BRAVES BUCK THE BURROS

TEHACHAPI NEWS - It may have been a case of first-game jitters for the Tehachapi High School junior varsity football team who fumbled twice and trailed 8-0 in the first quarter before mounting a three-quarter offensive serge to defeat Burroughs 29-, Friday in Ridgecrest.

In the game, the first offensive series for both teams ended three and out. Burroughs fumbled away the next drive at their 47-yard line but the Braves had trouble with ball control of their own and fumbled on the next two possessions. The second fumble for the Braves at the THS 28 set up the Burros only touchdown of the game after a six-play drive where the Burros completed three of five passes to get to the three-yard line and scored on the next play.

The Braves quickly responded by turning their next offensive series into a clock-eating 14-play drive to score from the three on a run up the middle by Alex Taliulu. The Braves tied the score when Taliulu ran in the PAT. The TD came at 5:23 of the second. "When we settled down we played good," head coach Ryan Grimes said. "We were happy with that sustained drive in the second quarter, I was real happy with that."

Ridgecrest got inside the redzone on their next possession with a 58-yard pass to the seven-yard line, but four incomplete passes and a penalty against the Burros halted the drive on a fourth and goal at the 16.

Tehachapi stalled briefly at midfield and was forced to punt away but got the ball back when Burroughs fumbled on their first play from scrimmage at their 10-yard line. Anthony Rodriguez made the recovery for the Braves to set up a two-play touchdown drive capped from the one by a dive through the middle of the line by Taliulu with 20 seconds remaining in the half. Braves kicker Stefan Wolf, an exchange student from Germany, kicked the PAT to take a 15-8 lead.

In the third quarter, the Burros got caught deep in their own territory and were forced to punt away from their seven-yard line. The kick limped out to the 30-yard line where Braves running back Gabe Bressler scored his first TD of the season giving Tehachapi a 22-8 lead after Wolf's PAT. Bressler averaged seven yards a carry, finishing with 71 yards rushing on 10 carries.

An unsung hero of the game, Geo Lopez led the THS offense rushing for 77 yards including the longest run of the game, a 33-yard run in the second quarter. Lopez also set up Taliulu's second TD of the game with a nine-yard run to the one-yard line in the waning seconds of the half.

The Tehachapi defense held strong in the next BHS series after Ridgecrest was contained at their 15-yard line. Jake Harris logged a sack for a six-yard loss, a penalty and a solid tackle by Taliulu and Bressler stopped the Burros at their 21.

The ensuing punt set up Taliulu's third TD of the game from the 30.

Wolf added the PAT for a 29-8 lead. Taliulu ended the game with 30 yards rushing on nine carries.

The Braves seemed to cruise through the fourth, idled by a pair of fumbles, but Burroughs, who got inside the 20 twice, came up empty on both drives.

The Braves finished the game with 289 yards rushing and a minus-five yards passing on one reception.

Burroughs was held to 43 yards rushing thanks to the defensive efforts of Taliulu, six tackles, Bressler with five tackles and a sack, and Nick Engraf with five tackles and an assisted sack. Evan McBride, Taliulu, Bressler, Trevor Stein were among the other Braves who assisted in five sacks in the game. The Burros completed nine of 22 passes for 109 yards.

The Braves are schedule to host Paraclete Friday on Coy Burnett Field. The spirits are an unknown commodity for the Braves. "We haven't played them in a couple of years," Grimes said of the Spirits. "We'll see, they always put together a good team. They are like Garces, they don't have the numbers but they have the talent." Kick off is at 5 p.m.