Orrick coach Kirk Thacker liked how his Bearcats performed during the final stretch of their varsity 8-man football season.

The Bearcats were 3-3 their last six games, including a 106-66 loss to undefeated Braymer/Breckenridge Nov. 3 at Braymer in the District 4 Tournament. That finish followed an 0-5 start.

“I wish we could’ve started out the season the way we finished it, but we were … trying to find an identity, trying to find an offense,” Thacker commented Tuesday by phone.

The offense the Bearcats found was the same one they faced against Braymer/ Breckenridge – a pass-oriented, spread attack. Braymer/Breckenridge used that style of offense to rout Orrick 68-6 when the teams met in Week 4 of the regular season at Orrick.

But with Orrick also running the spread, the rematch was closer – at least for two-plus quarters, recalled Thacker, a 1987 Richmond High School graduate. After falling behind 18-0, the Bearcats “were able to fight back,” making it an eight-point ballgame twice during …