GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Bulldogs dropped their second game in a row Friday night, September 30, at the “Boneyard” when they got beat by the Fortuna Huskies 21-9.

Gridley (2-3) was shorthanded due to two players, who are two-way starters, being suspended for the game due to violating team and school rules. Bulldogs head coach Matt Kemmis told The Gridley Herald that he liked his teams’ attitude and willingness to try new positions on the field. 

The Gridley defense had a great start to the game where they made key stops on Fortuna’s first two offensive drives of the game. To end the second Huskies drive, Bulldogs senior wide receiver/cornerback Angel Castaneda intercepted the ball in the Gridley endzone, resulting in a touchback. 

The first quarter ended scoreless and was a defensive battle. Castaneda gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead just under halfway through the second quarter when he drilled a 30-yard field goal. 

Castaneda got injured in the second quarter with a leg injury and did not return to action for the Bulldogs. He ended the night with five carries for 17 yards along with five tackles on defense. Kemmis told The Herald that the diagnosis given to Castadena by the medical staff was that his leg was not broken. Kemmis added that he was hurt for Castaneda because he saw the hard work ethic he had put into his senior year.

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The Huskies (2-4) quickly answered back when senior fullback Caden Wilkinson had a five-yard rushing touchdown to give Fortuna the 7-3 lead. 

Gridley sophomore quarterback Gus Stogsdill fumbled the snap exchange on the ensuing possession, giving the Huskies great field position on the Bulldogs’ 12-yard line.

“I have to catch the snaps,” Stogsdill told The Herald.

It was the second fumble that Stogsdill surrendered in over 200 exchanges on the season. Stogsdill carried the ball 30 times for 163 yards in the loss.

Fortuna senior quarterback Coltyn Corning gave the Huskies a 14-3 lead at the half when he had a 10-yard rushing touchdown, taking advantage of the short field position.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a time-consuming drive that took more than six minutes off the clock. However, they turned the ball over on downs around midfield and gave the ball right back to Fortuna.

Corning extended the Huskies lead to 21-3 early in the fourth quarter when he threw a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Gridley found the end zone with a couple minutes left in the game when Stogsdill found freshman tight end Jason Davis Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown pass, the sophomore quarterback’s only completion of the night.

Davis told The Herald it has been fun so far competing on a higher level along with upper classmen as a freshman.

“They taught me to have great effort, attitude and toughness,” Davis said.

Kemmis said the decision to bring Davis up from junior varsity wasn’t hard.

“He’s 6 feet, 2 inches tall and 215 pounds, we knew he was gifted,” Kemmis explained. 

Kemmis added that regardless of Davis being a freshman, he is physically capable of playing the upper level of competition.

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The Bulldogs began with a clean slate when the preseason ended Friday night. Butte View League (BVL) action begins this Friday, October 7, when Gridley travels on the road to Corning (1-4).

“We need to get back to the fundamentals,” Kemmis stated. 

Gridley won last year’s meeting 35-12 and are 5-2 overall against the Cardinals.

Kemmis told The Herald that his staff preached three different phases of the season to the Bulldogs that included preseason, league and playoffs. Phase two begins Friday night for Gridley.