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KNIGHT FOOTBALL ARCHIVE
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS - 1953,
1965, 1973, 1978, 1983
1986, 1987
2006
(Above) Team picture for 2006
Knights Fall in Final Game
HUBRICH THROWS TWO TD'S
WEED -- The Eagles are flying high, enough to reach a bowl game for the first time in seven years.
The College of the Siskiyous football team rolled over visiting Shasta 37-13 on Saturday at home thanks to a punishing running game. With the victory, Siskiyous tied Sacramento City with a 4-1 Mid-Empire Conference record. The Eagles beat the Panthers in the head-to-head meeting, thus earning the automatic MEC bowl berth.
"We are very, very excited," Eagles coach Eric Young said. "It was a great win for us. We just told the guys that we had been thinking about this all year and now we got it." Siskiyous hadn't been to a bowl game since 1999, but now only have to wait and see where the destination is. The Eagles earned the win by wearing down the Knights (1-9) on the ground. Siskiyous rolled up 332 yards rushing behind the pair of Dan Parrish and Marquis Walker. Parrish, Siskiyous' top rusher, ran 26 times for 192 yards and a touchdown. Walker actually has played free safety for the Eagles, but was moved over because the team's other running back Jermaine Holmes was out with a separated shoulder. However, he gouged the Knights for 127 yards on 15 carries. "We weren't wrapping up and finishing off tackles on defense," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "About half of their yards on the ground came after the initial contact was made." Ben Cozad improved to 4-0 as a Siskiyous' starter. He didn't need to have a big day for the Eagles, but he was 7-of-14 for 141 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Demario Ballard early in the third quarter to put Siskiyous up 19-0. Cozad also added a 1-yard scoring run later in the third. For Shasta, the Knights tried to hang close as long as they could. After a scoreless first quarter, Siskiyous scored on a 2-yard run by John Breza but missed the extra-point.Down 6-0, Shasta muffed a punt return and allowed the Eagles to recover and march down the field. Parrish's 10-yard TD run with 1:56 left in the first half made it
12-0 Siskiyous. By the second half, the Eagles were rolling on the ground. "Naturally, it being a rivalry game, things were tight early on," Young said. "Once we got on the board, we got going." Shasta quarterback Garrett Hubrich went 17-of-31 for 213 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. He was picked off once. Hubrich threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Jordan Webb with 11:23 left in the third quarter to cut the gap to 19-7. However, Siskiyous scored the next 18 points. The final score of the day came on Hubrich's 17-yard TD pass to Michael Hendrix with 1:40 left in the game. Webb finished his Knights career with six catches for 57 yards. Jermon Jackson was held to 21 yards on 13 carries, while Eric Forslin had 25 yards on five attempts. "In the first half, we were able to move the ball, generate first downs," Thompson said. "We had some success with play-action passing. But, we missed a field goal in the first half, gave up that flubbed punt return and allowed them to go down the field and score." So, now a morbid 2006 season is done for Shasta. For Siskiyous, though, one more game is left. One that the Eagles have waited a few years for. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Poor Second Half, Knights Fall
14-7 HALF TIME SCORE
(Jeffrey Jen-11/5/06) For a half, the Knights had their moments. Then the second half started and it proved to be a very forgettable 30 minutes for the Shasta College football team.
Laney quarterback Matt Dardenne tossed five touchdown passes as the Eagles beat the Knights 35-7 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Shasta trailed 14-7 at halftime, yet had outgained Laney 154-90 at that point.
However, Dardenne hit Eagles Marc Cheatham on two big pass plays that swung momentum in Laney's favor and sent Shasta (1-8) spiraling to a sixth straight loss. "For the second half, we didn't come out of the locker room," Knights head coach Craig Thompson said. "It started to turn into a landslide." The Knights committed five turnovers and were constantly hurt by the Eagles' play-action pass in the second half. Laney (7-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of Dardenne scoring passes. The second score came on a fumble by Jermon Jackson in Shasta's own territory that gave the Eagles the ball on the Knights' 14-yard line. "We've shot ourselves in the foot so many times this season," Knights running back Steve Savage said. "It's frustrating." Shasta got back into the game on the first play of the second quarter on a nifty play call. Quarterback Garrett Hubrich rolled out left along with almost everyone else on offense. Tight end Kyle Urbin ran a delay out to the right and Hubrich threw the ball back over to him to take advantage of an aggressive Eagles defense. Urbin caught it and ran in the ball for an 18-yard touchdown pass play, bowling over a Laney defender near the goal line. Having cut the lead to 14-7, the Knights had two more chance to score before the half. On the next possession, Shasta got to the Laney 27, but on fourth-and-3, Jordan Webb couldn't reel in a Hubrich pass along the sideline. Towards the end of the second quarter, Hubrich tried to get to Webb on the outside, but the Eagles' Robert Lorenzi left in front for an interception. In the third quarter, the Eagles got things going on their first possession when Dardenne hit Cheatham on a 57-yard pass play over the top, down the Shasta 12. On the next play, Dardenne found Adrian Sawyer among a crowd of Shasta defenders for his third scoring toss of the game. Laney had a couple of chances to do further damange, but Kevin Nicholson stripped Dardenne of the ball with the Eagles driving on their next possession and D.J. Johnson recovered. Garrett Schaad would later block a 34-yard field goal attempt by Laney kicker Jesus Arredondo. However, with four minutes left in the third quarter, Dardenne again found Cheatham behind the coverage for a 37-yard scoring pass. "It wasn't a blown coverage," Knights safety Nate Best said. "That No. 11 (Cheatham) was just getting down there and the quarterback was throwing the ball up and he was making catches." The two would hook up again for a 35-yard TD strike in 6:35 left in the fourth as Dardenne finished 16-of-31 for 234 yards. Cheatham had four catches for 144 yards. Shasta fared better when things stayed on the ground. Savage rushed 22 times for 94 yards, compared to Laney back Frank Summers' 60 yards on 14 carries. But, whenever Hubrich went back to pass, an Eagles defender was usually running at his face as he was releasing the ball, causing a number of passes to sail on him. He finished 11-of-33 for 107 yards and was picked off three times after throwing six through eight games. Shasta ends the season at Siskiyous, which defeated American River 26-14. Siskiyous will be battling for a share of the Mid-Empire Conference crown at 1 p.m. Saturday game. The Knights will be looking to end the season on any up note they can find.
Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
State Sack Leader #49 Nicholson
MORE THAN HALF OF TEAM TOTAL
(Jeffrey Jen-11/4/06) There is no imposing frame on the state junior college sack leader or some intense, wild-eyed stare emanating from his face.
Instead, Kevin Nicholson wanders around campus, sometimes in glasses, as a mild-mannered student. Yet, as a Shasta College defensive end, Nicholson enters today's 6 p.m. home game with Laney College atop the season sack list with 12½. The next highest total is 10. However, the first glance of Nicholson doesn't give a hint that his Saturday afternoon/evening plans involve planting opposing quarterbacks into the ground. At 6-foot-2, 233 pounds, the sophomore is slightly small for his position and isn't known for being a workout warrior in the weight room. He looks more like a business finance major, which Nicholson is. However, for the past two seasons, the 2004 West Valley High School graduate has been causing offensive lines scheme problems. His success has been so great, even Nicholson has been surprised by the results. "I didn't expect to do this well," Nicholson said. "I have better technique this year because I have a year's worth of experience at end. I never played there before last season." On a team that is 1-7, Nicholson has been one of the bright spots. He has more than half the Knights' sack total and also leads the team with six tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles. Last season, he was an all-conference choice even though he started out the season as a backup -- at linebacker. Thanks to an overabundance of linebackers and a lack of depth at defensive end, Nicholson moved over to a new position in midseason and had 5½ sacks. Just like that, a stud was born. Knights head coach Craig Thompson has been at Shasta College for 16 years, the past 11 as the head coach. He rates Nicholson as among the top three ends he's had -- an assessment Defensive coordinator Matt Diskin agrees with. "He has a great first move," Diskin said. "And he has legit 4.7 speed. He gets around that corner quick." The way Nicholson plays, Diskin gave him the nickname "The Leak" for the way he sifts through an offensive line as if going through a small sieve. "People do call me that," Nicholson said. "It's fine. It's just a name." In keeping with his casual self, Nicholson deflects attention away from his numbers to teammates, saying "most of them have been actually coverage sacks." For a year after graduating from West Valley, Nicholson chose to move away from the game. But, the desire to keep playing came back and he arrived at Shasta in the summer of 2005. One day, Nicholson hopes to be a stockbroker or a restaurant owner. That isn't until football is done and right now, he wants to keep playing beyond this season. Diskin said that he has gotten some feelers, mostly from Division II schools, but Nicholson is hopeful that his performances garner more attention after the season is done. Despite his strong season, there is still one more matter for Nicholson and many of his teammates to settle. He and 18 other sophomores will play their final home game at Memorial Stadium against Laney, having not won their during their two-year span. The Knights have come close time and again, but have always fallen short this season. "You have to keep the rationale that you'll the get the next one," Nicholson said. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Knights Fall to SCC
CLOSE AGAIN
(Jeffrey Jen-Searchlight-10/15/06)You can't win games with just one of the three facets of a football team playing well. Early mistakes on offense and special teams forced the Shasta College football team into too deep of a hole to dig out. The result was another single-digit loss, this time a 23-15 defeat to visiting Sacramento City at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
After a bye week that was meant to give the Knights a fresh start, the result turned out the same. All five of Shasta's losses have been by eight points or less. Once again, the Shasta offense had a last chance, getting to the Sac City 33-yard line with under a minute left. But, Garrett Hubrich's fourth-down pass sailed over Brian Duffy's head in the end zone and the Knights were left to trudge off the field yet again. While the defense held up for the most part again, allowing 204 yards of total offense and forcing three fumbles, the other parts of the Shasta team were letdowns again.The Knights (0-1 Mid-Empire Conference, 1-5) committed six turnovers, including five fumbles
New Season
VALLIERE RETURNS TO LINEUP
(Searchlight-10/14/06) The Knights will find out fast whether a hard preseason set them up enough to turn the corner as the conference schedule begins tonight.
Shasta College celebrates homecoming and conducts hall of fame festivities tonight as Shasta (1-4) opens the Mid-Empire Conference stretch against Sacramento City (2-3) at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The winner of the MEC earns a bowl berth after the regular season. Which means somebody with a sub .500 record could see the postseason. Undefeated Laney College has the only winning record among MEC teams.
