College of the Siskiyous - Football

COS for Rejoicing
By Rob McCallum

Points for 103, against 78. From that stat, one might surmise that the College of the Siskiyous football team has a winning record.
Instead, the hard-luck Eagles have four gut-wrenching losses and one blowout win. COS took the latter as a welcome change of pace Saturday, beating hapless Marin 58-0 at Herschel Meredith Stadium in Weed. "It was a type of thing that we needed for sure," first-year coach Eric Young said. "We've performed well at times, but we haven't taken care of the things we needed to. It feels good to come out with a big win." Siskiyous seemed to take the frustration of four close losses out on the Mariners, scoring on their first four possessions, all in the first quarter. That set the tone for the rout, and COS went on to produce 415 yards of total offense to only 88 for Marin. Sophomore running back Alex Gaston had a breakout game, running for 252 yards and three touchdowns, including an 87-yard sprint. The record-setting back has battled injuries all season, but appears to be back in form to his 1,440-yard freshman season. "He had a real good game, "Young said. "It was an opportunity to get him out there and cut loose like the end of last year." After Gaston's twisting, 87-yard run off tackle, the Cheraw, S.C. native would score twice more; a four-yard blast after Marin fumbled a kickoff at their own 10, and four minutes later to push the lead to 27-0 at the beginning of the second quarter. Gaston helped orchestrate a 44-yard reverse play that scored freshman Zach Weaver, the game's first score with 10:57 still on the clock. Weaver later lined up under center and completed both of his passes for 14 yards, including a six-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Thompson. "We didn't do much passing; we didn't need to," Young said. "But we put three quarterbacks in and were pleased with how they managed the game." The Eagles continued to cruise with second- and third-stringers in the game. Doug Norton and Andres Reed each scored rushing touchdowns and Weed native Adam Groppi added 32 yards rushing. Special teams also excelled. Cornerback James Carraway returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown and kicker Corey O'Neill booted seven PATs and a 41-yard field goal. Marin struggled to move the ball after quarterback Maka Kahoano went down with an injury early in the first quarter. Wide receiver Tom Christopher took over, but was scrambling most of the afternoon to escape COS pressure. The contest became so lopsided that officials kept the playclock running in the fourth quarter even after incompletions and plays that went out of bounds. "They're a struggling program," Young said. "Their numbers are down. We needed a victory, but as a fan of football, you hate to see a program struggle that much." The Eagles now have a bye week before starting Mid-Empire Conference play on October 15th against Feather River. "We are feeling good about our chances in conference play," Young said. "The losses don't help, but there is still a possibility of playing in a bowl game."

COS for Rejoicing By Rob McCallum Points for 103, against 78. From that stat, one might surmise that the College of the Siskiyous football team has a winning record. Instead, the hard-luck Eagles have four gut-wrenching losses and one blowout win. COS took the latter as a welcome change of pace Saturday, beating hapless Marin 58-0 at Herschel Meredith Stadium in Weed. "It was a type of thing that we needed for sure," first-year coach Eric Young said. "We've performed well at times, but we haven't taken care of the things we needed to. It feels good to come out with a big win." Siskiyous seemed to take the frustration of four close losses out on the Mariners, scoring on their first four possessions, all in the first quarter. That set the tone for the rout, and COS went on to produce 415 yards of total offense to only 88 for Marin. Sophomore running back Alex Gaston had a breakout game, running for 252 yards and three touchdowns, including an 87-yard sprint. The record-setting back has battled injuries all season, but appears to be back in form to his 1,440-yard freshman season. "He had a real good game, "Young said. "It was an opportunity to get him out there and cut loose like the end of last year." After Gaston's twisting, 87-yard run off tackle, the Cheraw, S.C. native would score twice more; a four-yard blast after Marin fumbled a kickoff at their own 10, and four minutes later to push the lead to 27-0 at the beginning of the second quarter. Gaston helped orchestrate a 44-yard reverse play that scored freshman Zach Weaver, the game's first score with 10:57 still on the clock. Weaver later lined up under center and completed both of his passes for 14 yards, including a six-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Thompson. "We didn't do much passing; we didn't need to," Young said. "But we put three quarterbacks in and were pleased with how they managed the game." The Eagles continued to cruise with second- and third-stringers in the game. Doug Norton and Andres Reed each scored rushing touchdowns and Weed native Adam Groppi added 32 yards rushing. Special teams also excelled. Cornerback James Carraway returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown and kicker Corey O'Neill booted seven PATs and a 41-yard field goal. Marin struggled to move the ball after quarterback Maka Kahoano went down with an injury early in the first quarter. Wide receiver Tom Christopher took over, but was scrambling most of the afternoon to escape COS pressure. The contest became so lopsided that officials kept the playclock running in the fourth quarter even after incompletions and plays that went out of bounds. "They're a struggling program," Young said. "Their numbers are down. We needed a victory, but as a fan of football, you hate to see a program struggle that much." The Eagles now have a bye week before starting Mid-Empire Conference play on October 15th against Feather River. "We are feeling good about our chances in conference play," Young said. "The losses don't help, but there is still a possibility of playing in a bowl game."


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