Dos Palos routs Kern Valley in playoff opener

Not long ago, the Dos Palos football team appeared to be in trouble.

The Broncos were reeling in the aftermath of a hazing incident that saw four players arrested, and were in the midst of a four-game losing streak.

Coach Rob Calvert and his squad regrouped and have righted the ship. Thursday night’s 48-0 win over Kern Valley in the first round of the Central Section Division V playoffs marked DP’s fifth victory in a row and its fourth consecutive shutout.

The Broncos’ power-football attack was on full display as they racked up 481 yards on the ground. Tre Walker (16 carries, game-high 179 rushing yards, three touchdowns) and Hunter Hogue (12-150, one TD) set the tone.

Chance Benadum also had a nice offensive evening, rushing for a touchdown and catching a TD pass. His 10-yard touchdown run on the heels of a Walker 2-yard score made it 14-0 Dos Palos (7-4) after one quarter.

Walker and Benadum each struck again in the second quarter, sandwiched around a Christopher Defrancesco 58-yard touchdown run, to lead 35-0 at halftime. Walker and Hogue ran in second-half scores to put the game away.

The second-seeded Broncos will host No. 10 Yosemite on Nov. 18.

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 12:35 AM with the headline "Dos Palos routs Kern Valley in playoff opener."