Templeton rolls, AG wins in upset as both teams advance to CIF finals
In a victorious night for San Luis Obispo County football, Templeton put on a show in front of a packed stadium of home fans to remain undefeated.
And Arroyo Grande won in a nail-biter on the road in the Central Valley.
Both San Luis Obispo schools now advance to CIF final matchups on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, in their respective CIF-Central Section playoff divisions.
Templeton 41, North (Bakersfield) 0
The extraordinary season of the Eagles (12-0) keeps on getting more impressive as Templeton cruised to a blowout win Friday and earn a spot in the Division 4 finals.
Colter Tannehill tossed three touchdowns and punched in a short-yardage rushing score. Star running back Tyler Cunningham added to his stellar year with two touchdown receptions and two rushing scores.
On yet another big night for the senior, Cunningham tallied a touchdown reception of 82 yards to put the first points on the board, followed by a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for Templeton’s second score; he added an 11-yard TD reception and an 8-yard TD run.
Eagles receiver Colby Sims hauled in Templeton’s other touchdown reception with a 19-yard catch, diving to snag a pass thrown to the right corner of the end zone.
“We lost to (North) last year in the playoffs,” Tannehill said. “Coming back to play them again, we owed them one. Throughout practices this week, we just remembered that and stayed composed and stayed dialed in on what the end goal is.”
Tannehill said the close-knit team’s success has come from its bond on and off the field and a multi-talented roster.
“They make it pretty easy for me,” said Tannehill, who came into the game with more than 1,600 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. “I’ve got a lot of great weapons surrounding me, and my O-line does a great job give me a lot of time back there. I couldn’t be more grateful for my teammates. We’re really close, and we depend on the guy next to us to do their job and to help each other out.”
As the North Stars tried to gain a foothold, the Eagles found ways to stymie any kind of offensive momentum, including a sack from Nick Capaci in the second half, his fourth sack of the year.
“We practiced all week on the muddy field,” Capaci said. “We also practiced inside, but I think we were used to (the muddy conditions) for tonight’s game. ...For a small school, we’ve come a long way.”
And senior safety Will Capaci snagged an interception on a pass that sailed high and led to a tipped ball by a North receiver.
“I was ready to come down and just hit him...I saw the ball bounce up in the air and came right to me,” Capaci said. “...We are close as a team. I’ve been playing with these guys for four or five years now. I’ve known them my whole life. We’re super close community.”
Cunningham, who came into the game with more than 1,500 yards rushing and 22 rushing touchdowns, said it was Templeton’s “best performance of the year.”
“We had our best week of practices all year, despite the rain, just working through it,” said Cunningham, who’s committed to play at Yale. “And that’s what leads to a great game. It comes during the week, and not just on Friday night.”
With the victory, No. 1 Templeton moves on to face No. 2 Immanuel, also undefeated at 12-0 in a Templeton home game on Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.
“This is what we have been looking forward to my whole high school career,” Cunningham said. “So next week, that’s the biggest game for us. We want to go out there and play the best game we can and hopefully get a win.”
Arroyo Grande 24, Tulare Union 21
Arroyo Grande (9-4) found a way to come back in its road game against the No. 1 seed in Division 2, down 21-17 in the fourth quarter.
Idaho-bound senior Caleb Clark snagged two interceptions, one in the first quarter and another to cement the win in the fourth.
Clark also dashed for an 80-yard touchdown, as running backs Zack Tayman and Miles Thompson also scored rushing touchdowns. Arroyo Grande booted a field goal as well to upset The Tribe (9-3).
“Our defense played phenomenal,” said Arroyo Grande Coach Stephen Field. “Tulare Union is a great football team. Their offense is phenomenal. And so our defense played lights out and made them work for everything.”
Field added that “our offense was able to get first downs when we needed to and score just enough for a good team win.”
Field said the contest was a back and forth battle with multiple lead changes.
“Anytime you make a trip to the valley and win a playoff game, it’s a huge accomplishment,” Field said. “It’s not just because it’s a long trip. Teams are good and we’re not used to seeing each other a ton and so to come out on the road and get a big win in CIF, that’s huge.”
No. 4 Arroyo Grande next faces No. 2 Bakersfield (10-2), which beat Redwood 24-21 Friday. The Eagles are on the road in the Division 2 final in Bakersfield on Friday.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 11:25 PM.