Sac City, ranked 15th in Northern California, boasts one of the stingiest defenses. It's allowed 222.2 yards per game, eighth best in the state. The Panthers have been especially tough on the ground, giving up 69.4 yards, fifth in the state. That doesn't bode well for a Knights unit that has struggled to run the ball for much of the season and barely averages 65 yards per game on the ground. Still, Shasta's expects a boost of speed from the return of tailback Steven Valliere. He's back from his regular bout with thigh injuries. Shasta needs the help on offense. Leading receiver Michael Hendrix (24 catches, 363 yards) has is slowed with a nagging injury to his foot. Jordan Webb (17 catches, 219 yards, 5 TDs) plays with a cracked sternum. The Knights also have concerns on the offensive line. Sac City will bring a ton of heat on quarterback Garrett Hubrich (898 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INT). Feather River sacked Hubrich four times in a 19-15 loss two weeks ago. Still, the Knights defense may bail out it's banged-up teammates. Sac City's offense has struggled this season. The Panthers' power running game averages 248.4 yards of total offense (Shasta averages 245). Marcus Grisby's led the Panthers on the ground with 446 yards and 4 TDs. But, quarterback Caleb Midura completes fewer than 50 percent of his passes and has a 3-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Sac City's deep man Mervin Brookins averages 29.5 yards per kick return and 14.5 yards on punt returns. Brookins returned one punt for a score this season. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
A Week to Heal
SAC CITY HERE ON SAT
(Jeffrey Jen-10/7/06) The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for a banged-up Knights football team.
After having their mental state checked in another close loss last Saturday, the Shasta College football team can take a few days off to rest and heal up. Right now, Shasta needs some time off before Mid-Empire Conference action starts.
Injuries dot the roster, leaving players still available, but at less than 100 percent. Defensive players such as Kevin Nicholson and Jordan Sinclair have dings that have slowed them. Starting weakside linebacker Jeresiah Tuisamatatele is questionable with a shoulder injury suffered in last week's Feather River game. Tailback Steven Valliere has been out with a quad injury, but likely will return to a return to action for next week's homecoming game against Sacramento City. While Steve Savage has had his moments stepping in as the starter, the Knights would like to get Valliere's speed back into an offense lacking in that department. However, leading receiver Michael Hendrix is bothered by a left foot injury and another receiver, Brian Duffy, has a thigh injury. That hurts an already thin receiving corps. So, the Knights coaching staff gave the team Thursday and Friday off. By Monday, all the pads will be back on, but Shasta head coach Craig Thompson is hopeful the light week gives his team the time needed to recuperate. With league season coming, the Knights get a chance at a fresh start. As a result, Shasta still has optimism it can get something going over the season's final five games. "We played the toughest preseason in our conference," Knights linebacker Garrett Schaad said. "I think the bill is due. We're definitely ready for anyone in conference." Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Another Close Loss
LEAGUE PLAY UP NEXT
(Jeffrey Jen-Searchlight-10/2/06) If things had gone this way instead of that way, then Shasta could have won its last game.
Heck, if a few plays had been done over, the Knights' 1-4 record could easily be reversed. Saturday's 19-15 home loss to Feather River was once again a result tinged with pain and disappointment.
Shasta has been outscored 112-98 this season. Take away the 15-7 advantage Sierra had in the extra periods of the 38-30 triple-overtime, season-opening loss, the Knights have been outscored by all of six points in regulation this year. "I'm getting tired of saying how close we played," Knights coach Craig Thompson said, while walking off the field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. "We have to be the best 1-4 team in the state," Knights quarterback Garrett Hubrich said. Saturday's game also showed why Shasta is where it is. The offense and the kicking haven't been up to par. The Knights offense gained only 195 yards and couldn't sustain a drive in the second half. Steve Savage had 59 yards on 12 carries, but Hubrich was sacked five times. The Knights had two chances in the fourth quarter to drive for the winning score and failed to get a first down both times. The special teams had a botched snap and a missed extra-point that cost the Knights two points. Then, there was a strange sequence was with 3:10 left in the second quarter. Tyler Crowley had already kicked a 40-yard field goal and set for a 35-yard try in an effort to push Shasta's 9-7 lead up another three points. However, right as he kicked, the referees blew the whistle due to the 25-second clock starting early.
The kick was good, but wasn't ruled a play. Then, the 25-second clock kept getting reset and automatically started to count down. The game was delayed for a minute while trying to sort things out, thus leaving Crowley to wait around on the field. When things finally got settled, Crowley missed the kick, barely wide left. That left the defense to try and haunt the Golden Eagles' rushing game, which it did save for three plays. Otherwise, the Knights defense held up well. One time, they nailed Feather River quarterback Brett Williamson into a hurried pitch in the second quarter. Chase Sutfin picked it up for Shasta and had clear sailing toward the end zone. Unfortunately, Golden Eagles fullback Pat Smith saved the touchdown by chasing Sutfin down at the Feather River 17 after a 51-yard return. Otherwise, Shasta would have had an even bigger cushion going into the second half instead of being up 9-7. The strangest play came late in the game with Feather River trying run out the clock. A couple of Shasta defenders stood up Sammy Milton and Schaad came in and striped him of the ball on the Golden Eagles 49. He then picked it up and started to run up the field. He was knocked out of bounds at around the 20, but the officials seemed to be confused on the play and didn't mark the spot. Instead, after lengthy huddle, the officials ruled it Knights ball - on the 49. "They said that the running back was still running when he fumbled," Schaad said. "But, they also ruled that I was down when I recovered. I don't know what was up with that because I picked the ball up and started running." Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Close Again
SCORELESS FOURTH QUARTER
(Jeffrey Jenn-Redding Searchlight-10/1/06) So close, yet so far away.
