Previews for Shasta vs. Enterprise, two other Redding area high school football games
In the storied rivalry of the River Bowl series, there’s been one playoff game between Shasta and Enterprise. That was in 2004 as the Hornets flipped the script on the Wolves, who had won the regular-season meeting 42-6, and walked away with a 42-21 victory in the opening round of the Division I playoffs.
This year is similar to 2004 in that Shasta won River Bowl XXXI 27-20 and enter the playoff meeting 7-3 compared to Enterprise’s 4-6. Nineteen years ago, the Hornets were 5-5 and Shasta came in 8-2.
Like the cliche goes … you can throw the records out the window.
Shasta enters Thursday’s game (the game was moved up for the Veterans Day holiday recognized on Friday) off a 17-14 win over Red Bluff. The Wolves needed a 73-yard halfback pass from Shakespeare Taylor to Owen Boesiger to beat the Spartans and guarantee themselves the three seed and home game.
Enterprise, meanwhile, has lost six straight games, including all five Eastern Athletic League games after a 4-0 start.
In 2004, quarterback Tim Worley was an efficient 4 of 9 passing for 66 yards and two scores while Steven Valliere ran for 139 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns in the playoff win. Shasta, who had workhorse back Taylor Jackson, got 154 yards and two scores from him, while quarterback Frank Vanskike threw for 289 yards and a TD but was intercepted twice.
The current version of the Hornets are led by three-star dual threat quarterback JJ Johnson, who has more than 2,500 all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns. Johnson’s favorite target is Porter Fisher, who leads the section in receiving with 855 yards and 14 scores on 56 catches. Alijah Bobo has rushed for 673 yards and four touchdowns.
The Wolves are led by dual threat QB Justin Polley, who has close to 1,900 yards combined rushing and passing with 24 touchdowns. Boesiger is his go-to receiver with 528 yards on 28 receptions and eight scores. Fullback Ryder May leads Shasta in rushing with 893 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The winner advances to play No. 2 seed Pleasant Valley next week.
Red Bluff (5-5) at Foothill (5-5), 7 p.m. Thursday
The Cougars and Spartans meet again on a Thursday (they played in Red Bluff a day early because of referee availability) as Foothill came home with a 34-6 victory.
This time the game is in Palo Cedro at Bill Johnson Community Stadium with a trip to top-seeded Chico for the winner.
Senior quarterback Hunter Marcione has put up 1,200 yards passing on 77 of 119 passing and 14 touchdowns while Dawson Mortimer (515 yards, 9 TDs) leads a quartet of backs who’ve gained more than 100 yards on the ground.
Defensively, Kaden Mannion leads the Cougars with 65 tackles as Mortimer has added 52 and ballhawk Chris Hall has three interceptions.
Red Bluff’s offense is a two-headed monster of quarterback Kayden Leaf and running back Chaco Chavez. Leaf has thrown for 563 yards, but has rushed for 920 yards on 124 carries and 10 touchdowns. Chavez leads the Spartans with 1,092 yards on the ground with 11 scores on 184 carries. On defense, Mickey Cohn has 138 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss.
Friday’s games
Central Valley (5-5) at U-Prep (9-1), 7 p.m.
The Panthers host the Falcons in the Division III bracket one week after playing at Ron Hale Memorial Stadium in the regular-season finale that saw U-Prep win 45-13.
Last week, quarterback Sawyer Hokanson was 17 of 25 for 160 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as the Wurzer brothers, Bailey and Tyson, ran for 167 combined yards and three touchdowns. Hokanson added a rushing touchdown on 26 yards.
The Falcons, who slid Diego Recio to quarterback, saw one of the section’s leading rushers gain seven yards on the ground. He did however, go 10 of 23 for 184 yards and two touchdowns passing against three interceptions in the loss.
West Valley (3-7) at Orland (8-1), 7 p.m.
The Eagles stopped a three-game skid with an 8-7 win at Yreka to end the season and grab the No. 7 seed and a trip to two-seed Orland.
Last week against the Miners, Eagles’ quarterback John Puffer was 27 of 37 for 205 yards with one TD and one interception as Cooper Staup ran for 76 yards on 24 carries.
The Trojans come into the first-round game winners of eight straight following a season-opening 39-35 loss to Enterprise at home. The reigning CIF 5-A champions are led by a punishing ground attack spearheaded by senior Jaime Albarran’s 932 yards and 14 scores and Diego Rico’s eight scores and 643 rushing yards.
Other playoff games
Division III - Live Oak (6-4) at Gridley (7-3), p.m. Friday
Division IV - Trinity (4-6) at Hamilton (8-2), 6 p.m. Friday
Division V - Fall River (7-3) at Los Molinos (7-3), 7 p.m. Friday
Division V - Modoc (4-6) at Biggs (7-3), 6 p.m. Friday
8-Man - Big Valley (8-1) at Tulelake (8-2), 6 p.m. Friday
8-Man - Chester (5-4) at Hayfork (11-0), 6 p.m. Friday
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Previews: Shasta vs. Enterprise, two other Redding football games
