A look at the rest of the division III bracket for the 2004 Football Season...

Sierra Chieftains – It was year to forget for Sierra in 2003, and the Chieftains could experience more of the same with Dos Palos and Washington Union joining their league ranks in the new-look North Sequoia League next season.  Sierra will look for young leadership from Bryan Dettman, Josh Capachino, Tyler Sears, and Kyle Cobb to help them to their playoff form from the late 90’s and early 00’s, and will also look for 10 returning juniors to help them make a good showing in their inaugural run in the NSL.  Finishing the 2003 season at 5-6 (1-3 CSL), Sierra has something to build on, but they’ll need to step up their game all the more with an even tougher league to contend with for the next three years.

Cease and Assist:  Sierra’s Bryan Dettman (#31) closes in on Fresno High ball carrier Rashad Lowe (#15) during the Chieftain’s match-up with the Warriors in 2003.

Cesar Chavez Titans – With a couple of shutout victories over future SSL rival Golden Valley, the new school in Delano should give the division III bracket plenty to worry about when next season rolls around.  Chavez will boast a student class of 1500+ for the 2004 calendar year, which should prove to be formidable for any playoff opponent…regardless if they’re a senior-less team or not.  Competing in the East Yosemite League with the likes of Granite Hills and Delano can only help their cause as well.  When asked of the ability of the Titan’s sophomore class, Golden Valley Head Coach Tim Hartnett said, “they are a very quick and talented team, and they just kicked our tails last year.  Along with El Diamante they’ll probably be a force to contend with.”

Roosevelt Roughriders - Quarterback Anthony Zaragoza is set to return another year after firing for 439 yards and a couple of scores in 2003.  Also back for the Roughriders are kicker Nehemias Blanco, wideouts Ricardo Ledesma and Thomas Garza, and defensive standouts Deshawn Carihill and Eric Sanchez.  The saving grace for the Roughriders (along with McLane, Fresno, and Sunnyside) is that Edison is out, making the chance at a league crown possible again.  Of course, with Edison out, SJM is in, so it’s possible that there might just be a changing of the guard of the Roughrider’s league title holder.  Watch out for this team on October 1^st when they take on the Arvin Bears.  The Roughriders are also scheduled to test their mettle with Yosemite in 2004, so they could very well be embracing some of the division III’s best right from the get-go.

Floodgates are Open:  Roosevelt’s defense attempts to stop the potent Buchannan onslaught in 2003.

Dinuba Emperors - The Emperors will most likely look to upcoming Junior Duran Orosco to take the reigns for departing Senior QB Jose Del Rio, who’s 26 touchdowns on 2,756 yards was tops in the sequoia ranks.  It’s possible however that Dinuba will keep Orosco at wideout after an impressive 624-yard / eight touchdown season.  Johnny Garcia, who had three touchdowns and 189 yards catching on the year, is also returning as is Daniel Pinedo, who’s 55 yards rushing in 2003 is the best mark coming back out of the backfield.

McLane Highlanders – The Highlanders dispatched West Sierra basement-dweller Mendota 42-0 to open up their season, only to get beat like red-headed step children the rest of the way in a nine-loss scoring streak to finish 1-9 on the year.  The Highlanders have much to shore up in the Yosemite ranks before making a claim at a playoff seed, but if they make it, look for returners Elvis Whitelow, Quentin Westfield, John Bun, Rich Rocker, and Josh Pene to contribute to that cause.

Exeter Monarchs – Posting wins over Porterville, Shafter, Corcoran, and Woodlake, many ESL fans predicted a lot less from the Monarchs in 2003, but, through all the scrutiny, Exeter was still one win away from a .500 season.  Their final win of the season was probably their best, a 9-0 shutout over eventual semi-finalist Woodlake, who defeated Taft 21-0 before suffering to the eventual small school sequoia champion SJM.  Exeter will return a lot of their firepower next season in leading scorers Eric Capello and Cory Griffin, while 2,500+ yard passer Drew Branch will look to continue his fine junior season with a breakout senior year.  Capello caught 12 of Branch’s 20 TD’s in 2003, so look for that tandem to be a force in the playoffs if Exeter can survive through their eight-team ESL schedule and grab one of the division III seeds.

Selma Bears – Not to belabor the point, but much like Sierra, Selma will find their new league with Washington Union and Dos Palos about as tough (if not worse) than a SJM and Yosemite formed league.  To add insult to injury, their league foes from Oakhurst wont go away either, making three almost insurmountable hurdles to overcome for the Bears in their quest for a NSL title.  Playoff-vested Quartback Alex Calderon took his lumps in a 55-22 loss to Tehachapi in the large school sequoia first-round last season, and hopefully the experience will assist in the Bears' hope of a strong run next year.  Also back for Selma is a trio of backs in Chris Mukai, Eleazar Vasquez, and Chris Vasquez, who combined for 441 all-purpose yards for the Bears in 2003.

Sunnyside Wildcats – Of the teams left in what was formerly known as the North Yosemite League, the newly formed “North #1” probably has the Wildcats or SJM as the league favorite heading into next year.  Sunnyside will probably have it’s stiffest competition from Fresno when league play kicks in, having suffered an upset to the Warriors 23-20 in the middle of their season in 2003, but will look to build on their respectable 4-6 record.  The Wildcats will boast a talented group of players next season, and will most likely have a tough regular season to feed upon before entering the division III playoffs should they receive an invite.

Fresno Warriors – Fresno will have experience on their side when the 2004 season commences, with only 11 players set to be lost to graduation on last seasons’ 28-man team.  Leading the Warriors will be returning runningbacks Norris Bennett, Josh Johnson, and Josh Miller, while wide receivers Michael Jordan, Rashad Lowe, and Quarterback Eddie Brown are slated to return as well.  The vested group might not equate to a big-win season, but it just might be enough to eek Fresno in the Division III playoff hunt as a low seed.

Set to Return:  Rashad Lowe (#15) and Josh Johnson (#6) pose with two teammates during the 2003 season