by Craig Beilfuss
Local SportsJournal.com
The visiting Hesperia Panthers finished on a high note Friday evening, as they outlasted the Shelby Tigers in a hard fought 34-20 win.
It was the most offensive production of the long season for the youthful Shelby Tigers, under the direction of first year head coach Phil Fortier.
Cade Clement had 45 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown for Shelby. Other offensive leaders for Shelby included Travis Boughan who caught a 31 yard touchdown from Isaiah Garcia and Nick Baffi caught a 61 yard touchdown pass from Boughan.
Leading the way for the Tiger defense were Blake Stovall with 9 tackles and Clement with 8 tackles.
“I want to thank the seniors for leading our program in a way that makes all of us pound,” said Shelby coach Phil Fortier.
“I am so happy for the effort our kids gave tonight and very disappointed about the results. Our football team progressed this year. It’s like we are building a house. During the build, the house can look ugly. Dirt, cement, wires and pipes everywhere. But the foundation is solid, said Fortier.
“There is a lot of work to do still, but we had JV football this year for the first time in three years. We had fun playing this great game everyday. We learned a lot about ourselves…as people.”
Shelby concludes the season 0-9, while Hesperia finishes the season with a 1-8 record.
Photos shot by Leo Valdez.
