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Last Updated: Sep 14, 2010 - 10:50:22 AM |
Retribution is a wonderful thing.
For the College of the Redwoods football team Saturday night, it was the only thing.
The Corsairs stuck to its namesake, pillaging and plundering visiting Shasta College 48-26 to not only become clear-cut Bay Valley Conference Champion, but also stamp a ticket to a Bowl Game.
With the victory, CR qualifies for next week's Premiere Bank Bowl set to be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Sierra College in Rockland.
Their opponent will be the winner of Saturday's De Anza/San Jose City matchup. No score was available before deadline.
Saturday night's contest against the Knights at Community Stadium was a far cry from the teams' previous meeting which Shasta won 34-25.
”Its my sophomore night and I knew we had to get it,” said CR defensive end Nick Bennett. “When we played Shasta last time, we were not a team. We lost by nine.
”They were not going to beat us this time.”
Bennett's -- who had four tackles and three sacks -- vindiction was so apparent, during pre-game warm-ups the Florida native was yelling and posturing to fire up his squad. He felt it was necessary.
”Ever since we got into position by beating Yuba and Contra Costa, they weren't getting riled up. I had to get the team crazy.”
Redwoods was fired up from the get-go.
Riding running back Jourdan Del Biaggio, the Corsairs struck first three minutes into the game when JDB rumbled in from 15-yards out. A missed PAT resulted in a 6-0 lead.
The former Ferndale High work horse finished with 127 yards on 21 carries and showed toughness to break tackles with the speed to break away from other defenders.
”I have something in my head where I don't let one tackler bring me down,” Del Biaggio said. “I hate it when one can take me down.”
The Knights answered just as swiftly when Manuel Barragan took the kick to the 32-yard line and, one play later, quarterback Colton Johnston slithered through the CR defense on a keeper for a 31-yard touchdown. After the PAT, Shasta held a 7-6 lead.
CR's ensuing drive resulted in an interception and Shasta was given the ball on the Corsairs' 36-yard line. But an inspired defense effort by CR resulted in zero points for Shasta and the two teams exchanged possessions until the early portion of the second quarter.
That's when CR quarterback Will Hissong -- forgetting about his prior interception -- proved to be a sniper.
The freshman from Oregon spread the ball around, showing off touch and power on his throws. But more importantly, he was accurate, finishing 13 of 21 for 258 yards and five touchdowns.
In a twist, Hissong was playing tight end the first time the two teams met. He was a willing gunslinger on Saturday.
”He was calm, got it in there and made plays, I was very pleased,” said CR head coach Dave Banducci. “He's gone from fourth, to third-string, to starter. We couldn't have done that (pass plays) without him. He puts it in the right spot, what more can you ask?”
Realizing the Knights played primarily a Cover 3 defense, the Corsairs sent receivers on slant routes and Hissong hit paydirt as he connected with Sylvester Washington for an eight-yard TD. CR converted the PAT and built a 13-7 advantage.
With lead in hand, Bennett and the Corsair defense went to work terrorizing the Knights and forcing a punt. Then came another CR explosion.
Dropping back, Hissong found receiver David Darson -- who burnt a Shasta cornerback -- running down the right sideline for a 79-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Darson finished with seven grabs for 166 yards and a pair of TDs.
With a 20-7 lead, the Corsairs' defense went to overdrive, harassing Johnston and dropping him twice.
CR's didn't slack off, mixing in runs and passes, and JDB appeared to add another score to his resume. Instead, he slipped at the 10, and Hissong followed, finding Washington on a 10-yard slant route at the 3:22 mark of the second quarter. The PAT gave CR a 27-7 lead.
Shasta did get to the CR's 10-yard line on their ensuing drive, but it was extinguished when McKinleyville High alum, linebacker Don Cain, smothered Johnston for a nine-yard sack, closing out the scoring in the first half.
The Knights came out fired-up and behind great catch-and-runs by former Del Norte High standout Saxon Schultz, Shasta answered. Johnston found Schultz for a 13-yard touchdown to cut CR's lead to 27-14.
CR, however, wasn't about to lose the game as Hissong connected with Darson for a 30-yard TD pass. And, as the quarter neared its close, Hissong found receiver Chris Watkins on a slant for a 21-yard TD, giving CR a 41-14 lead.
Shasta was able to answer on a 71-yard TD connection by QB Matthew Summers-Johnson to Brian Brown.
Johnston, the Knights' starter, left the game after he was destroyed by CR DV Amare Hart when trying to field a punt. Hart was ejected from the game.
Shasta's final points of the night came on a four-yard QB sneak by Summers-Johnson.
CR got its final score when Hissong plunged in from one-yard out after JDB had an excellent kick return and marched the team to within striking distance.
Big Play:
On second-and-10 on their own 22-yard line, CR quarterback Will Hissong dropped back and found a streaking David Darson down the right sideline for a deep bomb. Darson went the distance for a 78-yard catch-and-run score. The play proved just how much CR wanted to win this game.
Game Breaker: Nick Bennett, CR DE
Bennett may not be the biggest defensive end around, but he is surely one of the fastest. Bennett was an agent of chaos as he blew up plays left and right and harrassed Shasta QBs all night long and the vocal leader of the D finished with three sacks.
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