BUTTE VALLEY — The Butte College football team won its second straight game Saturday and is showing signs of efficiency, but the Roadrunners’ players and coaching staff still know there is work to be done.
Butte’s rushing attack, led by its offensive line, was key in the Roadrunners’ 30-14 win over Laney College on Saturday at Cowan Stadium.
“I thought we had some really big moments, some huge plays on both sides of the ball and on special teams, but it’s really about striving for consistency,” said Butte head coach Robby Snelling. “I think it’s always an expectation. It’s something we try to drill into them in practice. If it’s consistent in practice it’s going to be consistent on Saturday. If you can be as close to perfect in practice, then you should come out and perform well.”
“You have talent over here on one side and consistency on the other,” Snelling added. “If you can get those two things to match up you’re going to be really good.”
Five Butte rushers combined for 259 of the Roadrunners’ 384 yards on offense, led by 120 yards and one TD by running back Takeshi Faupula on 14 carries. Faupula’s longest rush of the day came on a 65-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes and 29 seconds left in the first quarter, that gave the Roadrunners a 13-6 lead. Faupula had 12 carries, 112 yards and one TD at halftime.
“I just felt like our guys did a great job executing the game plan, and Takeshi is tough to tackle,” Snelling said. “He has great speed, great vision and great balance.”
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Niall Raby, a West Valley High School alumnus, finished with a team-high 15 carries, recording 75 yards and one TD. Beamon had eight carries from the QB position for 46 yards and one TD.
“Niall’s not quite as big, but very similar,” Snelling added. “I tell him he kind of runs angry, and you saw that in the third quarter when the offensive line carried him for a big run. Both those guys are very talented, so we have to get both opportunities and not wear any out, and I felt like it worked out great.”
The scoring began when Butte quarterback Marcus Beamon connected with tight end Adon Turner, a Chico High alumnus, on a 3-yard pass to open the Roadrunners’ scoring with 10:36 left in the first quarter. Turner’s catch capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive to open the game.
Beamon’s rushing TD came with 6:58 left until halftime, and Raby scored on a 7-yard run with 7:56 left in the third quarter. After a Laney TD with 3:50 left in the game, Danny Alvarez converted on a 28-yard field goal attempt with 0:51 remaining to put the Roadrunners ahead by three scores and seal the victory.
The Roadrunners’ defense forced six punts, had two sacks and Aiden Whipple got his first interception of the season in the back of the end zone at the start of the second quarter. Still, the Roadrunners defense was not without flaws. Multiple penalties gave the Eagles extra yardage on one drive, Zachary Norton scored on a 48-yard run halfway through the first quarter, and backup QB Dreyan Paul scored on a 33-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter when the Roadrunners’ defense was deep in coverage.
“The big plays were just little lapses that we had,” Whipple said. “Everything was solid, but we definitely have a lot to work on. It was not as clean as we would like it to be, but we just got to be more focused and be ready for City (College of San Francisco). We’ve got a big game next week.”
Both Whipple and Faupula talked about consistency, with Whipple saying that there were “flashes and moments that we were playing at our level and how we should play, but it’s not consistent enough.”
Butte (2-0) now prepares to travel to City College of San Francisco at 1 p.m. Sept. 21. The Roadrunners return home to host Modesto at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 and College of the Sequoias at 1 p.m. Oct. 5. The Roadrunners open NorCal Conference play at Santa Rosa on Oct. 18 before their first home conference game Oct. 26 against American River.
