MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: Full steam ahead

Isaiah Garcia sat silently, alone, with a SaveMart bag full of ice on his left wrist. It hurt, you could tell. Biggest game of the year for Pierce High and the star running back was on a sideline bench, staring with sullen eyes upon Gregg LeMaster field, then switching his focus back to the grocery sack that was supposed to stop the swelling.

He was supposed to be out there, juking Live Oak defenders then scorching them with breakaway speed. It's what he did for the first three weeks of the season. Check YouTube. "Isaiah Garcia Pierce" in the search bar yields enough highlights to heighten your expectations. Score touchdowns, pace the Bears' offense, roll the odometer closer to the 2,500-yard goal he set for himself — that's what's expected.

Instead, the Lions' defense was shutting him down, holding him to 25 yards as halftime neared. Instead, he bruised his arm playing linebacker. Instead, he was alone, silent, on a bench that seemed like a deserted island in the middle of Colusa County.

This was bad. What would the Bears do without Garcia? Passing, maybe? Yeah right, they'd completed one throw all season. It was only 7-0 after the first 24 minutes, yet the deficit seemed squared.

A season of upswings for coach Scott Burnum and his boys was getting a chilling dose of reality. That ice bag wasn't just a makeshift cold compress, it was a metaphor. No more comfortable, warm-and-fuzzy nights; they were in Sacramento Valley League play now. They were, as the coach would say later, finally "playing a football game" for the first time all year.

Adversity is expected. No team in the SVL simply skates its way to a league title while riding on a comfortable cushion of blowouts. That banner is earned. The Bears proved in the second half that they're game enough to contend.

Take the intersecting story of Andy Corona, Taylor Cabral, and Chuck Wagman. Corona outlept a defender for a 7-yard touchdown thrown by Cabral, all part of a fade route that was called by offensive coordinator Wagman. So much for that pass-never offense.

Take the heads-up play from Andrew Diaz. The tight end ripped an interception out of a Live Oak defender's hands and ran it in for a 57-yard score.

Take the Bears' defense. They were constantly in the backfield, and held strong on a 2-point conversation attempt that would have given Live Oak the win with no time left on the clock.

Bears 21, Lions 20. The players called it the biggest win for the program in years, and they're right. They've now matched their win total from 2010.

It's easy to forget about the Bears if you're a Mid-Valley resident, they just play too far away. You set off from the center of Yuba City, and you can be eating dinner in Midtown Sacramento in less time than it takes to get to Arbuckle. They're at the extreme boundary of the Appeal-Democrat's coverage area, a place where Woodland is the closest city with a Starbucks.

They're around 50 miles away from where most of you are reading this, yet as Colusa County teams have proven again and again, good stories know no distance.

Garcia ditched the ice bag and returned in the third. His biggest contribution came when he rumbled for a 36-yard gain to put Pierce at the 2-yard line, setting up a crucial touchdown.

The running back is intentionally growing out his hair — a plan to have a Troy Polamalu-type mane come playoff time. Runs like that will help get him reach the postseason, as will the help of his teammates.They showed they're just as game as their YouTube-able star.

WHAT WE LEARNED: WEEK FOUR

SVL scramble

If Friday was any indication, the battle for the SVL title is going to be a dogfight.

Pierce's 21-20 victory over Live Oak served as a microcosm of what this season may hold.

In 2010, Live Oak, Durham and Trinity were co-champions of the SVL, each with a 5-1 record in conference.

Six of the seven teams in the SVL have winning records this season, though Pierce (4-0) is the only school in the league with a perfect season so far. The slate of games the Bears have coming up for them in October is brutal.

In three straight weeks Pierce will face defending Northern Section champ Durham, Trinity and Willows. Those three schools are also the homes of some of the league's top tailbacks in Chris Craven, Luke Curran and Drake Matteson.

Bulldogs have life

Gridley recovered from a devastating loss to Live Oak in the Harvest Bowl by edging out Marysville at War Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

When the score was 27-26 at the half, Gridley coach John Cooprider was expecting a shootout. The game turned into a defensive chess game, with the only points scored coming on a 24-yard field goal from Gridley's Pedro Amezcua .

Gridley stuffed Marysville standout running back Cole Hannum at the 2-yard line to end the game and hang on for the victory.

After three weeks of frustration the Bulldogs (1-3) are finally in the win column, but are they a contender in the Butte View League? They'll find out pretty quick.

Gridley opens BVL play on Oct. 7 at the Bone Yard against Orland. The Trojans average 41 points per game and have recorded three shutouts.

Gridley's final nonconference game is Friday against Cooprider's former team Las Plumas.

Midterm Exam No. 2

Wheatland coach Javier Lopez said his team has four games circled on the schedule this year as the biggest tests.

The Pirates passed the first, a 31-18 victory over Lincoln, and this Friday against Colfax will be the second. Back-to-back dates in October with West Valley and Sutter are the other two.

Colfax (4-0) is ranked No. 5 by Cal-Hi Sports in the Division III state bowl division for Northern California. The Falcons have also garnered a No. 19 ranking from the Sacramento Bee.

Fresh off a 48-40 victory at Division-I Davis, Colfax seeks to avenge last season's 33-22 loss at home to the Pirates.

Lopez along with several Wheatland players were not nearly satisfied with the team's 27-14 victory over Lindhurst last Friday. Senior Nolan West, normally the team's starting wide receiver, filled in for injured quarterback Justin Bragg, leading the Pirates to a victory. Not too bad considering he hadn't started under center since JV.

Bragg will be back for Friday's homecoming game with Colfax where the Pirates will look to go 5-0 for the first time since 2003. Wheatland hasn't been 4-0 since 2007.

QUICK HITS

• River Valley's trip up to Grass Valley to face Bear River was ugly.

The Bruins torched the Falcons 41-0 on homecoming, gouging the R.V. defense for 252 yards rushing and scoring on each of their first three offensive possessions. Defensively, Bear River forced four turnovers.

• After losing all of its Mid-Valley League games by an average score of 33 points last season, Colusa showed things are going in the right direction in 2011.

The RedHawks' losing streak is now 15 straight, but just barely. East Nicolaus escaped Colusa with a 19-14 win heading into Friday's home matchup with Quincy.

East Nic has lost four straight games to Quincy, including the Spartans' last two playoff appearances.

• Like their Butte County neighbor to the south, the Biggs Wolverines picked up their first win of the season last week.

Biggs trailed Division-III University Prep (Redding) 20-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored the Panthers 16-6 in the final period for the win.

League play begins this Friday at home against Chester.

• Two of Week Four's most lopsided games featured Colusa County schools.

In both teams' MVL opener, Portola steamrolled Williams up in the Sierras 47-0 courtesy of 415 yards of total offense. Maxwell was on the right end of a 41-0 victory over Fall River, rebounding from its loss to Hoopa Valley.

HELMET STICKERS

Offense: Gridley's Kevin Mattos, senior, wide receiver — He could barely keep his food down heading into Friday night's game with an illness, but Mattos delivered for the Bulldogs with 229 total yards of offense and four touchdowns in the first half.

Mattos scored from 67, 53 and 44 yards out. The other score was a 16-yard catch.

Defense: Biggs' Steven Jackson, senior, defensive back — Jackson picked off two passes. His second interception set up the Wolverines' game-winning touchdown drive with 4 minutes remaining in regulation.

Special Teams: Maxwell's Brett Cabral, senior, kick returner — Cabral scored three times for the Panthers in their 41-0 rout over Fall River.

The most impressive of those was a 77-yard kick return that opened the second half.