The Bulldogs defense tries to corral the Grizzlies run game in Susanville on Nov. 22.

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Bulldogs ended their season in a battle of the run against the Lassen Grizzlies in Susanville, on Friday, Nov. 22. The Grizzlies were hosting the Bulldogs in Round 2 of the CIF-Northern Section D3 football playoffs. The final score was 13-6.

On a muddy field with the rain pouring down the game plan was obvious for both teams, to pound the defense with the run. The game would start with the Bulldogs running the ball four straight times but ultimately going nowhere and turning the ball over on downs. The Grizzlies would get the ball on a short field but fumble the ball on their first play.

The Gridley Bulldog battled the Lassen Grizzlies on a rainy, muddy field in Susanville on Friday, Nov. 22. Photos by Libby Tolman

The Bulldogs would get the ball back and almost completely repeat their first drive except this time punting the ball away on fourth down. The Grizzlies would then get the ball moving on the slick field but ultimately punt the ball back to the Bulldogs after nine plays. The Bulldogs would once again go to the ground game and get their first big play of the game after senior quarterback Gus Stogsdill exploded for a huge gain putting the Bulldogs in field goal range. The Bulldogs would get another first down but were forced to kick a field goal at the start of the second quarter. That field goal would be missed, and the score would hold at 0-0.

The Grizzlies and Bulldogs would trade punts on their ensuing drives and run the first-half clock out pinning the score at 0-0 going into halftime.

The Grizzlies would receive the ball at the start of the second half but end up going three and out giving the ball right back to the Bulldogs. The Bulldog offense would continue to run the ball with quarterback Gus Stogsdill who had carried the ball 14 times up to that point but ended up punting the ball once again. 

The Bulldog defense would once again hold up and force a turnover on downs giving the ball back to the offense. This drive would look promising for the Bulldogs as they would start with four straight quarterback designed runs and move the ball downfield. The Bulldogs would take this possession into the fourth quarter and on the first play of the fourth, the ball was given back to the Grizzlies on a fumbled center-to-quarterback exchange. The Bulldog defense would once again shine and force a punt.

The Bulldogs would start this drive with 8:27 left in the game, knowing that they had to mix things up and score a touchdown. They would do exactly that and score a touchdown on a short pass to senior running back Luis Muriilo who was wide open. Murillo would take that pass and score the first points of the game making the score 6-0 (after a missed PAT) with 5:23 left in the game.

The Bulldog offense lines up against the Lassen Grizzlies in Round 2 of the 2024 CIF-Northern Section D3 football playoffs on Nov. 22.

Just when it looked like the Bulldogs had taken all of the momentum, the Grizzlies would capitalize on a potentially worn-out Bulldog defense and score a touchdown on a huge run from senior running back Dathen Moore. They would fail on a two-point conversion attempt and tie the game 6-6 with 4:31 left. The Bulldog offense would go with three straight designed quarterback runs but not move the ball and had to punt the ball away. 

The Grizzlies would then score in just one play on another huge run from Dathen Moore and kick their PAT making the score 13-6 and leaving the Bulldogs 2:03 on the clock to make something happen. The Bulldog offense would look to pass consistently for the first time in the game. Their first pass would be completed for a short game, they would take a deep shot on second down, but the ball would be thrown out of bounds, after an incomplete pass on third down, the fourth-down play would be the biggest play of the game for the Bulldogs up to that point. The pass would be completed short of the first down marker and after trying to make a play, the receiver would be tackled right at the first down line. The ball was too close to call, forcing the measuring chains to be brought out to reveal that the ball was just inches short of the line to gain, turning the ball over on downs to the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies would only need a first down to seal the victory. After running the ball, and timeouts from the Bulldogs, the Grizzlies picked up the first down and ultimately ended the game and the Bulldogs season.             

Bulldogs senior quarterback Gus Stogsdill tries to find running room against the Lasse Grizzlies on Nov. 22.

Penalties (11) and the inability to move the ball were the downfall of the Gridley Bulldogs in this game. That being said, this season was truly special for the Bulldogs as they finished with an 8-4 record and had a real chance to advance to the championship game. While the team may be disappointed with the outcome of the game, it’s hard to be disappointed with the season as a whole.

The Lassen Grizzlies are scheduled to play the Orland Trojans at home in the D3 NSCIF 2024 championship game on Saturday, Nov. 30.