Week 4 Scoreboard: Bakersfield Rolls in Home Opener, Undefeated Teams Keep Winning
Week 4 of the high school football season delivered another busy slate across Kern County, with several undefeated teams staying perfect, Bakersfield making a statement in its home opener and a few teams breaking through for their first wins of the season.
There is still one game left on the Week 4 schedule. Garces Memorial travels to Fresno on Saturday for Holy Bowl 60 against San Joaquin Memorial.
Bakersfield makes a statement against Clovis West
Bakersfield made its home debut in dominant fashion Friday night, defeating Clovis West 46-14.
The Drillers controlled the game from start to finish and showed they are capable of hurting teams in several different ways offensively.
Quarterback Elon Mackey delivered one of his best performances of the season, finishing with three passing touchdowns. Mackey connected with Kaiden Hastings twice through the air as Bakersfield consistently found ways to finish drives.
Dee Lee also had a monster night on both sides of the football, contributing to a Drillers team that looked complete in all three phases.
Bakersfield entered the season with questions about whether its offense could become too dependent on the running game. Friday night offered a strong answer. The Drillers showed they can choose how they want to attack, particularly when they get into scoring territory.
The defense was equally impressive. Clovis West did not find the end zone until the game was already well in hand.
It was the second straight week Clovis West made the trip to Bakersfield after falling to Bakersfield Christian in Week 3.
Liberty runs into Buchanan
Thursday night's matchup between Liberty and Buchanan did not play out the way many expected.
Buchanan defeated the Patriots 49-7, handing Liberty its first loss of the season.
The final score does not tell the entire story. Liberty moved the football and reached the red zone multiple times, but the Patriots struggled to finish drives. An opening-drive fumble helped Buchanan grab early momentum, and Liberty was never able to completely turn it back.
Wide receiver Gavin Williams continued his outstanding start to the season and remains one of the toughest covers in the Central Section.
There will not be much time for Liberty to regroup. The Patriots' schedule gets even more difficult next week when they travel to face top-ranked Central East.
Ridgeview remains unbeaten
Ridgeview continued its perfect start with an impressive 23-6 victory over Mission Prep.
The Wolf Pack are now through four weeks without a loss and continue to establish themselves as one of the area's teams to watch as the season moves toward league play.
Shafter keeps rolling
Shafter stayed undefeated with another dominant performance, beating Porterville 52-7.
The Generals have continued to handle everything placed in front of them and remain among Kern County's unbeaten teams after Week 4.
Kennedy stays perfect
Kennedy opened the week Thursday night with a 34-6 victory over Tehachapi.
The Thunderbirds remain undefeated and continue to build on a strong start to the season.
Taft dominates again
Taft remained perfect with a 49-0 shutout of Arvin.
Joe Weber continued his dominant start for the Wildcats, who have emerged as one of the area's most impressive teams through the first four weeks.
Foothill wins big again
Foothill's hot start continued Friday night.
The Trojans defeated Delano 52-16, keeping their undefeated record intact and adding another convincing victory to an increasingly impressive start.
Independence is starting to roll
After opening the season with a loss, Independence appears to have found its rhythm.
The Falcons defeated Stockdale 40-6 Friday night for their second consecutive victory.
Independence has now flipped the direction of its season and enters Week 5 with momentum.
South and Mira Monte break through
Two programs picked up their first victories of the season Friday night.
South defeated Monache 34-30, while Mira Monte edged Boron 19-18.
For both programs, Week 4 provided the breakthrough they had been searching for.
Week 4 Final Scores
Thursday
Buchanan 49, Liberty 7
Kennedy 34, Tehachapi 6
Taft 49, Arvin 0
Friday
Northgate 28, North 14
Ridgeview 23, Mission Prep 6
Mira Monte 19, Boron 18
Chavez 35, Golden Valley 21
Bakersfield 46, Clovis West 14
Shafter 52, Porterville 7
Independence 40, Stockdale 6
Roosevelt 33, Wasco 32
South 34, Monache 30
Hanford 42, Frontier 7
Santa Maria 40, Del Oro 0
East 46, West 13
Foothill 52, Delano 16
Paso Robles 35, Highland 21
Still to Come: Holy Bowl 60
Week 4 is not finished yet.
Garces Memorial travels to Fresno Saturday to face San Joaquin Memorial in Holy Bowl 60, adding another chapter to one of the Central Valley's longstanding high school football rivalries.
BSN will have the final result as Week 4 officially comes to a close.
