Shadow Ridge rushes to win over Coronado, leads Sky League
Shadow Ridge junior quarterback Coen Coloma didn’t need to attempt a pass Friday night. With the rushing night the Mustangs had, he didn’t have to.
The Mustangs, No. 2 in the Review-Journal’s Class 4A rankings, rushed for 350 yards and defeated No. 3 Coronado 28-21 at Shadow Ridge.
“We played well, we came up big in some key moments and were able to grind out the clock at the end,” Shadow Ridge coach Travis Foster said. “I’m happy with how our kids played.”
Coloma rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and senior running back Davison Glenn added 91 yards and two scores.
Shadow Ridge had to sweat out the victory, as it committed five penalties on Coronado’s final drive. The Cougars cut the game to one possession when sophomore quarterback Aiden Krause connected with junior wide receiver Isaiah Bottley on a 3-yard touchdown pass.
The Mustangs recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
While Foster would have preferred an easier path to victory, he credited his defense for making two stops early in the third quarter that kept Coronado from scoring.
Foster said he thinks the way he set up his team’s nonleague schedule, with three Class 5A teams and an out-of-state game, has better prepared them to finish tight games.
“We wanted to challenge ourselves,” Foster said. “We wanted to make sure when we got to this game that we had played good competition, and I think it showed tonight.”
Shadow Ridges’ dominance on the ground showed up early. Coloma rushed for a 9-yard score on the Mustangs’ first drive. Glenn added to their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession.
Krause connected with senior tight end Michael Floyde for an 11-yard touchdown to cut into the deficit. But Glenn answered on the next possession with a 3-yard rushing score as Shadow Ridge went into halftime ahead 21-7.
Coloma broke loose for a 34-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter for what proved to be the decisive score. Krause added another touchdown to Floyde, a 6-yard score, but the Cougars’ second half rally was too late.
Krause completed 17 of 34 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars (5-2, 2-1 4A Sky League).
Shadow Ridge (7-1, 3-0 4A Sky) has sole possession of first place in the Sky League, and Foster said his focus is to make sure the Mustangs keep their eyes on the prize.
“We can’t let up,” he said. “It’s ours for the taking. Everything’s on us. It’s on our shoulders. We just have to close it out.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.