Central East quarterback Jelani Dippel looks for an open receiver during a Tri-River Athletic Conference game against Buchanan on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
ANTHONY GALAVIZ
agalaviz@fresnobee.com
Figuring out ways to slow down the Central East football team is a tough task for any opponent.
Buchanan found that scoring plenty of points would keep the Bears in the game. But when the Bengals got the ball back, they were likely to score again.
That was the case Friday night at Koligian Stadium.
The Fresno Bee’s top-ranked Central East matched every score the Bears put up and seemingly scored at will in a 69-38 victory over No. 3 Buchanan in a Tri-River Athletic Conference matchup.
The win improved Central East’s record to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the TRAC, giving the Bengals a one-game lead over the Bears and Clovis.
The Bengals scored a touchdown on every possession but one, when they punted in the second quarter.
Their next seven possessions resulted in touchdowns.
That’s tough for any opponent to overcome when trying to knock off Central East.
It also makes it difficult for opponents to figure out how to slow down the Bengals’ high-powered offense, which just added Clovis North transfer JR Cruz. He finished the game with 148 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Bengals quarterback Jelani Dippel completed 16 of 22 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. His touchdown passes went to RJ Jefferson, Cruz and Titus Thomas.
Thomas was carted off the field with an injury.
In a postgame interview with CW 59’s Friday Night Rivals, Central East coach Kyle Biggs said the win was for Thomas.
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Anthony Galaviz writes about breaking news/sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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