BUTTE VALLEY — It seemed as if the only way the showdown between Butte College and Reedley College was going to be played Saturday afternoon was with an extra amount of ferocity. The Northern California Bowl game called for it. And defending their home stadium, the Roadrunners hoisted the trophy in front of their fans with a 30-24 win.
Each team racked up its share of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the final game of the season. Some were after touchdowns as the players on Reedley stretched their arms out wide staring down the Butte sideline. Others were Roadrunners adding a little extra physicality to their movements after making a tackle. The teams racked up a combined 200 yards of penalties.
Whether it was for better or for worse, it made for an exciting ending.
It was only fitting that the man who opened the scoring would put the lid on the game in a dominant fashion. Butte sophomore Christian Vaughn runs low to the ground, his stature allowing him to absorb hits and hit even harder. And after a near interception that almost took the air out of the stadium, the coaching staff decided to put it in the team’s safest hands.
Vaughn rushed for a 14-yard touchdown with eight seconds left and this time quieted the Tigers’ sidelines and fans for good. He wound up with 202 yards rushing and three TDs.
Vaughn put the first points on the board with a 4-yard run three minutes into the first quarter, then gave the Roadrunners (9-2) a 14-10 lead midway into the second quarter. There was early chirping from the Roadrunners, all in the name of competition and doing anything to gain an edge over the Tigers.
However, a strong close to the second quarter put Reedley (7-4) up 17-14 going into the half. Maybe it was the warmth of the locker room that got the Roadrunners fired up after standing in the cold winds coming through the valley. Or perhaps it was the realization that it was the last game of the year for everyone, and for some the last of their career, that sparked Butte to a 10-point third quarter and holding the Tigers scoreless.
With just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Reedley tied the game 24-24. The Roadrunners and Tigers then exchanged drives, but both resulted in punts. In the last 72 seconds the Roadrunners took the ball from their own 19-yard line to score on Vaughn’s late run.
“He had an unbelievable day again — he’s had a great year. He’s number one or two in the state,” Coach Robbie Snelling said of his running back. “For him to close it out that way is huge for us and huge for him. He’s put the work in; last year he was in the backup role and this year he got the main role, and he’s thrived in that.”
While Vaughn stepped up on the offensive end, earning himself Offensive Player of the Game honors, the tone setters — the guys who did everything they could to give their team the edge — were on the other side of the ball. Sophomore linebacker Aidan Sullivan was named MVP, and sophomore defensive lineman Cody Carlson was the Defensive Player of the Game.
Both defenders proved to be the leaders of their unit, and their play was just as loud as their chirping each time they faced up against one of the Tigers. It was the only way the game could have been played.
One by one, the guys on the team hugged and embraced Snelling after the game, thanking him and taking photos one last time in their jerseys and on that field.
“I just really appreciate all the guys and the staff and the people that support us,” Snelling said. “There are a ton of people involved in our program one way or another.
“We’ll miss those guys; it’s always a bittersweet thing for me to see those guys go. But those young guys have a good example of how it’s done and how to set a standard again for a good season.”