Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Defensive coordinator Damaro Wheeler talks to his players during a game this season.

By Ray Hamill — You get the sense this is just the beginning of a successful era for College of the Redwoods football.

On Saturday afternoon, in rainy conditions at the Redwood Bowl, the Corsairs rolled over Hartnell in the 2023 Grizzly Bowl, winning 63-0 to end a 30-year bowl winning drought for the program.

A sensational sophomore class played a huge role in ending the streak and secured a remarkable winning legacy in the process.

As head coach Jason White pointed out, this is a class that not only brought football back to CR, but also posted back-to-back winning seasons after two decades of non-winning seasons at the school, and now they’ve also ended that unenviable bowl losing streak.

However, it wasn’t just the sophomores who achieved that trifecta of breakthrough achievements.

As White was quick to point out after Saturday’s game, his assistant coaches all deserve a lot of credit too.

“You can’t be a successful football coach without a good staff,” he said. “If you don’t have a good staff you’re never going to get the results we got.”

CR Athletic Director Bob Brown echoed the sentiment.

“Coach White and his staff in a very short timeframe have established a vibrant culture of winning, respect and relevancy throughout the Northern California Football Conference,” Brown said. 

And Brown believes this is just the beginning for the program.

“In addition, (they have) reinvigorated our community support and built a foundation and recipe for success I believe for many years to come,” he added.

One of the biggest and immediate differences with this staff has been their recruiting and White and his assistants have done an outstanding job bringing local players on board as well as adding several key contributors from outside the area.

“Jason’s experience in recruiting and his connections within the community have helped our local recruiting efforts while also establishing a larger network of our of the area for students that see CR as a great opportunity and destination to continue their athletic pursuits and academics,” Brown said.

White’s hard-working staff includes defensive coordinator Damaro Wheeler, who built a consistent unit that was outstanding all season long and closed out the season with three straight shutouts.

“Coach Damaro Wheeler must also be recognized for his tremendous leadership and experience in recruiting and coaching on the defensive side of the ball,” Brown said. “He has coached at CR in two separate stints and the connections he has made along with relationship building skills he has with his players has certainly been a strength of the program and I know is appreciated by coach White.”

White agrees.

“He has done an incredible job,” said the head coach, who leaves all defensive decisions to Wheeler while he focuses on the offense.

The talented staff that has helped put CR football back on the map also includes receivers coach Maurice Purify, defensive line coach Marcus Coleman, running backs coach Junior Bean, quarterbacks coach Eric Helms and linebackers coach Malachi Pratton.

The success of all of those units this season speaks highly of the coaches and the impact they have had.

White described Coleman as “an incredible defensive line coach,” while adding of Helms, “he’s just been instrumental in (quarterback Max Hough’s) development over the last two seasons.”

Hough leaves CR with as school record 40 career touchdown passes.

White also praised the contribution of Bean and Purify.

“Mo Purify, I think, is the best receivers coach in the state,” he said. “He’s done an incredible job getting these guys ready.”

He said of Bean, “he coaches (the running backs) up every play.”

Pratton also has done an outstanding job with the linebackers, with players like Tanner Forker and Chase Steubing hugely influential in the team’s success.

The success the Corsairs enjoyed this year and the reputation the coaching staff is quickly establishing should help to keep the program headed in the right direction.

“We are very fortunate and grateful for the support of our administration, Cal Poly Humboldt for hosting our home games and support, the community and donors who support CR football and especially this great coaching staff led by Jason in bringing winning college football back to Humboldt,” Brown said. “We are committed to keeping it going.”