By Rick Martin

DUNSMUIR - There’s no questioning the heart of the Dunsmuir Tigers, but when you keep losing body parts, the heart can only do so much.

Dunsmuir dropped its second straight game Friday night, falling to visiting Greenville 36-26. The Tigers started the game with leading rusher Cory Knowles on the sideline with an ankle injury, and fellow RB Colton Sordahl slowed by a sore hip. After the game started, they would lose both their quarterbacks, Nate Gonzales and LT Hisey.

And yet, they did everything they could to pull the game out, falling just short in the 4th quarter.

Things actually started well for the Tigers, as they took a 6-0 lead just five plays into the game. Gonzalez busted free on a QB keeper on 4th and 1, and raced 52 yards for the score.

But Greenville - dealing with some injuries of its own - didn’t waste much time answering. On their first series, freshman QB Chris Brown unloaded a 48-yard TD pass to Tyler Twaddle as the Indians drew even. Brown found out Friday morning that he was starting his first HS game after senior Joshua Neff was injured in a car accident. (Neff’s injuries were not life threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery.)

On the next series, Dunsmuir (6-2) drove into Indians territory, but were backed up on a 4th and 6 near midfield. Gonzales coolly evaded the pass rush and hit a wide open Erin Kirch inside the 10 to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Kirch took it in from the 10 to give the Tigers the lead again at 12-6.

On the ensuing drive, Greenville (5-3) drove deep into Tiger territory, but were turned aside when Nate Bartoo intercepted Brown’s pass at the goal line and returned the ball to the 15-yard line. But the Tigers were unable to move it and were forced to punt as the first period ended. Greenville took possession at midfield and wasted little time finding pay-dirt. A 22-yard run by Curtis Bastian was followed by a 20-yard gallop from Donny Huckins to set up first and goal. Then Brown took it in from 7-yards out to tie it at 12. Brown then took it up the middle for the conversion, and Greenville had its first lead at 14-12.

And again, the Tigers would respond, driving into Indian territory. Facing a 3rd and 17 from the Greenville 35, Gonzales threw to the sideline for Kirch. The ball looked long, but Kirch reached out and made a one-handed grab, picking up a first down. On the next play, he rumbled in for his second score of the night. Gonzales would then beat two defenders to the corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion, giving Dunsmuir its last lead of the night at 20-14.

It wouldn’t last long. Brown took the first snap of the next series and beat everyone downfield for a 55-yard score, adding the two-point conversion as well for a 22-20 lead. The Greenville defense then turned Dunsmuir aside, giving the offense a chance to add another score.

And they would, as Brown hit Taylor Gipe down the middle for a 14-yard score. Another two-point conversion run by the freshman padded the lead to 30-20 with less than three minutes remaining in the half.

Hisey was injured on the ensuing drive, taking a late hit after throwing an option pass downfield. The penalty kept the Tiger drive alive and set up a 6-yard scoring run from Gonzales. But again the Tigers failed to get the extra point, and went to the locker room trailing 30-26.

At the start of the second half, the Tigers had two kickoff attempts go out of bounds, and Greenville - given a choice of taking the ball at their own 35 or making the Tigers kick again - chose to make them re-kick each time. It was the right move, as on the third attempt, Bastian scooped up the short kick and raced 62-yards for the score, making it 36-26. The two point conversion failed, and neither team would score again.

On the following series, the Tigers marched deep into Indian territory, but ultimately lost Gonzales to a shoulder injury in the process. With Kirch and Sordahl pressed into duty as quarterbacks, Dunsmuir would drive to the 7-yard-line, only to be turned away on downs as the Greenville defense made a spirited stand.

Then it was the Tigers’ turn. The Indians marched the length of the field and seemed poised to pad their lead, but Zack Bartoo stripped the ball from Huckins at the five, with Jacob Mekeel recovering. The offense was unable to move it forward, barely avoiding a safety at one point. A poor punt gave Greenville the ball back at the Tiger 13, but the defense was up to the task again, stopping the Indians on downs and regaining possession.

Sordahl took over at QB, and was able to move the Tigers out near midfield before the drive stalled with less than 5-minutes remaining. Greenville would again turn it back over on downs, but the Tigers had no time left to mount a comeback.

Notes: Gonzales rushed for 146 yards, Kirch for 137…Bartoo recorded 13 tackles to go along with the pick and the forced fumble…The Tigers play host to Champion Christian next Saturday afternoon, then finish on the road the following Saturday at Liberty Christian…Greenville plays at Liberty next week before finishing at home against Loyalton…The top 6 teams from the 8-man California League make the playoffs, with the top two teams getting byes in the first round. Westwood and Champion are currently the top two teams, followed by Princeton, Dunsmuir and Greenville.