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Saturday mornings online at redbluffdailynews.com • reprinted in Monday's print edition D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Double Coverage Cardinals lose thriller Corning West Valley ByRICHGREENE DN Sports Editor COTTONWOOD — Despite being the league opener for both teams, Friday's Corning at West Valley game played like the Northern Ath- letic League championship. The Eagles came from behind to knock off Corning 18-10 in a game fought from the opening whistle and not settled until the final one. Trailing by eight points with under seven min- utes to play the Cardinals took possession on their own 26-yard line and turned to an aspect of foot- ball the Corning program is not usually known for — its passing game. Ryan Holland completed five passes, includ- ing spectacular catches by J.D. Whited and Cole Barnes, to march the Cardinals down to the West Valley 6-yard line. "Guys were just making plays out of their minds," Corning coach John Studer said. "Just some of the catches we were making ... Holland's runs." There the Cardinals faced fourth-and-three with 1:05 remaining. Holland lined up at running back took a pitch left, pump faked and floated a ball into the end zone that deflected off a Corning receiver and to West Valley 's Forist Parks for a game-breaking interception. Corning would force a West Valley punt with 15 seconds remaining, but all it led to was an unsuccessful Hail Mary attempt from the Eagles' 33-yard line as time expired. It was a heartbreaking end for the Cardinals, who had led 10-6 at halftime and had the NAL favorite Eagles reeling. After the Cardinals fumbled the opening kick- off, the Corning defense stepped up in what proved to be a theme of the first half. West Valley who had run over teams the past two weeks, simply could not run the ball against the Corning defense. The Eagles' first drive ended with a missed 30- yard field goal attempt. "Right from the get go when we goofed up on the kickoff return and (the defense) were able to keep them out of the end zone — that showed our defense was going to be tough all night and boy the defense did everything they could to give us a chance to win," Coach Studer said. After a Corning three-and-out the Eagles took over again with a short field, but their drive stalled when Roy Madrigal sacked West Valley quarter- back Luke Wright on a fourth-and-seven. Corning's offense then found it's rhythm behind Whited and drove down to the Eagles' 8- yard line, where Holland took it in for the open- ing score a minute into the second quarter. The teams played a field position battle from there until West Valley took over with 1:43 left Daily News photo by Rich Greene Corning's Ryan Holland runs for yardage, Friday night, in Cottonwood. until halftime and gave up on trying to run the ball. Wright hooked up with Hunter Dyche on a pair of passes to move the ball to the Corning 40. Then the two hooked up again when Dyche won a jump ball with a Cardinals defender and trotted into the end zone. However Corning would hold their lead when Whited blocked the extra point try and despite only 40 seconds remaining on the clock the Car- dinals weren't finished. Holland and Whited pushed the Cardinals out to the West Valley 43-yard. Then Holland hooked up with Ezekiel Rodriguez, who was making his season debut, on a 20-yard pass play with seven seconds remaining. That allowed Cardinals kicker Quentin McCormick to put an exclamation point on the first half by belting a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals lost their lead halfway into the third quarter when a poor punt set up the Eagles at the Corning 29-yard line. Austin Clark took in a 7-yard touchdown run for a West Valley score. Once again the extra point was missed, this time as it clanged off the right upright and it was 12-10 West Valley. After punts by both teams the Cardinals drove to the West Valley 47-yard line before their drive stalled and they punted away. It would prove costly. The Eagles put together a 71-yard drive of their own, capped by Clark's second touchdown of the night in what would essentially seal the game. However West Valley's attempt to convert the point after once again failed and the 8-point dif- ference left light for the Cardinals, who would come within