Fresno's Central High will face off against Edison-Huntington Beach on Saturday, Dec. 14, for the Division 1-A CIF State football championship at Saddleback College. (GV Wire Composite)
- Central's impressive 12-2 season and No. 20 state ranking sets the stage for a thrilling championship matchup.
- Sophomore QB Jelani Dippel and junior two-way standout Brandon Smith power the Grizzlies.
- Edison reaches CIF state finals for first time after defeating Granite Hills, 34-28, in the regional playoff.
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Time/Date: 3:30 p.m., PT, Saturday, Dec. 23
Location: Saddleback College
Records: Central 12-2, 3-2 Tri-River Athletic Conference; Edison 11-4, 1-2 Alpha Conference
The Central High School football team will face off against Edison of Huntington Beach on Saturday, Dec. 14, for the Division 1-A CIF State championship at Saddleback College. It’ll be the Grizzlies’ second state championship game in five seasons.
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Grizzlies’ Impressive Season and Program Success
Central is 12-2 ranked No. 20 in the state. The Grizzlies captured their fourth Central Section Division 1-AA football championship (2017, 2018, 2019) by beating Clovis East, 33-24, on Nov. 22.
The program’s successes have been under the leadership of head coach Kyle Biggs. Since taking over the program in 2016 the Grizzlies have appeared in six section title games and won the 2019 state championship in Division 1-AA, 34-19, over Sierra Canyon to finish with a 15-0 record.
That 2019 state title team included wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who became a first-round NFL draft pick and is in his rookie season with the two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Another wideout on that Central team, Jeremiah Hunter, has 33 receptions for the University of Washington this season.
In 11 seasons, Biggs has a 107-26 career record — two years at Fowler and nine at Central.
In the North Regional Final playoff game on Saturday against St. Ignatius College Prep of San Francisco, the night belonged to Brandon Smith as he scored five touchdowns. He rushed for three touchdowns (200 rushing yards), caught a scoring pass, and returned a fumble for a score — accounting for all of Central’s TDs in a 33-23 victory.
The victory propelled Central into the state championship game.
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Standouts Dippel, Smith Lead the Charge
The standouts for the Grizzlies are Smith and sophomore quarterback Jelani Dippel.
Dippel has passed for 3,230 yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing 49 times for 378 yards with three touchdowns.
Smith powers the ground attack and also anchors the defense. He has rushed for 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns and made 27 receptions for 260 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side, he has 167 tackles, two interceptions, and 3.5 sacks.
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Edison’s Journey to the Championship
Edison, the Southern Section D3 champions, beat Granite Hills of El Cajon, 34-28, on Saturday in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division 1-A final playoff game to reach the CIF state finals for the first time.
The Chargers are 11-4 and ranked No. 18 in the state. The Chargers appeared in the state playoffs in 2012 and 2016 but lost both times.
In its season opener, Edison lost to Clovis West, 29-28.
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