Live updates: Morro Bay takes on Fall River for the state championship
Morro Bay High’s CIF Division 7-AA state championship football game is underway versus Fall River High of McArthur in Shasta County.
The Pirates (8-6) are playing in unfamiliar conditions in the mountain town about an hour north of Redding, as the temperature to start the game was at freezing, 32 degrees, and light snow was falling before the game.
To watch the game, you can subscribe for a livestream broadcast at: nfhsnetwork.com/events/cif/gamd259ed757e.
For live updates, we’ll post game updates here. You can also follow Twitter updates at @NickWilsonTrib.
First quarter
Fall River won the toss and received to start the first half.
The Bulldogs (12-0) burned a lot of clock with long waits in the huddle between plays and a heavy run attack, appearing to use a strategy of holding possession as much as possible.
Fall River quarterback Ryan Osborne ran a series of read option plays, as Morro Bay’s Nami Hoag and Manny Diaz plugged holes for tackles on the drive.
Osborne connected with tight end Evan Bidwell for a 10-yard touchdown pass and Osborne followed up with a two-point conversion run to go up 8-0 with four minutes left.
On Morro Bay’s first possession, quarterback Nicky Johnson connected with Dylan Turner on a long pass to penetrate the Bulldogs’ defense and then hit Ethan Lisman on a nifty short yardage pass and Lisman gained another large chunk of yards after the catch.
Johnson sprinted through a large gap in the middle to score a 15-yard touchdown, converting the extra point to make it 8-7. The Pirates took about a minute to score versus the Bulldog’s eight minutes.
Morro Bay’s defense is having trouble with a physical Fall River line that’s opening up space for its runners. The first quarter ends at 8-7.
Second quarter
Bidwell punched in a 1-yard run and Osborne again executed a 2-point conversion to give the Bulldogs a 16-7 lead. Fall River is moving the chains with ease with its run game.
On Morro Bay’s second drive, Christian Merrill got into the action with a catch that nearly secured Morro Bay a first down, but the Pirates failed to convert on third and one and were forced to punt.
Merrill followed with an interception on a deep pass by Osborne, but the Pirates went three and out again on three straight passes that they couldn’t haul in.
On its next drive, Fall River went back to the run, pounding through the Morro Bay line for big gains and another long possession to close the half.
With eight seconds left, Morro Bay nearly contained Osborne on a run to the left side, but he dove for a 7-yard touchdown, extending his arm to the pylon as the clock expired. After another two-point conversion run, the Bulldogs finished the half up 24-7.
Third quarter
After a solid 10-yard gain by Johnson, Morro Bay failed to connect on two straight passes on its first possession after the half. Due to a false start, the Pirates didn’t convert a first down, however.
Morro Bay’s defense made a nice stand, forcing Fall River’s first punt of the game at 7:43.
Merrill hauled in a 12-yard catch, to give the Pirates a first down, and Turner found some running room for five yards. Johnson tried to scramble to avoid a sack, but was taken down for a big loss as the Pirates started to gain some momentum, pushing the Pirates back to a second and 26.
Then a penalty brought back a gain of about 20 yards on a catch by Turner with about six minutes left. Morro Bay’s offense is struggling to gain steam after an effective touchdown drive on its first possession of the game.
Morro Bay’s Johnny Botello made a nice tackle in open space, but Fall River logged about 20 yards on a passing play with about five minutes left.
Then Osborne and Bidwell connected again for a touchdown pass in space to go up 30-7, as Bottello took down Osborne before he reached the end zone to stop a two-point conversion.
With 2:36 left in the quarter, Johnson and Turner connected for more than 20 yards and a first down. But Fall River countered with an interception by Carter Kroschel.
The quarter ends with Bidwell running for another score to put Fall River now up 36-7. Time is running out on Morro Bay.
Fourth quarter
Merrill hauls in two passes on the right sideline as Morro Bay starts to connect on its passing game, getting into Bulldogs territory. Morro Bay now in Fall River red zone.
The Pirates go for it on fourth and goal, as Johnson broke a tackle in the backfield to fling a floating pass to Dylan Turner who hauled it in. The two-point conversion pass is broken up, but Morro Bay is on the board again down 36-13.
Often the Pirates rely on their explosive offense to get them back into it, but it has been tough sledding tonight.
On a well-executed onside kick, Lisman leaps in the air and recovers, then follows with a circus catch on a bobble that pushed Lisman out of bounds on the first throw of the Morro Bay possession. That would have been huge.
But Johnson gave up his second pick of the day at 7:20, giving the Bulldogs the ball back.
The call of “Bidwell for touchdown” has been a common refrain tonight, as he bowls his way in on second and goal for another score. Fall River goes up 43-13 after an extra point attempt goes through the uprights on a low kick.
On Morro Bay’s final drive, Johnson and Turner connected for a first down pass.
On fourth and nine at 1:43, snow falling on the field, Fall River got a holding call to extend the drive.
Johnson was hounded seemingly each time he dropped back for a throw. Morro Bay takes its first timeout at 40 seconds left.
Fall River intercepts a pass in the end zone, and that gives them the ball back to run out the clock with 34 seconds left.
The Bulldogs win the championship over Morro Bay 43-13, as the celebration begins for the home team.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 6:05 PM.
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