BURROS BARRAGE    Sween and Co. cash in first win of year with big win over Tehachapi, 47-13
Posted 09-11-04

JUST AS ADVERTISED: Karsten Sween, QB for Burroughs above, had 352 yards passing on 16 completions

Well folks, you can't say we didn't know it was coming.

Welcome to game 1, L.A.T. (Life after Tanner)....and it's not a great way to open up the new era...a 34 point loss.  The worst loss for the Warriors since a 1998 56-20 playoff beating from Sierra.

This defeat was tough to take, but you have to give credit to the mastery of offensive display that Karsten Sween and the Burroughs gave on Friday night.

This offense is more than legit.  Legit would be an understatement.  Hayo Carpenter, Ethan Cubit, Anthony Williams, Matt Williams, and Rocky Maida had their way with the Warrior secondary, but Cubit was the brightest star, catching six balls for 171 yards and two scores.  Overall, it was a receiving group with too much talent to cover completely.

  The mighty Warriors hung-tough with the desert power in the initial stages of the game, actually holding a 7-6 lead with 79-yard Sean Finley scoring run with 2:13 left in the second quarter.

But the score was answered with five-straight TD's on five straight drives of 87, 68, 11, and 53 yards to overwhelm the Tehachapi defense.

There's your ball game.  Just too many weapons ladies and gents.

Of course, there are a lot of other things you can say about Burroughs, but this isn't their website, it's ours!  And believe it or not, there are a few positives that can be taken away from this game in the quest for another SSL title for our Warriors.

Positive one, Tehachapi was able to tack on another score in the fourth with a solid 9-yard scoring run by Dan Haycock, completing a 59-yard drive at the 10:37 mark.  It was a bright spot that capped a solid night of rushing between Haycock and Finley, who combined rushed for 218 yards on 28 carries (7.8 ypc average)

Not too bad if you ask me...especially if you consider that it was no secret to Burros what our attack would be....running and more running.

Positive two, Tehachapi played the game on their terms in the first quarter, playing solid defense by keeping the Burros offense off the field.  All Burroughs could muster during this timeframe was a 3-and-out and a holding penalty on their first series, while closing the quarter on their second drive with 19 total yards.  In retrospect, the Warriors had 74 yards in power, smash mouth Mountain Football in the first 12 minutes of action.

Positive three, Matt Williams was limited to only 43 yards rushing.  I know that you can beg the argument that his rushing totals were limited because Burros didn't need to hand off the pigskin in the game...but keep in mind, they still gave him the ball 11 times.  That's less than 4 yards per carry, which is a pretty good number considering the game that this guy brings with him to the field.

Positive four, It always pays to play the best, folks.  Now some of you might be a little worried about Stockdale coming up in a couple of weeks after this game, but take heart.  Trust me, covering Garrett Anthony will seem like easy street compared to the group the Warriors just faced.  Burroughs provided Tehachapi with a much-needed lesson on defense, as Stockdale may could in other areas possibly.

Overall, you have to look at the pre-league schedule for what it is....preparation for league.  Tehachapi may be sitting at 0-1, but the reality is you can take what you will from this loss.  Rather than lament over the defeat that needs to be quickly forgotten, the important thing to take away from this game is to use it as a catalyst for unity.

Hope that the Warriors will be able to take the humility from this performance and use it to their advantage, just as they did with the Clovis East game a year ago.  More focus in practice, fulfilling assignments, and believing in each other...

It's the Mountain Football way.

With Paraclete coming up next, it will be an instant analysis to see where the Warriors want to steer their rudder in 2004.  Our hope is they will continue to fight upstream and take the chances that come their way.

Remember folks, in a marathon, you can still trip on the path and still come out breaking the tape in the end.

Hopefully with the right mindset, our Warriors can do the same.

Hit and Fly this week in practice guys.

