Morro Bay football falls short in state championship bid: ‘A great accomplishment’
On a frigid and snowy night in Northern California, Morro Bay’s playoff magic came up short Saturday in the Pirates’ bid for a first-ever state title, as the team fell 43-13 to Fall River High of Shasta County.
After the team arrived Friday following an eight-hour bus ride, Morro Bay (8-7) couldn’t keep up with the undefeated Bulldogs (13-0) in chilly conditions that hovered near freezing.
The CIF Division 7-AA state title game was played in the small mountain community of McArthur, located about an hour northeast of Redding.
In a game broadcast on the NFHS Network, the Pirates tried to deploy their pass-heavy attack but encountered a strong Bulldogs front that controlled the line of scrimmage throughout.
Led by seniors such as running back Dylan Turner and receiver Christian Merrill, and quarterback Nicky Johnson and receiver Ethan Lisman, both juniors, Morro Bay had won four straight playoff games to earn a spot in the state title matchup, only to come up one win short.
“What these kids have done is pretty impressive, and winning a CIF-Central Section championship and state Southern regional was great,” said Coach Jake Goossen-Brown. “We just didn’t execute very well. They were a good team, and they did some good stuff. And they made it hard for us.”
Morro Bay faces ‘quick’ team
On Saturday, Morro Bay had difficulty stopping the run and struggled to gain momentum throwing the ball with Johnson frequently scrambling in search of his targets, who were often well covered.
The Pirates got off to a promising start as Johnson dashed for a 15-yard keeper up the middle on Morro Bay’s first possession, narrowing the score to 8-7.
But Fall River controlled the action the rest of the way, even without their 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman Remington Blue, who suffered a knee injury in the first round of the state playoffs.
Fall River was led by Evan Bidwell, who had a hand in five of his team’s six touchdowns (three running and two receiving), and Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Osborne threw for two scores and rushed for an 8-yard touchdown, diving to the pylon to put his squad up 24-7 as the half expired.
“They just got off the ball really well,” Goossen-Brown said. “They played hard. They were fast. They were quick.”
In the fourth quarter, Johnson connected with Turner for a floating pass in the end zone for Morro Bay’s second score, making it 36-13 but by then, the game was well out of hand.
“Nicky played really well, and he’s got a bright future,” Goossen-Brown said. “He’s like a Houdini out there.”
Merrill secured multiple first-down catches and hauled in an interception in the second quarter, and Lisman also caught multiple passes from Johnson and recovered an onside kick in the second half.
“Obviously, they’re not happy,” Goossen-Brown said. “I don’t think it really hit them yet. But to be one of the few teams left in California still playing at this stage, it was a great accomplishment, especially for Morro Bay, and what we’ve been through in the past, and hopefully where we’re going.”
Possession time favors Fall River
From the start, the Bulldogs looked to dominate time of possession.
On its first drive, the Fall River burned eight minutes before scoring a touchdown, with long waits in the huddle between plays and a heavy run attack.
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 then followed up with a two-point conversion run to go up 8-0 with four minutes left in the first.
Morro Bay, on the other hand, scored in just over a minute on its first drive.
Johnson connected with Turner on a long pass to penetrate the Bulldogs’ defense and then hit Ethan Lisman on a nifty short yardage pass that the receiver turned into a big gain, before scoring on the quarterback keeper.
But throughout the game, Fall River seemed to wear down the Pirates’ defense with long, bruising drives.
Offense struggles
Throughout the game, Morro Bay also was set back by penalties and turnovers.
Morro Bay tried to fight back in the third quarter, after a solid 10-yard rush by Johnson on the first drive. Due to a false start, however, the Pirates didn’t convert a first down. Morro Bay failed to connect on two straight passes and had to punt.
Morro Bay’s defense made a stand early in the third, forcing Fall River’s first punt of the game with 7:43 left.
Then on offense, Merrill hauled in a 12-yard catch, to give the Pirates a first down, and Turner found some running room for five yards. Johnson then tried to scramble to avoid a sack but was taken down for a big loss, pushing the Pirates back to a second and 26.
Another a penalty brought back a gain of about 20 yards on a catch by Turner with about six minutes left.
With 2:36 left in the third quarter, Johnson and Turner connected for more than 20 yards and a first down. But Fall River killed the drive with an interception by Carter Kroschel.
As Fall River scored twice in the third, the game proved out of reach by the start of the fourth against a Bulldogs’ team that gave up less than 100 points on the season in all of its games combined. Fall River posted six shutouts this season.
Johnson, who had only four interceptions on the season coming in, threw three picks Saturday, while under constant pressure.
Streak comes to end
The game ended a string of thrilling wins for Morro Bay, which was bidding for its first CIF state championship.
With players on hand from Morro Bay’s 1995 CIF-Southern Section title squad, the Pirates beat Loara of Anaheim 35-27 on Dec. 3.
That victory came after three consecutive narrow wins in the Division 6 CIF-Central Section regional playoffs.
In the regional playoffs, they topped East Bakersfield 36-33, edged out a larger school in Pioneer Valley 29-26, and then secured the CIF title in dramatic fashion with a goal-line stand on a 2-point conversation versus Taft, winning 35-33.
Goossen-Brown, posting his first winning season after three years as a head coach, said his squad relied too much on the run against Taft, giving up a series of touchdowns late in the game and nearly blowing a 29-point lead.
After that, he vowed to stay with the passing attack, even late in games with leads, because that’s the team’s identity.
On Saturday, Goossen-Brown stuck with that approach, even in wet and cold conditions.
“The seniors showed a lot of dedication in turning this program around,” said Coach Jake Goossen-Brown. “Seniors like Dylan Turner and Christian Merrill brought an exemplary work ethic. It’s something our players can take away from moving forward and build from.”
Goossen-Brown said four of the five Pirates offensive linemen are returning, two juniors and two sophomores, also promising for the program.
“To be where we are now is it’s pretty cool,” Goossen-Brown said. “Beating a Southern Section team (Loara) is always a big deal.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 10:49 PM.
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