The Knights' defense gave up one too many big plays, while the offense's struggles continued. Add it up and the Shasta College football team again couldn't find a way to come out on top, losing 19-15 to Feather River at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Shasta led 15-7 early in the third quarter, but two long touchdown runs by Golden Eagles fullback Pat Smith -- including one in which the Shasta defense thought it had Smith stopped -- put Feather River back in the lead. The Knights' defense did stiffen enough to allow Shasta two chances late in the fourth quarter, but its misfiring offense couldn't do anything with it. "Every game we've been in has been close," Knights safety Chase Sutfin said. "A few plays here and there, and the season would be very different for us." The last gasp came on fourth-and-1 at the Golden Eagles' 40-yard line, when Garrett Hubrich overthrew Jordan Webb on a quick-out pattern with 46 seconds left. The Knights (1-4) were flagged with a penalty, nullifying whatever the gain would have been, but Feather River took the play to get the ball back and ran out the clock. Once again, a few plays doomed the Knights. Hubrich had a 10-yard TD pass to Jordan Webb early in the second quarter, but was 11-of-27 for 140 yards. "They were bringing in heavy pressure all over," Hubrich said. "They brought it on off the edge and up the middle. We couldn't get anything going. Everything was in spurts for us." Webb's score gave Shasta a 9-7 lead, but a bad snap prevented the extra-point attempt, adding to what was an adventurous day for the kicking game. Tyler Crowley hit a 40-yard field goal, but missed an extra point and was iced by mechanical problems on Memorial Stadium's 25-second clock. Referees waved off a successful 35-yard field goal due to the malfunction, and Crowley missed the next one. "That missed field goal, two missed extra points, that's five points," Knights head coach Craig Thompson lamented. "What's the difference on the scoreboard, four points." The Feather River rushing attack churned out 309 yards on the ground, but over half of its yardage came on three plays that eventually doomed the Knights. The first was a 51-yard run by Marcus Okobi on the opening possession of the game that put the ball in the red zone at the Shasta 19. Five plays later, on a third-and-goal, Okobi caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Brett Williamson on a play-action pass to put the Golden Eagles, ranked 15th in the state, up 7-0 early on. After that, Shasta scored 15 straight points, including a 1-yard plunge by Hubrich on the Knights' opening drive of the second half. On the first play, Feather River came back as Smith rumbled forward and cut back to his left before outrunning several Knights for a 72-yard touchdown run with 11:20 left in the third quarter. Okobi was stopped on the 2-point conversion as Shasta kept the lead 15-13. The biggest play of the game came later in the third when Smith again got the ball up the middle and looked as if he was stopped for a 6-yard gain. But the Knights' defense stopped while Smith's legs kept going. He broke free and ran in for a 41-yard score with 1:40 left in the third quarter. Again the Knights halted the 2-point try, but this time Feather River led 19-15. "That was a lesson we learned," Knights linebacker Garrett Schaad said. "We can't expect the play to be over if we got a guy stopped. We have to play to the whistle. That was a big price to pay for that lesson." The Knights' defense did stuff Feather River (4-1) on a late fourth-quarter drive, but the offense couldn't do anything and had to punt. Schaad gave the offense one last chance when he stripped Sammy Milton of the ball and recovered on the Golden Eagles' 49 with 1:40 left in the game. Unfortunately, the Knights went four-and-out to end their hopes in another close loss. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Defense Shines in Loss
HOME NEXT SATURDAY AGAINST FRC
(Searchlight Article-9/24/06) The Shasta College Knights were once again close. But they left Butte College with no cigar and a 14-8 loss Saturday in what coach Craig Thompson could only describe as a defensive struggle.
"I thought our defense played outstanding," Thompson said. "Offensively, we weren't able to establish anything. They made us pretty inept." The Knights got on the scoreboard in the first half, scoring a safety after a long snap sailed over the Roadrunners' punter's head and out of the end zone.
Shasta (1-3) went into the locker room down 7-2. "They're down," he said of the typically high-powered Butte attack. Still, the coach couldn't help but feel his team, as has been the case in two previous losses, let one slip away. "We left a lot of stuff out on the field," Thompson said. "We must have had 10 or 11 dropped balls, including a few for touchdowns." The Knights finally found the end zone on the game's final play. Shasta quarterback Garrett Hubrick hit Jordan Webb on a 4-yard pass play. After three weeks on the road, Shasta returns home on Saturday to play Feather River at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
Knights Travel to Oroville
TAKE ON 0-3 BUTTE
(Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-9/23/06) Forget the records. As far as the Knights are concerned, Butte is still Butte.
The Shasta College football team travels to Oroville for a 1 p.m. game today against the Roadrunners in the rare scenario that the Knights actually come in with a better record. Shasta is 1-2 after a 28-21 win at College of the Redwoods last week and a pair of close losses to Sierra and Mendocino.
Butte on the other hand is a surprising 0-3. "Butte is still very good," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "They are in a similar situation we are in. They've had a lot of their mistakes come back to haunt them, just like us. On film, they are just like they always are." That would be a talented and physical team that can play with anyone. Butte lost the season opener to Sacramento City 21-20 before falling to Feather River 27-21 in overtime after leading 21-7 at halftime. Last week, Butte fell to Reedley, the third-ranked team in the state, 38-10. Still, there is plenty of respect for the Roadrunners. Despite being winless, Butte received multiple votes in the state poll for Northern Californian teams. That amount of respect is something Shasta is still searching for despite playing close contests this season. The Knights will take the field as perceived underdogs in the first meeting between the north state rivals since 2003. One worry for Shasta is the amount of minor injuries the Knights have accumulated. Tailback Steven Valliere remains questionable due to a thigh bruise. If he does see time, it may be in a limited capacity. His backup, Steve Savage, did well in his first start at Redwoods, rushing for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights enter with the 11th-best passing attack in the state, averaging 240.3 yards per game. Michael Hendrix is among the state leaders with 21 receptions this season. But, Hendrix, fellow starting receiver Jordan Webb and quarterback Garrett Hubrich are going up against perhaps the best secondary they have faced this young season. That would make it important for Shasta to get some type of running game going against Butte's stout defense, while keeping the Knights' defense off the field. "We have to win first downs," Thompson said. "We need to get ourselves in a good situation on second and third downs, maintain possession of the ball so they don't wear our defense down." That defense comes in ranked 24th in the state, allowing slightly more than 250 yards per game. The Knights are tied for second in the state with 14 sacks.