Warriors successfully break up a pass in second half action against the Burroughs Burros

	Player of the week honors for the Burroughs Game go to Dan Haycock, who had 70 yards on 11 carries, a 9-yard rushing score, and a sack on defense.  A picture of Dan will be posted for this weekly warrior article on a latter date...
	WEEK 2:  TEHACHAPI (0-1) vs. PARACLETE (0-2) If the Warriors needed an elixir after the forgettable 47-6 loss from Burroughs, they may find a welcome tonic against Paraclete should they be able to rebound with a solid week of practice. The Spirits have always been a team that played above and beyond their capability, a quality that 1st year head coach Dan Lyon hopes generate from his squad in 2004.  Paraclete is the known as the hybrid to San Joaquin Memorial and Garces in Antelope Valley, serving as the Lancaster/Palmdale area's parochial school. In recent memory, the Spirits have enjoyed success in the CIF and league ranks, having won the CIF championship in Division XI five straight years from 1997-2001.  Coming off a 6-5 season in 2003, the Spirits’ play was sub-par by their standards but it still was good enough to take their first Olympic League crown with victories over Montclair Prep, Kilpatrick, and Cerritos Valley Christian.  In the playoffs, the Spirits’ league title was good enough to mark a date with the Carpenteria Warriors in the CIF Southern Section Division XI first round, but the Spirit’s victory bid fell short in a 21-6 loss to the Tri-Valley’s fourth place team. So far this season, Paraclete is steel reeling from the loss of solid senior leadership in '03 which included Jared Nelson (1,903 yards on the ground), but so far has received good output from returning tailback Jonathon Lewis (#21), who has rushed for over 200 yards on the year in two losses against Highland-Lancaster and Desert-Edwards AFB. Looking to Rebound:  The spirits should have speed and solid defense on their side against the Warriors, playing tough in two losses to Highland-Lancaster 21-14 and Desert, 12-6. In the passing attack, Cory James (#11) has turned in two solid outings so far on the year, with his best game an 11-23 passing, 93 yard game in the Desert loss. In the receiving game, look to a host of Spirits touching the ball, with some of the leaders being Garrett James (#20), Ian Labon (#84), Kyle Hitch (#4), Domenic Donato (#19). On defense, Paraclete should have a solid outing from DB Kris Martin (#42), who was third on the team in tackles last season as a sophomore.  Nate Bailey (#5), another Spirit defensive back, should also help anchor a very fluid secondary unit. Overall Dan Lyon will have his work cut out for him in a very tough pre-league schedule, and facing Tehachapi should serve as good indication of where they could potentially stand against Olympic League foes LA Baptist, Village Christian, Cerritos, and Kilpatrick. Spirits Head Coach Dan Lyon is a transfer from St. Bonaventure High School, where he served as an offensive line coach for the Serphs.
	Be sure to be on the lookout for Warriors playing on the collegiate level, Jerad Romo (Southern Methodist), Jon O'Brien and John Sullivan (New Mexico), Chris Denman (Fresno State), Gary Evans and Tyler McCann (Bakersfield College), and Bobby Unger and Keith Noonan (Antelope Valley College).  thswarriors.com will try to provide you analysis on all players as the football season progresses!
	Just a quick reminder on the different sequoia divisions and Tehachapi's playoff league potential opponents this year... North Sequoia League:  Chowchilla, Dos Palos, Kerman, Kingsburg, Selma, Sierra, Washington, Yosemite East Sequoia League:  Coalinga, Corcoran, Dinuba, Exeter, Immanuel, Lindsay, Orosi, Woodlake South Sequoia League:  Tehachapi, Golden Valley, Taft, Shafter, Wasco, Arvin Division III CIF Playoffs:  Arvin, Ceasar Chavez (Delano), Delano, Dinuba, Exeter, Fresno, Golden Valley, Lemoore, McLane, Roosevelt, Selma, Sierra, Tehachapi, Washington, El Diamante, Yosemite Quick note:  A potential playoff clashing occurred this past Friday with Lemoore and Delano, with Lemoore coming out on top in the contest 28-21.  Look for Lemoore to be a serious threat for the CIF Division III title this year after a solid win over a quality Delano group.

Some of you may have seen the Tehachapi News fall sports tab in last weeks edition with some of the Warriors holding up a #9 jersey.  The significance of it, if you don't already know...is for one of the teammates of the Warriors, Jared Stevens.  Jared was involved in a car accident on Highway 58 during the summer, leaving him confined to a hospital in San Jose.  Jared's name, number, jersey will remain on the official records for the year.  Please help the Warriors in wishing Jared a speedy recovery with your thoughts and prayers.

Stay tuned next week for analysis of the Paraclete game and a preview of Foothill.  GO WARRIORS