TULELAKE, Calif. – The Tulelake Honkers (1-0) raced to an early lead against the Butte Valley Bulldogs (0-2) on Thursday night and earned a 55-8 win in front of the home crowd.
The Honkers wasted no time getting on the board, scoring their first points 52 seconds into the contest when Danny Garcia found paydirt from 17 yards out. Garcia added another score when he scooped and scored a Butte Valley fumble just 2:28 later.
“I had my head all in that play,” said Garcia. “I saw it was stripped and I just took it to the crib.”
The Honkers continued to pile on in the first quarter, building a 41-0 lead after 12 minutes. Danny Garcia scored once more on the ground on a 13-yard rush and added a 60-yard touchdown catch to cap off the opening frame.
“Danny is a very athletic, head-smart player,” said head coach Matt Andrade. “He sees a hole and he knows how to pick it and go. We’ve really worked on that this year.”
Tulelake also got key contributions from freshman Max Robison who carried the ball eight times for 126 yards and three scores. Senior quarterback Xavier Silva completed five-of-six passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Anthony Loza secured two interceptions and returned them for a combined 40 yards. Ivan Jamie also caught an interception. Along with Garcia’s fumble recovery for a score, Robison also picked up a loose ball. Miles Scott led the team in tackles with six.
“I think we executed really well,” said Andrade. He highlighted the one area of improvement he’d like to see most from his team. “I’d like to see fewer penalties on offense and defense for blocking.”
The Honkers had multiple kick returns and big plays called back, but it didn’t hinder them on the way to a week one win.
Tulelake hits the road in week two for a rematch with Butte Valley in Dorris, California on September 13th. The Honkers next home game is the league opener when they host Plumas Charter on October 4th.
