Laurel's homecoming a happy one in Butte's win

By Travis Souders

STOCKTON >> Though Alex Laurel didn't figure heavily in terms of workload into the Butte College football team's 35-34 win over Delta on Saturday, he still had a productive afternoon. It was made sweeter by the fact that he did so in front of friends and family.

Laurel, a freshman and Manteca High grad who was one of the top recruits in all of Northern California in his senior season as a prep, was a star in this area with more than 1,800 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2013 as the Valley Oak League MVP. So, it must have been a familiar sight for the locals in attendance when he ripped a 34-yard touchdown on Butte's opening drive, racing around the left edge and outrunning everyone.

"It was nice, my family's right in the backyard, so they came out and supported me," Laurel said. "It's really nice to get a tough win and perform like that."

Laurel was the third-leading rusher on a day that Marvel Harris and Joshua Mercer, who has really broken out as yet another star backfield piece for Butte, toted most of the carries. But there's no denying his role in the victory, a crucial one for the Roadrunners heading into a Week 5 bye.

"It's a chance to get some confidence," Laurel said. "We just roll into the next week coming off a win, and hopefully it's a snowball effect."

PASS GAME STRUGGLES >> Butte coaches had to have entered this weekend feeling more confident in quarterback Zach Kline, who turned in his best performance against Fresno last week and looked to have perhaps turned a corner. Kline started slow on the season, as did the Roadrunners, but against an 0-4 Delta team, the opportunity seemed there to build on his Fresno start. That didn't happen, at least not entirely, and it can't all be placed on him. Facing incessant pressure working behind an injury-depleted offensive line, Kline threw three more interceptions, raising his season total to five compared to six touchdowns. It was part of a five-turnover day for Butte, and Kline did throw an important touchdown to Jalen Amis, but certainly the passing game appeared to take a step back Saturday.

Butte head coach Jeff Jordan explained that Kline's rough start, even in the victory, was once again a cumulation of issues. Butte converted seven of 17 third-down opportunities.

"We need to get better, still. They blitzed us every dang down, and I thought we hit big gains at times, but we had a lot of mental mistakes," Jordan said. "Backs going the wrong way, opening up the wrong way, guys taking the wrong route — just a lot of mental issues. When we make those, we'll have a lot of third-and-14 and that's not a recipe to win consistently."

TILTING THE FIELD >> Quietly, Butte's special teams shone on a day the offenses stole the show. A blocked field goal attempt by the Roadrunners drew plenty of attention, as it would have broken a tie in the first half, but Geordie Bunn's five punts, averaging 41 net yards with one inside the 20, and Jonathan Waterman's steady extra-point duty (5 of 5) proved important. Linebacker Jariah Booker, playing as the up back in a punt formation, also took a carry for 28 yards on a fake punt that set up a Butte score.

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