Pierce 28 – Williams 0
For the tenth straight year Pierce came away with a win over Williams keeping Bear head coach Anthony Tapia undefeated in Rice Bowl games dating back to his playing days.
Tied 0-0 after the first quarter, Pierce put 14 points on the board in the second period, then tacked on two more second half touchdowns to complete the scoring.
However, it was the Bear defense that impressed Tapia the most, praising the group for “playing lights out.”
Timmy Vega spearheaded the effort, returning from an injury that kept him out two weeks ago against Orland, recording an interception and forcing a fumble.
Tapia also highlighted the play of Colin Dye, who made nine tackles and caused two fumbles.
For the Pierce offense, Ben Sweet carried 17 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, Dye hauled in a 53-yard pass from quarterback Austin Jorge for another score, while Vega and Jorge found the end zone as well.
As for a short-handed Yellowjacket squad that saw its three-game win streak come to an end, Giovanni Luna rushed for 63 yards on 17 carries.
Everardo Ornelas posted a team-high eight tackles and picked off a pass, while Rafael Moreno recovered a fumble for the ‘Jacket defense.
Williams coach Forrest Bateman felt that his squad played competitively, but needed to play a clean game to pull off the upset, which they couldn’t quite manage.
“I think that we were in it, but for us to win we had to not give up explosive plays and win the turnover battle. We just didn’t do those things.”
This week Pierce (2-2) entertains Paradise at Gregg LeMaster Field on Sept. 25 in its Sacramento Valley League opener, while Williams (3-1) looks to get back on track against Mid-Valley League foe Portola at McCarl Field.
Maxwell 28 – Trinity 14
Coming off a loss to Redding Christian two weeks ago, the Panthers bounced back at home in their final preseason game to double up Trinity.
Coach Zach Urrutia said the Wolves were a physical team, but was pleased with the way his squad went toe-to-toe with them.
He also singled out his offensive line which opened holes for the running game which resulted in the Panthers rolling up 268 yards on the ground.
Lucas Bowen rushed 18 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns while Vincent Orozco ran for an additional 94, scoring once, then picked off a pass on the other side of the ball.
Urrutia also commended the defensive play of Landon Barrett who led the team in tackles with 11 along with Bowen who made 10 and Alex Krug, whose interception helped seal the win.
Looking forward to their Mid-Valley League opener on Friday, the Panthers (3-1) make the trek to Quincy to take on the Trojans.
Colusa 23 – Hamilton City 7
In a game that was won in the trenches, the RedHawk lineman stepped up on both sides of the ball to lift Colusa over Hamilton City on the road.
Once again Coach Mason Niccum credited the performance of that group including Dane Codorniz, Charlie Faris, Michael Johnson, Aiden Vega, Landen Miller, Isaac Hernandez, Diego Bedolla, Edwin Manjarrez and Haiden Parnell.
Colusa also got notable efforts on offense from quarterback Carson Cain who completed 11 of 13 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, along with running back Asa Selover who carried 22 times for 101 yards and a score of his own.
Emi Guzman had a big night catching five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, as did Dante Santana who made five grabs for 66 yards including one in the end zone.
Spearheading the defense was Preston Marquez and Parnell with 10 and nine tackles respectively, while Codorniz and Noah Castro each picked off a pass.
This Friday presents a tougher challenge for the RedHawks when they welcome perennial powerhouse Winters to Larry Yeghioan Stadium.