Larcom, West deliver for Pirates
Wheatland High's Nolan West was sitting in class this past Monday, oblivious to the situation he would be entering on Friday night.
From a nearby desk, wide receiver Haydon Liessman quietly passed him a note reading, "You ready for QB?"
QB as in quarterback? West was blindsided by the news. He hadn't taken a meaningful snap under center since his sophomore year.
Three bone chips in junior starter Justin Bragg's right big toe relegated him to leaning on crutches in Olivehurst Friday night. So West, an A-D All-Area pitcher for the Pirates baseball team, warmed up his right arm.
"It was a little bit shaky," West said. "I hadn't passed in so long, but by Thursday I was back in the rhythm."
He carried that into Friday night.
West's 11-yard touchdown pass to Liessman in the third quarter gave the Pirates a 27-14 cushion and Wheatland won by that same score at Dean Miller Stadium in Olivehurst.
West gave the Pirates a running threat at quarterback, effectively running the boot leg, while mixing in 67 yards through the air. He didn't have to do too much with Tyler Larcom behind him at fullback.
The senior bell cow carried the ball 31 times for 248 yards and two scores. This was Larcom's third straight game with at least 240 yards rushing and two scores.
On Wheatland's fourth play from scrimmage in the game, Larcom sprinted in 27 yards down the sideline to put the Pirates ahead 6-0.
After Lindhurst botched the ensuing kickoff, Wheatland gave the Blazers the ball back on a fumble. Lindhurst's Michael Hubbard returned that fumble 90 yards to tie the score 7-7.
Larcom delivered a counter blow, scoring on a 53-yard run on Wheatland's very next offensive play from scrimmage. Lindhurst responded with a 56-yard run from Christian George which set up Timmy Zucco's 14-yard touchdown pass to Erick Tallman. That touchdown gave Lindhurst its only lead of the evening, 14-13.
Lindhurst couldn't do much else offensively. Wheatland scored 14 unanswered points, including the aforementioned West touchdown pass and a 1-yard TD run from Garrett White.
"Our guys took it a little bit for granted that it wasn't going to be that tough of a game, but it was," said Wheatland coach Javier Lopez. "I tip my hat to (Lindhurst)."
Wheatland's defense held Lindhurst scoreless in the second half and only allowed 35 yards of offense. Without George's 56-yard run, Lindhurst only gained 93 yards in the entire contest. George left Friday's contest in the third quarter with an unspecified injury to his right shoulder.
Friday's performance isn't sitting well with the Pirates (4-0) though.
Following their 15th straight victory over their Yuba County rival to the north, several Wheatland offensive linemen apologized to their teammates for "poor blocking" promising "it will never happen again."
The lack of a push up front didn't hamper West nor Larcom, though next week, there will be little room for error. Colfax (4-0), ranked highly by numerous entities across the state, visits Wheatland for homecoming.
"Tonight we came in overconfident and it came and bit us in the (rear)," Larcom said. "Practice has to be perfect this week."
