Forest Grove in town for homecoming game vs HRV

A season ago, Hood River drove the field in the closing seconds and scored the winning touchdown with 24 seconds remaining to beat the Vikings, 44-37. Davis Parr’s TD pass to Ethan Rivera capped a second-half comeback in which HRV overcame a 22-7 deficit. The three-hour game included a 52-minute injury delay.

Two years ago, Hood River Valley won a Special District 1 playoff game, 41-40, at Forest Grove to qualify for the 5A state playoffs. That contest was the second in a week for HRV, which defeated Centennial, 48-19, four days earlier in a game delayed because of poor air quality in the Portland-metro area. Hood River had won an earlier meeting vs. Forest Grove, 21-8, when the two teams played a regular-season contest.

The 2022 rematch was an offensive showdown with more than 1,000 yards of total offense. Hood River tied the game 40-40 with 4:18 remaining on a 90-yard swing pass and run from Parr to Shaw Burns. Freshman Jerry Serrano’s point-after kick provided the winning margin. On the game’s final play, Forest Grove quarterback Kaden Hale threw a pass to a wide-open receiver who dropped the ball in the HRV end zone.

Parr should figure in the outcome of this week’s contest, as the third-year starter is completing more than 65 percent of his passes through four games. Junior Bam Layna also will be a feature in HRV’s offensive attack, averaging more than 100 yards rushing a game.

Layna rushed for 173 yards (on just nine carries) Sept. 27, when HRV won 46-6 over visiting Centennial. The hosts led 37-0 at halftime, which led to a running clock the entire second half and ample lineup changes by both teams.

Coach Caleb Sperry’s team scored on its first two plays from scrimmage and led 21-0 after one quarter. Centennial (2-2) scored its only touchdown on its lone possession of the third quarter in the fast-paced second half.

Hood River scored on its first play from scrimmage — a 61-yard run by Layna — and its second — a 41-yard Parr to Davin Snyder pass. Parr found Nick Tuttle on a six-yard TD reception later in the period, and Serrano added the point-after kick (one of six on the night).

Hood River had 317 yards of total offense in the first half, including 245 on the ground. Layna led the way with 173 of those yards on nine carries. Parr was 5-for-5 for 74 yards passing before intermission.

Parr and Snyder connected on a second TD pass play midway through the second quarter from five yards away. Layna capped HRV’s first-half offensive scoring output with a 42-yard touchdown run on the next possession by the home team. The final two points of the first half came on a safety, as Centennial snapped the ball out of the end zone on a punt attempt. The visitors did the same thing in the fourth quarter.

Hood River also received a four-yard touchdown run from JR Mendez in the closing minutes of the game.