Tillman and Fremont Are on the Right Path

James Tillman remembers the game--and the score--as if it were yesterday.

Westchester 59, Fremont 0.

Tillman, a senior running back for Fremont, says thoughts of last year’s quarterfinal playoff loss have been driving the Pathfinders through the first half the season.

So far, it has been an invaluable motivator.

Fremont is 5-0 heading into Friday’s Southeastern Conference game against Jordan and the possibility of an unbeaten regular season is real for the Pathfinders, who are ranked No. 4 in the City Section by The Times.

Fremont is averaging 39 points a game and surrendering only 10.

“It’s hard to see anybody in the City beating us,” said Tillman, who scored four touchdowns in each of the last two victories. “We want it to come down to Westchester in the playoffs. They gave us a whipping last year. Basically, we think about that game and we just take it out on everybody else.”

Fremont has 14 starters back from last season’s team that finished 9-3 under first-year Coach Peter Duffy.

“Last year we were teaching kids how to get into three-point stances,” Duffy said. “This year, we’re getting more repetitions in and we’ve been able to expand our offensive and defensive packages.”

Tillman is one of several talented Pathfinder players receiving attention from college recruiters. Others include senior quarterback Wayne Johnson and senior receiver-defensive back Devrey Hughes--both of whom transferred from Locke--junior running back Donte’a Limbrick and senior receivers-defensive backs Marquis Robinson and Ronald Fleming.

With previously winless Washington knocking off defending 4-A champion San Pedro last Friday, Tillman said the race for the City title is wide open.

“Everybody in the City has respect for San Pedro and thought they were the team to beat,” Tillman said. “Now that we see they can be beaten, we feel like we can go all the way--and there are other teams that think the same thing.”