Written by Jeremy Huarta
Bret Harte Falls to Riverbank 25-8
The Bret Harte Bullfrogs entered Friday night’s regular-season finale looking to finish their campaign on a high note, but the Riverbank Bruins had other plans. A defensive battle in the first half quickly turned into a game of missed opportunities and costly mistakes for Bret Harte, as Riverbank took advantage of turnovers and special teams plays to secure a 19-8 victory over the Bullfrogs.
The Bruins were hot on the scoreboard first midway through the second quarter when Bret Harte quarterback Wyatt Link was sacked in the end zone for a safety, giving Riverbank an early 2-0 advantage. The Bruins capitalized on their ensuing possession, finding the end zone to extend their lead to 9-0. A late Riverbank field goal sent the Bullfrogs into the locker room trailing 12-0 at halftime.
Things went from bad to worse for Bret Harte in the third quarter, as Riverbank dominated possession and kept the Bullfrog offense off the field. Three turnovers proved costly for Bret Harte, including two successful onside kick recoveries by the Bruins, the first coming on the opening kickoff of the second half.
The Bullfrogs finally broke through in the fourth quarter when Matthew Valente scooped up a teammate’s fumble and raced 50 yards for Bret Harte’s lone touchdown of the night. The Bullfrogs elected to go for two, and quarterback Wyatt Link connected with Hensley Speyer for the successful conversion, cutting Riverbank’s lead to 19-8, but it was not enough.
With the loss, Bret Harte closes out the regular season with a 2-8 overall record and a 0-6 mark in Mother Lode League play. The Bullfrogs’ season may not be over just yet, however, as they will await Sunday’s bowl game selections to find out if they will have an opportunity to take the field one more time next week.
The Sonora Wildcats games air live on KVML 1450AM/102.7 FM, with Nick Stuart and Zeb Drivdahl. The Summerville Bears can be heard on 93.5 KKBN with Danny Scott and Noel Rathmel as your hosts for all the action, and the Bret Harte Bullfrogs will be on Star 92.7 FM with Jeremy Hurtado.
Live video and archives of football games will be on myMotherLode.tv; information about the season is on the High School Sports Page here, or download the myMotherLode app now for Android or Apple devices.
