayden Hunt are giving Doctor plenty of space with which to work. And he’s taking advantage of them.
In six games Doctor has rushed for 1,575 yards and is leading the Central Section in rushing. His output on Thursday was the highest total of the season. He rushed for 313 yards in the Tigers opener at Monache High School. Doctor currently leads the state in rushing.
The big win comes on the heels of a disappointing loss at home a week ago to Redwood High School, a team they probably should have beat and at one point early in the third period held a 22-7 advantage before the rangers stormed back to beat the Tigers 36-29.
The Tigers travel to Visalia on Friday for a matchup with Golden West, which at 1-4, may get more than it bargains for when it hosts the Tigers and Doctor.
Hanford West fell to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in league play while the Tigers improved to 4-2, 1-1.
Included in Doctor’s eight touchdowns was a 93-yard kickoff return for a TD. His last TD came on a 68-yard jaunt. Regi Davis scored Lemoore’s final touchdown.
