As the No. 14 seed, the Gladstone Gladiators knew that nobody was giving them much of a chance to upset third-seeded Marist Catholic on the road in a 4A football first-round game Friday.
Down 20-7 at half, it appeared as if their season was on life support.
In the locker room at halftime, though, the Gladiators began to see their predicament in a new light.
“Our whole conversation with the kids was, 'Hey, everything we talked about this week in terms of the looks we're going to get, and the things we want you to do, it's right there for us,'” Gladstone coach Cam Sommer said. “'We've just got to go take the opportunity.'”
The Gladiators (6-3) did just that, rallying to stun the Spartans 21-20. With the victory, Gladstone -- the lowest seed still alive in the playoffs, in any classification – advances to the quarterfinals to play at No. 6 Tillamook (8-2) on Friday.
“We talked to the kids all week about, 'Hey, we're on stolen time, we're not ready to put the gear away,'” Sommer said. “A lot of our kids, once the tide started to turn, they'd say, 'Coach, we're not ready to be done yet.' It was really cool to see them pick each other up and just decide that they wanted to keep playing.”
Gladstone opened the second half with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 8 ½ minutes, ending on a touchdown pass from senior Brayde Owen to senior Ethan Finnigan, who caught the ball after it slipped through the hands of senior teammate Hayden Smith.
The Gladiators got the go-ahead score – a 35-yard touchdown run by senior Tristan Nonne and extra point by junior Fernando Rodriguez with five minutes left – on a drive kept alive on a bold fourth-and-one conversion at their own 29-yard line.
Sommer said he wanted to punt, but offensive coordinator Paris Penn and the players changed his mind.
“Our kids were going, 'No, hey, coach, trust us, we got it, we'll do it,'” Sommer said. “Paris called the right play, the kids executed, and we got it by three yards.”
Marist Catholic had the ball near midfield on the next series when Gladstone senior Marlon Diaz hit senior quarterback Jackson Gibeau while he was throwing and the pass was intercepted by Smith with about two minutes left. The Spartans got the ball back in the final minute but the Gladiators held on downs.
Gladstone ran for about 150 yards in the second half as Finnigan, Smith, Nonne and Owen shared the load.
“We found a groove and took the air out of the football a little bit,” Sommer said.
The Spartans had only 12 offensive plays in the second half. Finnigan had a big game on defense, returning a fumble for a touchdown and recording a sack, a forced fumble and 11 tackles, including three for losses. Junior middle linebacker Fynn Brechbiel had 15 tackles.
Sommer said his team is surging with confidence after beating the Spartans and their legendary coach, Frank Geske.
“He's one of the best coaches in Oregon state history,” Sommer said. “Our kids are excited because they don't want to stop playing with each other. It certainly gives us a lot of energy going into playing another really good ball club at their place.”
Central defense 'locked in'
A team lurking in the shadows of the 5A bracket is ninth-seeded Central (7-2).
The Panthers have won six in a row behind a rock-solid defense. They have held opponents to an average of 9.3 points in the last four games, including a 10-6 first-round win at No. 8 Eagle Point (6-4) on Friday.
When Central finished 2-7 last season, the team allowed 27.9 points per game. This year, under new defensive coordinator Jeff Centoni, that mark is down to 14.2.
“Coach Centoni's got those guys locked in,” Panthers coach Joel Everett said. “Our defense has really been the staple of our team all year. It's a pretty special senior group that we have this year. They're firing on all cylinders, and they're playing for each other. It's been awesome to watch.”
During the winning streak, Central held to Crescent Valley and Dallas – teams that combined for a state record 150 points in the regular-season finale – to a total of 16 points. Dallas scored a late touchdown against reserves.
“Everyone knows their assignment, they've all got each other's back, and they just play hard,” Everett said. “They like to hit, which is awesome.”
Senior middle linebacker Ethan Dunigan (5-9, 180) is “the main cog in the wheel,” according to Everett. Senior safety Josh Peters (6-2, 205) and senior outside linebackers Joey Cole (6-1, 185) and Bensen Craig (6-1, 185) also are very active.
“I'll put our three backers up against any in the state. I think that highly of them,” Everett said.
Central's defense faced a big challenge Friday in slowing down Eagle Point senior David Brown, one of the state's top running backs. Brown had 31 carries for 178 yards, but the Panthers mostly contained him, except for a 33-yard touchdown run.
