Beth-Center has right formula, handles California
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
California’s Cochise Ryan tries to break the tackle of Beth-Center’s Devin Dingle during the first quarter Friday night.
Beth-Center’s Bailey Lincoski runs the ball past California’s Austin Grillo in the first quarter Friday night.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Beth-Center quarterback Bailey Lincoski dives across the goal line to score a touchdown Friday night against California.
California’s Cochise Ryan runs the ball Friday night against Beth-Center.
California’s Jaedan Zuzak looks back after scoring a touchdown Friday night against Beth-Center.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Beth-Center’s Devin Dingle celebrates after scoring a touchdown Friday night against California.
Observer-Reporter
A standing-room-only crowd watched last year’s Week Zero game between Beth-Center and California. The teams will meet again tonight.
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CALIFORNIA – The Beth-Center High School football team played more than its first game of the season Friday night.
The Bulldogs also played games of hide-and-seek and keep away while their defense shut down a usually potent California triple-option attack.
Tied less than two minutes into the second quarter, Beth-Center went on to score 28 unanswered points and held the Trojans to eight total yards over their next five offensive possessions to defeat California, 50-28, in front of a standing-room only crowd.
“We gave up two scores on kick returns and a long punt return, but other than that (California) did nothing,” said Beth-Center coach Joe Kuhns. “We ran to the ball. We tackled well. Everything we did wrong last year we did right tonight.”
In the five possessions following a Jaedan Zuzak 33-yard touchdown run that drew California even at 14-14, the Bulldogs forced four consecutive punts, returned an interception for a touchdown and ran away from the defending Tri-County South Conference champions.
That’s when quarterback Bailey Lincoski and running back Dominic Fundy took over.
By Luke Campbell
Staff writer
lcampbell@observer-reporter.com
Beth-Center capped off a 17-play, 84-yard drive that lasted more than seven minutes when Lincoski kept a fake handoff for a 15-yard touchdown for a 20-14 lead with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs then scored on their opening possession of the third quarter when Fundy took a handoff and outran the California defense up the middle for a 65-yard touchdown. Less than four minutes and four plays later, Lincoski scored on a 37-yard run for his third rushing touchdown that gave Beth-Center a 34-14 lead.
“Wow. What else can I say?” Kuhns chuckled. “Even when we weren’t blocking the right way, (Dominic) was running through everything. He was determined tonight. His pad level was low and he was so hard to wrap up. Sometimes (California) had him in the backfield and he made something out of nothing. The way those two work together is something else.”
Fundy finished with 203 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.
Lincoski had four total touchdowns – three rushing and one passing – and combined to pass and run for 252 yards.
“Bailey and I have it down,” said Fundy. “This is the third year running Coach Kuhns’ offense and we have it down to a science.”
The Bulldogs also quickly figured out how to stop multiple runners in the California backfield, including bruising 6-1, 263-pound Jelani Stafford, who was limited to seven carries. Stafford scored on a 24-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter and had 63 total yards.
“It’s just about doing your job,” Kuhns said. “That’s an offense where if you are responsible for the A-gap, you have to play in the A-gap. If you are supposed to play in the C-gap, you can’t get suckered in.”
California coach Darrin Dillow said the Trojans’ lack of success offensively could be attributed to his playcalling.
“It’s completely on me,” he said. “It was bad playcalling on my behalf. I messed up. I screwed up. They game planned very well for us.”
In the Trojans’ 13 games last season, which resulted in a 12-1 record, no team held them to fewer than 300 yards.
“It goes back to being experienced,” Kuhns said. “We have a bunch of three-year starters and knew it was going to be an emotional game. It was about getting through the emotional first quarter and the better team was going to come out in the second, third and fourth quarters. We just stayed the course.”