Like what happened with Bakersfield Christian football, it’s easy to get caught up in everything going on in a season. Darren Carr, who has been the head coach since 2016 and has led multiple Eagles teams to the level where the 2025 team is now, is overcoming the pressure.
“We are excited to host and play a home game in the state playoffs. Our players have had a lot of firsts this year and God has been good to us,” he said.
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Carr and this year’s team, which went 12-0 and captured the league title and CIF Division IA Central Division title, will take the next step Friday night at 7:30 p.m. BCHS takes on La Habra (11-3) of Orange County, the CIF Southern Section Division III champion, in the CIF Southern California Division 2-AA regional championship.
A win this week would send BCHS to the 2-AA state tournament on Dec. 12. That will pit the Eagles against the winner of Friday’s Northern California regional final between San Mateo Junipero Serra (8-5) and host Stockton St. Mary’s (11-2).
“We are honored to be in the 2-AA state playoffs. La Habra is a good team. They are here for a reason,” Carr said.
Last season, BCHS reached the state playoff level and, after leading 10-7 at halftime, gave up three points in the second half to lose to Palos Verdes 28-10. Carr realized his team wasn’t as prepared as they thought. Many of those players returned to the position, and Carr sees it as a lesson learned.
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indeed. Both teams are here because they have found the ultimate goal that will accomplish all of their preseason goals this year.
Carr said of La Habra that the Highlanders reminded him of Liberty, which BCHS defeated 38-16 in the sectional final.
“The size is good, the pass rush is good, they control the football,” he said. “The quarterback can get up and run. It’s a spread offense, but they want to run.
“Defensively,” Carr said, “they have good size and solid defense.”
Key players include defensive lineman Luke Hedgepeth (seven sacks, 54 tackles for loss and 14 tackles for loss), senior outside linebacker Noah Barajas (85 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 14 TFL) and junior linebacker Barrett Blade (80 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks for loss). Three players had four or more interceptions, led by junior defensive back Santi Bautista Cuesta with six. Habra had four picks and six scores.
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The Highlanders have played two more games than BCHS, which received a first-round bye in the Central Division playoffs and another bye after winning the conference championship game on Nov. 21. La Habra limited three of its four playoff opponents to one touchdown and defeated San Jacinto 27-13 in the SS final.
On offense, junior quarterback DJ Mitchell has accumulated 2,576 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 690 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 87 yards or more in each of the team’s playoff games. Mitchell’s top receiving targets are Bryce Vasquez, who has 62 catches, 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Blake “Blaze” Rogers, who has 905 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Highlanders’ top rushing threat is junior Kevica Mata’utia Martinez. He had 1,350 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns and had 650 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. He had 205 yards in the conference championship game against San Jacinto.
BCHS put together a 12-game resume that included 2,337 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions from senior quarterback Lincoln Adame.
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Senior wide receiver Michael Smith was Adame’s most frequent receiving target, finishing with 43 receptions, 1,144 yards and 16 touchdowns. Other top targets include seniors Jason Gutierrez, who had 32 catches for 406 yards and a touchdown, and Andre Calderon, who had 17 catches for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Buddah Walker had 14 catches for 165 yards and one score. Owen Yurosek was the only TD receptionist.
Adame attributes that to his receivers’ work ethic, continuing to improve timing on routes when he and his receivers stay after practice to just throw the ball.
“All the extra work paid off,” Adamu said.
Smith is in his second full season at BCHS after two years with the Gals, his first having arrived in the late summer where he spent his full senior season in lockstep with Adame.
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“Lincoln knows how to put the ball on the money. He has a great arm,” Smith said. “I have a lot of confidence in his ability. When I watched film and saw the route I ran, he threw the ball before I even turned around. He knew exactly where I was going to be.”
Running the ball works just as well for the Eagles. Senior Darriyon Page has been a workhorse for BCHS, approaching 1,000 yards with 954 yards, over 100 yards in three games and 10 rushing touchdowns.
“He’s a golfer, very crafty, and he can hit the hole,” Adamu said of Page. “He’s so fast. He’s a really good defender.”
Page was especially important, running for 178 yards and three scores against Liberty behind his big blockers.
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One of BCHS’s supplemental backs is sophomore Richlyn Gooden, who has 362 yards and five touchdowns.
While the BCHS offense continues to improve as it competes, on the flip side, the defense has found success as well.
It all starts with defensive end Arness Lee, a transfer from Highland who has 21 quarterback sacks. He had multiple sacks against Faith Lutheran in Las Vegas, Tehachapi, Tulare Union, Ridgeview, Highland, Bakersfield and Garces. He had 36 quarterback rushes, 76 tackles and 33 tackles for loss.
When Smith wasn’t catching passes from Adame, he had four interceptions, two of which were at the No. 6 position, and had 60 tackles as a free safety.
BCHS also has a huge weapon on Special Forces. Senior kicker Keon Peters excelled when the Eagles needed it most. He made 47 of 51 extra point attempts and 9 of 11 field goals.