“We had a lot of guys flying to the ball,” Everett said. “A lot of the time it wasn't just one or two guys, but five, six, seven guys, pushing that pile. He runs hard, he puts his shoulder down. He got one on us, but we've just been stout all year, and the defense came up big in a bad-weather game.”
Senior quarterback Chase Nelson ran for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter for Central, which now draws the unenviable task of taking on No. 1 Summit (9-1) in the quarterfinals. The Storm will test the Panthers' physicality.
“We want to show them what Central is all about, and hopefully shock the world,” Everett said. “I don't know if anybody in 5A can match what Summit has, but we're going to do our best. We've got some talent on our end, and I think we're flying under the radar.”
Demo-lition
Defense also has been the calling card for Jefferson, which extended its winning streak to six Friday by beating McMinnville 18-9 in the first round of the 6A Columbia Cup.
The Democrats (7-3) have yielded only 29 points in the last six games, five times holding opponents to single digits. They shut out Lincoln and McDaniel to finish the regular season and held McMinnville to a season-low point total Friday.
“The defense is really tough,” Jefferson coach Anthony Stoudamire said. “I've got some kids on defense that really get after it. I knew that my defense was going to be the strength this season.”
Leading the way is the secondary, which has racked up 24 interceptions, eight of them returned for touchdowns. Senior Kamari Ransom has five interceptions and several others have at least three. Ransom and sophomore D'Marieon Gates each have returned two interceptions for touchdowns and senior Sanborne Melson brought one back 99 yards for a score.
“These kids are playmakers. They're all ball hawks,” Stoudamire said.
Melson and senior Jeray Mott Jr. made the Portland Interscholastic League first team and Gates, Ransom and junior Montral Brazile Jr. were voted to the second team.
Stoudamire said the 5-8, 155-pound Gates is a game-changer on both sides of the ball. On offense, he has lined up at quarterback, running back, slot and wideout and has played cornerback and safety on defense.
“He is definitely going to be Division I,” Stoudamire said of Gates, who had a touchdown catch Friday. “Remember that name, you're going to be hearing about this kid. He's special. When you put the ball in his hands, he does special things.”
Against McMinnville, Jefferson was without its run-stuffing, all-league senior defensive tackle – Pedo Gonzales (6-1, 280), who has a back injury – but got a strong performance from freshman defensive end Zae Clark Anderson, who had two tackles for loss and a sack.
The Democrats started the season 1-3, scoring only 27 points in the first four games. Since sophomore Brave Johnson took over at quarterback in Week 5, though, they are averaging 34.8 points per game and have gone 6-0.
“He was probably our best quarterback going into the season, but he wasn't ready to play varsity football,” Stoudamire said of Johnson, who threw two touchdown passes Friday and has nine for the season.
Stoudamire said that his team, which plays host to North Salem (6-4) in a Columbia Cup quarterfinal Friday, has made big strides since losing to Oregon City, Liberty and Grant early in the season.
“If we played a couple of the teams that we lost to, it would be a different story,” he said. “We were trying to find ourselves offensively. We've got playmakers, but early in the season, we couldn't get anything going.”
Highlights from the first week of the football playoffs:
6A
Cru Newman completed 9 of 15 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns – two to Zhaiel Smith – and ran for 135 yards to propel Central Catholic past South Medford 63-6. … Tualatin's Jack Wagner threw touchdown passes to Kenen Elder, Richie Anderson and AJ Noland in a 36-6 win over Grants Pass. … Elijah Douglass had two interceptions, returning one for a score, as Sherwood throttled South Salem 48-6. Nick Gribble ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns. … AaronRey Simpson had 19 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard score on the first play, as Mountainside blanked Nelson 31-0. …
West Linn rushed for 527 yards, led by Koffi Kouame (24 carries, 189 yards, two touchdowns) and quarterback Sam Leavitt (seven carries, 112 yards, two touchdowns), in downing Grant 59-0. The Generals had 11 total yards. … Brock Thomas completed 12 of 14 passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns, two to Cade Welch, and ran for a score as Sheldon dropped Barlow 57-7. The Irish blocked two punts, returning one for a touchdown, and notched a safety. … Lake Oswego eliminated North Medford 28-13 as Liam Davis passed for three touchdowns, two to Ethan Park and one to Matt Layne. … Payton Roth rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and Jacob Hutchinson passed to Patrick Kelley for two scores for Jesuit, which led 32-0 at half and defeated Tigard 42-6.
