Intermountain area football – Bulldogs & Cards win, Raiders fall to powerhouse Redding Christian

September 24, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

From the Bleachers – With Ron Mosher

The Big Valley Cardinals thrilled their homecoming crowd with an impressive win, while the Fall River Bulldogs blanked their opponent, and the Burney Raiders fell to a perennial powerhouse – all in last Friday night under the lights.

The Fall River Bulldogs ground out a 14-0 win over visiting Pierce at home, in a game that didn’t set any statistical records, but a win-is-a-win, in a hard hitting tough game that followed a solemn ceremony honoring the US servicemembers killed in last month’s airport bombing in Afghanistan – “The 13”. The home team captured the win on only 181 total yards of offense, but it was enough to pick up the victory in a game of tough defense.

SEE OTHER RECENT “FROM THE BLEACHERS” ARTICLES:
Fall River school honors recent bombing victims “The 13”
The Real Story Isn’t the Score…
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

Quarterback Ryan Osborne was the ‘Dogs workhorse on the night, grinding out 123 yards rushing on 22 carries and scored both FR touchdowns. He also completed 2-of-10 passes for 23 yards. Evan Bidwell rushed for 35 yards in carrying the pigskin nine times. On the receiving end of Osbornes passes were Cannon Oilar (one for 14 yards) and Bidwell (one catch for nine yards).

Both conversion kicks were hit by Jovan Venegas.

The Fall River Bulldogs hammered home a difficult 14-0 win over visiting Pierce in a hard hitting and tough game that followed a solemn ceremony honoring the US servicemembers killed in last month’s airport bombing in Afghanistan – “The 13”. Kristi Osborne photo

Over in Bieber the Big Valley Cardinals were giving their homecoming crowd something to smile about with a lopsided 39-6 win over the Butte Valley Bulldogs. No other statistical information was available at our deadline.

Meanwhile in Burney, the hosting Raiders lost to perennial league powerhouse Redding Christian, 41-6. The Lions have been a winning force every year since the beginning of 8-man football in the north state.

Senior quarterback Carson Crook completed eight of 10 pass attempts for 53 yards. On the receiving ends of those tosses were Eric Davies (4-for-19 yards), Bryan Banos (for-for 26 yards and Owen von Schalscha (2-for 13 yards).

In their ground game, Banos was the leading rusher with 83 yards on 16 carries and scored the teams lone TD, while Crook picked up 10 on five totes, von Schalscha 13 on five carries and Davies one carry for six yards.

On defense, Rook nailed 10 tackles, with Banos brought down seven Lion opponents. Briley St. Clair and Nathan Estrada each had five take downs. Lukas Sanchez recovered a fumble.

The real headache for the Raiders on the night was Redding Christian senior quarterback Carson Piper who threw for 145 yards and ran for 219 more for an impressive 364 yards on the night.

All three Intermountain prep teams are on the road this Friday night (September 24)… Burney (2-2) is at Chester (0-1), while Fall River (2-0) hits the road to Quincy (1-1) and Big Valley (1-1) heads to Princeton (2-0).

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 FINAL SCORE: 39-6 – RC WIN)
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 (FINAL SCORE: 14-0 FALL RIVER WIN)
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 (FINAL SCORE: 39-6 BIG VALLEY WIN)
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.