Prep football: Redwood stuns Ukiah, advances to section final
The Redwood High football program entered this postseason with one North Coast Section playoff win in its history.
That number has now tripled in the past eight days as Redwood went on the road and stunned Ukiah 28-25 on Friday night following a last-minute touchdown pass by quarterback Kody Vasquez.
The No. 5 Giants (8-4) advance to their first section title game in program history at 7 p.m. next Friday at No. 2 American Canyon – 45-12 winners against No. 3 Granada in the other semifinal. Redwood began this run of three consecutive road upsets by stunning American Canyon 21-6 in the Redwood Empire Valley league finale for both teams two weeks ago.
In a game that saw crucial special teams mistakes committed by both teams, the critical play came after Redwood’s Miles Harrison stuffed Ukiah quarterback Beau David on back-to-back plays, forcing Ukiah to punt from around its own 30-yard line with under 3 minutes left.
The punter’s knee touched the ground when he tried to scoop up the ball following the snap, immediately ruling him down and gifting Redwood possession just outside the red zone.
Vasquez completed a pass right at the sticks at the 11-yard line for a first down. Two plays later, Vasquez lofted a short pass over a defender for the go-ahead score with 49 seconds left.
Ukiah picked up a pair of first downs to midfield in the final seconds but never provided any type of downfield threat with its passing game on a muddy field. Ukiah’s last pass went for about two yards. Redwood made the tackle immediately and the game was over.
Redwood never led until the fourth quarter and trailed 7-0 after the first play of the game as Ukiah threw a short screen pass and took it about 70 yards for an immediate touchdown.
The Giants answered back with a long scoring play of their own in the second quarter when Vasquez hit Ronan Ralston, who got behind the defense and tied the game at 7-7 heading into the half.
Redwood’s opening possession of the third quarter could have been its undoing. The Giants fumbled on the second play, losing nine yards. On fourth and long, the snap got away from Redwood’s punter, who had little choice but to knock the ball through the end zone resulting in a safety and a 9-7 lead for Ukiah.
The Wildcats received the ball with a short field and cashed in again, extending the lead to 15-7. Crucially, Ukiah missed the extra point, leaving it a one-score game.
Vasquez threw a pair of long passes to Dylan McGrath on the ensuing drive, the second of which McGrath took for a touchdown. Redwood tied the game at 15-15 following the two-point conversion.
Both teams seemed to get acclimated to the wet, muddy conditions as the game went on. Ukiah turned a long drive into a field goal for an 18-15 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Vasquez converted a third-and-10 on Redwood’s next drive with a pass to Sean Cunneen, who slipped and went down around Ukiah’s 45-yard line and had to be helped off the field. Cunneen did not return to the game.
Two plays later, Vasquez rolled out to his right under pressure from Ukiah’s defense and threw a strike downfield for a touchdown. Redwood had its first lead of the night at 21-18 with 8 minutes, 24 seconds to play.
Ukiah running back Christopher Thompson broke a long run on the next drive. Redwood’s Hayden Donehower tackled Thompson at the 5-yard line to save a touchdown. David scored on a run up the middle to give Ukiah a 25-21 lead two plays later.
Redwood went three and out but trusted its defense enough to punt from its own 41-yard line with 5:22 left to play. Harrison helped deliver the stop the Giants desperately needed then Ukiah’s special-teams gaffe set Vasquez and the offense up for the winning score.
This story will be updated.