Columbia Cup (6A)
Marcus Jordan ran for 347 yards and three touchdowns to lead Oregon City past Wells 35-16. … Lakeridge handled Sandy 40-0 as Ryan Oliver threw touchdown passes to Baylor Corbin and Tashi King. Donald Stephens Jr. ran for 120 yards and two scores on five carries. … Westview defeated Century 37-0 behind Jordan Fisher, who ran for 249 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, giving him 2,030 yards for the season. …Jerrik Wangler and Josiah Davis each ran for two touchdowns for North Salem in its 34-21 win over Newberg. … Zachariah Frazier had three touchdown runs as Clackamas routed Roosevelt 41-6. … Liberty held Reynolds to 95 yards to win 35-0. Vincent Cabezudo and Michael William Campos had two touchdown runs apiece. … Sprague dropped Sunset 30-14 as Kenya Johnson and Barik Hill each scored two touchdowns.
5A
Thurston stopped a two-point attempt with 3:24 left and Kodi Wardlaw blocked a 37-yard field goal try two minutes later as the Colts held on for a 13-12 win over West Albany. Noah Blair threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Burkhead and Vaun Halstead had a 20-yard scoring run for Thurston. … Bend recorded its sixth shutout, dominating Hillsboro 41-0. The Lava Bears blocked two punts. … Top-seeded Summit got two touchdown runs from Sam Stephens and two scoring passes from Hogan Carmichael in cruising past Hood River Valley 42-6. … No. 12 seed Dallas came from behind in the second half to defeat No. 5 Putnam 29-20 as Zayvian Webster rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Corey Miller ran for two scores. Brock Dunkin had four tackles for loss and a sack for the Dragons, who trailed 20-18 in the third quarter. …
Kaden Younger had 16 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns as South Albany dispatched Mountain View 35-7. … Silverton topped Springfield 42-10 as Alex Briseno ran for three touchdowns. Jackson Pfeifer scored touchdowns rushing and receiving and Diego Flores scored on a fumble recovery. … Wilsonville's Kallen Gutridge completed 6 of 13 passes for 115 yards and four touchdowns and had 10 carries for 154 yards and one score in a 51-7 rout of North Eugene. Mark Wiepert had two touchdown catches and Nick Crowley and Ryder McElroy scored on fumble recoveries.
4A
Top-seeded Mazama brushed off Seaside 49-6 as Tyson Van Gastel ran for two touchdowns and threw a 25-yard scoring pass to Brendon Monteith. Treyce Horton had two touchdown runs for the Vikings, who led 35-0 at half. … Seth Wehringer and Tanner Hoskins scored touchdowns for Tillamook in a 12-8 win over Woodburn. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown and two-point conversion in the fourth quarter and recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Cheesemakers held on defense. … Pendleton's Payton Lambert rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and had a big game on defense with three tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, to lead a 41-20 win over Stayton. The Buckaroos forced six turnovers (four fumbles, two interceptions), scoring on a 57-yard fumble return by Andrew Demianew. …
La Grande ran away from Cascade 48-12 as Logan Williams passed for three touchdowns and ran for a score. … Tucker Jackson ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns for Estacada, which defeated Junction City 44-8. … Henley shook off a 9-6 halftime deficit to beat Crook County 47-23. Logan Whitlock ran for 250 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and Shaw Stork passed for two scores and ran for two more. Crook County's Eddie Freauff returned a kickoff for a touchdown. … Scappoose ousted reigning champion Marshfield 26-6 as D'Angelo Macedo ran for 129 yards on 23 carries and Treyvin Fuller had a touchdown catch and an interception return for a score.
