The Winters Warriors football teams took on the Colusa RedHawk’s in away conference games on Friday, Oct. 1
Varsity
The Winters High School varsity football team lost to Colusa High School by a score of 43-26.
Offensively the Warriors played a great game, however the challenges they faced on the defensive end left them without any room for error. Two turnovers and a couple miscalculations near the Warriors goal line ultimately sealed their fate.
While Colusa’s defense was extremely effective in stopping the pass game, the Warriors still managed to make some excellent runs and fight their way into the end zone. Justice Madsen played an exceptional game earning every yard he gained. Madsen is quick and a powerhouse on the field, gaining around 100 total yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Memo Valadez, Evan Davis and David Reyes used their speed and were consistent in making themselves available for passes, and putting points on the board for the Warriors. Amongst these three players Davis played his best game to date, making not only a touchdown but he also two critical catches and earning 56 yards for the Warriors.
Varsity quarterback Matt Moore’s efforts also stood out during Friday night’s game. Moore threw three out of the four touchdowns against Colusa and spent a majority of the night running all over the field and making quick decisions that relieved the pressure from Colusa’s defense.
“We are very young up front and don’t have a lot of size, but I was proud of the way they competed against a bigger and stronger Colusa line,” said Head Coach Daniel Ward.
Madsen led the Warriors in tackles on the defensive end, closely followed by Reyes and Omar Bermudez. While Winters was able to make some very effective tackles, Colusa played the better game. Defensively, the Warriors gave up more than 330 yards on the ground.
“It was frustrating to play so poorly on defense on Friday after playing so great the week before …. We had several chances to make big plays and get them off the field but we missed too many tackles,” said Ward.
The Winters football team has a bye this week and it could not have come at a better time — the injuries are really starting to pile up. The Warriors are currently down two of their star players, with the loss of Connor Ray in the game against Clear Lake and now the loss of Grayson Roberts. Roberts, who has been one of the best and most consistent players on both sides of the ball, was taken out of the game during the first quarter against Colusa due to an injury.
“We are pretty beat up right now physically … hopefully we can rest up, recover, get healthy and make a run in the last four games,” said Ward.
Junior varsity
The Winters junior varsity football team won their game against Colusa by a score of 13-0.
The junior varsity defense, yet again, played another extremely impressive game. They demonstrated unparalleled teamwork and completely shut out Colusa, preventing them from ever making it into their own end zone.
Their defense continues to be a point of discussion due to the fact that they have only given up a total of 45 points in a total of six games. These stats are impeccable and definitely say something about their ability to follow the ball, break through the line of scrimmage and make critical plays when it counts the most.
Ashton Baylor added another interception to his record, making a game-ending interception in the fourth quarter. As middle linebackers, Sebastian Valadez and Gio Jimenez played a huge role in stopping Colusa’s offensive line from gaining first down’s. Diego Casillas and Baylor are also instrumental players as the last line of defense for the Warriors.
Offensively, the Warriors continued to work hard and put points on the board for the Warriors. Jimenez and Oscar Valadez both played excellent games, scoring touchdowns and working hard for yardage. Moto Reyes also performed well with a few big receptions and runs. Casillas is another defensive player who is stepping up his game as a running back for the Warriors.
The Winters football teams will be back on the field on Friday, Oct. 16 during their away game against East Nicolaus.
