Bobcats rally to defeat Spartans
Turnovers key Paradise rally
PARADISE » The Paradise High School Bobcats scored the game’s final 28 points to beat visiting Red Bluff 4228 on Thursday night.
Turnovers marked the comeback, including a 91yard fumble return to give the Bobcats (2-1) their first lead of the game.
The Spartans (2-2) had two separate 14-point leads and a 13-point lead in the game at Om Wraith Field but couldn’t hold off the hosts.
Paradise was led by quarterback Braden Gonzales who scored two touchdowns on the ground and recorded a key interception.
The Bobcats rally started early in the third quarter after a blocked punt by the Spartans set up Cooper Bonham‘s 12-yard Red Bluff touchdown run early in the third quarter.
On the ensuing drive, Paradise running back Daquan Lamar- Simmons broke off a 35-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-21.
The Spartans then drove inside the Bobcats 30-yard line before Gonzalez intercepted a Caiden Wehbey pass.
Following the interception, the Bobcats drove the ball inside Red Bluff’s 5 before the third quarter expired. Two plays into the fourth quarter, Gonzales punched it in from 2 yards out to tie the score at 28.
After the two teams traded punts, it looked like the Spartans were about to retake the lead — driving the ball down to the Bobcat 4-yard line. However, the Bobcats defense stiffened and pushed the Spartans back to the Bobcat 9-yard line.
On fourth and goal from the nine, Jordan Jolly returned fumble a 91-yards for touchdown to give Bobcats a 35-28 lead.
Paradise was able to extend its lead to 42-28 after the Bobcats defense forced Red Bluff to turn it over on downs at its own 8-yard line.
Lamar-Simmons scored his second touchdown of the half, from eight yards out to seal it.
Early game
The game started out well for the visitors, as Wade Dewsnup’s 5-yard touchdown run opened the scoring with seven minutes left in the first quarter.
Wehbey, who was 19 of 31 for 286 yards on the night, threw a 35-yard pass for a touchdown early in the second quarter.
The touchdown, which was the Red Bluff quarterback’s only scoring throw in the game, gave the Spartans a 13- 0 lead.
But Paradise responded with a one-yard touchdown run by Gonzales capping a 59-yard drive that cut the lead to 13- 6.
However, the Spartans responded with a 68-yard scoring drive themselves, which ended in a Bonham 3- yard touchdown run with a little more than three minutes left.
After Dewsnup scored on a two-point conversion of the short run it look like the Spartans would head into halftime.
But Paradise senior running back Tyler Harrison broke off a 65-yard touchdown run to narrow the gap back to 21-14 after Aiden Luna’s extra point was good.
Paradise opened the second half with the ball however a blocked punt set the Spartans up at the Paradise 12-yard line.
That set up Bonham‘ s 12-yard run and the 2814 early third quarter Spartan lead that the Bobcats would eventually erase.
The Spartans will host Lassen on Friday night in the final non-league game before Eastern Athletic League action begins Oct. 8 against Chico.
Paradise on the other hand, will be at Durham on Friday night in its Sacramento Valley League opener.