Tehachapi Warriors finish lackluster season on a high note
TEHACHAPI, Calif. — The Tehachapi varsity football team went 3-1 in their final four games after beginning the year 2-6. They will, however, need to rediscover and embrace their identity if they want to improve after a mediocre 2021 season.
The year began in a nonconference game against the Wasco Tigers, a team that imposed their will on the Warriors in dominant fashion. Tehachapi lost by a score of 50-14, finishing the game with only 154 yards of total offense.
The Warriors would rebound the very next game against another nonconference opponent. They played the Golden West Trailblazers, rushing for 230 yards as a team and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. The Tehachapi defense also limited Golden West to merely three points offense.
Tehachapi would experience some ups and downs as the season progressed. The Warriors lost four straight games at one point, which came against conference and nonconference opponents. They would also deliver a three-game win streak towards the end of the season.
Tehachapi had its best performance as a team against Burroughs High School, dominating the game both offensively and defensively. The Warriors racked up more than 300 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns. The final score was a whopping 48-6.
Tehachapi went 2-2 in conference play, which was good enough for a third-place finish in the South Yosemite Football League. The Warriors also beat Bishop Union in the first round of the Division IV Central Section Tournament. However, they would lose in the second round of the playoffs against Roosevelt High School.
One of the standouts for Tehachapi was senior running back Samuel Orellana, who made a major impact on the field week in and week out. He totaled more than 1,000 rushing yards and scored 14 touchdowns.
Despite having a stellar ground game, the quarterback position was severely lacking in terms of playmaking ability. Sophomore quarterback Jacob Root finished the season with merely 45 pass attempts, 11 completions, 213 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Tehachapi as a team will need to improve significantly if they expect to make a serious postseason run in 2022. The new crop of upperclassmen will have to assume leadership roles and step up in big moments. The quarterback play will also need to improve and get more involved if Tehachapi has any intention of turning things around.
However, 2021 had enough bright spots for the Warriors to get back on track and potentially regain control of the South Yosemite Football League.
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