six yards of possibly tying the game. In losing their NAL opener, Corning dropped to 3-3 overall. West Valley improved to 4-2. Studer said there were plenty of positives for his Cardinals to take from the game. Their defense limited a West Valley team that had scored 130 points over their past two games to just 18. "Coach (Bob) Hall is mad genius," Studer credited his defensive coordinator. " The schemes he comes up with many times are so far outside the box I think it takes other teams a half to figure out what he is doing or trying to do to them." It took West Valley just that, Friday night, and it almost wasn't enough time. The Eagles were held to 151 yards on the ground. Clark led the way with 12 carries for 53 yards. Wright completed 6-of-13 passes for 102 yards. Dyche finished with four receptions for 67 yards. Whited led Corning's rushing attack with 17 carries for 72 yards. He also caught two balls for 37 yards. Holland picked up 47 yards on the ground and 90 more through the air, going 6-for-15. John Lowe, Rodriguez, Barnes and Chayce Maday had receptions for the Cardinals, who con- tinue NAL play when they host Anderson next week. Standings EAL — South League Paradise Lassen Oroville Las Plumas Red Bluff Overall 1 - 0 6- 0 1 - 0 3- 3 0 - 0 0- 5 0 - 1 0- 6 0 - 1 0-6 10 18 Week 6 Scoreboard Friday's results Lassen 24, Red Bluff 14 West Valley 18, Corning 10 Chester 32, Maxwell 14 East Nicolaus 44, Live Oak 8 Enterprise 7, Foothill 6 Fall River 26, Burney 7 Hamilton 35, Williams 0 Modoc 56, Weed 12 Orland 42, Gridley 7 Paradise 55, Las Plumas 7 Pierce 35, Mt. Shasta 8 Quincy 49, Colusa 0 Shasta 42, Pleasant Valley 14 Sutter 49, Anderson 7 Trinity 53, University Prep 14 Yreka 21, Central Valley 6 Durham at Willows, late Portola at Esparto, late Winters at Wheatland, late Friday's 8-man results Mercy at Happy Camp, late Butte Valley 27, Dunsmuir 26 Elk Creek at Herlong, late Greenville at Princeton, late Hayfork at Big Valley, late Loyalton at Westwood, late Saturday's game Oroville at Chico Saturday's 8-man games Liberty C. at Redding C, 5 p.m. Northern Athletic League Yreka Overall C. Valley Corning Anderson West Valley 1 - 0 4- 2 1- 0 4- 2 0 - 1 3- 3 0 - 1 3- 3 0 - 0 2- 4 8-Man North League H Dunsmuir Big Valley Hayfork Overall Butte Valley 4- 0 5- 0 3- 1 5- 1 3 - 1 3- 1 2 - 1 3- 2 Happy Camp 1 - 1 2- 2 Redding C. 1 - 1 1- 3 0 - 2 1- 3 Liberty C. Mercy 0 -2 2- 3 Week 7 Schedule All games 7:30 p.m. except where noted Thursday's 8-man game Princeton at Champion Christian Friday's games Daily NEws photo by Rich Greene Corning fullback Colton Conoly is gang tackled by the West Valley defense, Friday night in Cottonwood. Lassen's defense stymies Red Bluff Red Bluff 14 Lassen 24 Red Bluff's defense was improved, but Lassen's defense was much better as the Spartans lost 24-14 in Susanville, Friday night. "We just didn't move the ball offensively," Red Bluff coach John Miller said. Lassen took advantage of short fields and built up a 10-0 lead by halftime. The Grizzlies pushed the score to 17-0 before Red Bluff responded with the first of two Ty Smith touchdowns. Lassen continued to drive the ball well and essentially wound down the clock with its offense from there and scored again to make it 24-7. Red Bluff got back one touch- down before the end of the game. "(Lassen) played very well defensively and that's what they're known for," Miller said. Miller said he thought his Spartans may have outhit the Grizzlies and defensively played well, limiting the production of Lassen's star running back Cameron Medic. Red Bluff fell to 0-6 with the loss. They continue their four- game road trip when they visit Paradise next week. Ty Smith Anderson at Corning Red Bluff at Paradise Central Valley at Gridley Chico at Enterprise Colusa at Williams East Nicolaus at Portola Etna at Modoc Foothill at Shasta Hamilton at Esparto Live Oak at Trinity Maxwell at Biggs Oroville at Lassen Pierce at Durham Pleasant Valley at Las Plumas Quincy at Incline Sutter at Winters Weed at Burney West Valley at Yreka Wheatland at Orland Willows at University Prep Friday's 8-man games Butte Valley at Hayfork, 7 p.m. Happy Camp at Redding Christian, 7 p.m. Herlong at Westwood, 7 p.m. Liberty Christian at Big Valley, 7 p.m. Loyalton at Greenville, 7 p.m. Saturday's 8-man game Dunsmuir at Mercy, Noon