3A
Brody Sample returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to set the tone in Cascade Christian's 52-20 win over Ontario. Kameron Rague ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, Keith Reed passed for two scores and Peyton Maurer had two interceptions for the Challengers. … John Coiner returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown in the opening minute and Santiam Christian dominated St. Mary's 28-0. Luke Bellamy had a sack for a safety and Jayden Christy ran for three touchdowns. … South Umpqua's Aden Williams had five catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-21 win over Yamhill-Carlton. Jace Johnson passed for four touchdowns and Josiah Sinohui rushed for 101 yards and one score for the Lancers, who held on after the Tigers got within 28-21 in the fourth quarter. … Colton Campbell had 25 carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns and completed 7 of 9 passes for 111 yards and one score for La Pine, which led 38-6 in the fourth quarter and dropped Warrenton 38-19. La Pine held Warrenton to six first downs. …
Kennedy led 35-0 at half in a 43-0 win over Lakeview. William Schaecher had 18 carries for 147 yards and one touchdown and Javier Rodriguez and Elijah Traeger each rushed for two scores for the Trojans, who held the Honkers to 27 total yards. … Dayton amassed 411 rushing yards and forced seven turnovers to defeat Coquille 45-0. Zach Smith rushed for 187 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries and Nate Arce ran for 183 yards and one score on 22 carries. Morgan Gallagher recorded a safety and Lucas Ashley had three forced fumbles. … Vale ousted reigning champion Siuslaw 48-0 as Eli Aldred rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Colten Stepleton passed for two touchdowns and ran for a score for the Vikings, who outgained Siuslaw 387-140 and forced six turnovers. … Banks dominated Sisters 47-8 as Christian Lyda completed 10 of 13 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns and Ashton Crossen ran for 121 yards and three scores on 15 carries. Max Walker had two touchdown catches and Logan Kind caught seven passes for 138 yards and one score.
2A
Oakland led 48-8 at half and finished off Clatskanie 56-14 behind Cade Olds, who rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. The Oakers had a 386-142 edge in yards. … Sean Roggiero ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns for Weston-McEwen, which spotted Culver an early score before rolling to a 42-6 win. …. Heppner rushed for 332 yards in dispatching Monroe 26-0, getting 179 yards and two touchdowns from Caden George. Monroe's Nate Young had 21 carries for 108 yards. … Kaden Salamanca's one-yard touchdown run and ensuing two-point conversion run pushed Umatilla past Nestucca 24-23. Salamanca ran for two scores and had an interception on defense. Nestucca led 23-16 at half after a touchdown pass from Nolen Hurlimann to Cody Hagerty. …Lowell edged Knappa 27-26 as JaMar Thurman rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. … Jake Westerman ran for two touchdowns and Tanner Wright and Nelson Willstead had interceptions for Gold Beach, which handled Taft 42-6. … Noah Koenig caught a touchdown pass from Kollin Schumacher and Luis Perez ran for a score for Regis, which led 14-0 at half and defeated Bandon 14-2. The Rams defense had three interceptions and three fumble recoveries in the mudfest. … Colton picked up its first playoff win since 2005 by routing Toledo 50-0. Lance Gunter and Shade Starr each ran for two touchdowns and Jeb Ethington scored on a run and a fumble recovery.
1A-8
Brandon Lux ran for 186 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries for Perrydale in a 42-0 rout of Camas Valley. The Pirates allowed only 93 yards and forced seven turnovers. … Wyatt Burgess returned a kickoff for a touchdown to break a fourth-quarter tie and give Cove a 30-24 win over Enterprise. Nolan Barton Needham forced a fumble at the Cove 2-yard line in the closing minutes to protect the lead. Burgess also had a 75-yard touchdown catch from Patrick Frisch. Enterprise's Caden Fent ran for two touchdowns and passed for a score. … Reigning champion Adrian blitzed Dufur 66-6 as Jace Martin ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns and Jace Bateman passed for three scores. … Myrtle Point's Logan Backman completed 7 of 8 passes for 165 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a score – all in the first half – of a 66-8 win over Sherman/Condon. Andreas Villanueva had six catches for 107 yards and three touchdowns and Howard Blanton had two scoring catches.
1A-6
South Wasco County knocked out Elkton 46-10 as Ian Ongers completed 17 of 25 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Joey Holloway had nine catches for 121 yards and one touchdown and ran for a score. James Best rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, caught a scoring pass and had 9.5 tackles. Elkton's Nathan Rausch had four sacks. … Rene Sears completed 10 of 14 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns and caught a scoring pass from Alex Mahmoud as Powers rolled over Eddyville Charter 59-6. Mahmoud ran for two scores for the Cruisers, who outgained Eddyville 286-134. … Triangle Lake beat Prairie City/Burnt River 52-26 as Garrett Warren ran for five touchdowns and Matt Wyse returned an interception for a score. … Nate Clark rushed for 163 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries and had a 26-yard interception return for a score to help lead Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler past Siletz Valley 60-12.
jerryu@osaa.org
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