Thompson is hopeful his defense can counter Butte's size and skill-position talent enough to keep Shasta in the game and give the Knights a chance at their first victory over the Roadrunners since 1998. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Big First Win
DEFENSE KEYS 28-21 WIN
(Eureka-9/16/06) Steve Savage ran for two touchdowns as the Shasta College football team held off College of the Redwoods 28-21 for its first win of the season on Saturday. Savage, in his first collegiate start, rushed for 94 yards on 23 carries and scored on runs of 3 and 2 yards for the Knights (1-2). However, Shasta still had to survive some shaky final moments after Savage's second score with 2:38 left put the Knights up 28-15.
The Corsairs drove right back and cut the game to 28-21 on Kyle Siler's 3-yard scoring pass to Alex Renner with 19 seconds left. Then, Redwoods promptly recovered the on-side kick. However, Kevin Nicholson sacked Siler on the game's final play, the fifth sack of the evening for Shasta. Still, work needs to be done for the Knights. "We're happy with the win and relieved to get it," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "But we're not real satisfied with the way we played." That's because special teams was poor for Shasta with two missed extra-point kicks and a third was blocked. It wasn't all bad as the Knights did block two punts, one by Nick Cowan, the other by Garrett Schaad. On the second block, Chase Sutfin collected the ball at the Corsairs' 1-yard line and scored to give the Knights a 22-15 lead with 5:19 left in the third quarter. Offensively, Shasta had problems taking advantage of scoring chances, but there were some good moments. Savage's first touchdown with 14:31 left in the second quarter gave Shasta a 10-6 lead. That advantage grew to 16-7 by halftime when Garrett Hubrich hit Jordan Webb for a 17-yard touchdown pass late in the quarter. "We started off slowly again offensively," Thompson said. "Numerous times, we had good field position but made mistakes. We're leaving too many chances on the field. It was a sloppy win, but a good win." Hubrich completed 19-of-35 passes for 182 yards and no interceptions. Savage had six catches for 34 yards as Shasta finished with 295 yards of total offense, compared to 215 for Redwoods (0-3). The victory is the third straight time the Knights got its first win in their third week of the season. Next week, Shasta travels to face rival Butte College in Oroville at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Knights Get History Exam
THIRD GAME TEST IN EUREKA
(Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-9/15/06)For the past two seasons, the Knights got their first win in the third game of the year.The Shasta College football team is looking for history to repeat itself in today's 5 p.m. game at College of the Redwoods. After two close losses, the Knights are now close to being desperate for a win. Enough so that most of the offensive line and some other players shaved their hair into mohawks in an effort instill team unity -- and change Shasta's recent luck.
The Knights also get another 0-2 team in the Corsairs looking to crack the win column. Unlike Shasta, Redwoods has been shutout twice, against Siskiyous and Santa Rosa, having been outscored 77-0 this season. The Knights have issues with their running game, and that will be magnified with tailback Steven Valliere out with a thigh injury. Freshman Steve Savage is expected to start in Valliere's place. Then again, the Corsairs ground game has been nonexistent, accumulating 25 yards over two games. Overall, Redwoods has 224 yards of total offense combined in its first two games. The Knights have gone more than 300 yards of total offense in each of their first two games. The same case can be made for both teams' defense. Again Shasta is allowing 280 yards per game defensively, Redwoods 486.5, including nearly 200 yards on the ground. Still, the Knights coaches aren't taking Redwoods lightly considering both teams have the same record going in. "They got big guys on both of their lines," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "They played against two good defenses." Shasta players like to think the Knights have a respectable "D" as well this year, one that will continue to make the end zone look far away for the Corsairs. Redwoods favors the pass to set up the run, so Shasta is looking to stay true to its rotation on the defensive line, but also get plenty of action from its secondary. "I feel if we keep on doing what we've been doing, keeping things in always front of us and making plays, we'll be okay," Knights defensive coordinator Matt Diskin said. Offensively, Knights quarterback Garrett Hubrich has thrown for 539 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions, but needs to improve on his completion rate (39-of-85, 45.9 percent). He has two reliable options in receivers Michael Hendrix and Jordan Webb. If Shasta can find a way to get its running game going to balance the passing attack, then recent Knights history is likely to repeat itself. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Cure All Victory?
ANOTHER LONG ROADTRIP
(Jeffrey Jen-Searchlight-9/14/06) After hearing about the latest come-from-ahead loss by the Shasta College football team, certain questions began popping through my mind.
