The Garces Memorial Rams will challenge the Tehachapi Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Garces Memorial has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight defeats, while Tehachapi will come in with three straight wins.
Garces Memorial managed to keep up with Bakersfield Christian until halftime on Thursday, but things quickly went downhill from there. The Rams came up short against the Eagles, falling 52-31. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Rams have suffered since September 27, 2024.
Despite the defeat, Garces Memorial got top-tier performance from Colby Dilly, who rushed for 73 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 93 receiving yards and one TD. Dilly got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 70 yards.
Meanwhile, Tehachapi didn't have too much trouble with South on Friday as they won 26-7. The Warriors pushed the score to 20-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Spartans cut but never quite recovered from.
Tehachapi's win came from a few key players Garces Memorial will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Colton Michael, who threw for 122 yards and one touchdown, and also punched in one score on the ground. Roland Pina helped Michael out on the ground, rushing for 78 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Tehachapi was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 200 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
One reason for the win was Tehachapi's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece.
Garces Memorial's loss dropped their record down to 6-4. As for Tehachapi, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 6-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Garces Memorial has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 268.7 passing yards per game. It's a different story for Tehachapi, though, as they've been averaging only 146.6 passing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game?
Everything came up roses for Garces Memorial against Tehachapi in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, as the squad secured a 48-21 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Warriors' Samuel Orellana, who rushed for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Rams to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
