Jr. Falcons On The Move

Jr. Falcons split games at Golden Sierra

Colfax’s Jr. Falcons split their four game Sacramento Youth Football League set in Garden Valley with the Golden Sierra Grizzlies last Saturday. The Falcons took the Jr. Peewees opener and the Midget finale while Golden Sierra won the Peewees’ and Jr. Midgets’ contests.

This Saturday the Jr. Falcons will host Vista De Lago of Folsom. Game times are 11 a.m. for the Jr. Peewees, 1 p.m. for the Peewees, 3 p.m. for the Jr. Midgets and 5 p.m. for the Midgets.  

Here’s a recap of last Saturday’s games:

Colfax Jr. Peewees 32 Golden Sierra 0 – The Colfax Jr. Peewees improved to 2-0 on the season with a 32-6 win at Golden Sierra. Caden Ray started the scoring by capping a 5-play 55-yard opening march with a 7-yd touchdown run. Mason Ahrens, who added the extra point run for a 7-0 lead, had runs of  seven and 24 yards in the drive.

Ahrens added to the lead when he took a handoff and sped around the corner and outran the defenders 64 yards to pay-dirt and a 13-0 halftime lead. In the second half, the Falcons extended their lead to to 20-0 with Ahrens tacking up another touchdown on a 60-yard jaunt.

Following a Grizzlies' three and out, it took just three plays before the offensive line opened a huge hole for Daniel Frye to bolt through and rumble 66-yards to paydirt and a 26-0 lead.

Colfax then kept its offense going has Ahrens ran for 23 yards and Ray passed to Rogan Swan for 25 more stripes before Nathan Sawi closed out the drive with a 7-yard TD run up the middle and a final 32-0 score. The Colfax “Gang Green” defense was led by Justin Ambrose, Seth McGlothlan, Mason Ahrens, Mitchell Johnson, Tyler Nickerson, and Josiah Bailey.

Golden Sierra 13 Colfax Peewees 12 – In a tight game, the host Grizzlies started with an 8-play, 62-yard drive for a 6-0 lead. Colfax got going in the second quarter when Anthony Griggs hit the Golden Sierra quarterback for a loss and then recovered the ensuing fumble to give the Falcons possession.

On their following drive, the Falcons’ Matt Blackburn opened the push with a 23-yard run followed by 9-yarder from Sammy LaHaie, 22 more from Marc Avila, another 6 from Blackburn, and 20 from LaHaie before LaHaie’s one-yard plunge tied the score at 6-6.

Following another Falcon fumble at their own 41, the Grizzlies converted the turnover by keeping the ball on the ground and four plays later taking a 13-6 halftime lead.

Both team's defenses played well but in the fourth quarter, the Falcons struck again. A key series of plays started with 6:39 left as Braydon Bean and Matthew Harshman combined to block a punt at the Golden Sierra 29. A 7-play drive saw Colfax drive the  the ball to the Grizzlies' 3, but the drive stalled and the Grizzlies took over.

On the first play, Dallan Trentman shed his blockers to drop the ball carrier just short of the goal line. A penalty moved the ball to within a foot of the goal. On the next play the ball was coughed up and Zane McDade smothered it at the Grizzlies' 2.

Blackburn then took the ball in from that point for the final Falcons' tally. McDade picked up 3 of Golden Sierra's 9 fumbles. Griggs and K.J. Ketteringham also picked up loose balls. Alex Tobiasz led a swarming defense with 22 tackles followed by Blackburn, LaHaie, Avila, Newburn, Trentman, J.T. Hobbs, Justin Boice, Skyler Saavedra, Austin Weir, Dawson Fugate, Nick Morrill, Travis Mullican and Sterling Spurling.

Golden Sierra 27 Colfax Jr. Midgets 14 – A speedy Golden Sierra squad gave the Junior Midgets their first challenge. After Colfax started with a three and out, Golden Sierra went on a 65-yard, 11-play drive to to take a 7-0 lead.

Colfax then had a promising drive but it ended with a missed 15-yard field goal. On the third play of the next series, one of two tall, lanky Grizzly backs/receivers took the ball on a sweep and used two good straight-arms to clear his way to an 83-yard TD run. His rangy partner ran the extra point for 14-0 lead.

 On the Grizzlies' next series, they took only three plays to go 38-yards into the end zone. Another good conversion upped the lead to 21-0 at the half. The Grizzlies didn't take long to add to their lead as they took the second half kickoff and closed out a 55-yard drive to stretch the lead to 27-0. Jack Baldoni stopped the extra point run.

The Junior Falcons finally pierced the Grizzlies' defense as quarterback Mike Wilson passed to Chancey Trentman for 12 and 9 yards, Wilson then ran for 4 more yards before  hitting Jake Medeiros for a 20-yard completion. Medeiros dragged three defenders the final three yards into the end zone.

 The Grizzlies were forced to punt on their next possession, which Ray Henry returned to his 46. Two plays later Wilson found Davis Jenkins behind the defenders down the right side as he outraced them 54 yards to paydirt. Wilson's extra point kick was good narrowing the final score to 27-14.

Before he left the game with a serious injury, Timmy Rawlins was involved in seven tackles. Also contributing to defensive stops were Jack Baldoni, Bailey Bean, Trenton Green, River Potter, Trentman, Tanner Kane, Ian Gassaway, Medeiros, Kyle Bryant, Marcus Jackson, Chaz Reisinger, Michael Calleja, Jory Weber, John Hayes, Jeromy Cabodi and Patrick Beninga.

Colfax Midgest 36 Golden Sierra 0 – Following a punt on Golden Sierra's first drive, Justin Kotey closed out a four-play, 57-yard scoring drive with a blast up the middle for the 6-0 lead. After forcing the Grizzlies to punt, Kotey ran for 8, Henry Freer ran for 13, Austin Perry added 5, Patrick Neu passed to Austin Muldering for 1 before Freer went on two runs of 9 and 4 yards to score.

Colfax' next drive started on the Grizzlies' 47 and was spiced by runs by R.J. Hurley for 20 and 4 yards, Tim Stuck for 6, an Evan Critchfield to Clay Southerland pass for 10, Kotey up the middle for two and another three for Southerland looked promising. However a 1-yard pass to Austin Davis fell a yard short of a first down at the 4.

While Sammy Klar occupied two blockers on the next play, Christian Cano roared in to stop the runner for no gain. Golden Sierra fumbled on the next play Colfax recovered the loose ball at the 4. Freer took the ball on the next play around right end and Perry kicked the extra point for the 20-0 lead. Colfax next scoring drive started from their own 15. Runs by Kotey, Perry, Neu and Freer moved the ball smartly down the field before Neu hit Muldering on a 5-yard strike. Perry kicked the conversion stretching the lead to 28-0.

Golden Sierra finally crossed midfield on a terrific kick-off return. Penalties moved the ball the Colfax 33 and on their next play, the quarterback hit a receiver who got by the secondary to break the shutout. The final scoring drive started at the Colfax 29.

Three plays later, Neu found Muldering down the right side and he outraced the defenders 63 yards to the end zone. Perry closed out the scoring with his conversion kick.

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