Is this program snake-bitten right now? When the game gets close in the fourth quarter, bad things are happening to players in Knights uniform. The recap is that Shasta suffered a 20-17 loss at Mendocino on Saturday. The Knights were up 17-7 in the fourth quarter. The Shasta defense ended up with numbers: eight sacks and forced four turnovers. Yet, the end result was a loss. Factor in the season-opening 38-30 triple-overtime loss to Sierra and Shasta is essentially two or three plays from being 2-0, rather than 0-2. In talking with the coaches, the word "hope" was mingled together with "perplexed."Certainly the talent and play has been better through the first two games of this season compared to 2005. Shasta has outgained its opponents 694 yards to 560 over its first two games. Yet, the record is the same. So does the start mean Shasta is the best 0-2 team in Northern California, outside of Butte, just waiting to get that first win out of the way as a confidence booster? Or is this the beginning of another forgettable season? For things to be the former, count on the Knights needing to slay the bugaboo of close encounters of the losing kind at some point. I went back and did some checking on recent reasons to see when was the last time Shasta won a game, where the point differential was eight points or less (essentially a one-possession difference). Turns out the last Shasta win that fell into that category was a 41-39 home victory over Sac City on Sept. 21, 2003. Since then, the Knights record in game decided by eight points or less: 0-8. Heck, even the Sac City win was a crazy one. Shasta led 32-6 at halftime, saw the Panthers pass their way back into the game, then needed a 47-yard field goal by David Dittman with 1:39 left in the game and a blocked field goal try of 29 yards by Ben Baker to pull out the win. However, Shasta hasn't been able to get that close victory since. The Knights lost three times in 2003 by eight or less: a 31-26 loss to Feather River the week after Sac City, a 28-23 loss to Yuba and a 22-14 loss to American River. In 2004, Shasta either pounded the opponent or got pounded. The season opener, a 17-14 loss to Sac City, was the lone game that fell into the touchdown or less category. Last season, Shasta lost to Contra Costa 41-38 when the Comets scored the final 21 points of the game. Then there was the season-finale, a 30-26 loss to Siskiyous. Throw in the two close losses this season and there you have it. Having gone through all that backchecking, it should be pointed out that while this is the third straight season Shasta opened 0-2, the Knights broke into the win column in the third game the preceding two years. Saturday, Shasta travels to College of the Redwoods, who have been outscored 77-0 by Siskiyous and Santa Rosa already this season. The Corsairs are last in Northern California in total defense in allowing 486.5 yards per game, while averaging 112. This represents a prime opportunity for recent history to repeat itself. Of course, there are still some issues the Knights must deal with. Tailback Steven Valliere is listed as doubtful for the game (thigh), meaning Shasta might have to find its running game without its top runner. The offense continues to make untimely mistakes and special teams hasn't improved as much as hoped yet. Still, the Knights are heading over the mountains in search of a win before plowing into a difficult tail end of the non-conference season: at Butte and home against Feather River. A victory leads to a vastly different outlook for the season. After all, a win always seems to be that mythical cure-all remedy in sports. Even for snake bites. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Knights Lose Late Lead
ANOTHER LONG ROADTRIP THIS SATURDAY
(Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-9/10/06) Stanley Edwards caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dayton Edwards with 1:49 left in the game to lift Mendocino College to a come-from-behind win over visiting Shasta College on Saturday.
The Knights (0-2) blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. Garrett Hubrich completed 17-of-36 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a costly interception with less than three minutes in the game on the Shasta 40-yard line.
The Eagles returned the ball inside the 10 before Dayton Edwards tossed his third scoring pass of the game on a fade route.
The Knights opened the scoring when Steven Valliere caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with Hubrich with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Jacob Sylvester tacked on a 27-yard field goal as the Knights eventually led 10-7 by halftime. Shasta then grabbed a 17-7 lead with 23 seconds left in the third quarter when Hubrich hit Michael Hendrix on a 43-yard TD pass play. The Eagles came back when Dayton Edwards hit Chris Hollenbach for an 18-yard TD pass with 11:40 in the game. The extra point was missed. Shasta still led 17-13, but couldn't hold it. Valliere was forced to leave the game midway through the first half with a minor knee injury. Still, Shasta out gained Mendocino 329-234 in total offense. Hendrix finished with seven catches for 114 yards. Jordan Webb added four catches for 95 yards.
Rebounding Knights
LONG ROAD TRIP TO UKIAH
(Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-9/9/06) The two teams that line up across from each other at Mendocino College at 2:30 p.m. today already face mental tests this early in the season.
Shasta College is trying to rebound from a 38-30 triple-overtime loss to Sierra — hoping to forget what might have been and correct mistakes made in the heartbreaker.
Mendocino’s psyche is a little different considering the Eagles were shelled by Santa Rosa 55-7 in their season-opener vs. Sierra.
Knights coach Craig Thompson knows how Mendocino feels considering Shasta was blasted 62-0 by Santa Rosa last season.
Thompson doesn’t think he has a team that will suffer such as fate, as evidenced by the Knights coming back from a 16-point deficit in the second half.
The next step: Break into the win column.
While the Knights took away a number of positives from the season-opener, a few issues still must be resolved.
Turnovers remain a problem, as were two blocked field goal attempts by Sierra.
Then, there is the Eagles’ spread offense led by quarterback Dayton Edwards, who chucked for 2,200 yards last year.
Mendocino should throw a lot of four- or five-receiver sets at the Knights defense, testing a young secondary. he same secondary did have a good game against Sierra with starting cornerbacks Deonte Broadway (team-high 12 tackles) and Cody Cavender (10 tackles, four pass break-ups) leading the way.
Shasta is deep in the secondary as well and the Knights likely will use that depth to counter the wave of receiver routes it is expecting.
For the Knights, a big key is how well they come out early. Late last season, and against Sierra, Shasta started slowly and had to play catch-up.
