Sierra wins second straight Grizzly Bowl game

Chance Fields-Colbert was on the mind of every single Sierra College football player and coach Saturday as the Wolverines took on Laney College in the NorCal Grizzly Bowl. For the second year in a row, Sierra won the NorCal Grizzly Bowl, this time with a 21-14 victory over Laney. Last season, Sierra beat Sacramento City at home 24-10 in the same bowl game. A season that culminated with Saturday's game was dedicated to Fields-Colbert, a former Sierra player who died in July. After the win, players and coaches held up the "One Chance" sign. He was on everyone's minds. "Our defense played with Chance on our minds," Sierra coach Ben Noonan said. "We had all the momentum in the first three quarters. I was proud of how our kids responded because Laney had all the momentum in the fourth quarter. "Every time we stepped on the field, we knew we needed to get the stop for Chance," Noonan added. "It was a surreal moment." The Wolverines traveled to Oakland to play Laney, who is better known this season for being featured in the hit Netflix series "Last Chance U" which documents the life of junior college football programs. Sierra quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher (West Anchorage-Alaska) was named Player of the Game after going 19-of-36 for 204 yards and a touchdown. Running back "QP played amazing," Noonan said. "He did a great job for us today." Calvin Robinson (Rio Linda) took home Offensive Player of the Game honors after rushing for 107 yards and a score on 14 carries. Coming into this season, Laney was the defending CCCAA State champion, going 11-2 in 2018. This year hasn't been the same, with Laney finishing 6-5 in 2019. After a scoreless first quarter, Pilcher hit Josh Farr (Jesuit) from 23 yards out midway through the second quarter for the first points of the day. The Wolverines took that same 7-0 lead into the locker room and on Sierra's first drive of the second half, they came out hot going 75 yards in a four-play drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Robinson. Just like that, it was 14-0. "A big reason why we won today is that we scored on that opening drive in the half," Noonan said. "Scoring on that drive was big because after that, our defense played lights out." Laney responded with its first score of the game, which was countered on the ensuing drive by another Sierra touchdown by Roy Johnson (Del Campo) from a yard out. Sierra finished with 450 yards of total offense, but the defense was the main storyline in the fourth quarter. After Laney blocked a Sierra punt with 4:34 left in the game, the Wolverines took over in prime field position to tie the game at 21. That's when Jorge Moreno (Reed-Nevada) made the biggest play of the season, intercepting a pass at the goal line with 3:43 left to give the Wolverines the ball back. Big runs by Johnson and Christian Simmons (Capital Christian) helped Sierra bleed out the clock and give them the win. "Christian and Roy were big on that final drive," Noonan said. "They imposed their will on the Laney defense. With the game on the line, they stepped up big. Our offensive line also played their best football on the final drive." This year's NorCal Grizzly Bowl appearance marked Sierra's fourth bowl game in seven years. The Wolverines 7-4 final record is their best mark since 2008.