Sutter prevails with second-half rally over Bradshaw Christian

Sep. 11—There were times when the Sutter Union High football team looked like it would be suffering its second loss in four games Friday night when it hosted Bradshaw Christian at Wayne Gadberry Field in Sutter.

It appeared almost like a foregone conclusion that Sutter would be headed for the loss after senior quarterback Jagger Beck threw his second interception of the game at about the midpoint of the third quarter in his own territory with the game tied at seven.

But appearances can be deceiving, especially for a team like Sutter that is talented on both sides of the ball. And it was the defense that earned a lot of the end-of-game heroics with five sacks — two each from Auckland Asiata and Eric St. Onge — to turn the game back in Sutter's favor and aid the Huskies to the 14-7 win over Bradshaw Christian.

The win moved Sutter to 3-1 on the year entering Pioneer Valley League play beginning Friday in Marysville.

"Oh my goodness, I'm recovering," Sutter coach Ryan Reynolds said. "We knew (Bradshaw Christian) was really, really good coming in ... very well coached football team (and) disciplined. They had a scheme that gave us fits."

Reynolds was nervous and frustrated nearly to the final minute against Bradshaw Christian, a team that Sutter had never played before in a game.

The Pride, a team that runs a double wing toss offense called the "Coxbox" that Reynolds equated it to "fighting in a phone booth with 22 dudes."

"They'll lull you to sleep and then hit you on play action, like they did to us in the first half when they scored," Reynolds said.

Sutter's defense would win the final battle in the "phone booth" when it held Bradshaw Christian out of the end zone on fourth down from the Husky 1-yard line with 2 minutes, 19 seconds left and the hosts in front, 14-7.

"Before (the fourth down) I was really frustrated because I knew they were not going to give us the ball back with any time," Reynolds said.

But then on the fourth down play, Bradshaw Christian fumbled, aiding in Sutter's ability to hold The Pride outside the goal line.

"We were game planning on stopping the run up the middle with people on the outside to stop the outside run," Asiata said. "If we were caught off-guard we would just be athletes and make the play."

Asiata, a Fresno State commit, stepped up big from his defensive end position all night. In addition to his two sacks, Asiata forced a fumble in Sutter territory to stop a potential scoring drive and get it back to Beck and the offense.

But Beck quickly threw another pick, which Reynolds said was only his second interception all season. It was a play that Reynolds would later talk with his 6-foot-6 quarterback about saying, "I would love to have that Bulldog play back."

Beck's response, Reynolds recalled, was "Yeah I thought I could fit it over the outside linebacker."

"He was getting a little cocky with the ball, (thinking), 'I'm a make this happen,'" Reynolds said. "Usually he does, he did against Chico over and over again. It's a blessing to have him."

Beck would find redemption late in the third with a quick hitting scoring drive where he would find St. Onge in the flat for a 42-yard pass play that nearly scored if it was not for the potential touchdown-saving tackle from Ethan Rickert.

"I haven't been practicing offense recently so that was the first time catching a ball in a while," St. Onge said. "It was definitely nerve-racking."

St. Onge, who later admitted that it was his first varsity catch, would find the end zone on the next play after the senior fullback powered in from four yards out to put Sutter on top by a touchdown, 13-7. Josiah Thompson made it a seven-point lead with the PAT at the 1:46 mark of the third.

Reynolds said while his offense struggled from time-to-time, he trusts his senior signal-caller to come through when it counts.

"I love him, he is mr. calm, cool and collected, nothing fazes that guy," he said. "I guess when you're a pitcher (you) don't get rattled. He just goes out and plays his game and our guys rally around him."

Other Friday scores

Wheatland 42, Argonaut 6

Pierce 40, Williams 20

Marysville 14, Gridley 7

Colusa 42, Willows 6

Nevada Union 58, River Valley 34

Chico 36, Yuba City 21