Generals win rivalry game with Wasco, 35-14

The 97th matchup of the Shafter High Generals and Wasco High Tigers took place on Friday night, and it was tightly contested game for almost three quarters, before the Generals scored 21 unanswered points to break the game open and beat the Tigers, 35-14.

With a crowd over 4,000 strong, the two teams battled it out in the first half, with each side showing the intensity that has fueled this rivalry for almost a century.

The teams played to a 7-7 tie in the first half, with Shafter scoring in the second quarter on a pass from Ezekiel Osborne to Cash Gutierrez, who also had runs for 21 and 18 yards earlier in the drive. The Central Section's leading rusher, Tiger Hammie Lopez, got Wasco on the board with just seconds left to go in the first half on a 4-yard run, tying the score.

Throughout the game, both teams were hurt by penalties, with the emotions of the event leading to personal fouls for both teams.

Wasco took the lead in the third quarter, with a 21-yard pass play to Lopez, giving the Tigers a 14-7 lead and the momentum.

But that did not last long, as Osborne and company marched down the field to tie the game at 14-14 with a run by Christopher Espinoza.

The Tigers answered back to take the lead at 21-14 to the delight of the home crowd. But, the Tigers' plan to get the ball back with an onside kick backfired when Espinoza grabbed the ball and ran it down to the Tigers' 24-yard line. Osborn hit Adrian Garcia for a touchdown, tying the score.

On the Generals' next possession, they were forced to punt, but the ball hit a Tiger after the kick and was recovered by the Generals, giving them a first and goal at the Tigers' 4-yard line. Espinoza took it in from there, giving Shafter a 28-21 lead.

Shafter added one more score in the closing minutes, putting a stamp on the effort, giving them the South Sequoia League title outright for the second straight year.

Head Coach Jerald Pierucci was pleased with the win, but wasn't thrilled with the emotional side of the game for the Generals. "Anytime you get Shafter and Wasco together, there is going to be a war. It is just part of the rivalry. But I think that we let our emotions get the better of us during the game."

Pierucci said that he was not happy with the penalties that were the result of it. "I was not happy with the crap that we had during the game. We cost ourselves a lot, letting them extend drives with stupid penalties. We just can't do that going forward," he said.

The Generals were rewarded for their title with a number one seed and a first round bye in the Central Section Division IV playoffs. At the CIF Central Section seeding meeting held on Saturday, the committee gave the top seed to the Generals, with Wasco getting the number 13 seed.

Shafter will be off on Friday, Nov. 8, and will host the winner of the game between #8 North High and #9 Templeton High School. Shafter will play at home against the winner on Friday, Nov. 15.

Wasco will travel to Fresno on Friday, Nov. 8, to play fourth-seeded McLane High School. The kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.