Dominating first half lifts Redwoods to big season-opening win at San Jose

It looks like it could be a good year for College of the Redwoods football.

CR kicked off the new season with a dominating performance in just about every aspect of the game at San Jose City College on Saturday afternoon, winning 41-21.

And realistically, it wasn’t as close as the final score would suggest.

With the offense clicking, Redwoods scored 38 first-half points and led by 31 at halftime, ending the game as a contest long before the second half.

And the defense matched that intensity, holding their hosts to just one score until late in the game.

“Especially in the first half, we came out and played as well as any team we’ve had for the first game,” CR head coach Jason White said.

Quarterback Kasen Covert was outstanding in his first start for the school, and he was far from the only standout.

Covert completed 12-of-17 passes for 287 yards, two TDs and an interception, while also rushing for 108 yards and another TD on 11 carries.

“He’s a special player,” White said. “He is what we thought he was in high school when we watched his film. He throws a great ball, he’s a competitor, and he’s got a little bit of toughness in him.”

He got plenty of protection from an experienced offensive line that lived up to its preseason billing as one of the strengths of this year’s team, while receiver Tre Silva began his third year with the team in dynamic fashion, pulling in three receptions for 143 yards.

The playmaker had a spectacular 38-yard catch for the opening score of the game just 50 seconds in, announcing his presence in style and giving the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.

“He’s an extremely good athlete,” White said of Silva, who had a medical red-shirt in 2025. “He’s really matured and he had a great game.”

Mateo Olomua would stretch the lead to 14 before the first quarter was over, running in from one yard out. He finished with 45 yards rushing on seven carries as CR grounded out 165 yards rushing on 34 carries for an average of 4.9 a carry.

One of the highlights of the game came early in the second quarter when former Ferndale Wildcat Tanner Pidgeon completed a short TD pass to Quinton Buckland to give CR a three-touchdown lead.

White talked glowingly of Pidgeon’s playmaking ability in the preseason and how they wanted to give him opportunities to make plays.

San Jose finally got on the board midway through the second quarter to cut the deficit to 14, but it would prove to be nothing more than a minor blimp for Redwoods.

The visitors would add two more TDs and a field goal late in the second quarter to end the game as a contest.

Covert and Silva connected for a second TD with 5:35 on the clock, this one good for 54 yards, before the playmaking quarterback found the end on a 62-yard scoring run with just under four minutes remaining.

Kicker Brandon Sailer nailed a 38-yard field goal as time expired to end a dominating first half for Redwoods.

Sailer would add a second field goal, this one from 30 yards out, to close out the scoring for the visitors with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter.

Redwoods was every bit as effective on the defensive side of the ball with several players stepping up, none more so than linebacker Caleb Morgan.

The teams Mike linebacker had six solo tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss and a pass breakup.

“That kid can play,” White said. 

So too can the team’s deep roster of defensive backs.

“I was happy with our secondary,” White added. “We kind of knew our secondary was pretty good and a lot of guys stepped up.”

The linebackers, according to the coach, were “very active,” including Aaeden McCullum, who finished with five tackles, while Kameron Rague added six tackles.

Tate Snyder added an interception.

CR will return home to play Reedley in the team’s hoe opener at the Redwood Bowl next week.