A much-anticipated match up between county rivals Colusa and Williams turned into a 49-12 blowout victory for the RedHawks last Friday night as they dominated every facet of the game and extended their win streak to four straight games in the 2022 season.
At the start, however, it looked as though the ‘Jackets were up to the task as they opened with a 14-play drive that took six minutes off the clock and culminated when quarterback Adrian Solis threaded the needle and found Alan Rodriguez in the end zone for the game’s first points.
Then, in spite of the fact that they were unable to convert the two-point try, the ‘Jacket defense forced Colusa to turn the ball over on downs in the RedHawks’ next two possessions.
Yet, midway through the second period, the momentum shifted starting when Colusa’s Peyton Humphrey picked off Solis, giving the RedHawks the ball at the Williams 45 yard line.
Four plays later, on a third and 10 from the 28, quarterback Bo Coronado connected with receiver Landon Humphrey for a 14 yard gain, which in turn set up a 14 yard run into the end zone by Aiden Selover.
After a Landon Humphrey extra point, the RedHawks had a 7-6 advantage and were looking for more.
It didn’t take long, when after a six yard tackle for a loss by Colusa’s William McCoy stalled the ensuing Williams drive, a Selover punt return gave the RedHawks the ball just outside the red zone.
Two plays later, Hayden McCarty took the handoff and powered his way up the gut for a touchdown from a yard out giving Colusa a seven point lead at 13-6.
But as halftime approached, the ‘Jackets seemingly got themselves back in the game when Ty Howell weaved his way into the end zone from 21 yards away. Unfortunately for Williams, it would prove to be the last points they would score.
Howell, who was filling in for injured running back Jose Campos, ran hard all night picking up 63 yards on 14 carries.
Nonetheless, with a minute and a half remaining, the RedHawks had time for another series, and after passes to both Humphrey brothers moved the ball to the Yellowjacket four, McCarty bounced to the outside and went in untouched for the score.
It was the third touchdown for the RedHawks in less than seven minutes and sent them into intermission on top of a 21-12 score.
Colusa would continue the trend of scoring at will in the second half, as it converted on all four of their second half opportunities, erupting for 28 points.
In the third quarter, Coronado tossed two touchdown passes, first hitting Isaiah Travis in stride for a 22 yard score, then finding Peyton Humphrey in the end zone from 11 yards out.
With Williams unable to get on track offensively, the RedHawks added on in the fourth when Selover out ran the defense on a 75-yard scoring play, before McCarty accounted for the game’s final points with a 12-yard scamper, his third touchdown of the game.
It was a big night for the RedHawk juniors with Coronado, Selover, Peyton Humphrey, and Landon Humphrey all turning in their most productive performances to date.
Coronado completed 11 of 17 passes for 203 yards and finished with a 145.0 QB rating, while Selover rushed for a game high 126 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.
As for the Humphrey brothers, they constitute two of the squad’s unsung heroes, making key catches and notable defensive plays at critical junctures, in addition to handling the kicking and punting duties.
Against Williams, Landon Humphrey caught five balls for 95 yards, was perfect on seven extra point attempts, and made an exceptional play breaking up a pass in the second quarter.
For his part, Peyton Humphrey hauled in five passes for 86 yards and a touchdown in addition to making an interception that changed the tide of the game.
On a night where Colusa rolled up 438 yards of offense, McCarty also made a significant contribution, carrying 10 times for 91 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Travis led the charge with eight tackles, including three for losses and a sack, McCarty had an additional eight, while Julian Velasquez and Nicko Mata each recorded seven.
In the end, it was what Colusa head Coach Mikey Badaluco hoped to see from his team, although he also recognized there is more work to be done, as he explained in the game’s aftermath.
“Our plan was to contain Adrian Solis. He is the best quarterback we’ve seen so far, but we were able to keep him in the pocket,” said the second year head coach. “For us, McCarty and Selover both ran hard and the Humphrey boys made big plays on both sides of the ball. Our offensive line did a good job, but as we get into the meat and potatoes part of our schedule, we cannot afford to come out sloppy in the first quarter like we did tonight.”
For Williams head coach Jeff Lemus, it was another disappointing setback, although this one was a little tougher to take because of the large deficit.
“Sometimes there just are no words. This was certainly not what we expected, ” Lemus said.
Prior to last Friday night the ‘Jackets had held their opponents to 21 points per game, and lost those three contests by an average of just seven points.
Top Yellowjacket performers in last Friday’s game on offense included Solis, who, despite being held to just 26 yards rushing, completed 12 passes for 132 yards, and Rodriguez with six catches for 89 yards.
Leading the ‘Jacket defense was Izael Velazquez who collected a game high nine tackles, along with Nestor Correa, Cesar Flores, and Alex Hernandez who made five apiece.
Colusa (4-0) looks to stay unbeaten in the preseason when it travels to Biggs on Friday, while Williams (0-4) returns home to McCarl Field where it hopes to bounce back against Winters. ■
