Cowboys ridden out of football playoffs

There will be no riding off into the sunset with league championship trophies this year for the Colusa Cowboys, as both the jr. midget and midget squads were defeated Saturday.

Jr. Midgets: Orland Aztecs 19, Cowboys 18 (2OT) - The game was so evenly matched it took a pair of overtime periods, but the Cowboys fell short 19-8 in Shasta Lake.

Brian Burg reached the end zone first on a 35-yard first-quarter run, following the blocking of Hunter Mobley and Damian Garcia. Orland answered with a TD toward the end of the opening period, which ended with the score 6-6. In the fourth quarter, Andie Garcia made a timely interception to halt an Orland drive and send the game into overtime.

With each team given the ball on the 20 and four downs, Orland scored on its first possession but the Cowboys snuffed out the PAT. Jose Santana answered with a TD on a quarterback sneak, but Orland stopped the PAT as well. Brandon Brimm then scored for Colusa, with the PAT again being stopped. Orland punched the ball into the end zone to tie it, and then made the extra-point to end the jr. midgets' season.

Defensively, Burg made 12 tackles and caused a fumble; Damian Garcia had 11 tackles and a pick; Brimm and Cesar Buenrostro each made five takedowns; Andie Garcia made the key interception with 10 seconds left; and Sal Ybarra recovered a fumble.

Midgets: Central Valley Falcons 21, Cowboys 0 — The Cowboys were blanked at Shasta Lake. No additional information was available.