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- Central East beat Grant-Sacramento 42-12 after building a 21-0 lead.
- The win served as revenge after Central East lost to Grant 42-26 last season.
- Central East won without Bayon Harris and cornerback Jontae Della.
Even without star wide receiver Bayon Harris, Central East showed it has more than enough firepower to overcome adversity.
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The Bengals made that clear from the start in The Fresno Bee Game of the Week.
Central East jumped to a 21-0 lead and never let up, rolling to a convincing 42-12 victory over Grant in a matchup between The Bee’s top-ranked team and the Pacers.
It was revenge after last season’s 42-26 loss to Grant.
A 30-point victory says plenty about coach Kyle Biggs’ team, particularly its ability to respond when key players are sidelined.
Titus Thomas and Smith stepped up when the Bengals needed them. Thomas hauled in a touchdown pass in the third quarter, while Smith filled in at cornerback for injured teammate Jontae Della.
“Proud of our guys,” Biggs said. “Jamar Smith stepped in at corner and did awesome.”
Della fractured his ankle in practice, and no timetable has been set for his return.
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Harris, meanwhile, is a Fresno State recruit who was injured before last week’s season opener, which was canceled in Henderson, Nev., because of lightning. He is out indefinitely.
Central East scored on all four of its first-half possessions, building a commanding lead before halftime and demonstrating the depth that could prove valuable throughout the season.
Biggs credited Relando Jefferson, Xavior Jones, Kevin Cooks and Thomas for stepping up, and Dippel “made great decisions.”
Dippel completed 20 of 28 for 358 yards and four touchdowns. Thomas finished with 77 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 11:29 PM with the headline “Without key players, Central East rolls in revenge victory over Grant-Sacramento.”
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