The Dunsmuir football team finally got a chance to prove they are for real as they defeated Butte Valley 38-20 in Tulelake. The game originally was scheduled for 8 p.m. but thanks to the Tulelake and Chiloquin game, start time was pushed back to 8:55 p.m.
According to head coach Steve Van Ert, it had little effect early on for his players. It allowed them to calm their nerves and refocus the players on the game.
“I think it gave us time to settle, a chance for the players to go through their goals prior to the start,” Van Ert said.
It was a good thing because Dunsmuir was only suiting up 16 players for the game. According to Van Ert, the coaching staff has stricter rules than the CIF when it comes to grades. A few of the players had not met the minimum practice time requirements and some had injuries.
“When these players come back this week, we will be the team that others better be watching very closely,” Van Ert said.
The Tigers began with a 71-yard march down the field for the touchdown. Their two point conversion was good. Butte Valley answered right back with a score on a kick off return and added a two point conversion also.
Dunsmuir scored twice more in the first half to go up 22-8. The first rushing score came within seconds of the start of the second quarter. The other rushing score came late in the quarter.
This was the first time in a long time the Tigers went into the second half with a firm lead. Van Ert kept his team focus in the locker room, reminding them they haven’t won anything yet. It was only a time to make adjustments and remind them what needs to be done.
In the third quarter, the late start began to affect the Tigers. Three players began to cramp up. A new focus on diets and nutritional components of the players will be a new focus for the coaches. The players held up in terms of conditioning but found the speed of the game started to play a role in the latter parts.
Butte Valley came out strong in the second half, scoring twice early in the quarter. The defense started to slow the offense down, only allowing one score. Coach Steve Van Ert attributes this to good coaching and dedicated players. Butte Valley was able to rotate their players continuously through the game, keeping them fresh.
“They capitalized on yards through smart aggressive playing,” said Van Ert.
The Tigers scored one more time in the game on a 36 yard pass from Nate Gonzales to Erin Kirch coming out of the backfield. The defense denied any more score for Butte Valley in the game. Conditioning, repetition and drive is what the coaches attribute the performance and win to.
Gonzales not only threw the ball but ran it too. He had seven carries for 59 yards and one touchdown. His arm contributed another touchdown on a 4-5 for 65 yard performance.
Cory Knowles was the Tigers leading rusher with 99 yards on 10 carries with a rushing touchdown. Knowles was also the teams leading receiver with a 36 yard catch. Kirch added another 65 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns on the ground and 28 yards on three catches and a touchdown.
The defense was a highlight for the team as five players had double digit tackles. Kirch led the team with 13 and John Teran had 12. Knowles, Matt Norton and Barry Norton added 11 each. Kirch was also able to get to the quarter back with two sacks. Justin Shuler led the team with three and Barry Norton had one.
The Tigers were also able to get three turnovers in the game. Back-up quarterback Lt Hisey had an interception. Joey Rhyno and Jamison McIntyre had a fumble recovery each.
Dunsmuir will be playing at home this week against Herlong on Sept. 13.
Dunsmuir, Calif. —
