Photos by Tinkham Sports Photography – Action from Friday’s spring scrimmage at CR.

CR football

By Ray Hamill — College of the Redwoods wrapped up spring football with a team scrimmage on Friday, concluding 15 days of padded practices.

And, according to head coach Jason White, it was a productive spring session, as the Corsairs continue to prepare for the fall season.

“The spring scrimmage is always fun because you get a chance to play,” White said. “It was good. It was competitive on both sides of the ball, which is what you want to see.”

White says he is expecting around 100 players to show up in the fall in his third year in charge, after the school re-instated the program for the fall of 2022.

And the Corsairs have enjoyed plenty of success over the past two years, posting back-to-back winning seasons after two decades without one and winning a bowl game last fall for the first time in 30 years.

This year, however, White and his staff will have to replace a lot of talented sophomores from last year’s successful team, including starting quarterback Max Hough of Fortuna and back-up Shane Purcell of Arcata.

As of right now, the battle for the starting quarterback job in 2024 is wide open.

“We’ll have five or six guys in camp and we’ll see how it rolls,” he said of the position.

In the meantime, several local players have committed to play for the team this year despite a limited number of senior prospects in the H-DNL last fall.

“Recruiting is going well,” said White, who had around 50 players on campus this spring. “We have a few local kids that were able to get some work in during the offseason.”

St. Bernard’s Kyler Smith will play for the team in 2024 and will see some time on the defensive line, while his brother Peyton Smith, who graduated SB two years ago, will also join the team and will see time at receiver.

McKinleyville playmaker Tyler Marsh will also play receiver for the Corsairs, while talented Fortuna teammates Caden Wilkinson (linebacker) and Ivan Moore (offensive line) will join the program after graduation this year.

Defensive end Andrew Hunte will also finally get to play for the Corsairs after breaking his foot early in camp last year.

“We never even got to see what he could do last year, but he’s had a good spring,” White said of the 2023 Del Norte High graduate.

Another former Del Norte Warrior, Connor Long, has also joined the Corsairs this year after spending some time at Sierra College.

“He’s showed up this spring and he’s made a big impact at practice,” White said of the 2020 Del Norte graduate, who will play defensive end. “We’re excited for him.”

Another player who has shown a lot or promise this spring is 2023 Eureka graduate Dominic Conant, who red-shirted last year but appears ready to play a big role this coming fall.

Conant will play cornerback and serve as the team’s back-up kicker and he had an interception in Friday’s scrimmage after a good spring session with the team.

“He had a good scrimmage,” White said.

Brothers Deshaun Bailey and Ulysses Bailey Jr., who are both former St. Bernard’s players, will also join the Corsairs this year.

Deshaun is a 2022 SB graduate who played at Santa Rosa for a season but has returned to the area, while Ulysses will graduate high school this year and play some defensive line.

Deshaun, who will play linebacker, was unable to practice this spring because of injury, but White likes the attitude the newcomer is showing.

“He’s been there every day working hard and definitely approaching it the right way,” the head coach said.

Two players from Arcata’s Little 4 championship team of last fall will also joined the Corsairs, with Brycen Collinson expected to challenge for time on the defensive line and Ronnie Franklin excepted to compete for playing time at running back.

“We’re still recruiting a couple of kids,” White said. “There are still a couple of local kids we’re talking to.”

Two other former H-DNL players are back with the team and expected to see plenty of action this fall.

Eureka’s Daniel Garcia Hall had a good spring with the team after playing as a nickel back in 2023.

“He’s trying to work into a starting role,” White said. 

Tight end Kaleb Price will also be back with the team this fall after missing all of last year through injury.

Price, a former Del Norte Warrior, was arguably the team’s best offensive weapon two years ago and spent last season on the sideline as an assistant coach.

“He had a great year (in 2022) and he’ll be a big piece for us,” White said.

Check out Tinkham Sports Photography for a full gallery of photos from Friday’s scrimmage.