Written by: Jeremy Hurtado
Resilient Bullfrogs Improve to 2-0
Perseverance, grit, and fortitude—those are all words that you could use to describe the effort that the Bret Harte Bullfrogs played with last night, and come the 4th quarter, that resilience paid off in a 31-20 victory over the Natomas Nighthawks.
Bret Harte quarterback Jeshua Wahlman accounted for 4 touchdowns, 3 through the air and another on the ground, to help lead the Bullfrogs’ comeback from a 20-13 halftime deficit to improve the Bullfrogs’ record to 2-0 on the season.
Natomas got on the scoreboard first with Joshia Hill hitting Kierre Webster for a 15-yard touchdown, with Aiden Ramirez making the point after conversion, giving the Nighthawks a 7-0 lead with 6:44 left in the 1st quarter.
James Ortega would help the Bullfrogs answer back quickly, taking the ensuing kickoff 88 yards down to the 2-yard line before he was pushed out of bounds. Two plays later, Wahlman would stroll into the end zone, and after a Santiago Ariza-Vasquez PAT, the game was tied 7-7.
On their next possession, Wahlman would then find Jack Brixey for a 4-yard touchdown pass; the PAT was no good, making the score 13-7 Bullfrogs earlier in the second quarter, and it seemed like Breth Harte might have things rolling; however, Natomas had their plans.
With 2:34 left in the first half, the Nighthawks would even the score on a Deleon Hedgwood 8-yard touchdown rumble; the Natomas extra point would get blocked by the Bullfrogs, and the score was tied again at 13, but not for long.
After the Bullfrogs fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Nighthawks would score again; this time Hill and Webster would connect again for their second touchdown combination of the night, this one an 8-yard strike across the middle of the field. After Ramirez converted the PAT, the Nighthawks would lead 20-13 at the halftime break, and it looked like things might be slipping away from the Bullfrogs.
However, for the second straight week, the Bullfrogs would score on their opening possession of the second half; this time Wahlman would find Mathew Valente wide open in the back of the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown, the extra point would be no good, and the Nighthawks lead was cut to 20-19 with 6:18 left in the third quarter, and the energy was back on the Bullfrogs sideline.
Bret Harte would take the lead for good on their first drive of the 4th quarter, when T.J. Bent rumbled into the end zone from 4 yards out, giving the Bullfrogs a 25-20 lead after a failed 2-point conversion.
Then, with 2:00 left in the game, the Bullfrogs would put the game away following a great defensive stand by the Bullfrogs, giving Bret Harte the ball deep inside Natomas territory. Wahlman would find Hensley Speyer for a 27-yard touchdown strike after another failed 2-point conversion; the Bullfrogs lead 31-20.
The Bret Harte defense would finish off the second-half shutout with another dominating performance by linebacker T.J. Bent, defensive lineman Triston Plowman, and George Rivera-Bettencourt.
Next week the Bullfrogs have their home opener as they play host to the Mariposa Grizzlies. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.; if you can’t make it out to Dorroh Field, you can catch all the action live on Star 92.7 KZSQ, streaming on KZSQ.com and the myMotherLode app.
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.
In other action on the gridiron, Calaveras beat Balboa 49-8.
