THE GORGE — Three of the four local OSAA Class 1A football teams won first-round state playoff games to advance to the Nov. 16 quarterfinals. Dufur, Sherman/Condon, and South Wasco County won to continue their seasons, while Lyle lost its contest.
The No. 6-ranked Special District 3 eight-man football champion Dufur Rangers (9-1) notched their ninth straight win, 62-14, over the No. 11-ranked Powder Valley High Badgers Nov. 9 at Dufur High School. The Rangers built a 22-0 first-quarter lead. Sophomore quarterback Gavin Anderson (9-for-14, 222 yards passing) tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to senior running back/linebacker Nolan Cates (four catches, 111 yards receiving, two touchdowns; 11 carries, 200 yards rushing, three touchdowns). The Rangers extended the lead on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Cates.
Freshman running back Chase Richards had four carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and senior wide receiver/defensive back Sonny Wilson had three catches for 95 yards, two touchdowns, and also scored two, two-point conversions.
The Rangers, who led 44-0 at halftime, will play the No. 3-ranked Special District 1 champion North Douglas High Warriors (9-0) in a 1 p.m. matchup Saturday at Sutherlin High School.
Dufur Coach Jack Henderson said: “We came out and played hard and we actually played better than we have in any game all season. … Nolan is a pretty dominant player, and he did a great job again offensively and defensively.”
The winner of Saturday’s contest plays the winner of a quarterfinal contest between No. 10-ranked Sherman/Condon (6-4) and the No. 2-ranked Crosspoint Christian High Warriors (8-1) in Klamath Falls.
“North Douglas is going to be the best team that we’ve faced this season, and from here on out, it’s time to grind it out to win football games,” said Henderson. “We’re not going to win any more games by 40 or 50 points. North Douglas hasn’t been challenged once this year. It’s really going to be interesting to see what happens to kids when they come up against an opponent who challenges them.”
South Wasco wins in six-man
The No. 5-ranked Redsides (7-3) won at home, 51-13, over the Days Creek High Wolves (4-5) to reach six-man football quarterfinals.
“It was nice coming off of a bye week to have a game,” said Coach Mike Waine. “Days Creek had some talent, and although they were riddled by injuries, the came out and played better than we anticipated.”
The Redsides accumulated a total of 485 yards of total offense. They were led by quarterback Storm McCoy (15-for-21, 338 yards passing, four touchdowns) and receivers George Barnett (four catches, 130 yards receiving, two touchdowns), Marcos Chavez (four catches, 101 yards receiving, touchdown) and Gavin Hagan (five catches, 65 yards receiving). Barnett had four tackles, a sack, and three interceptions.
“Stats are great, but behind the scenes, some other guys also deserve recognition, too, including Sawyer Brown, Kellen Varney, Nolan Olsen, Josh Garcia, Jacob Beechler and Xavior Baca,” said Waine. “They’re a vital part of our program … If it wasn’t for all the bumps and bruises and fearlessness from them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
The Redsides play No. 4-ranked North Lake High (7-1) in a 1 p.m. contest Saturday at North Lake High School.
Sherman wins, 20-18
The Huskies, guided by fifth-year Coach Kyle Blagg, won 20-18 over the Mohawk High Mustangs in a first-round matchup at Mohawk High School.
“It was a big win and to go on the road and win in the playoffs is pretty impressive,” said Blagg, who led the Huskies to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. “We’re improving every day … and that’s why we were able to go down there and get the win.
“We took care of the ball, and we didn’t have any turnovers. Our kids played a really physical game, we did a decent job up front, and we flew around well on defense.”
Lyle ends season with loss
The Lyle/Wishram High Cougar, who advanced to the OSAA state playoffs for the first time ever, lost 74-20 at Union Coach Dave Devoe said: “It was a little bit of a rough game, but that’s okay because we went to the playoffs and we’re a very young team. We’ll have nearly every one of our key returning players coming back next year and these guys are all hard workers.”
The Cougars were led offensively by junior running back Carson Ramsay (13 carries, 124 yards rushing, touchdown), junior receiver Jack Thiemann (four catches, 111 yards receiving, two touchdowns) and sophomore quarterback Mason Ramsay (7-for-19, 193 yards passing, two touchdowns). The Cougars were led defensively by sophomore defensive lineman Elijah Cooper, who had two sacks.
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