Homecoming heroics from Dominguez help crown Colts in record-breaking win

Oct. 1—VARNELL — Between being crowned homecoming king and catching two touchdowns for his team in a record-setting win, Coahulla Creek High School wide receiver Manny Dominguez will take the latter.

"Definitely the two touchdowns," Dominguez said with a smile after Coahulla Creek's 37-16 win over Region 6-3A foe Gordon Lee (2-4, 1-2 Region 6-3A). "It was a great night all around though."

Dominguez's homecoming heroics — both of his touchdown receptions came before his halftime coronation — helped the Colts (5-1, 3-0 Region 6-3A) get off to a fast start and cruise to a school-record breaking fifth victory this season, breaking the previous mark set last season, when the Colts went 4-6.

"After everything we've worked for, to come out and get that win feels amazing," Dominguez said.

When the Colt defense caught up with the quick-strike Creek offense, Coahulla was able to work its way toward the convincing win.

"That's who we are," Colt head coach Danny Wilson said. "We're going to live off those big plays."

Quarterback Kace Kinnamon got the explosive offense going with a 42-yard run on the Colts' first play from scrimmage, and, a few plays later, a scrambling Kinnamon hit a leaping Dominguez in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard score.

After the explosive opening drive from Creek, Gordon Lee's first time touching the ball was more of a slow burn.

The Trojans methodically managed their way down the field, milking nearly an entire quarter of play off the clock on a 21-play drive that included zero passing attempts, three fourth-down conversions and no plays that gained more than eight yards.

The fourth time Gordon Lee hit fourth down was at the 3-yard-line, and a Trojan field goal cut the score to 7-3.

Kinnamon and Dominguez returned to the field after that though, and, after a holding penalty wiped out a would-be touchdown run for Kinnamon, the QB found Dominguez on a comeback near the sideline.

Dominguez caught the ball, looked down to make sure he was in play, then looked up to see some running room.

He tore off down the sideline, made a defender miss at the 20 and completed the 51-yard touchdown reception to put Creek up 14-3.

"I just caught it, and all I saw was grass," Dominguez said.

Dominguez's second score was his final touchdown, but he was the go-to player whenever the Colts needed a first down. He totaled six catches for 96 yards and the two scores in the game.

After allowing the long drive from Gordon Lee, Creek didn't allow any more Trojan points in the second or third quarters from the rush-heavy, Wing T offense. The Colts added a Logan Fowler field goal on the last play of the half to get the lead to 17-3.

"That's a tough offense to stop when you don't see it a lot, but it just takes some time to get used to it," Wilson said. "Once we did, we started to limit them."

Hudson Mardis poked the ball out of a Gordon Lee runner's hands and fell on the ball to set up Creek at the Trojan 29 early in the third, and Kinnamon threw his third touchdown pass of the night, finding Will Douglas in the flat for a 4-yard score.

Kinnamon finished 17-for-23 with 185 yards and three scores through the air, and the senior also made several big plays with his legs.

Karim Bradley caromed through the line to the outside for an 18-yard touchdown run to put Creek up 30-3 late in the third.

After Gordon Lee's Nate Dunfee reached the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the game, another big Bradley run set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Payton Gordon.

Bradley provided a spark when the passing game needed a spell, totaling 144 yards on 16 carries.

Gordon Lee's Brysin Oliver reached the end zone for a 29-yard rush with 1:55 to go after the Colts inserted reserves on defense.

Coahulla Creek had only won more than two games once before. A 4-6 season last year broke the school record for wins in a season for a program that is now in its 11th year of play. The Colts have set a new mark with that fifth win and still have four regular season games, plus a possible playoff appearance, to add to that record.

Creek's win gets them to 3-0 through three games of a seven-game region slate. The Colts had never before won three region games in a year.

Coahulla Creek will look to keep adding to its win total with a road game at Ringgold next week. The game is at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Gordon Lee will be at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.