Witnessing one of the greatest games ever-right here in Tehachapi

Corey Costelloe.

I've seen my fair share of high school football games over the years. I played in some memorable ones, too. From the field to the press box to the broadcast booth and the public address system, I've witnessed several contests that stick in my brain. But the game on Sept. 27, Tehachapi High School vs. Golden West (Visalia), is now at the top of my chart.

Our Warriors lost the game, but witnessing that contest was worth the price of admission, or at least the price of my volunteer time to THS Athletics. Both teams were coming off bye weeks and well-rested for this matchup. Golden West possessed one of the most high-powered offenses in the CIF Central Section, they were ranked 20th in the Central Section polls and ranked 200 spots higher than the Warriors in the CalHi Sports statewide rankings. It had the potential for a blowout, especially with a Tehachapi team still finding themselves after the departure of many weapons from last season.

But, this is Tehachapi and rankings, polls and expectations do not matter once the whistle blows. Ultimately it was a 27-24 overtime loss to the Trailblazers following an interception in Tehachapi's overtime possession, but man, what a game.

It had everything, a couple of old-fashioned Tehachapi drives, nearly 300 yards of rushing, it had an early 14-point lead for the Warriors, as well. It had plenty of mistakes on both sides, but it was Golden West that would cash in the most, stripping the ball on the final play of the first half and scoring a touchdown to tie the game at 14 apiece.

It had late lead changes, a goal-line stand by the Warriors from the one-yard line, a 96-yard Tehachapi touchdown drive, it even had a blocked field goal at the end of regulation to force overtime.

It also had the crowd, an energetic, loud and engaged crowd, just like it should always be in Tehachapi. The place was absolutely rocking. The student section led a non-stop cacophony of noise, the band performed on the field and kept it going in the stands during this memorable contest. Reports from Downtown residents that did not attend the game claim they could hear the stadium as far away as E Street near Central Park. That's noise.

It is hard to feel good about a loss, but when Tehachapi managed to not only be in the game, but almost upset a team that on paper should have won by 35 points, it's a victory of confidence. Looking at the remaining schedule, hopefully the team realizes that they can run the table and position themselves nicely for a CIF playoff run. In one month of play, the Warriors have improved tremendously, even if that loss set them back a tad. Both losses mind you coming at the hands of very good teams.

There were standout performances all over the field, some obvious, some not-so-obvious to the casual observer. But, lots of credit is due to the Tehachapi secondary who shut down the top receiver in the Central Section with aggressive play and communication. Sure, the Warriors gave up their fair share of passing yards, but when one player is identified as the "guy" you do everything to prevent him from beating you. With one reception, he certainly did not.

Several die-hard fans that attend nearly every Tehachapi game agreed that it was one of the best, if not the best home games they have ever witnessed at our historic yard. That's saying a lot considering Tehachapi has played at Coy Burnett Stadium since the 1960s.

Tehachapi has a strong tradition with coaches managing to get the absolute best out of their players, usually the same ones that are undersized, under recruited and underestimated. Kris Krempien continues to do just that in his fourth season. It could have been written off as a "rebuilding year" given the immense talent that graduated, but instead there is hope for their third-straight South Yosemite Mountain League Championship, and maybe a chance to finally get a playoff seed in our appropriate Division III, but either way, we have proven we can play with the best.

In a complex world it's nice to have the escape of sports, specifically football in a town where it still matters. Where the controlled chaos produces a winner, and produces valuable lessons all in the same span of a few hours. We can use more of that in society.

The Warriors responded by defeating East High last week and play at North before returning home on Oct. 18 for the annual Homecoming Game against SYML opponent West High School. This time the Warriors will be the ones heavily favored on paper, but with a league title hanging in the balance, we can all expect the best effort possible. It's hard to top what we saw on Sept. 27, but it sure wouldn't hurt to duplicate that effort, no matter who is lined up across from you.

Corey Costelloe has covered NCAA, professional and local sports for more than 20 years as a reporter, broadcaster and athletics administrator. He advocates for the value of athletic competition and serves as the President of the Tehachapi Warriors Booster Club. He can be reached at [email protected].