THE GORGE — All four Gorge-area 1A football teams won during the same week for the first time ever.
What’s more, the Dufur High Rangers, the Lyle/Wishram High Cougars, the Sherman/Condon High Huskies and the South Wasco High Redsides all won away games. For the Rangers, Cougars and Huskies, they each started their five-game Special District 3 (SD3) eight-man football schedules with wins. In Special District 1 six-man football, the No. 4-ranked Redsides (3-0 SD1, 4-2 overall) won 44-12 over the defending state champion and No. 8-ranked Echo High Cougars (0-2 SD1, 3-2 overall) on Oct. 4 at Echo High School in Eastern Oregon. The Redsides, guided by Coach Mike Waine and assistant coach Michael Carter, won their third straight victory. The Redsides outgained the Cougars in total yardage, 336 to 113.
“It was an incredible game and a great, confidence-building win for us that was pivotal in our league standings,” said Waine. “Not only were our players locked in, but our coaches were as well. Coach Carter put together a defensive package that our players executed to near perfection. We absolutely shut down an incredible Echo offense (48 points per game average). We played absolutely flawless defense, and everyone had a standout performance. Our team played up to the potential that we knew that they had.”
The Redsides were led offensively by Storm McCoy (12-for-21 passing, 226 yards, three touchdowns), George Barnett (six catches, 104 yards receiving; six carries, 43 yards rushing, two TDs) and Gavin Hagen (three catches, 92 yards receiving; eight carries, 29 yards rushing).
Defensively the Redsides were led by Hagen (3.5 tackles, interception), Barnett (3.5 tackles, 70-yard interception return for TD), and Marcel Sandoval (1.5 tackles, two sacks, interception).
“As we prepared for Echo, our focus was assignment football on defense,” Waine said. “Echo has the potential to score quickly and when they have momentum, it’s hard to slow them down.”
Lyle beats Perrydale
In what was arguably the most impressive victory ever for Lyle/Wishram fifth-year Coach Dave Devoe in Special District 3 eight-man football, the No. 11-ranked Cougars won, 50-20, on Oct. 4 over previously undefeated Perrydale.
“We had a well-balanced offense, and all the kids worked really hard and stuck things out to gain enough momentum to help us come out on top and get a big win on the road,” said Devoe. “We just played a solid all-around game offensively and defensively. It was the best game that we played this year, especially since it was against a high-caliber team like Perrydale.”
The Cougars trailed 8-0 early in the contest before scoring 22 unanswered points. The momentum continued throughout the second half, as they utilized a balanced offense — 140 yards rushing and 123 yards passing — to take control.
The Cougars were led offensively by the trio of brothers Mason and Carson Ramsay, and junior receiver Jack Thiemann (nine catches, 81 yards receiving TD; two carries, 26 yards rushing, TD). The Cougars’ sophomore quarterback Mason Ramsay was 11-for-19 passing for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Carson Ramsay had 13 carries for 99 yards rushing and a touchdown, along with three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
The Cougars were led defensively by sophomore defensive lineman Elijah Cooper, who had an interception, a fumble recovered for a touchdown and six sacks.
Dufur wins fourth straight
The Rangers opened their five-game SD3 schedule with a 56-6 win over the County Christian High Cougars Oct. 4 at Estacada High School. The Rangers outgained the Cougars in total offense, 517 yards to 116.
Dufur built a 22-0 first quarter lead as Gavin Anderson (three-for-five passing, 109 yards), Nolan Cates (eight carries, 181 yards rushing, two touchdowns) and Scott Graham (six carries, 96 yards rushing) each scored touchdowns to help power the Ranger offense, which averages 54 points per game.
The Rangers’ momentum continued in the second quarter as they extended their lead to 50-0 at halftime. Cates scored on touchdown runs of 92 and 52 yards. Graham scored on a 38-yard touchdown run and Chase Richards (three carries, 88 yards rushing) scored on a 67-yard touchdown run. Cates, who had two catches for 71 yards, had 252 yards of total offense.
The Rangers will play their next contest in a neighboring county area rivalry matchup versus Sherman/Condon at 7 p.m. Friday at Dufur High School. The No. 16-ranked Huskies won 38-8 over the Pilot Rock High Rockets (0-1 SD3, 0-5 overall) on Oct. 3 at Pilot Rock High School in Eastern Oregon. The eight points scored by the Rockets was the fewest for a Husky opponent this year. The Huskies' win snapped a two-game losing streak.
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