BUTTE VALLEY — On Sophomore Day for Butte College’s football team, the Roadrunners were looking for a win to continue their push for the playoffs. After a 56-6 win last weekend, it was deja vu for the black and gold as Butte beat Feather River College 56-7 in a NorCal League game Saturday.
For the first 10 minutes, neither the Roadrunners nor Feather River College could gain any traction. Three and outs, multiple penalties and turnovers kept the game scoreless — until an 84-yard touchdown run from running back Christian Vaughn set the tone for the afternoon. Wally Funk, assistant head coach for the running backs, embraced him as he trotted back to the bench.
“There was no doubt,” Funk exclaimed to the sophomore. Minutes later, Vaughn notched his second touchdown with an 8-yard run, putting the Roadrunners up 14-0.
Once more Funk wrapped him in his arms. This time he couldn’t help but smile and tease his star back.
“I almost took you out,” he said.
“Nah,” Vaughn said with a laugh.
And it’s a good thing they didn’t. As Vaughn goes, the team goes. When the run game is firing on all cylinders, it’s sure to open up the rest of the field, allowing his teammates to get involved.
In the second quarter, Rieger Sayre threw two touchdowns. One went to Landon Cooper, who was so wide open he could’ve walked into the end zone. The other was to Will Jordan, who had a catch and run for 82 yards. A few spin moves and body faints that left his defenders in a frenzy to catch Jordan essentially sealed the game for the Roadrunners (7-2).
Sayre, who struggled the previous two games at home, found his rhythm Saturday afternoon. He looked poised in the pocket and made timely passes to extend the team’s lead, including a textbook back-shoulder throw to the 2 yard line to Brandon Smith. The following play, he found Smith once more. It was Sayre’s fourth touchdown of the day and put the Roadrunners up 42-0.
At half the Roadrunners led 28-0, and Feather River (3-6) was never close to making it a game. This allowed for Head Coach Robby Snelling to give playing time to many of his players who don’t see the field as much as the starters — and some not at all.
Snelling calls it the “BC Pride” and says this team is a family — from the coaches’ kids running around the sideline to the undying support each player has for one another. Even when a game is out of reach, they are just as excited when a teammate gets their moment.
“That’s something we definitely preach to our guys,” Snelling said. “These guys are here supporting you every time you’re on the field. And it’s going to be the same thing when they get on the field.”
Some players who shined besides the starters were backup quarterback Marcus Beamon and backup running back Deremy Stubbs.
Stubbs was handed the ball three consecutive times inside the 5-yard line to score. Each time, his teammates were cheering his name, with a sigh when he didn’t score the first two times. But on the third and final try, the team was ecstatic, rushing to the sideline to give him his flowers.
Beamon had a 39-yard run in the second half where he cut right, then left, leaving his defender turned around. Tackled within the 5-yard line, Beamon showed just how badly he wanted the touchdown. Even still, the redshirt players who sit in the bleachers behind the end zone stood up, flexing, giving Beamon his flowers.
The freshman quarterback showed today what he can do for the program next season.
The Roadrunners chances of making the playoffs are all contingent. They need certain teams to win and certain teams to lose in order for them to have a chance, although it’s likely they will still have a bowl game at home, nonetheless.
Regardless of what happens, Snelling wants his team to continue playing their best football.
“No matter what, we just want to finish the season off right,” Snelling said. “I’m proud of our guys, and I think we’ve had a great year; we’re just hoping we get into the playoffs and correct those things that didn’t go our way earlier.”
Butte will close out the season Saturday, Nov. 11, at Shasta College.