SHASTA OFFENSE EXPLODES IN 45-38 HOME WIN OVER DELTA

REDDING, Calif. – Jahari Johnson scored on a 7-yard end around with 2:57 remaining to lift the Shasta College football team to a 45-38 home victory over San Joaquin Delta College at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Despite being outscored 19-7 in the third period, Shasta rallied in front of the home crowd. Pete Pennington caught a 20-yard touchdown from Eli Wehbey early in the fourth and Delta answered on the ensuing possession with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nick Coronado to Devyon Coleman. But Johnson capped a six-play scoring drive with his go-ahead run late in the period to hang on for the win.

"A few mistakes at the end of the (second) quarter allowed Delta to recover and from there it was a barn burner. I was proud of how we responded and the poise that we, as a young team, displayed in the last few minutes," said Shasta College head coach Bryon Hamilton.

Wehbey threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns in the game, connecting on 27 of 34 passes to nine different receivers. Johnson paced the Knights with seven catches for 110 yards and a score and Eli Cortinas rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries and two scores to go with two catches for 45 yards. Shasta managed 468 yards of offense in the game and held the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer than Delta.

Shasta opened the game with scores on its first four drives and tallied points on five of its first six in the game. Isaias Preciado made a 26-yard field goal, Cortinas punched it in from 3-yards out and bulldozed a defender to break free for a 32-yard scoring scamper. Jaylen Thomas ran it in from 3-yards out and Shasta appeared in control up 24-6 late in the first half.

"I thought we started the game with great physicality and execution on both sides of the ball," Hamilton said.

Shasta forced Delta to settle for a 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds in the second quarter but fumbled the kickoff return to set the Mustangs up for a 31-yard field goal as time expires to cut the deficit to 12 at the break.

Delta's scoring straight reached 19 unanswered points, scoring touchdowns on their opening two drives of the third quarter. But the Knights trailed for only 3 minutes, 17 seconds as Johnson hauled in a 13-yard pass from Wehbey late in the third period for a 31-25 advantage.

The Mustangs strip-sacked Wehbey late in the third and Tommy Chavez returned it 40 yards for a touchdown to tie it at 31. Shasta finished the game strong as Wehbey connected with Johnson on a 31-yard pass before finding Pennington for a 20-yard score. Delta tied it at 38 less than two minutes later and then blocked a Shasta field goal.

The Knights' defense forced a punt and Johnson found pay dirt from 7-yards out for the game-winning score.

Pennington hauled in four passes for 51 yards and Randy Gibson added 58 receiving yards on three catches. Hakeem Lowe had seven receptions for 36 yards.

Defensively, Elijah Grooms, Javon Edwards and Jadarius White each had a team-high seven tackles while Jabrayan Richburg had six tackles. The Knights had four sacks, two from Richburg and one apiece from Edwards and Tanner Dobeck.

Shasta plays at Diablo Valley College Friday at 6 p.m.

"It was a good win; one we can learn from and build some momentum as we head to Diablo Valley College on Friday," Hamilton said.