The Dinuba Varsity Football team suffered a tough loss in their home opener on Friday, falling to Golden West 48-19. The Emperors came out strong, scoring the first points of the game, but were quickly overwhelmed by Golden West’s high-powered offense, trailing 13-27 at the half.

The game marked the first home game for Dinuba this season, and while the crowd was excited to have football back, Dinuba couldn’t match their expectations of a win. Golden West capitalized on several key mistakes, extending its lead throughout the game.

Despite the loss, Dinuba had a couple of highlights. Tight-End Leonardo Vega rushed for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Emperors their first touchdown of the game. Junior quarterback Tony Ibarra connected with senior wideout Lorenzo Williams for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Senior running back, Nate Lopez, rushed for Dinuba’s final points on the night, with an 11-yard rush. On defense, sophomore Tristian Fryson led the team in tackles with 10 and also had 2 sacks. The Dinuba defense caused 2 turnovers, junior defensive back Jaydon Rojas with an interception, and senior linebacker Isaac Godinez with a forced fumble.

The Emperors look to regroup and bounce back after starting the season now 0-2. Their next matchup is against Kingsburg, a rivalry game. Be sure to go out and support our Dinuba Emperors, with 8 games left on the season!