Templeton football preparing for CIF title tilt

By Michael Chaldu · Wed Nov 26 2025

Top-ranked Central Section Division IV squad to face off against another set of Eagle, from Immanuel High, this Friday night

TEMPLETON — The Templeton High football field will be a veritable Eagles nest on Friday night, Nov. 28, as the school’s football squad will compete for a CIF Central Section title, facing Immanuel High of Reedley, also known as the Eagles, at 7 p.m.

While most folks will be picking through Thanksgiving leftovers and getting a head start on holiday shopping on Black Friday, players, coaches, parents, and fans of the Templeton High football team will be getting ready for the Division IV championship game, the first CIF title contest in school history, according to readily available records.

The contest is set up as an epic showdown: Templeton is the top seed of the division, while Immanuel is No. 2, and both squads boast 12-0 records going into the game.

The Eagles, now 12-0 on the season after two runaway playoff victories, will vie for the Division IV final, facing off against Immanuel High of Reedley at 7 p.m. on Templeton’s field.

Head coach Don Crow’s Eagles made it to the title game after dominating North High of Bakersfield 41-0 in the semifinals on Nov. 21, avenging a 30-13 loss to the Stars in last year’s CIF playoffs.

Tyler Cunningham continued to lead Templeton’s ground game against North, rushing for 136 yards on 18 carries and an 82-yard run on the Eagles’ first series of the game. He also caught two passes for 134 yards and another TD. That performance continued a stellar season for the senior running back: He rushed for 228 yards and three TDs in Templeton’s 40-14 quarterfinal win over Coalinga on Nov. 14.

For the season, Cunningham has rushed for 1,658 yards, and counting receiving and return yardage, he has amassed 2,681 all-purposed yard and scored 30 touchdowns. He has rushed for over 100 yards in seven games this season, and for over 200 yards in three of those.

Also starring in the win over North, was quarterback Colter Tannehill, with 224 yards passing on just eight completions (that’s 28 yards per completion) and three touchdowns, one to Cunningham and the other two to Colby Sims. For the season, the 6-foot-6, 220-lb. junior signal caller has 1,895 yards passing with 24 touchdowns.

The Eagles offense has been a machine this year, with 499 points on the year (41.6 per game), and totaling 30 or more points in all but two games (and the points scored in those games was 28 and 29); meanwhile, the THS defense has been effective in keeping the opponents out of the end zone, giving up just 174 (14.5 per game).

Cunningham, like many of his offensive cohorts, excels on defense also, with 63 tackles and a team-high five interceptions as a linebacker. Joining him on defense are the team’s leading tacklers in linebackers Hayz Camarena (113) and Garrett Davis (105), as well as defensive linemen Landen Reifers (5 quarterback sacks), Nick Capaci (4 sacks), and Drake Sandoval (4 sacks).

That group will face an Immanuel team that looks to be Templeton’s most formidable opponent. The Eagles from Reedley, also boast a 12-0 record and are champions of the Sequoia League. Immanuel has tallied 462 points on the season against just 67 points allowed. In fact, only one opponent was able to score in double figures against them.

Key players to watch for Immanuel are Tyler Romo, who led the Eagles in rushing with 824 yards and 14 touchdowns, and also anchors a strong defense. Quarterback Vincent Rosander has thrown for 18 TDs this year, with his favorite targets being Bennett Cords and Luke Thomas, who have caught 7 scoring passes each. On defense, Wyatt Rasmussen, Rocco DeGraw, and Kody DeGroot will back Romo in trying to stop Templeton.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday at the Templeton High field. To get tickets go togofan.co/event/5488402?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=maxpreps&utm_campaign=team-schedule-list&utm_content=pre

Feature Image by Rick Evans/PRP