Central Valley rips Hanford after slow start

Frigid temperatures and a snowy football field had little to do with Central Valley’s early malaise.

After the Bears figured out that penalty yards are no way to advance the ball, they took over the game in the second half en route to a 43-13 win against visiting Hanford on Friday night and advanced to the first round of the State 4A football playoffs.

The Falcons held the ball for nearly half of the first quarter thanks to CV’s penalties and took a 3-0 lead. Then the Bears got a jump-start by Austin Tomlinson and roared to a 43-17 triumph.

Tomlinson returned a punt, taking it 67 yards to for a lead that the visitors would not overcome.

The Bears went to Tomlinson through the air three times that ultimately set up Micah Mason’s TD catch midway through the second quarter.

“All year he’s been our MVP,” coach Ryan Butner said of Tomlinson. “He’s a defensive back, punt returner, kick returner, receiver and been punting lately. He does everything for us.”

But what seems to be the case this year, these Bears roared out of the locker room after intermission, batteries fully charged, and put the game out of reach.

Jase Edwards picked off a pass, his second of the game, and was rewarded when quarterback Grant Hannan called his name for a 29-yard TD reception with five minutes left in the third quarter that pushed the team’s lead to 23-3.

“One of our options is we take what the defense gives us,” Butner said. “We saw they were leaving Jase open and we took advantage of that.”

Tomlinson’s 40-yard return was prelude to Hannan’s TD run and 29-3 advantage. Hannobn had two touchdown runs and passing TD.

If there had been any doubt of the outcome, quarterback Hannan’s keeper went for a 58-yard score and with 3:58 left he found Correy Quinn for the capper.

Hanford scored both touchdowns after the fact in the fourth quarter, CV’s defense rallying to the ball in waves, making Mid-Columbia Conference rushing leader Jared DeVine work for whatever yards he got. And the passing game didn’t accomplish much, receivers the victims of bone-rattling tackles.

“We had a slow start,” Butner said. “The elements weren’t exactly conducive to what we do so it was really, really sloppy to begin with – in fact the whole game was.”

The Bears will host the District 6 number three team next weekend. Butner said it likely will be Camas or Auburn-Riverside.