Atascadero and Mission Prep have bye weeks Friday, Nov. 3 in the 2023 Division III Football bracket.
Pioneer Valley v Porterville
Pioneer Valley finished 5-5 overall, and 3-3 in Ocean League where they placed fourth. Porterville also finished fourth in their league and spreads the ball pretty evenly in both the pass and run games. Pepe Gonzales and Allan Jimenez both average double what Porterville's top performers average. If the Panther's defense holds, Pioneer Valley has a chance at an upset against the eight seed.
Santa Ynez v RF Kennedy
The Kennedy Thunderbirds are the number four spot for a reason. Finishing 8-2 overall with a running back who rushed 156 yards-per-game this season have proved to be tough against opponents in the South Sequoia League. Evan Gotschall leads the Pirates in tackles per game. The Pirates need a wall and offensive momentum in their Pritchard and Beard connection to advance past round one.
Nipomo v Mt. Whitney
Wide receiver Isreal Briggs leads Mt. Whitney's offense with 65 receiving yards a game while running back Kysen Sing is averaging 95 yards-per-game. Nipomo finished under .500 on the season, struggling to score against top-ranked opponents this season. Troy Simonson, Ian Ackerman and the Titans defense have a tough first round against the sixth seeded Pioneers.
Templeton v Washington Union
Templeton finished at an even 5-5 record this season. Washington Union on the other hand finished 3-7, but faced tougher opponents in the Kings Canyon League. The Panthers don't run the ball a lot and rely on their passing game, playing two quarterbacks and spreading the ball to three receivers. The Eagles need a healthy River Waltmire in shotgun and with Daxton Calagna averaging 87 yards-per-game, the offensive line needs to open up holes to come home with a win.
San Luis Obispo v Tulare
San Luis Obispo's only exponential loss happened in week two, when they faced Arroyo Grande and only put three points up on the board. Their first loss of the season a forfiet, and the second a one-point loss to a perfect Atascadero team. The Tigers might like to run the ball, with Isaiah Hernandez averaging 127 yards-per-game, but Jace Gomes likes to air it out every now and then and when he does, it's for heavy yardage. Tulare on the other hand likes to air the ball out in their air raid offense. The Tigers defense needs to lock down wide receiver Demaje Riley if they want a chance to continue.
Lompoc v Centennial
Tony Arango and Monte Oritz need to connect next Friday against the Centennial defense. The Centennial offense is a force. Heres why: quarterback Adam Copus has 1233 passing yards this season and his favorite connection Jaxton Santiago. An offensive onslought awaits and the Braves need to keep up.
St. Joseph v Clovis
The Knights have a challenge with Clovis if the offense goes cold. Although St. Joseph rolled into playoffs with a 23-0 win against Mission Prep, the Knights score two quick touchdowns then slowed down as the game wore on. St. Joseph is on a five-game winning streak and they have a good chance to keep things rolling.
Arroyo Grande v Central
Senior quarterback Drake Missamore has been the gift that keeps on giving for the Eagles. After finishing the season under .500 last year, no one expected Arroyo Grande to lose just one game, while defeating five-time Mountain League Champs St. Joseph, except for the staff and the player-lead team. The Eagle's defense needs to hold down Central's Braylen Hall, who has 109 receiving yards a game. It's going to be a battle to watch between both offenses.
