For over 90 years, the Colusa RedHawks and Pierce Bears have battled it out on the football field, and, in the process, formulated not only one of the county’s great rivalries, but also an array of dramatic moments.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that a showdown between the two squads in the 2022 Sacramento Valley League opener was a physical affair that ultimately came down to the wire.
Unlike the previous three match-ups between the two teams, last Friday night in Colusa, the RedHawks withstood the onslaught of the Bear ground attack and made a defensive stand with 1:07 remaining in the game to edge Pierce 14-13, and push their record to 6-0 this season.
Although neither team could get much going early, Colusa began to gain momentum in the final minutes of the first quarter when quarterback Bo Coronado found receiver Sutter Moss in the middle of the field for a big gain.
Moss, a junior and newcomer to Colusa, showed off his athletic ability, evading tackles and making his way down to the Bear 32-yard line for a 63-yard gain as the quarter came to an end.
And, despite the fact that it didn’t result in a touchdown, it was significant in turning the tide in the RedHawks’ favor because four snaps later, the RedHawks put the game’s first points on the board.
It happened with Colusa facing a fourth and six at the Pierce 26, and Coronado calmly connecting with receiver Peyton Humphrey over the middle for the score.
It’s been an impressive varsity debut for the junior quarterback, who coming into Friday night was second in the Northern Section in passing, having thrown for 895 yards, in addition to completing 68 percent of his passes and sporting an overall quarterback rating of 139.3.
Against the Bears, Coronado played a key role, and, despite having a few balls dropped by his receivers, was a more than respectable 10 for 18 and 173 yards.
Nonetheless, the RedHawks weren’t done, and were able to capitalize after Nicko Mata recovered a Pierce fumble in Bear territory at the 36.
From there, Colusa moved into the red zone, and added a second touchdown when Hayden McCarty found the end zone from a yard away with six minutes remaining in the half.
After Landon Humphrey tacked on his second extra point of the night, the RedHawks held a 14-0 advantage, but the Bears weren’t going down without a fight, and responded with their best chance of the first half to put points on the board.
A Roberto Ramirez interception put Pierce in business at their own 40, and from there the offense made its way down to the Colusa 14.
However, disaster struck on the ensuing play when a Bear running back fumbled at the goal line and the ball was alertly picked up by the RedHawks’ Francisco Cruz to effectively end the drive and the half.
After intermission both defenses held firm, resulting in a scoreless third period, but as Pierce’s offense continued to pound away, it appeared they were wearing down the RedHawks in the final period.
As a result, Pierce, behind the section’s leading rusher Manuel Lopez, and two Colusa unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, put together an 11-play 95-yard scoring drive, capped by Rudy Tapia’s two-yard plunge with five and a half minutes left in the game.
A fired up Bear defense then forced a three and out, punctuated by linebacker Luke Myers sacking Coronado, and resulting in a punt that gave the ball back to Pierce at midfield.
Again, relying heavily on Lopez, the Bears worked the ball down to the RedHawk 30, but faced a crucial fourth down and one with 1:45 left on the clock.
Lopez, taking the handoff, was not to be denied and advanced the ball to the 25. But the effort was costly as he left the game with an injury.
Still, Pierce would get the touchdown it needed on the next play, when David Aguirre ran through the RedHawk defense to score.
Without hesitation, the Bears lined up for the two-point try, electing to go for the win instead of the tie.
Yet, Colusa was up to the challenge as Cruz stuffed the play, which then allowed the RedHawks to run out the clock in victory formation.
It was a big game for Cruz, a senior, who played his role to perfection, and in the process garnered praise for his efforts from Colusa head coach Mikey Badaluco.
“Our plan was to use our big defensive lineman in the first half and our smaller speed guys in the second half, and it paid off,” said Badaluco. “Francisco made a lot of plays. He has a big motor and has been great all year.”
Badaluco also went on to credit the play of his linebacker corps, including William McCoy, Dominic Salazar, Julian Velasquez, and McCarty for containing the Bears, saying, “They played tough. We kept one of the best running backs in the area mostly in check. He wasn’t getting the big chunks he normally gets.”
The task of stopping Lopez was assigned to McCoy and Salazar, both of whom had exceptional outings. McCoy ended the night with a game-high 25 tackles, including 11 solo and 14 assists, while Salazar finished with 13 solo and six assists.
Velasquez contributed 10 tackles and a fumble recovery, Mata made 11 tackles, while Aiden Selover pitched in with nine tackles.
Colusa’s defense limited the Bears to 228 yards rushing, well below their season average of 305 per game, and while Lopez gained 146 yards, his sixth over 100 this year, it took him 31 carries, the most he has had in any contest this season.
For head coach Anthony Tapia, it was a disappointing loss, one in which he felt his team might have played better, but he did give credit to the RedHawks as well.
“Colusa did everything we expected, but we missed a lot of assignments in the first half,” said Tapia. “We have a young offensive line, and it showed. We couldn’t block No. 5 [McCoy] or No. 11 [Velasquez]. I was impressed with Colusa’s aggressiveness, but I don’t feel that we played that badly. I’m happy with the way we called the game. It just shows that we still have some growing to do.”
While the Bears did hold the RedHawks to 218 yards of offense, its lowest output of the year, turnovers and penalties hampered their ability to get more offensively.
Colusa now sits tied with East Nicolaus atop the SVL standings and prepares for a trip to Durham on Friday, but the RedHawks’ head coach knows it doesn’t get any easier.
“We’re not going to get a big head because we know there are some teams down the line that are as good or better than we saw tonight,” Badaluco said. “We will continue to try and get better every day.”
Pierce (3-3, 0-1) looks to regroup and face the possibility of playing without Lopez, when the team hits the road to face Live Oak at Arostegui Stadium Friday night.■