Last-second field goal lifts Roseville over Inderkum

With a cool wind blowing against them, the Roseville High football team put teammate Joel Bradley in position to kick a 22-yard field goal with three seconds remaining and defeat host Inderkum 33-31 in a Friday night thriller. "There was a little bit of pressure … you know, for how big of a moment it was," Bradley said, referencing the playoffs. "But I had great confidence in making it, with the wind having dialed down a little bit." Both teams were chasing Antelope at the top of the Capital Valley Conference and came in prepared for each other. Each had additional time to prepare coming off bye weeks and canceled games against River Valley. "We spent, like them, two or three weeks preparing," said Roseville coach Adam Reinking. "We had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do." The first quarter looked as though Inderkum was the better-prepared. The Roseville offense was on the field for less than two minutes in the first period, and all it had to show for it was minus-7 yards and a safety. Meanwhile, the Tigers of Inderkum rolled up 71 yards, 55 of it rushing. However, the home club did not score a touchdown until the middle of the second quarter. Roseville rallied in period two to score three TDs and take a 20-10 halftime lead. Roseville quarterback Brandon Graydon hit receiver Christopher O'Neal for a 49-yard score. Running back Kaden Belton took a direct snap and went 29 yards up the middle for six. And Graydon rushed 17 yards around right end for the third touchdown. Toward the end of the first half, Inderkum marched 60 yards to Roseville's 4-yard line. But bolstered by the rally, the visitors' defense rose up to deny the host Tigers a score. "Our defense just stepped up and made plays," Reinking said. "And our offense helped us out and scored some points. That kind of changed the vibe on the sideline, and I think that kind of helped our defense a little bit." Both teams cooled down in the third quarter, with the exception of a 38-yard field goal by Bradley to give Roseville a 23-10 edge. But Inderkum was not about to waste senior night in Natomas. Senior Dexter Simmons bulled into the end zone from 3 yards out to cut the lead to seven. Bryson Claxton then plowed 3 yards to pay dirt and Krishveer Misha's kick tied the score at 23 all. To answer, Roseville did a reverse on the kickoff, handing the ball to O'Neal, who galloped 94 yards up the visitors' sideline to give his Tigers a 30-23 lead with 3:42 remaining. Inderkum fought back by going 52 yards on the back of senior Giovanni Jorlen's eight carries. Jorlen capped the drive with a 5-yard plunge and a 31-30 lead with 1:45 left. Jorlen finished the night with 221 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Inderkum then tried to pooch the ensuing kickoff and was penalized for touching the ball before it went the required distance. That put Roseville on the home team's 43. Inderkum stuffed an attempted draw play for an 8-yard loss, but back-to-back passes from Graydon to Bradley, plus an additional penalty, moved the ball to Inderkum's 18. Combined runs by Graydon and Belton set the stage for Bradley's field goal. Inderkum ran 83 plays in the game to Roseville's 38. The local Tigers rolled up 365 total yards, the visiting Tigers 212. Roseville held the edge in passing, 134 yards to 111. "I'm just proud of our guys. We're the kind of school where we're grinding for respect," Reinking said of Roseville's oldest high school. "But the kids who come to Roseville are gritty. They're gritty and they're real. They love Roseville and they love playing for that name on their chests, and that's why I'm just super proud to be a part of this program." Inderkum (5-4, 3-2 CVC) will travel to Antelope (7-3, 5-0) for next Friday's tilt, while Roseville (6-3, 4-1) is slated to host Woodcreek (7-3, 3-2). ROSEVILLE 33, INDERKUM 31 Roseville 0 20 3 10 – 33 Inderkum 2 8 0 21 – 31 I – Graydon safety I – Jorlen 19 run (Mishra kick) R – O'Neal 49 pass from Graydon (Bradley kick) R – Belton 29 run (PAT failed) R – Graydon 17 run (Bradley kick) R – Bradley 38 FG I – Simmons 3 run (PAT failed) I – Claxton 3 run (Mishra kick) R – O'Neal 94 kickoff return (Bradley kick) I – Jorlen 5 run (Wilson run) R – Bradley 22 FG