Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — Freshman running back Isaiah Hemmings rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns as College of the Redwoods opened conference play with a hard-fought 54-35 win over Chabot College at the Redwood Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

After another slow start by the team defense, the Corsairs trailed at halftime and the game remained in the balance until late.

But three touchdowns in a four-minute spell during the third quarter, including Hemmings’ second score of the afternoon, ultimately proved to be the difference and the visitors had to battle just to keep in touch after that.

The Gladiators began the game strong and scored TDs on their first two possessions to put the home team behind the eight ball early, not for the first time this season.

But the players answered the call in style after being challenged by head coach Jason White.

“We were down 13-0 and I turned to the sideline and I asked the team how much character do we have? We’ve got to show it right now, and they came through,” White said. 

Hemmings opened the home team’s account early in the second quarter when he capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive with a two-yard TD run.

Receiver Glen “Phat” Williams added a nine-yard TD run a few minutes later to give the Corsairs their first lead of the day.

It wouldn’t last, however, and the Gladiators would add to their tally before the half with a third TD and they led 20-17 at the break after a 37-yard field goal by CR’s Ryan Thomas right before the interval.

Chabot struck first in what was a high-scoring third quarter when quarterback Cooper Mathews connected with teammate Joseph Stephens on a 32-yard TD pass to widen the gap to 27-17.

But the Corsairs were just getting warmed up and they battled back with three TDs in a four-minute spell.

The first of those scores came on one of the plays of the day, as CR quarterback Bryton Livingston broke free from what appeared to be a certain sack on a third-down play in his own half and threw deep downfield to Jaydan Burns, who caught the ball and broke a couple of tackles on his way to 59-yard TD.

After a quick three-and-out by the visitors, Williams had a nice punt return to set up a two-yard Hemmings TD that gave the Corsairs a lead they would not relinquish.

Just three plays later, CR defensive back Ronin Kimbrough took an interception 20 yards to the end zone to widen the gap to 11 (38-27).

Check out Ronin Kimbrough’s pick six for CR below …

But the visitors were not done by any means and they would narrow the gap to just three points with their fifth TD of the day early in the fourth.

The rest of the fourth quarter, however, belonged to the Corsairs, who added two more TDs and a safety on a high snap by the Gladiators that went out of the back of the end zone.

CR’s Jordyn Bowers found the end zone on a five-yard TD run midway through the fourth, before Hemmings closed out the scoring on a one-yard run with 2:26 remaining on the clock.

“It was a lot of big plays,” White said. “That’s just players making plays.”

Hemmings and Burns were particularly influential in the comeback win.

“When hasn’t Hemmings had a great game?” White said of the red-shirt freshman from Salt Lake City, who is enjoying a big season with the team and has quickly established himself as a focal point of the CR offense with 29 carries on Saturday. “Lets face it, that kid has a great game every game. He’s a true running back. He just does everything well.”

Burns too had another big day at receiver and the Ukiah native has established himself as one of CR’s biggest playmakers during his time with the team.

“He doesn’t know how to not give 100 percent,” White said of Burns, who finished the game with four receptions for 124 yards. “He doesn’t have another speed. He’s just that kind of player.”

Former Del Norte Warrior Kaleb Price also had a big game and added four catches for 42 yards, while Williams finished with four receptions for 41 yards.

Livingston completed 17 of 24 passes for 212 yards, the TD and one interception, while also rushing for 80 yards on eight carries.

Kimbrough led the CR defense with six tackles as well as his pick six, while Levi Walker and Logan Malinowski each had four tackles.

As for the slow start by the team defense, White was left wondering why that has been a problem for his team in recent weeks before they inevitably always seem to grow into the game.

“For whatever reason it takes us a little while to settle down on defense this year,” he said. “If I understood the psychology of 18- to 20-year-olds and mastered that I’d be a much richer man. I just don’t know. It might be a lack of experience.

“That’s going make us better down the road. And our defense made a lot of big plays too.”

Williams also had two punt returns for 55 yards, while Isaia Tagaloa-Diaz added an interception and both Moe Leiataua and former St. Bernard’s Crusader Kyler Smith each had a sack.

The Corsairs will not play at home again for more than a month, with a pair of upcoming road games at Los Medanos (Oct. 12) and Yuba (Oct,. 26) and a pair of bye weekends (Oct. 19 and Nov. 2).

With the win, they improved to 1-0 in conference and 4-1 on the season, while Chabot dropped to 0-1 and 3-2.

“Starting 1-0 in conference is huge,” White added.