REDDING, Calif. — It was the first week of high school football playoffs around the Northstate Friday night.
Enterprise welcomed Shasta into the Hornets Nest for this first round Northern Section Division Two playoff matchup.
The Hornets came into this one after a huge 32–13 win against Foothill to end the regular season last week.
While the Wolves came into it off two straight losses, ending the regular season being shutout by Pleasant Valley 38–0.
The two teams faced off once during the regular season for their River Bowl rivalry matchup back in October and Enterprise shutout Shasta 14–0 on the road in that one.
This game was exactly what the Northstate’s News Tyler Van Dyke expected it to be, it had big plays, high scoring, electricity from both sidelines and their fans, and a dramatic fourth quarter.
Shasta started the game off by taking the opening kick inside Enterprise territory and senior dual threat quarterback Justin Polley punched it in to start off the scoring, but they would not convert the 2-point attempt, keeping the score 6–0.
The Wolves would then recover the ensuing onside kick and go down and score right away with a spectacular jump over the pile by running back Tyler Jones for the touchdown.
At the start of the second quarter, the Hornets drove down the field and their dual threat quarterback JJ Johnson ran it in for six, but they would botch the snap on the extra point attempt making it 13–6.
Shasta with the ball back a few possessions later and Polley scrambled away from pressure and found his receiver Owen Kreider downfield and he would take it the rest of the way for the score, to make it 20–6.
The Hornets would answer right before halftime though, Johnson would find his guy Porter Fischer in the end zone to make it 20–12 at half.
Picking it up in the second half with three minutes in the third quarter, Johnson would connect with Fischer again down the sideline for the touchdown and would again find him for the 2-point conversion to tie it up at 20.
After getting the ball back, Johnson slinged it to a wide open Aiden McFall and he would take it 30 yards for the score.
They would botch the snap again on the extra point attempt to make it 26–20, not a great night for special teams.
With fifteen seconds left, Shasta with one last opportunity trying the hook and ladder play but it would not get very far. as Enterprise took this one 26–20 and would move on to round two.
Onto some other playoff games around the Northstate that took place Friday night as reported on MaxPreps.
- Orland got the home win 42–6 against Pierce.
- Redding Christian got a shutout victory against Etna 29–0.
- East Nicolaus took down Durham 40–28.
- U-Prep lost to Gridley at home 26–10.
- Corning got the road victory against Yreka 24–20.
- Hayfork got an impressive blowout victory 52–0 over Big Valley continuing their undefeated season.
- Lassen got a home win 42–13 over Live Oak.
- Red Bluff with a shutout home win 42–0 over Las Plumas, their first playoff win since 1999.
- Los Molinos won handily at home against Modoc 68–37.
- Winters shutout Hamilton at home 48–0.
- Weed got the close road victory over Biggs 16–14.
- Maxwell beat Fall River at home 41–30.
That’s going to do it for round one of the northern section playoffs, there will be some huge round two matchups to look forward to next Friday such as:
- Enterprise vs. Pleasant Valley
- Red Bluff vs. Foothill
- Corning vs. Orland
- Gridley vs. Lassen
- East Nicolaus vs. Winters
