Yuba City junior Dante Lepe celebrates his touchdown at the end of the first half on Oct. 30 in the Honkers’ loss to Twelve Bridges. Photo by Steven Bryla

YUBA CITY, CA (YSBC) - The Twelve Bridge Ragin’ Rhinos needed a late push to beat the Yuba City Honkers 29-28 in a battle for the first overall seed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV bracket on Oct. 30. 

Both teams came into the game with multiple types of implications for the postseason.

Yuba City head coach Jonah Lessard expressed to Yuba Sutter Butte Colusa Sports that the game was one of the biggest games the program has participated in since he took over the program in 2024.

Twelve Bridges senior Alex Lopez (44) celebrates his touchdown late in the Rhinos’ victory against Yuba City on Oct. 30. Photo by Seven Bryla

Twelve Bridges capitalized on a turnover by the Honkers on their opening drive of the game.

Rhino’s senior running back Daniel Oamil scored on a nine-yard touchdown rush that gave Twelve Bridges the early 7-0 lead.

Yuba City responded and tied the game with a one-yard touchdown rush by senior Cody Haase.

Haase ended with 155 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Haase tied the Honkers’ season record for touchdowns and eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season.

After Twelve Bridges missed a 30-yard field goal on a time-consuming drive, Yuba City senior quarterback Judah Allen pinpointed multiple key throws down field to move the chains with four minutes remaining in the first half.

The Twelve Bridges line pushes Lopez into the end zone for the Rhinos’ 29-28 lead on Oct. 30. Photo by Steven Bryla

It was a statement drive by Allen and the Honkers’ offense as they were going to start the ball with defense in the second half.

Allen found junior Dante Lepe at the edge of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown and Yuba City had a 14-7 lead heading into the half.

Lepe led the Honkers on the night with five receptions and had 60-yard total. Allen completed 14 passes for 200 yards in the air.

Allen was comfortable and confident in the pocket and made good decisions on placing the ball downfield for his receivers to catch.

Yuba City senior Cody Haase (12) rushes down field for a score on Oct. 30 during the Honkers’ defeat to Twelve Bridges. Photo by Steven Bryla

Yuba City junior Ean Barraza intercepted a pass in the first offensive play from scrimmage in the second half from Twelve Bridges, which gave the Honkers the ball near midfield.

Haase jolted up the gut for a 57-yard touchdown and extended the lead 21-7.

Both squads got touchdowns on their next drives keeping the Honkers’ lead at 14 with five and a minutes left in the third.

Rhinos senior Alex Lopez punches one of his two touchdowns on the night from a few yards out of the end zone.

Twelve Bridges elected to go for a two-point conversion and successfully converted it, dropping the Yuba City lead 28-22 with three minutes left in the third.

The Honkers missed back-to-back field goals on their next two drives and Lopez scored on a four-yard touchdown rush with one minute and 44 seconds left in the game and the Rhinos led 29-28.

Yuba City senior quarterback Judah Allen (5) throws down field on Oct. 30 in the Honkers’ defeat to Twelve Bridges. Photo by Steven Bryla

Twelve Bridges held up and secured first place in the Foothill Valley League and potentially locked in the No. 1 overall seed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs.

Lessard told the Honkers in the post-game huddle that they played their hearts out and they should not be hanging their heads.

He added that they will see the Rhinos again in the playoffs at some point and to remember the feeling they currently felt.

Yuba City’s two losses this year are two-combined points and two heavily ranked teams in the SJS.

Lessard ended the huddle by saying that team 104 is different and they will be successful.

Yuba City hosts Nevada Union on Friday night and will find their fate of where they land in the postseason on Saturday, Nov. 7 when the SJS releases the postseason brackets.