Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The CR players and coaches celebrate their Grizzly Bowl win on Friday night.

By Ray Hamill — The Corsairs didn’t have to wait quite as long this time around.

After ending a three-decade wait for a bowl game victory last year, College of the Redwoods made it two postseason wins in two years with a 37-26 victory over West Hills Coalinga in the 2024 Grizzly Bowl at the Redwood Bowl on Friday night.

It was the first time the Corsairs have managed back-to-back bowl games wins since 1976.

And they did it with a big second-half performance.

Trailing 20-13 at the break, Redwoods took control with a dominating third quarter, as the team defense and running game took over.

When starting quarterback Bryton Livingston was forced to the sideline with a shoulder injury, freshman running back Isaia Hemmings stepped up in the third quarter and led the Corsairs to three scores on their three possessions in the period, including pair of TDs by the Salt Lake City native.

CR’s Kade Bomberger, who took over under center for Livingston, added a fourth second-half score on a QB sneak early in the fourth quarter to put CR up 37-20 and after that there was no way back for the Falcons.

The hard-running Hemmings, who ran through West Hills linebacker Nathaniel Stroud on his way to his second TD, was named Grizzly Bowl MVP.

(Check out the video highlights of the play below.)

Del Norte’s Kaleb Price, who scored on an 11-yard TD reception from Livingston early in the second quarter and pulled in some key receptions early in the game, was named the game’s offensive MVP, while teammate Jimmy Fomby was named Defensive MVP.

Both teams started the game well on offense.

The Falcons took a 7-0 lead on their opening possession, driving 79 yards on 10 plays and scoring on a 14-yard TD pass from quarterback Logan Johnson to Semaj Wickem

The Corsairs would respond immediately, marching 76 yards on 12 plays and scoring on a nine-yard TD pass from Livingston to Jaydan Burns, who dove into the end zone for the score.

Check out all five of CR’s Grizzly Bowl TDs below …

Both teams would add to their tally early in the second quarter before things got a little sloppy, with the two sides combing for five interceptions, including two on the same drive by the CR defense.

Price’s TD catch put the Corsairs up 13-7 four minutes into the period, before the Falcons responded on just the second play of the next drive, when Johnson threw deep to Wickem, who tied things up on a 70-yard TD reception.

The Corsairs turned the bay over on an interception on the following possession, but CR’s Ian Richter would intercept a Johnson pass just three plays later.

A fumble on the return gave the ball right back to the Falcons, but the CR defense answered again just three plays later when Eureka High graduate Dominic Conant intercepted a Johnson pass in the end zone to end the scoring threat.

There were two more interceptions in the quarter, including one by Fomby, but the Falcons would add a third TD late in the quarter and led 20-13 at the break.

The second half, however, belonged to the Corsairs, as the team’s rushing attack and defense began to take control.

A 30-yard Ryan Thomas field goal on their opening possession of the half pulled them within four, and after the CR defense held Johnson and the Falcons to a quick three-and-out, the CR offense went to work again and marched 53 yards on six plays, scoring on a 15-yard screen pass from Bomberger to Hemmings.

The Falcons would fumble the ball on the fourth play of the next drive and the Corsairs took full advantage of a short field, driving 20 yards and scoring on a four-yard Hemmings TD run.

With the CR defense pressuring Johnson, who was by now running for his life almost every time he touched the ball, the Corsairs forced another three-and-out, and after a misplayed punt attempt CR took over at the West Hills 19-yard line and took full advantage once again, this time with Bomberger scoring on a QB sneak.

That put the Corsairs up by 17 and there was no way back for the Falcons.

We’ll have much more reaction and analysis from Friday’s bowl game on Saturday, including plenty of video highlights.