The real story isn’t the score…

September 13, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

From the editor: If you have photos from this game that you are willing to share with the community please contact SCNS.
-TM

LOYALTON, Calif. — Although the Burney Raiders lost the game here Saturday afternoon, 18-24, the real story has nothing to do with the score or who won or lost.

Burney plays 8-person football, and after traveling for 3.5 hours to get here, the Raiders took on the hosts with with eight healthy players suited up, “and one hobbled but suited up player,” summed up assistant coach Michael Von Schalscha.

Ten other Raider players were sidelined – most due to their contact traced due to the pandemic.

That meant, basically, that every player was on the field for every snap of the ball, both on offense and defense, and this small group of athletes stepped up and came oh-so-close to pulling of a victory.

“Our experienced players balled out too, as they do every week,” noted Von Shalscha; saying, “Today was about those kids who worked their tails off, but aren’t ‘super stars”.

Carson Crook completed one of two passes, but that completion earned six points as he hooked up with Eric Davies for a 20-yard touchdown toss. Davies stepped into the quarterback position and completed four of 11 passes for 25 yards. Bryan Banos hauled in three for 29 yards and E. Jimenez caught one.

The Raider ground game was led by Banos who ran for 148 yards on 29 carries and scored one touchdown. Davies carried the pigskin 17 times for 98 yards and six points while Crook covered 12 yards on two totes of the ball.

On defense, all nine players suited up notched tackles, with Tanner Covert bringing down 11 Grizzly players and Trevor Woodard 10. Banos figured in nine tackles while Lukas Sanchez finished with seven. Woodard and Covert also recovered a fumble each.

Trailing 16-zip at halftime, the Raiders outscored their hosts in the second half, 18-8, and were down to the Loyalton 9-yard line with under a minute to go, but couldn’t punch it in.

SEE OTHER RECENT “FROM THE BLEACHERS” ARTICLES:
Lady Bulldogs “ace” bigger schools to start volleyball season
From the Bleachers – With Ron Mosher: The Original Four
Burney now 2-0 after 22-14 Fair Bowl win
COVID strikes again… Fall River cancels games due to continuing pandemic
After 2-year pandemic hiatus, Intermountain area residents excited to have football – and local coverage – back
From the Bleachers – With Ron Mosher

Here is the roster that suited up for the game: Carson Crook, Tanner Covert, Eric Davies, Mary Lawson, Bryan Banos, E. Jimenez, Sam Marks, Trevor Woodard and Lukas Sanchez.

The Raiders (2-1) return home to host Redding Christian (1-0) to open league play. Kick-off is set for 6pm at Gene Pisenti Field.

Stay tuned for next week’s scores, game highlights and updates!

BURNEY RAIDER FOOTBALL 2021
Varsity only

Friday, Aug. 27: Tulelake at Burney 6pm (FINAL SCORE: 44-33 – BURNEY WIN)
Wed., Sept. 1: Big Valley at Burney (Fair Bowl) 6pm (FINAL SCORE: 22-14 – BURNEY WIN)
Friday, Sept. 10: Burney at Loyalton 6pm (FINAL SCORE: 18-24 – LOYALTON WIN)
Friday, Sept. 17: Redding Christian at Burney 6pm
Friday, Sept. 24: Burney at Chester 6pm
Friday, Oct. 1: Burney at Tulelake 6pm
Friday, Oct. 8: No scheduled game
Friday, Oct. 15: Burney at Loyalton (Homecoming) 6pm
Friday, Oct. 22: Burney at Redding Christian 6pm
Friday, Oct. 29: Burney at Chester at Burney 6pm

FALL RIVER FOOTBALL 2021
JV and Varsity teams
JV games:

Wed. Sept. 1: Fall River at Modoc 5:30pm (COVID CANCELLED)
Sat. Sept. 11: Fall River at Ferndale 12 noon

Varsity games

Friday Sept. 17: Pierce at Fall River 5pm
Friday Sept. 24: Quincy at Fall River 5pm
Friday Oct. 1: Fall River at Maxwell 5:30pm
Friday Oct. 8: Biggs at Fall River 5:30pm
Friday Oct. 15: Fall River at Weed 5:30pm
Friday Oct. 22: Fall River at Portola 5:30pm
Friday Oct. 29: Etna at Fall River 5:30pm
Friday Nov. 5: Fall River at Los Molinos 5pm

BIG VALLEY FOOTBALL 2021
Varsity only

Wed. Sept. 1: Big Valley at Burney (Fair Bowl) 6pm (FINAL SCORE: 22-14 – BURNEY WIN)
Friday Sept. 17: Butte Valley at Big Valley 7pm
Friday Sept. 24: Greenville at Big Valley 7pm
Friday Oct. 1: Big Valley at Princeton 7pm
Friday Oct. 8: Hayfork at Big Valley 7pm
Friday Oct. 15: Big Valley at Dunsmuir 7pm
Friday Oct. 22: Westwood at Big Valley 7pm
Friday Oct. 29: Big Valley at Happy Camp 7pm

About Ron, from the man himself:

I began doing sports coverage since the days of Dennis Smith at the Intermountain News in Burney in the mid 1960s through the mid 1970s. I took a long break after moving to the Bay Area, where I had an eight year stint with the San Francisco Giants front office as accounting and data processing manager – so my life has pretty much revolved around balls – footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, softballs, baseballs and the kids who toss ’em, catch ’em and excel in sports.

I returned to the Intermountain area in the 1990s and restarted my sports life in the area by working for Donna and Walt Caldwell and their Mountain Echo newspaper, retiring a few years ago after 20-plus years chasing kids all over northern California covering their antics in playing games.

I have a love for all three of the Intermountain area schools, having attended Big Valley elementary through fourth grade, graduating from Burney elementary and then becoming a 4-year Fall River Bulldog, graduating in 1961… yep, I’m an old guy.

But, I’m an old guy who’s glad to be returning to the keyboard in following Intermountain Area sports and the kids who play ’em… remember: Find something round… you’ll have a ball!

Contact the editor: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.