The Emperors last home game of the season and senior night ended in a loss to Lemoore (52-20). It was relatively close for the first three-quarters of the game. Dinuba and Lemoore went back and forth. Lemoore’s running game was mediocre in the first half while their passing game wasn’t much better. Similarly, Dinuba struggled with the run game, with minimal passes. Lemoore and Dinuba were tied at 23-20 in the third quarter. This changed in the fourth where Lemoore relentlessly ran the ball racking up 29 points in a single quarter. Needless to say, the Emperor’s defense struggled to stop the run game. The night ended in 52-20 a heartbreaking loss for the Emperors and the seniors that were part of the team.
The game against Tulare Union was another loss for Dinuba (43-29). Dinuba’s offense was looking good this game running and passing the ball efficiently, although they were stopped a handful of times. However, the Emperor’s defense looked like it needed more of the fight it had previously had. They gave up multiple touchdowns, with Tulare Union making it rain over Dinuba. Despite the Emperor offense’s valiant attempt at scoring, they wound up short but still put up a fight against a team with extreme talent.
Mission Oak broke Dinuba’s losing streak with the Emperors coming out with a win in their last game(34-28). Dinuba’s offense and defense looked great on the field; both were doing their jobs exemplary. However, Mission Oak was just a little behind tying the game in the fourth quarter (28-28). Mission Oak got the ball first in overtime but Dinuba’s defense snatched the ball from Mission Oak with an interception by Kristian Bobenrieth(3). The interception put the game on the Emperor offense’s back. It was looking dicey with the Emperors being a yard away from a first down while they were on the fourth. Tensions were high until Nate Lopez ran into the end zone making that last night a Dinuba victory.
End of the March
The season was rife with struggle but in the end, the Emperors pulled away with a victory making their overall record 2-8. They won against the Selma Bears(12-9), and then finally against the Mission Oak Hawks. Both were hard-fought wins in which it was unclear who the victor would be. Hopefully, next year the Emperors will be more successful. Thank you to the seniors who played this year, as well as the underclassmen. See you next season!
