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| On the final play of the game, Inderkum running back Eric Walters is shoved out of bounds. |
BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
In unique turn of events Friday night, Yuba City upset No. 9 ranked Inderkum 49-42.
During an offensive explosion for both teams in the first half, a two-point conversion and an onside kick were the difference makers.
On a fourth quarter touchdown which gave Yuba City the first lead of the game, the ensuing onside recovered by the Honkers sealed the win for the Honkers on the Tri-County League opener for both teams.
With 6:26 left in the game, Yuba City quarterback Taylor Elkins plowed in from the one-yard line to get the Honkers within one point. On the two-point conversion, Elkins—in his best Tim Tebow jump toss impression—completed the pass, giving Yuba City a one-point 43-42 lead.
On the succeeding kickoff, the Honkers caught everyone, including the referees, by surprise, as the refs signaled Yuba City recovered the ball.
From other angles, it appeared the ball was touched by a Yuba City player at the 47-yard line, which would have been an automatic re-kick. However, the touch was not called and the Honkers recovered the ball, driving 50 yards for the final score by Honkers running back Nate Van Dusen (177 yards, 4 touchdowns).
“We didn’t want to go for the tie, we wanted to go for the win,” Elkins said about the two-point conversion to take the one-point lead.
Inderkum head coach Terry Stark had a different idea of why the Honkers went for it.
“They knew they couldn’t stop us,” Stark said. “They went against the odds. They executed and got the two-pointer and the onside kick. They kept the ball away from us. It’s frustrating.”
The loss drops the Tigers to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in Tri-County play. The Honkers improved to 5-1 overall.
But it was Inderkum that seemed to have the upper hand in a run-heavy offensive showcase. Led by senior running back Eric Walters (129 yards, 3 TD), the Tigers got on the board quickly on the first drive of the game.
One play later, however, the Honkers tied up with a 77-yard run by Omar Herrera (182 yards, 2 TD). That seemed to be the battle all night for both teams.
The Tigers did take a two-score lead after a muffed punt by Yuba City was recovered by Inderkum on the Honkers 25-yard line. Three plays later, junior Terence White (54 yards rushing, 1 TD) scored, with the score 21-7 still in the first quarter.
Going into the half down by 14, Yuba City marched 70 yards on the first possession of the second half, ending in a Van Duren touchdown with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
After the Tigers retook a two-score lead at 42-28 on a Brandon Powell 17-yard score, the Honkers quickly responded with a 22-yard run by Devin Pettengill.
A costly three-and-out series on the next drive for Inderkum set up the go-ahead drive for Yuba City.
The Tigers did get the ball back with 13 seconds left, but a CJ Spencer pass to Eric Montes fell incomplete and Walters was pushed out of bounds at midfield as the clock expired.
Spencer finished the game 8-17 for 119 yards and one touchdown to Tyler Dean in the first half. But a heave down the sideline was intercepted by Yuba City with just over a minute left in the game.
“We just need to make big plays,” Spencer said. “(Yuba City) made big plays and we didn’t. That would have been the difference maker in this game.”
Natomas Nighthawks Fall To Woodland
A Daniel Guttierrez touchdown pass to D’Angelo Fields in the second half was not enough as Natomas (0-6) dropped the Tri-County opener on the road 26-7 to Woodland.
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