Thompson is looking to reverse that trend. "We do want to get out fast and get up on them," Thompson said. "Especially with them coming off a big loss to Santa Rosa." To do that, Thompson is looking for a solid running game to chew up time and keep the Eagles spread offense off the field, and for a good pass rush to disrupt things when the Eagles offense is on the field.
Starting tailback Steven Valliere broke the 100-yard barrier in the opener and the Knights also get back-up Steve Savage for the trip.
Savage was out the first game after getting caught in a highway accident and suffered bruises and abrasions. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Sierra Escapes in 3rd OT
BIG SECOND HALF KNIGHT COMEBACK
(Jeffrey Jen Redding Searchlight-9/3/06) The Knights did everything in their season opener except write a fitting final ending. The Shasta College football team overcame an error-prone start, rallied from a 16-point, second-half deficit to force three overtime periods, before eventually falling 38-30 to visiting Sierra College at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Wolverines' Kevin Will threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Joe Johnson in the third overtime period, then ran in the two-point conversion.
The Knights couldn't answer like the did in the first OT period, as Garrett Hubrich's fade pass to Steven Valliere fell incomplete in the back of the end zone on fourth down. Hubrich got off to a horrible start, tossing an interception on his first pass in a Shasta uniform. He also fumbled away two snaps that killed Knight drives. However, he also tossed three touchdown passes and his 1-yard plunge with 4:41 left in the game combined with Tyler Crowley's extra-point tied the game at 23. The game stayed that way for the rest of regulation. In overtime, Sierra started out with a score on an 8-yard run by Antonio Smothers to put Sierra up 30-23. But Hubrich, who finished 18-of-45 for 226 yards, threw a 13-yard scoring pass to Jordan Webb to tie the game. The Knights struggled at times with special teams and had two field goals tries blocked, the second a 35-yard attempt by Jacob Sylvester in the second overtime period. However, the Shasta defense held Sierra to force a third overtime. But that was where things ended for Shasta. After losing the previous two encounters with the Wolverines by a combined score of 90-6, Shasta hung in there until the end. But it was undone by four turnovers, three in the first half, and penalties that negated touchdown passes on two separate occasions. Sierra's Sonny Gallegos intercepted Hubrich's first pass and returned it to the Knights' 17. Shasta's defense then held the Wolverines to a 27-yard field goal by Derek Glazer. The Knights weren't so lucky, however, when Valliere fumbled the ball away on the Shasta 26. Three plays later, Sierra workhouse running back Zach Walker plunged in from two yards out.Things looked grim for the Knights when Walker, who ran for 166 yards on 36 carries, scored on a 4-yard run with 6:27 left in the second quarter. But a late 25-yard touchdown pass from Hubrich to Michael Hendrix with 49 seconds in the second quarter gave Shasta momentum heading into halftime. In the second half, it was the Wolverines' turn to fall apart on special teams. A high snap on a punt bounced out of the end zone to give Shasta a safety with 32 seconds left in the third quarter and cut the gap to 23-9. A scrambling Hubrich would further cut the lead, hitting Webb in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard score with 8:33 left in the game, making it 23-16. With the game tied, the Knights had one final try to win in regulation after an interception by Jeresiah Tuisamatatele. But the drive stalled on the Sierra 40 with three incompletions. Valliere finished with 102 yards rushing on 23 carries. Hendrix, the freshman from Georgia, came through with an eight-catch, 112-yard effort. Webb had four catches for 73 yards and two TD catches. Shasta travels to Mendocino for a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday, the start of three straight road games. The Knights don't return home until Sept. 30 against Feather River.
Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
New Team & Tough Opponent
KNIGHTS HOLD SERIES LEAD 21-15-1
(Jeffrey Jen-Redding Record Searchligh-9/2/06) New season, mostly new team, familiar dangerous opponent.
The Shasta College football team kicks off its 2006 season today facing Sierra, a team which drubbed the Knights by a combined score of 90-6 in the past two games. Game time is 6 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium.
