As Butte fire rages, Calaveras scores big victory over Modesto Christian
SALIDA – Setting aside thoughts of the massive fire bearing down on its town, the Calaveras High football team pulled off an improbable victory on Friday night.
Withstanding a second-half rally by Modesto Christian, the Redskins came down the hill to defeat the Crusaders 38-25.
Dylan Byrd had four touchdown passes and Anthony Giangregorio had a game-clinching 59-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter for Calaveras.
The Redskins came to Salida on Friday as the Butte fire was raging out of control, scorching more than 69,000 acres of Amador and Calaveras counties, according to Cal Fire. By Friday night, it was only 5 percent contained as an evacuation center was opening about a half-mile from the school in San Andreas.
“For those guys to be going through what they’re going through ... ” MC coach Mike Parsons marveled. “I give them all the credit. They’ve been through a lot.”
The Redskins took an 18-6 lead into intermission thanks to a Giangregorio 26-yard scoring run and two touchdown passes by Byrd.
The Crusaders, coming off a season-opening loss to Capital Christian, sat a couple of players in the first half for disciplinary reasons.
In the second half, Chris Brown rushed for 173 yards with scoring runs from 63, 48 and 55 yards.
However, between those scores, Byrd connected twice with Trevor Ramirez from 21 and 9 yards, the latter giving Calaveras a 30-19 lead.
“They run a fly offense, and they got us fooled on some of those pass plays,” Parsons said.
Brown tallied his last touchdown to get MC to within five, but Giangregorio clinched the victory with his long run with just under 4 minutes to go.
“We’re trying to build character,” said Parsons about the first-half discipline. “If we got all of our guys on the field and doing the right thing, we’re a good football team.
“We have three weeks to get ready for the (Trans-Valley League).”
This story was originally published September 12, 2015 at 12:18 AM with the headline "As Butte fire rages, Calaveras scores big victory over Modesto Christian."