Bulldogs cruise past Tigers with ease, continue playoffs push
Oct 15, 2022 12:00AM ● By By Steven BrylaGridley senior wide receiver Angel Castañeda makes a move towards the left sideline during a 41-6 win against Oroville on Friday, October 14 in Gridley. Photo by Melanie Little
GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Bulldogs varsity football team took a step closer towards the playoffs on Friday night with their commanding 41-6 Butte View League victory over the Oroville Tigers.
It was the annual Homecoming week for Gridley, which includes many different school events and festivities. Therefore, there were many fun events planned throughout the week for the Bulldogs players with their peers, adding to a list of potential distractions.
Gridley (3-4, 1-1 BVL) head coach Matt Kemmis told The Herald that even with all the different events going on, he was happy to have all his players on game night suited up and ready to play for their fans.
“We were able to secure a victory for our Homecoming game, I know it brings back a lot of past players and other alumni that are back in town for the festivities,” Kemmis said.
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The Bulldogs started the party early when their first drive consisted of three plays for 59 yards and ended when sophomore quarterback Gus Stogsdill scored on a 19-yard touchdown rush. Stogsdill added three more rushing touchdowns and one through the air. He was also named the Homecoming Prince for the Class of 2025.
The humble quarterback never forgets about his offensive line in every interview with the Herald. However, he was asked Friday to recognize another group of contributors and gave credit to the scheming of his offensive coaches.
“When our linemen perform like that, I have the chance to make the right cuts and take it to the house,” Stogsdill said.
Stogsdill had 189 yards on the ground on 16 carries and added three completions for 43 yards.
Gridley had a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas with the rushing attack. Senior running back Aiden Gomez extended the Gridley lead to 27-0 after he scored a 41-yard rushing touchdown.
The only blemish the Bulldogs defense had in the first half was a single touchdown scored in the final few minutes of the first half. Besides the one touchdown for Oroville, the Gridley defense dominated against the Tigers offense, which included two takeaways and multiple tackles for loss.
With a comfortable lead at the half, the Bulldogs expanded the depth on their roster which gave an opportunity for other players to expand their role on the team. Junior running back Ryan Wollery had eight carries for 44 yards on the ground and one reception for 15 yards on the night.
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Kemmis told The Herald that it was nice to see new faces get to have some time to shine to give him another look at depth throughout the remaining weeks of the season.
Stogsdill threw his third touchdown pass of the season late in the fourth quarter to sophomore receiver Nathan Zumwalt for an 18-yard receiving touchdown and gave the Bulldogs the highest offensive point total of the season with 41 points.
Gridley will travel to Paradise this Friday night and play the Bobcats for the first time as BVL opponents. The two teams last played in the 2020 shortened season where the Bulldogs won 35-0.
Kemmis told The Herald that the game against Paradise is important for playoff implications as Gridley wants to be in the field of eight teams that compete for the Division III CIF North Section title. According to MaxPreps, the Bulldogs were ranked fifth in the D3 CIF NS rankings as of October 16.