SAN JOSE — Justin Buzzard waited 30 years for his moment. It lasted two plays.
The 47-year-old pastor and father of three, a first-year defensive lineman for San Jose City College, took the field for the first time in his college career Saturday with just over five minutes left in a 41-21 loss to College of the Redwoods at Jaguar Stadium, according to the Bay Area News Group.
Lining up at right defensive end against Redwoods’ left tackle, Buzzard won his matchup off the snap and hurried quarterback Landon McKee, helping spring a rush lane for SJCC blitzing linebacker Kyler Headley, who brought McKee down for a third-down sack, the Bay Area News Group reported. Buzzard added a two-handed shove to make sure McKee stayed down. His second and final snap of the day came on Redwoods’ game-ending kneel-down.
It was a small piece of an otherwise lopsided afternoon, but for Buzzard — a former high school player at Capital Christian in Sacramento who never saw the field at Whitworth College before giving up the sport decades ago — it was the culmination of a comeback that has drawn national attention, per the Bay Area News Group. His teammates and even Redwoods players gave him a hero’s welcome afterward, with some in the handshake line calling him “the man of the hour,” the Bay Area News Group reported.
“It felt great,” Buzzard told the Bay Area News Group. “You prepare a lot in football to just play a little. … So it was great to actually get a rep. It felt good. I’m hungry for more.”
On the field, the outcome was never much in doubt. Redwoods quarterback Kasen Covert accounted for three touchdowns — two through the air and one on a 62-yard scramble — as the visitors piled up 521 yards of total offense. Covert completed 12 of 17 passes for 287 yards, connecting with Tre Silva twice, including a 54-yard score. Silva finished with three catches for 143 yards.
The Redwoods (1-0) jumped ahead early, scoring on their first three possessions. Covert found Silva for a 38-yard touchdown on the opening drive, Mataio Olomua punched in a 1-yard score before the first quarter ended, and Tanner Pidgeon added a short touchdown pass to Quinton Buckland to make it 21-0.
San Jose (0-1) got on the board in the second quarter when Joey Campanga hit Trevor Jones for an 18-yard touchdown, but the Redwoods answered with two more scores — Covert’s touchdown pass to Silva and his 62-yard rushing score — to take a 35-7 lead into the break. Brandon Sailer added field goals of 38 and 30 yards to round out the Redwoods’ scoring.
Jaguars quarterback Owen Gully led a fourth-quarter rally, throwing touchdown passes to Max Thomas and Austin Price in the final two minutes. Gully finished 10 of 15 for 103 yards and two scores, while Price led all receivers with seven catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Redwoods forced two interceptions and totaled four sacks, led by Caleb Morgan’s six tackles and a sack. Headley paced San Jose with nine tackles, including his fourth-quarter sack.
The Redwoods held a decisive edge on third down, converting 50% of their chances (5 of 10) compared to San Jose’s 8% (1 of 13), and controlled the ball for 35:06 to the Jaguars’ 24:54.
For Buzzard, the box score won’t reflect much. But as he put it to the Bay Area News Group: “So far, so good. But we’re early innings here.”
