WILLOWS, CA (MPG) – Although this season hasn’t exactly been an easy one for the Colusa football team, it was able to pick up a 37-14 victory over the Honkers on Oct. 30 in a rare Thursday night game.
Complying with Willows’ request to play a day early, the RedHawks had the game well in hand early as the Honkers, who are winless on the season, had no answer for Colusa’s veer offense.
It was a quick start for the RedHawks who needed just two and a half minutes to score the game’s first points and made all the more impressive by the fact that Willows had the first possession.
Haiden Parnell recovered a fumble in Honker territory on Willows’ second play from scrimmage setting the ball up for the Colusa offense at the Honker 35.
Then, after two runs by Nick Alvarez, Eric Gonzalez took the handoff and broke to the outside, finding the end zone from four yards out.
Alvarez then tacked on the two-point conversion to make the score 8-0 and from there, Colusa continued to dominate their Sacramento Valley League opponent for the remainder of the first half.
Alvarez cashed in on the RedHawks’ next drive, the longest of the evening lasting nine plays, then got another two-point conversion, this time when Asa Selover hauled in a pass from quarterback David Belmontes.
Willows on Oct. 30
Yet, Colusa wasn’t done and after recovering another Honker fumble, this one in the red zone, Gonzalez scored his second touchdown of the night with 23 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
To complete the first half scoring and effectively end the starting unit’s night on offense, Belmontes connected with Mason Jennings on a 22-yard scoring play, where Jennings made a catch over the top of a defender in the end zone.
Although Kaleb Castanon picked off a pass for the RedHawks with a little under two minutes remaining, Colusa was forced to punt although Willows was unable to take advantage before the half came to an end.
Coming out in the third quarter Willows, to its credit, did not quit and scored on its first possession of the second half as the RedHawk backups got some extended playing time.
However, Colusa would counter with its final points of the night when Alvarez plowed into the end zone from four yards out.
Albeit a short second half due to the running clock, the Honkers did put another touchdown on the board before the final horn.
Still, it was an important victory for the RedHawks, who with it punched their ticket to the postseason.
Belmontes threw for 55 yards and a touchdown, while Gonzalez and Alvarez ran for 37 and 31 yards respectively in addition to scoring twice.
Selover had a second half interception for the RedHawk defense.
Colusa (3-6, 2-3) wraps up SVL play tonight in Trowbridge against East Nicolaus (4-5, 2-3).