By Ray Hamill — Make no mistake about it, Redwoods football is back with a bang.

After two decades of struggles and two years without a team, the Corsairs returned in the fall of 2022 and have been a force to be reckoned with since then.

Head coach Jason White and his staff of coaches, including outstanding defensive coordinator Damaro Wheeler, have built this program in to one of the most consistent in the state, and while they still have plenty of room for improvement — namely to win a conference championship — three straight bowl game appearances and two straight bowl wins for the first time in almost 50 years speaks volumes for how far they have come in a short time.

On Friday night, as night-time college football returned to the Redwood Bowl for the first time in several years, the Corsairs defeated West Hills Coalinga 37-26 in the 2024 Grizzly Bowl.

And they did it with an outstanding performance on the defensive side of the ball, overcoming a seven-point half-time deficit and dominating the Falcons over the final two quarters.

Several former H-DNL players played a big part in that comeback.

“It was kind of a typical performance for the season,” said head coach Jason White, whose team closed out the year 8-3. “We started out a little slow on defense, and then our defense completely shut them down in the second half.

“I really like how our defensive line played in the second half. Their quarterback was very good in the first half and we completely shut him down in the second half.”

Cornerback Jimmy Fomby set the tone on that side of the ball and was named Defensive Player of the Game, while linemen Conner Long (Del Norte) and Perry Bailey (St. Bernard’s) had a huge impact on a dominating defensive line.

Former Eureka Logger Dominic Conant also had a big game and pulled in a key second-quarter interception in the end zone at a time when the game could have gotten away from the Corsairs.

“It was kind of hard to single out anybody, it was really a team effort in the second half,” White said. “The whole defensive line played well. Perry Bailey and Conner Long did a great job. Jimmy Fomby really shut down one side of the field.”

Check out our game highlights and the postgame celebrations above …

Former Eureka Logger Dominic Conant had a big interception for CR in the end zone during Friday’s game.

Another local player, Del Norte’s Kaleb Price, was named Offensive Player of the Game after finishing with a team-high five catches for a team-high 49 yards, including CR’s second TD of the night.

Both Fomby and Price are three-year players with the team and both were among the very first players White had at his first practice with the team in the spring of 2022.

“It’s really nice to see those guys get the accolades,” White said. “And both are getting a lot of looks from four-year schools.”

True freshman running back Isaia Hemmings from Salt Lake City was named the game’s MVP after a big performance that saw him set the tone on offense after starting quarterback Bryton Livingston was forced to the sideline with a shoulder injury in the first half.

Hemings finished with 156 yards rushing on 24 carries and scored two third-quarter TDs with his physical brand of football to help the Corsairs take control of the game.

“I would say that was the most physicality he’s shown all year. He broke a bunch of tackles,” White said.

Kade Bomberger took over for the injured Livingston and did not disappoint in a pressure situation.

The Goldendale, Wash., native completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards and an interception, as well as scoring on a QB sneak to essentially end the game as a contest early in the fourth quarter.

“I was especially proud of Kade Bomberger,” White said. “He had to come in and fill in for Bryton and he did a great job. He’s a kid that puts a lot of work into being better.”

It showed, and he was ready to go when called on.

Both Hemmings and Bomberger can thank their offensive line, as a unit that has impressed all season long continued to do so in the biggest game of the year against a quality West Hills team.

Starter Evan Raymond was injured in the second quarter, but Jireh Ioane came in and the unit continued to perform well.

Ionae switched from defense to offense midway through the season after Bailey returned to the lineup and the Washington native adapted seamlessly.

“He learned the offensive line scheme in a couple of weeks,” White said.

The CR special teams also had a huge night, holding the Falcons to a 17.5 yard average on four punts, including a partial block by Anthony Aguirre and a big return by Glen “Phat” Williams.

That resulted in great field position for the CR offense for much of the night.

Tyreeq Reeves had the team’s only sack of the night and added two tackles for a loss, while Fomby and Ian Richter each also had an interception and Jackson Selden added a fumble recovery.

Overall, it was a very impressive end to another successful season for the Redwoods program, which clinched back-to-back bowl game victories for the first time since 1976.

“I’m proud of the guys,” White said. “They won two bowl games in a row and that’s a huge step for our program.”