Hammer time: Granite Bay’s Roth lowers boom on Christian Brothers
Cole Roth needs a nickname.
We’re hear to help: The Hammer.
He runs with the force of a hammer to a nail, or a thumb, and the powerfully built Granite Bay High School senior running back wound up with a real-life sledgehammer with the words, “Big Hitter” inked on the metal when his work was done on Saturday afternoon in Oak Park. Roth carried the hardware well after the game and into the parking lot Saturday at Christian Brothers, like a woodsman with his cherished ax.
Who carries such hardware to a game? The Grizzlies do. It’s the sort of thing that binds programs together.
Roth powered up the middle for 202 yards rushing and three first-half touchdowns, and Christian Perry reached the end zone three times to lift the No. 11 Grizzlies past the No. 16 Falcons 40-22 in a contest that was never scheduled to even happen.
“We have to be able to adjust, and it happened to even get this game,” Granite Bay coach Jeff Evans said, whose team was able to pounce on the misfortune of a fellow Placer County program.
Roseville was scheduled to play Christian Brothers but had to cancel due to a COVID-19 positive test on the roster. That news struck Friday, and then it was full scramble mode for Christian Brothers to find a replacement. That’s where Granite Bay came in.
The Grizzlies were scheduled to play rival Del Oro on Friday in an opener but a positive test result on the Del Oro roster led to that game’s cancellation. So two tradition-rich programs that have never played each other in football scrambled to learn about one another.
What the Grizzlies found out is they have another stout team, high on effort. What the Falcons learned about the Grizzlies is that they are big up front and like to use guys like Roth, a strong and speedy 5-foot-11, 210-pounder who said he couldn’t wait to wake up Sunday sore from neck to toe.
“I was so ready for this,” Roth said happily, holding that hammer. “I had to drink my sleepy tea last night - all natural herbs - just to doze off because I was so excited. I love this game. I love my brothers here. For me, I feel like, ‘try to hit me on a run and I’ll hit you six times harder.’ You have to play like that, and our offensive line was great.”
That line consists of Brayden Beauvais, Anthony Hastings, Jeremiah Harmer, Tale Tuimaune and Jacob Tupou. The line coach is David Pope, who still looks the part of center from his league championship teams at Granite Bay in 2005 and 2006. The quarterback on those teams was Ryan Woods, now the program’s offensive coordinator.
The play call was often give it to Roth, and then Perry. That will be the plan this shortened spring season, a farewell to seniors who remained loyal to the program amid uncertain times, such as if there would be a season.
“It’s been 15 months since we last played,” Evans said. “We have a core group of 21 seniors who stuck it out.”
That includes Roth.
“He is our hammer, a special player, our workhorse,” Evans said. “We like to play like a hammer, to be the hitters.”
Perry’s 9-yard run gave Granite Bay a 26-7 lead after the opening drive of the second half, and his 24-yard touchdown catch from Nick Poulos made it 40-14 with 2:05 left in the quarter to spoil the first football game played on sparkling new Peter Bollinger Stadium on campus.
CB coaches will surely remind their players that this sport still boils down to blocking and tackling - and catching the ball. Falcons coach John Wiley likes the potential of his team and said his young group has to grow this spring. Wiley honored his late Auburn Tigers coach Pat Dye by wearing a dress shirt and tie and a ball cap, Dye’s signature look.
“It’s a way for me to honor him,” Wiley said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 6:14 AM.