COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Now in its third segment, the View from the Seats series has turned to some of the county’s most dedicated fans for insight into some of the most memorable games they have witnessed.
While their perspectives might not have been captured on the sports page, as stated in the previous two installments, the hope is to generate discussion about events that have played a role in the evolving chronicle of the local county teams.
This week the series makes its way to Colusa where it catches up with Perry Taylor, whose connection with the Redskins/RedHawks dates back to 1979 and continues to run deep.
Taylor, runs the gamut when it comes to involvement in Colusa athletics, being at one time or another a student athlete, fan, parent, member of the Colusa Athletic Foundation, coach, sports announcer and district employee.
In those capacities, he has been an eyewitness to many of his alma mater’s highs and lows, but narrowed it down to the play of the 1987 boys’ basketball team and the 2023 football team as the most memorable.
According to the Appeal Democrat coverage from the time, the Redskins, as they were known at the time, under the direction of their legendary coach Jim Vossler, finished with a 27-2 overall record, including a streak of 19-straight.
Having won the school’s first Northern California Division III title, Colusa then faced off against Santa Monica Crossroads for the state championship, but despite a 20-point effort from Don Lyttle, fell to the Roadrunners 65-83.
For Taylor, even though the team lost, what made the whole experience so special, was not just being the underdog, but the way the spectacular run united the community.
“This season and team stand out because there were only three divisions in boys’ basketball at the time, unlike the six divisions there are today,” Taylor explained. “The 86-87 group faced much larger schools and also a number of private ones as well. The ride through the playoffs was one of the greatest things to watch, not just for our school, but for Colusa as well. I remember businesses putting signs out saying they would be closing to go watch the basketball games. Although they ended up losing, the accomplishment of getting there far out-weighed anything Colusa athletics had done up to that point.”
That year, the Redskins featured Lyttle and Rich Bryant, who both averaged double digits in scoring and rebounding, in addition to getting significant contributions from fellow starters Marty Hernandez, Sean Borrowman and Dave Paletta along with sixth man Charlie Lyss.
Hickel and Lexi Avera.
It was definitely the start of something great for Colusa, which took advantage of the more equitable system for smaller schools and won the Division V State Championship in 1990.
Taylor’s other choice, the 2023 Colusa football team, he believes is similar to the basketball team in the sense that it also had to compete against larger schools in the state playoffs, but another likeness was the excitement generated from significant wins along the way.
“There were a couple games that stood out that year,” Taylor said. “The Winters game was one, because they were pretty big and quick but the Hawks won 35-20, and beating East Nicolaus was another amazing game where they won 21-18.”
Yet, for Taylor, securing the championship in decisive fashion by a score of 33-17 over Sweetwater (National City) was a truly “great event.”
A senior-heavy team, the RedHawks, who had just missed reaching the state title game in 2022 after being shut out by Atascadero in monsoon conditions, ran the table a season later to win the Northern Section championship, then put away South San Francisco to earn the right to face Sweetwater.
Playing for the title down in Southern California, Aiden Selover scored three touchdowns, Bo Coronado threw for two more and Will McCoy rushed for 74 yards, while Adan Travis made 11 tackles, Nicko Mata finished with 10 and Ulises Campos had nine.
Although the appearances on the big stage are sources of pride for the high school as well as the community, for Taylor it’s the development he sees in the student-athletes that he enjoys the most, as he explained.
“It’s always amazing to watch our student-athletes grow while they’re attending school and playing sports. I’ve had the pleasure of both watching and coaching for a long time and I will continue to do the same for the foreseeable future. I think being part of a team teaches work ethic. Showing up to school, practice and games teaches them that. Athletics keeps them focused and helps them prepare for what comes next.”