Garces at Tehachapi
September 10, 2010
Warrior running back Michael Lowder rushes for a short gain against the Garces Rams Friday night
at Coy Burnett Field. Garces won the Ogilvie Bowl, 35-6. Photo by The Bakersfield Californian
Posted September 10, 2010 by Jeff Goodman, The Bakersfield Californian Rams Roll Past Warriors
In Coach Roberts' Debut, 35-6
TEHACHAPI -- Garces made sure its season-opening game was a delightful one for first-year head coach John Roberts.
Shredding the Tehachapi defense with a slew of ground weapons, the Rams scored the first touchdown of the contest and ran away with a commanding 35-6 victory over its non-league rival Friday.
Senior running back Jalen Sykes took 13 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns, the crafty 5-foot-8 speedster evading the outstretched arms of Warriors defenders on several big plays throughout the game.
Sykes brought a flood of flash, taking five of his handoffs for more than 10 yards, but he had ample help in the backfield. Grant Campbell took a dozen carries for 77 yards and two scores, Tehachapi unable to bring down the bulky senior.
Zach Puente carved up some field as well, tallying 60 yards on 10 carries.
After the game, the players surrounded their new maestro, shouting in unison to celebrate his successful debut.
"It's a wonderful honor," said Roberts, a Garces alumnus and longtime assistant coach. "We're a little rough around the edges, but we're really satisfied with the win."
The visiting team has won the rivalry game in each of the last four years.
The Rams (1-0) had already managed a 14-6 lead by halftime thanks to two rushing touchdowns by Sykes, one coming on his team's first possession of the game and the other after a long drive late in the first quarter.
By the end of the third quarter, though, Garces was leading by 22 points and showed few signs of slowing. Four of the Rams' five touchdowns came on the ground.
"We came out with a lot of enthusiasm and intensity," said Sykes, who averaged 10.4 yards per rush last season. "I feel even more powerful, more confident. It feels great."
The Garces defense also looked sharp. Tehachapi's only touchdown of the game was scored by junior running back Marcus Curiel, who dashed into the end zone behind a block from senior lineman Colt Murrow on the team's second drive of the first quarter.
The Warriors (1-1) had another scoring chance late in the second quarter, but they couldn't convert a 4th-and-1 pass play near the goal line. Tehachapi had appeared rejuvenated after recovering its own punt earlier in the drive, but the offense wasn't able to capitalize once it reached the red zone.
"We had our opportunities," Warriors coach Steve Denman said. "It's tough when that happens, but that had nothing to do with the second half.
"We didn't tackle well no matter who the back was. We got beat with basic fundamentals."
Tehachapi looked strong in its season opener last Friday, mounting a second-half comeback to defeat Exeter, but it couldn't solve the Rams' rushing attack in its second non-league affair.
"This time we got them," Roberts said with a smile. "It's great to be back."
Former Tehachapi and Garces head coach Gary Ogilvie escorts veterans Emery Hubbard, 80, and Arthur (Bill) Jasper (85)
out to the field for the honorary pre-game coin toss. Former and current veterans were honored at the Warriors-Rams
game Friday night. Photo by Mike Duffy, The Tehachapi News
Posted September 13, 2010 by Tom Shea, The Tehachapi News Warriors Fall In Ogilvie Bowl
Garces Nips Tehachapi in Annual Rivalry Game
In the annual Gary Ogilvie Bowl rivalry game between Tehachapi and Garces this past Friday, the Rams got the best of the Warriors for the second time in four years, winning 35-6 behind the talent of a big offensive line and a talented senior-laden backfield.
Despite the loss, the Warriors kept the game close in the first half, highlighted by an eight-yard touchdown run by junior Marcus Curiel for Mountain Football's only score of the night.
Curiel had 38 yards on six carries overall in the game, while Michael Lowder had 67 yards on 10 carries and Phil Rhodes had 50 yards on 12 carries. Other offensive highlights came from Travis Farewell, who had a 14 yard reception on fourth down from a Levi Garrett pass.
On defense, Zach Timm had three tackles and a sack, David Lara recorded a sack, and Adam Bullard led the defense with six tackles overall.
With the loss, the overall series now stands tied at 18-18-2 between Tehachapi and Garces, a tradition that has had the two schools trading wins since 1946 when Garces opened their school as the St. Francis Shamrocks.
The annual contest has been celebrated as the Ogilvie Bowl the past four years as a tribute to retired coach Gary Ogilvie.
Ogilvie was a standout quarterback for Garces, guiding the Rams to their first ever Valley Championship in 1953 and later returning to Garces as head coach from 1964-1969 after serving in the Marine Corps.
Ogilvie then moved to Tehachapi where he was the head coach for the Warriors from 1971 to 1974 and from 1979 to 1981, registering a 68-12 record and winning four DIL championships and one CIF sectional championship in 1980.
Members of Coach Ogilvie's 1980 championship team that were in attendance included Tony Arnds, Hal Barker, Ron Christy, Allen Collier, Chris Coon, George Hammond, Kelly "Horse" Harrington, Tom Hobson, Keith James, Scott Johnson, Ernie Muro, Leroy Peters, Mark Ricker, Mike Sheehan, Mike Stainer, James Stanton, Benji Stoebner, Glenn Schkade, Joe Huston and Robert Lewis.
Tehachapi also celebrated the installation of a new scoreboard in the evening's festivities, which came from $20,000 in combined donations from Next-Era Energy, Media All-Stars, the Warrior Booster Club and the City of Tehachapi.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Garces 14 0 7 14 35 Tehachapi 6 0 0 0 06
The Scoring:
First Quarter:
Gar (7:18) - Sykes 4 yd TD RUN (Fanucchi PAT Kick)
Teh (4:13) - Curiel 8 yd TD RUN (PAT Kick Failed)
Gar (0:19) - Sykes 15 yd TD RUN (Fanucchi PAT Kick)
Third Quarter:
Gar (6:25) - G. Campbell 26 yd TD RUN (Fanucchi PAT Kick)
Fourth Quarter:
Gar (7:10) - Sweaney 26 yd TD PASS from B. Campbell (Fanucchi PAT Kick)
Gar (0:37) - G. Campbell 6 yd TD RUN (Fanucchi PAT Kick)
GHS vs THS STATS
GHS THS First Downs Rushes-Yards 44-320 41-174 Passing Yards 103 41 Comp-Att-Int 6-9-0 3-7-0 Total Yards 423 215 Punts 2-27.0 5-37.0 Fumbles-Lost N/A N/A Penalties N/A N/A
Individual Statistics:
RUSHING - Tehachapi: Lowder 10-67, Rhodes 12-50, Curiel 6-38, Stephens 5-12, Garrett 3-2.
Garces: Sykes 13-132, G. Campbell 12-77, Puente 10-60, B. Campbell 5-17.
PASSING--Tehachapi: Garrett 2-3-0, Howell 0-3-0, Bullard 1-1-0
Garces: B. Campbell 6-9-0
RECEIVING--Tehachapi: Knudsen 1-28, Farewell 1-14, Lowder 1-(-1).
Garces: Sweaney 2-38, P. Sakowski 2-25, Sykes 1-31, N. Sakowski 1-9.
Varsity – Tehachapi (1-1), Garces (1-1)
Junior Varsity - Tehachapi 6 Garces 24
Frosh - Tehachapi 0 Garces 34
