Eureka >> College of the Redwoods head football coach Fran Borba has been adamant that his Corsairs team is better than what they’ve shown so far this season.
On Saturday, his players proved him right. The Redwoods defense shut down the region’s 2nd-ranked team in Foothill College to earn a 33-7 victory at College of the Redwoods, snapping a four-game losing streak in the process.
“That was the first time all year we’ve played a complete game from start to finish,” an enthused Borba told his team after the win. “And look what we’re capable of.”
Redwoods (2-5 overall, 1-2 Pacific 7) overcame four turnovers and a bevy of penalties thanks in large part to a defense that stuffed the Owls’ rushing attack, holding Foothill to less than 60 yards on the ground. CR also intercepted Foothill quarterback Robert Mueller three times.
On offense, CR quarterback Noah Davis worked through two first-half interceptions to pass for over 250 yards and three touchdowns. Davis’ favorite targets on the day were Quentin Bates, who caught six catches for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Robert Ferrel, who caught five passes for 113 yards and a TD.
“We’ve finally got to see what we’ve been looking for,” Borba said about his team’s performance. “We challenged the kids all week. These guys are one of the best practice teams I’ve ever been around … But I told them, ‘It’s just like class. [Practices] are the quizzes and the class sessions, but Saturdays are the tests.’ … Our guys just took it to heart and absolutely played a great four quarters of football.”
Foothill (6-2, 2-1) entered the game as the No. 2 team in the Northern California American Division and had beaten CR 14-0 two weeks ago. But the Owls found it tough going against a CR defense that allowed just one run of 10 yards or more, which forced Mueller to throw more than 40 times on the day.
“We gave the best effort we’ve given all season today,” said Corsairs linebacker Cody Anthony, who had an interception and multiple tackles in the game. “We knew today if we executed, came out and gave the best effort we possibly could, that we’d play very good football. … [The win] means a lot and it gives us a lot of momentum.”
After a scoreless first quarter, CR got on the board first when Davis hit Ferrel on a seam route for a 35-yard touchdown early in the second frame.
The Owls struck back a minute later, quickly driving down field and scoring on a Mueller pass to receiver Victor Ruiz for a 15-yard TD strike.
CR responded just before halftime when Davis hit Bates on a fade to the back corner of the endzone. Bates leaped over fallen Foothill defensive back Isaac Brown to make the catch and give Redwoods the 14-7 lead.
Two minutes later, the Corsairs drove the ball to the Owls’ 8-yard line when Davis hit Ferrel on a short route. The speedy wideout then burst down field for a 49-yard reception, giving CR a first-and-goal situation. Three player later, Corsairs running back Handsome Smith plowed into the endzone for a 1-yard TD plunge and a two-touchdown lead with just over a minute until halftime.
The game remained 21-7 until the 7:28 mark of the fourth quarter, when Bates caught his second TD pass from Davis on another fade route to the back corner of the endzone. Bates and Brown simultaneously caught the ball, but Bates wrestled possession away and was awarded with his second TD reception of the game.
“When the ball is in the air — it’s mine or it’s nobody’s. That’s how I think,” Bates said of the play. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Less than a minute-and-a-half later, Smith put the game away when he exploded through the line for his longest run of the day, a 46-yard touchdown scamper that gave CR the 33-7 win.
“It was a great win,” Bates said. “It’s been rough. [We’ve] been so close all season. … We needed to put all three phases of the game together, and we finally got that today.”
“We really just stayed focussed and didn’t let anything fool us,” Anthony said. “We controlled what we could control and it really paid off today.”
Contact Ryan Sparks at 707-441-0526