CIF-Central Section: Dayton Tafoya's four TD passes lifts No. 5 Central past No. 15 Clovis

A goal-line stand and interception by Braylen Hall helps preserve the Tri-River Athletic Conference-opening victory.

CLOVIS, Calif. — Behind four touchdown passes from Dayton Tafoya on Thursday, the Central-Fresno football team improved to 4-2 overall with a 27-21 Tri-River Athletic Conference opening-game victory over Clovis at Lamonica Stadium.

Two of Tafoya's TD passes went to Noel Felix III as the Grizzlies won this battle between two ranked teams in the SBLive Central Section Fab 15. Central entered at No. 5 and Clovis No. 15. 

The Cougars fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-1 in TRAC play. Freshman quarterback Deagan Rose threw three touchdown passes.

Central running back Michael James (8). Photo: Chris Aguirre

Clovis had opportunities late in the fourth quarter but a goal line stand by Central and an interception by Braylen Hall in Clovis' final possession clinched the game for the Grizzlies, relieving coach Kyle Biggs. 

“We didn’t play as well as we wanted to but we did enough to win,” he said. “In league play it is just finding ways to win and that is what we did tonight.”

Jamari Carter got the Grizzlies off to a good start, recovering a fumble on Clovis' first play of the game. Tafoya immediately took advantage, connecting with Felix on a 24-yard touchdown pass just two minutes in, giving Central a 7-0 lead. 

Rose responded, tying the game at 7-7 with a 23-yard TD pass to Wyatt Merkord.

Tafoya and Felix answered, connecting for a second touchdown with four minutes left in the first half that gave the Grizzlies a 14-7 lead. 

“Me and Dayton have been working on our connection in practice and that is how we built that connection," Felix said. 

Central wasn't done. 

A Tafoya 27-yard touchdown pass to Hall made it 20-7 with 57 seconds left in the half. 

Clovis running back Tyler Marquez, who later scored a touchdown receiver, runs up field. Photo: Chris Aguirre. 

But Clovis wasn't done either. 

The Cougars drove right down field and Rose connected with Jaden Carrillo on a 38-yard touchdown pass, closing to within 20-14 before halftime. 

The late score didn't sit well with Biggs, who said the Grizzlies will need to chore things up in order to win the rugged TRAC. 

“We just have to do our jobs and when we do our jobs we played really well and when we didn’t, we played bad,” Biggs said. “It’s not rocket science. If we don’t figure it out, we will get blown out in the next two weeks.”

A firm pep talk at halftime evidently helped. 

The Grizzlies came out and scored on their first possession when Imari Conley took a screen pass from Tafoya and raced 60 yards for a touchdown to give the Grizzlies a 27-14 lead. 

Once again, the Cougars didn't go away. 

They made it 27-21 with 7:33 left in the game when Rose threw his third touchdown pass, connecting with Tyler Marquez on a 9-yard touchdown.

Clovis had chances to steal the win, but in the end the goal-line stand and Hall's interception saved the day for Central. 

“Our main focus this week was to make a statement for TRAC play,” Tafoya said. “We went through a hard preseason. TRAC play will be hard every week we just have to prepare well and be consistent. There was a lot of ups-and-downs tonight, but we fought and stayed together.”

Said Felix: “We battled all the way until the end. "I did my job on my end and the defense did their job on their end."

The Grizzlies will play the current No. 1 team in the Central Section, Buchanan, next week, while the Cougars travel to play Clovis North.

All photos by Chris Aguirre