Paso Robles High School and Templeton High School haven’t played in 97 years

The Templeton Eagles and Paso Robles Bearcats are locked in for a huge Mountain League matchup this Friday night, and when the two teams finally hit the field together, it will be the first time the two schools have played each other in 97 years. The Bearcats and Eagles have played each other in football only twice, with both games coming in the same season in 1924.

The Paso Robles Press went back through the archives to find the old box scores, and it turns out that the Bearcats lead the series 2-0. Coached by G.A. Gates, the Bearcats finished the 1924 season with a 3-3 record, two of those wins coming over the Eagles. The two teams played in week two of the season (the Bearcats season opener was against alumni, and they lost 9-0), and the Bearcats won a close game 13-0. The two teams played again in the season’s final game, and Paso Robles ran away with it winning 71-0. For those wondering just how long ago 1924 was, a little-known box displaying moving pictures called a television was invented in 1925.

Paso Robles’ other opponents in the 1924 season were King City (Bearcats fell 13-0), Taft (Bearcats lost 42-14) and San Luis Obispo (Bearcats won 20-6).

Friday night will be not only a historic matchup but also an important one as both teams are battling for the top spot among the North County Football teams and lifelong bragging rights. Paso Robles enters the game with a 2-2 record, having only played Mountain League games this season. Templeton, who is hosting the game Friday, enters with a record of 3-1 but are only 1-1 in the league and are looking to bounce back after a lopsided loss to St. Joseph last week.

Both Templeton and Paso Robles have defeated the Arroyo Grande Eagles this season, and both have been beaten handily by the St. Joseph Knights.

Templeton quarterback Tyler Kaschewski and the Templeton offense had been unstoppable the last two years until being shut out last Friday. This season, the senior quarterback is averaging 179 rushing yards per game, with his best game coming against Arroyo Grande when he ran for 372 yards and five touchdowns. In that game, Kaschewski had touchdown runs of 84-yards and 92-yards.

While the Bearcats will unquestionably be worried about keeping Kaschewski in front of them, they will also have to keep an eye on senior running back Josh Berna. He already has 448 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Templeton’s offense can strike from anywhere at any time, and if Paso Robles wants to keep it close, they will need to limit the Eagles explosive plays.

Last week, the Eagles suffered some injuries to some of their core seniors, which played a significant role in the game getting out of hand. The Eagles have a handful of starters that play both on offense and defense. Should they be back out there on Friday, the Bearcats defense will have their work cut out for them.

While Templeton scores in a blink of an eye, the Bearcats work the ball more methodically down the field, utilizing a mixture of classic football plays and formations that might have even been called in 1924. Paso Robles’ running game is built on misdirection and power — as opposed to the Eagles’ speed– running behind big backs Leo Kemp and Jake Morones. Kemp, a sophomore, was given his first chance to carry the ball this year after a lifetime of his fingers in the dirt playing youth and runs like each carry could be his last.

This season Kemp has run for 342 yards and four touchdowns, while his running mate, Morones, currently has 211 yards and two touchdowns. Both of Paso Robles’ wins this season came in hard-fought, close games that came down to the bitter end. Should Friday’s game remain close, the experience in late games could help the Bearcats as Templeton has yet to play a game that remained close throughout all four quarters.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be viewed on the Voice Of Paso Livestream or listened to on KPRL.