RENO — Dawson Coman scored on a 44-yard run and then on a 97-yard kick return to help spark the Douglas High football team to a first-half lead Friday night against Galena. Quarterback Hunter Hickey added two touchdown runs in the second half and the Tigers went onto a playoff-clinching 37-23 win.
Douglas (2-1 Sierra League, 4-4 overall) is now assured of no worse than a third-place finish in the league playoff race and is in position to move up to second-place with a win this coming Thursday at Carson.
Galena (0-3, 2-6) absorbed their fifth straight loss, however, the Grizzlies made things interesting on Homecoming night.
Especially during a hectic 75 seconds before halftime.
Galena’s Tristan Smithers scored on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Derek Kline to cut the Douglas lead to 16-9 with 1:15 left in the second quarter.
Coman only needed 14 seconds to answer on the ensuing kickoff. It was the third scoring kick return this season for Coman. The senior tailback scored on his 44-yard run to put the Tigers on top 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Grizzlies came right back and scored again when Tommy Corcoran caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kline as time expired at halftime.
Douglas seized the momentum right back after the intermission when Hickey scored on a 3-yard run to cap a 10-play, 63-yard drive.
Moments later, Nick Pedroza recovered a fumble to set up another opportunity, and the Tigers responded with an eight-play, 43-yard drive that culminated with Hickey’s 1-yard run on third-and-goal.
Pedroza also came up with a drive-stopping interception at the goal line in the final minute of the third quarter.
Douglas took an early 7-0 lead on its first possession of the night thanks to a fake punt in which Hunter Simpson threw a 40-yard touchdown strike to Kane Hoyopatubbi.
The Tigers extended their lead to 16-0 in the first quarter on a safety after an errant punt formation snap sailed into the end zone.