Sierra has a new head coach in Ed Eaton, formerly the Wolverines' defensive coordinator, so Shasta head coach Craig Thompson and his staff aren't sure what to expect for the season opener. Sierra usually runs the ball with regularity and are stingy on defense, ranking 11th in the state in 2005. Mostly, Thompson and his staff have been trying to get Shasta prepared. The Knights bring more bodies, more than 80 are on the roster. But, it is a young team with roughly 20 sophomores, so for most, today will be their first experience at this level. Still, the coaches have been pleased with the talent in camp.After last year's 2-8 debacle, Thompson feels he has a team to break the string of losing seasons and land Shasta back in a bowl game. For that to happen, these situations must be resolved, starting tonight. Who leads at QB? Third-year sophomore Garrett Hubrich, a Western Oregon transfer, jumped out front early in what was originally a nine-QB race. He held the spot and will be the opening-game starter. He is backed by sophomore Brandon Gerrans and freshman Cody Leslie.Hubrich (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) is being counted on provide leadership and stability. The left-hander throws with velocity, is mobile and has experience at the collegiate level. He will also have the good fortune of throwing to Jordan Webb, who returns after leading the Knights in receiving last year. How much is the offensive play improved? The O-Line is bigger and deeper with 12 linemen on the roster. That's more depth than the Knights have seen in years. Still, they are young. Center Schuyler Wilson (6-2, 290) returns after breaking a foot in last year's season opener. The rest of the starters -- guards Carlin McLane (6-0, 260) and Kyle Barthel (5-10, 225) and tackles Matt Rogers (6-4, 280) and Cody Helgerson (6-5, 270) -- are freshmen. Freshman tackle Todd Hansen (6-5, 315) and sophomore tackle/guard Austin Preller (6-2, 265) are also in the starting mix. There needs to be more offensive weapons. Tailback Steven Valliere is back for a second chance after getting bounced from last season's team. He looks stronger and more disciplined. Meanwhile, sophomore Eric Thrush has improved as the starting tight end. Among the offensive newcomers, freshman Michael Hendrix is being counted on to be a strong complement to Webb at receiver, while sophomore Brian Duffy moves over from cornerback to provide speed at the position. Roderick Spencer and Eric Forlsin will share time at fullback, while freshmen Kyle Urbin of Anderson and Tyler Littlejohn are pushing Thrush at tight end. Can the defense hold up? The defense is deeper and quicker, always a good thing. There is enough depth on the line that defensive coordinator Matt Diskin can rotate players. If the line can pressure the quarterback and congest the line, the back seven have enough ability to make a slew of tackles. Returning starters Jordan Sinclair and Garrett Schaad lead a deep corps of linebackers, while freshman cornerbacks Cody Cavender and Deonte Broadway and free safety Nate Best will start alongside strong safety Chase Sutfin. The Special teams must be better.With a deeper roster and more all-around quickness, it should be. Special teams was a disaster area last year, but may be the most improved area. Look for Jacob Sylvester and Tyler Crowley to share kicking and punting duties, while the special teams coverage units are faster all around. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com
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Cat On Jim Thorpe Watch List
CAT A SENIOR AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
(Serchlight Article-8/7/06) Former Knight football star Arizona State senior strong safety Zach Catanese has been named to the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back. Catanese, a Trinity High School graduate and Shasta College standout, started all 12 games for the Sun Devils last season. He finished with 107 tackles and is the top returning tackler in the Pac-10 Conference this year. The preseason list includes 33 names, five from the Pac-10. The watch list gets narrowed to 10 semifinalists on Nov. 6, then to three finalists on Nov. 20. The winner is announced on ESPN's College Football Awards from Disney World on Dec. 7th.
Lion's Share for '06
15 NEW KNIGHTS?
(Jeffrey Jen-Searchlight- 8/3/06) Watching the 29th annual Lions All-Star football game Saturday evening at Shasta College was like seeing a highly-anticipated boxing match turn into a lopsided affair.
Not in a bad, ugly way, but in the way one fighter (or team, in this case) simply took it to the other one, relentlessly hammering away all night long. That was the scene during the North's 34-7 victory. As North head coach Matt Hunsaker of Central Valley alluded to afterward, it was hard to pick out any standouts from a team that did well across the board. West Valley running back Jordan Atwell was named the game's MVP after a 105-yard performance and I can live with that after watching him break a number of tackles throughout the night. He should have a good career at Asuza Pacific. South coach Robert Wilson of Maxwell gave credit to the North's offensive and defensive lines, saying they won "the battle of the trenches." That's a solid assessment as the North's defense had eight sacks and the team's O-line did a good enough job to spring North runners all evening. Admittedly, I wanted to find a way to vote for the entire North defense after its performance. The line did a great job of pressuring South quarterbacks, the secondary took care of the receivers and the entire defense held the running game in check.
The Shasta College coaching staff must have liked what they saw Saturday. Nearly half of the North squad is suppose to be wearing green and white when the Knights hit the field next Thursday. A number of those headed to Shasta are from the defensive side of the ball -- West Valley defensive end Dylan Hall to linebackers Ryan McDonald (Foothill) and Logan Miller (Shasta). Though, it was hard to pick out standouts, there were a few players that got my attention more than the others. The aforementioned Hall has the size (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) and the ability to do well at the next level. The North coaching staff spent all week singing his praises. Despite his small stature, Shasta defensive back Cody Cavender had a strong night in the secondary, but really impressed with his leg. He boomed a couple of kickoffs into the end zone from the collegiate 35-yard line. He's headed to Shasta as a defensive back, but kicking could also be in his future. mall schools were well-represented, particularly offensive lineman Victor Larry (Trinity), defensive end Taylor Dunn (Modoc) and cornerback Jake Kyle (Fall River). Though bothered by a sprained ankle, Burney running back Kevin Sutherland also showed flashes. Kyle wanted to show that he belonged and did, holding up well in the secondary save for getting beaten on one long pass play. He's headed to Cal Lutheran.
Dunn, who will be at College of the Siskiyous, had an impressive night with 21/2 sacks. His future is either at end or at tight end given his size (6-5, 220 with a frame to easily add 30-40 more pounds). Larry (6-1, 230) showed a good motor throughout practices despite being a "very good late replacement" in Hunsaker's words. Hopefully, Falcons fullback Nick Leedy will play college football somewhere at some point. Though he doesn't have great speed or size for the college game, he still breaks tackles, has a good burst through the hole, excellent balance and the tendency to fall forward for the extra yard or two. I'd like to see how he does at the college level. Malcolm Carr, the Falcons offensive lineman, should also do well at the next level if he can get back some weight. Carr slimmed down between 215 and 230 pounds, depending on who you talk to. He still pushed people around and showed his ability Saturday, but the Shasta College-bound player needs to bulk back up some. Finally, it seemed every North player had nothing, but positives to say about Hunsaker and his staff. The coaches made sure the whole Lions experience was fun and enjoyable for their players, and they still kicked tail come game time. Really, these guys are on a roll -- and they still haven't tasted defeat since November 2004. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
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