Webb heroics seal Wheatland victory
It's one heck of a luxury having Malcolm Webb as Wheatland High's punter.
Webb sealed the Pirates' first-round playoff win over Winters on Friday with a 32-yard touchdown run off a fake punt with 1 minute, 7 seconds left in the contest. Wheatland went on to knock off Winters 42-21 in a football game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
The Pirates (9-2) advanced to the Northern Section Div. II semifinals to face West Valley at Cottonwood next week.
The touchdown run was one of four scores for Webb, who added a 4-yard run in the first quarter, a 1-yard run in the second period and finally an 83-yard interception return with 44 seconds left in the contest.
Wheatland coach Javier Lopez said the fake-punt call was all Webb's decision.
"We give him the freedom (in that situation) to make a play if it's there," Lopez said. "The backer came in to block, the snap was OK, but there was no one around, so he knew he only had one kid to beat to the sideline."
The Warriors (4-7), who lost to Wheatland by just two points earlier this season, cut the lead to 29-21 in the fourth quarter. Winters had a chance for a potential game-tying drive if it could have stopped the Pirates on that fourth down.
"Winters is a tough team — and we knew that," said Webb, who did not complete a pass at quarterback but ran for 58 yards on seven carries. "We knew we couldn't play down to them."
Winters quarterback Kyle Tobler was 12-for-25 for 130 yards, but the Pirates were able to slow him down when they needed to in the fourth quarter.
Max Mariani returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to put the Warriors up 7-0 early, but the Pirates returned the favor to begin the second half. Junior Vince Vetrone fielded the kickoff at the 9-yard line, streaked down the Wheatland sideline, slipped a tackle around the Winters' 30 and went untouched the rest of the way to the end zone.
The 91-yard touchdown helped the Pirates to a 22-7 lead as the Warriors were constantly in catch-up mode.
"I saw a hole and then I knew there was one guy left to beat, and then that guy missed" Vetrone said. "It was actually kind of simple."
It was one of several big moments in the second half for the Pirates.
"Vince gave us some breathing room, even though it was still close," Lopez said. "I think it gave the defense some liberty to just fly around."
The Warriors closed to 22-14 in the third quarter on Tobler's 2-yard touchdown run, but Mariani fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter and Wheatland's Rodney Faupula scooped up the ball and raced 18 yards to the end zone.
Wheatland's leading rusher, Clint Johnson, was held to 11 carries for 58 yards. Winters' Marcus Carrasco was the game's leading rusher with 83 yards on 19 carries and a TD.
Lopez knows the task against West Valley will be even tougher next week.
"They're a tough team. They've beaten some decent Division I teams," he said. "They're up there with the likes of Sutter as far as talent and ability."
