For many central valley observers, this game is pitted as the game of the week. In the sequoia division, it may determine this year’s SSL champion.

It might be considered just be another SSL game for Tehachapi and Taft, but with Garces officially out of the league picture, 2004 might signal the start of a heated rivalry between two of the south-sequoia’s most prominent and successful football programs.

The Wildcats’ are coached by first year Head Coach Steve Sprague, who before the beginning of the school year moved to Taft from Coalinga, where Sprague enjoyed a successful run with the Horn Toads in 12 years of coaching.

Sprague last faced the Warriors in 1993, when Coalinga lost the CIF championship 35-23 behind the 4 TD, 236 yard rushing performance of Kurt Liebengood.

This season, a dramatic overhaul in attitude seems to be the prevailing theme around the Taft High campus, with Sprague helping the Wildcats to a dominating season so far, averaging nearly 40 points a game and winning by an incredible 38 points in five-straight wins.

BRING YOUR "A" GAME - The Warriors will have a much more difficult time neutralizing Daniel Kerr (shown tackled by Tehachapi's #54 Chris Bowman last year) this season.

Back for Taft in 2004 is Senior Daniel Kerr (#24), who led the Wildcat running game last season with 913 yards on 165 carries. So far this season, Kerr has reeled in 742 yards and eight touchdowns this season, with a season best 206 yards and three touchdowns last week against Golden Valley-Bakersfield. Tyler Beath (#42) has proven to be a solid change of pace to Kerr’s agile running, rushing for 468 yards and five touchdowns through six games.

Not to be overlooked, Taft’s offensive line is considered one of the sequoia division’s best, with Adam Ohmen (#55), Justin Walchock (#60), Josh Green (#73), and AJ Savaii (#79), and Chase Blackwood (#54) pounding away to help produce over 800 yards of rushing and 544 yards passing this season.

Drake House (#4) started the year at quarterback for the Wildcats, but a broken finger in the season’s opening loss to Cabrillo gave way to C.T. Twissleman (#4), who has led the Taft offense since House’s injury. Undoubtedly, both players will be utilized against Tehachapi, and look for the possibility for Twissleman to get involved in the receiving game should Sprague want to make the switch to have House back at the QB position.

Andrew Miller (#22), Eldon Weeler (#6) should also get some touches from the Taft offense, while Jose Urrea (#64), Bryce Hayes (#32) join Beath and Blackwood in a dominating linebacking and front d-line unit. Senior Scott Cooper (#43) is also a two-way star that could be on the receiving end of some interceptions or Twissleman throws.

The league run will be a tough task to overcome this year, and Tehachapi should have their hands full this week against an upbeat and confident Taft High team.

Romo first saw game action in SMU's third matchup in the season with the Texas Christian Horn Toads, where Romo scored the lone touchdown on a 59-yard scamper in the third quarter.  Romo finished that game with 78 yards on six carries, while completing three passes for 25 yards.

In the Mustangs' only win on the year, a 36-13 win over San Jose State, Romo completed four passes for 52 yards, rushed 11 times for 69 yards, and caught a pass for 14 yards.

The former Tehachapi quarterback followed the SJSU win with his best game so far on the year against Boise State two weeks ago, firing for 115 yards passing on nine completions and throwing a TD pass.

In three seasons of varsity action for Tehachapi High School, Romo completed 145 passes for 2,343 yards and 22 TD’s, helping the Warriors to a South Sequoia League championship and a Central Section finals berth his senior year.

With Antelope Valley College, Romo enjoyed one of the most successful outings ever by a former Tehachapi football player in the Community College ranks, firing for 136 completions for 1,829 yards passing, 362 yards rushing, and 14 touchdowns in two seasons for the Antelope Valley Marauders. In 2003, Romo was also selected as Foothill Athletic Conference most valuable player five straight weeks, and was selected as the Junior/Community College National Player of the week in week 9, completing 16 passes for 260 yards and two TD’s against Grossmont College.

Romo is one of four active Division 1-A Tehachapi Warriors in 2004.  The others are Chris Denman (Class of 2002, Fresno State), Jon O'Brien (Class of 2003, New Mexico), and John Sullivan (Class of 2003, New Mexico).

Keith Noonan (Class of 2000), Bobby Unger (Class of 2001), Richard Munoz (Class of 2001) are all playing JC ball at Antelope Valley College, while Tyler McCann (Class of 2003) and Gary Evans (Class of 2002) are playing at Bakersfield College.

On that note, word from Lauren Farmer from her father was passed along and might be of interest to some of you out there. 

Lauren was a 2000 THS grad who played volleyball and was a team captain, first-team all-SSL selection her senior year. She played two years of volleyball at Santa Barbara City College where she was team captain and honorable mention all-WSC her second year at SBCC. Lauren then signed a volleyball scholarship with University of Saint Mary, an NAIA school located in Leavenworth, Kansas. Lauren started at middle blocker for two years at USM and lead her team in blocks each year. She set a school record for blocks per match and was team captain her senior year. Lauren graduated from USM last May and has been hired at her alma mater as the assistant coach of her old team.