McMINNVILLE – Cascade's football team rode the relentless running of Bryce Kuenzi to the doorstep of its first state championship in a decade Saturday afternoon.
The senior running back continued his stellar postseason by rushing for 259 yards and six touchdowns on 33 carries to propel the top-seeded Cougars (12-0) past No. 4 Scappoose 55-19 in a semifinal at McMinnville High School.
The performance comes one week after he ran for a season-high 262 yards in the quarterfinals. In three playoff games, he has rushed for 676 yards and 11 touchdowns, increasing his season totals to 2,156 yards and 32 scores.
“He's by far the best back I've ever had,” Cascade coach Shane Hedrick said of Kuenzi, who matched his career-high with six touchdowns. “The beauty about him is he's an even better human being than he is a running back. He's just a great kid.”
Kuenzi had touchdown runs of 14 and 3 yards in the first half, which ended with Cascade ahead 22-13. He added scoring runs of 12, 30, 3 and 64 yards in the second half for the Cougars, who rushed for 372 of their 492 total yards.
“He's the best running back at this level,” Scappoose co-coach Sean McNabb said of Kuenzi. “I don't look at the other levels, but he's got to be up there in the top five. The thing about him is he runs downhill so well, and he jump-cuts and accelerates into you. He's everything you want in a running back.”
Cascade advances to the final for the first time since 2015, the year of its last title. The Cougars will play No. 3 Henley (9-2), the team that defeated them 21-14 in overtime in last year's semifinals.
That loss – in which Cascade failed to hold a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter and gave up the tying touchdown and two-point conversion with 19 seconds left – has stuck with the Cougars.
“I feel like it's motivated our whole season,” said senior defensive lineman and fullback Matt Hinkle, who had a sack and fumble recovery Saturday. “That loss last year really stung us. This year, even before this game, we were talking about it, 'Don't let this be another Henley.'”
Cascade senior quarterback Cade Coreson said the Cougars were talking about last year's Henley game all week.
“It was, 'Remember Henley, remember that feeling,'” said Coreson, who completed 9 fo 14 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown. “Coach kind of instilled that in our minds.”
Last year's semifinal defeat was especially frustrating for Kuenzi, who missed the latter half of last season with a knee injury.
“It actually motivated me a lot, now that I'm here, able to play,” Kuenzi said. “I think about it a lot.”
The Cougars not only gave themselves a chance at redemption with Saturday's win, they also broke new ground for Hedrick, who will coach in a championship game for the first time. Hedrick is 193-122 in 29 seasons at five schools, but until Saturday had never got past the semifinals.
“This is a special group,” Hedrick said. “These kids are really special to me. You can see the way they play, the effort they put into it.”
Kuenzi took satisfaction in winning for Hedrick.
“It means a lot. To do this for our coach, it's something to be proud of,” Kuenzi said. “It's going to be fun to do this with him.”
When Cascade played host to Scappoose on Sept. 12, the Cougars spotted the Indians a 14-0 lead before taking over to win 59-37. On Saturday, Cascade never trailed, opening a 22-6 lead in the first half on two touchdown runs by Kuenzi and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Coreson to junior Josiah Hawkins.
Scappoose drew within 22-13 with 50 seconds left in the first half when junior quarterback Will Kessi threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to senior Trever Olsen, who also connected with Kessi on a 40-yard scoring play in the first quarter.
On the second touchdown pass, Hawkins was injured when he collided with a teammate while trying to defend Olsen's catch. After a delay, Hawkins gingerly walked off the field and did not return to the game.
The loss of Hawkins, who leads the team with 10 touchdown catches and four interceptions, was emotional for the Cougars.
“Our good friend Josiah was out of the game, so that motivated us even more to come out and finish the game for him,” Kuenzi said.
Hedrick did not specify Hawkins' injury, but had a positive outlook about it.
“I think he'll be OK,” Hedrick said.
Cascade dominated the second half, scoring touchdowns on all five of its possessions. Behind the blocking of the offensive and Hinkle at fullback, Kuenzi flourished.
“I love it when me and the offensive line can work togesther and see BK down the field in the end zone,” Hinkle said.
It was a difficult defeat for Scappoose (10-2), which lost in the semifinals for the fourth year in a row. In the last three seasons, the team that knocked out the Indians has won the title – Estacada in 2022, Henley in 2023 and Marist Catholic in 2024.
Scappoose hasn't made the final since 2015, when it lost to Cascade 37-28.
“Only one team is going to be laughing and being happy and jumping around,” McNabb said. “We really thought we had a good shot at that this year, but it just wasn't our day. Cascade, a physical team like that, the really physical runs teams have given us some trouble.”
Kessi completed 7 of 19 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Olsen had three catches for 115 yards and senior Drew Butler had two catches for 83 yards. Junior Elijah Greenan Biggs rushed for 54 yards on 20 carries.
jerryu@osaa.org
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