COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Coming off a season where it won its first section title in 32 years – and made an appearance in the regional final of the CIF State Playoffs – the Colusa RedHawks have been back at it over the summer and are ready to take on all comers in defense of their crown.
Efficient in their production last season, the RedHawks accumulated 3,618 yards of total offense, which equated to 301.5 per game, and additionally outscored their opponents 336-155, putting up 26.8 points per contest.
That trend looks to continue in 2023, given Colusa’s biggest playmakers return for their final season.
Topping that list is quarterback Bo Coronado, the number two passer in the Northern Section, having thrown for 2,079 yards and 24 touchdowns, which resulted in a quarterback rating of 112.
Now a senior, Coronado is a proven leader that has the ability to execute the offense effectively.
On the receiving end of a third of Coronado’s passes was Landon Humphrey, an All-Northern Section pick in 2022, who made 45 receptions for 669 yards and was clutch when the RedHawks’ needed to keep the chains moving.
Humphrey will reprise his role again this year, as will his brother Peyton Humphrey, a gritty receiver, who caught 27 passes for 491 yards and six touchdowns.
Another option in the RedHawk arsenal is fellow senior Isaiah Travis, who as a junior averaged 16.2 yards per catch and hauled in seven touchdowns.
After what head coach Mikey Badaluco called a “dominant summer,” Travis, the 6’6” tight end, creates matchup problems for opponents.
Colusa will begin the year employing a running back by committee strategy as leading rusher Aidan Selover (625 yards, 6.1 per carry and nine touchdowns) rehabs an injury.
As a result, seniors Will McCoy and Nicko Mata will share the duties with juniors Abimael Fuerte and Adan Travis.
Up front, seniors Oziel Morales, Joe Chavez, Parker Goodman, and Sam Thompson, along with sophomore Ulises Campos, will head up one of the deepest groups of lineman Colusa has had in some time.
Despite the new faces, Coronado is supremely confident in this new crew.
“Our big guys are more physical this year,” said the RedHawk quarterback. “We definitely have more beef, which gives me more time in the pocket to throw.”
Defensively, the RedHawks lost key pieces to graduation, including All-Section selection Dominic Salazar, along with linebackers Hayden McCarty and Julian Velasquez, who combined for 289 tackles.
Still, disruptive forces Isaiah Travis and Mata, the RedHawk sack leaders, return to their positions on the line, while McCoy reprises his role at linebacker, where he averaged 10.2 tackles per game.
Others stepping into linebacker positions, having impressed the coaches this summer, are seniors Hayden Sines and Noah Alvarez, while Adan Travis will patrol the secondary at safety, along with cornerbacks Landon Humphrey and junior Carlos Franco.
As a reigning section champion, Colusa is aware of the target on its back, but Badaluco is confident his squad is up to the challenge.
“Our expectations are to finish towards the top of our very competitive league and set ourselves up for home playoff games,” said the third-year head coach. “We don’t see the pressure as a bad thing, we love that teams are coming for us, and we want to use that to our advantage.”
Without question the RedHawks are one of the favorites in the Division IV race, but Badaluco and his team are also looking to make a return to the state playoffs, where they were knocked out in the first round in game marked by heavy rainfall.
“To repeat, we will continue pushing the ball up the field through the air and playing tough defense,” Badaluco said. “But to make a longer run in the postseason, we will need to be better in bad weather games. Our last two playoff losses were in really tough conditions, first fog, and then rain. We hope that in those situations, we will be able to pound the rock more.”
While Colusa will face tough challenges in the SVL from the likes of Pierce and Winters, perhaps the biggest test will come in the final week of the regular season when it travels to Trowbridge to take on East Nicolaus, the team that has been a dominant power in Division IV for nearly a decade.
