DUFUR — The No. 5-ranked Dufur High Rangers are looking like a top contender to qualify for the Class 1A eight-man football playoffs after posting a second straight Special District 3 victory. The Rangers celebrated homecoming by recording their fifth straight win overall, 50-14, over Sherman/Condon.
The Rangers (2-0 SD3, 5-1 overall) missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years last season, but it’s looking like they’ll return to the postseason in 2024. Dufur plays at Lyle (1-1 SD3, 3-3 overall) 7 p.m. Oct. 18. The top three teams in SD3 qualify for the 12-team state playoffs beginning Nov. 8.
“I’m proud of our kids and the sky’s the limit for our team,” said Coach Jack Henderson. “We want to play football for a long time this year.
“Lyle is having a good season; they played very well against Perrydale a couple weeks ago (a 50-20 Lyle win on Oct. 4). They’re certainly going to show up and be ready to play … it’s going to be a huge game in our league.”
Against Sherman, Dufur senior running back Nolan Cates (eight carries, 107 yards rushing; four catches, 85 yards receiving) helped the Rangers build a 12-0 first quarter lead with touchdown runs of 35 and 45 yards.
Cates said linemen Scott Graham and Foster Harvey have “really been blocking well and helping create running room for me and my teammates so that we can help contribute on offense.” Cates has scored 20 touchdowns this season and he has nearly 1,000 yards rushing.
Sophomore quarterback Gavin Anderson (7-for-12 passing, 180 yards, three touchdowns) threw to Cates for a 55-yard score and Cates returned a punt 50 yards to put Dufur ahead for good, 28-6, before halftime.
Sherman pulled within two scores on its ensuing possession on an 18-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Gabe Fritts to senior receiver Blake Carnine. Fritts tossed a two-point conversion pass to senior Michael Blagg, making it 28-14 with 3:04 left until halftime. Sherman did not score after the break.
Sherman’s fifth-year Coach Kyle Blagg said: “They (Rangers) made some big plays when they needed to, and we didn’t. That’s what it came down to and that’s how things go sometimes. We knew that Nolan was going to have a good game. We just got out of position a little bit and they kept us off balance.”
The Huskies (1-1 SD3, 2-4 overall) play Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at home versus Perrydale (1-1 SD3, 4-1 overall). “We’ll put together a game plan for Perrydale and we’ll see if we can execute it well and, hopefully, we can bounce back and get a win at home on Friday,” Blagg said.
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