Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE — DeSales of Walla Walla, Washington, showed it will be a contender for another WIAA Class 1B state football championship with its, 46-20, 8-man season-opening win Sept. 5 at Dufur High.
The Irish returned key players from its 14-0 state championship team of 2025 and quickly turned the final game of the annual Dufur Classic into a one-sided affair. Dufur is in the conversation along with a handful of other contenders for the OSAA 8-man title this fall.
But the Rangers had no answers for DeSales’ physicality. The Irish’s running attack was led by bruising 195-pound senior Caleb Bingham, while calm, senior quarterback Cohen Wood was effective on screen passes and tosses into the flat. Lineman Hudson Hall helped keep the Rangers scoreless until the guests had found the end zone six times.
Dufur junior Bryson Cates more than proved his worth as a running back and kick returner. The stocky 185-pound transfer from The Dalles scored two of the Rangers’ three touchdowns — each on kickoff returns. His first TD romp covered 80 yards and the second was an 82-yarder — aided by a key block from Kyle Wilson. Cates returned six kickoffs for 313 yards (he was yards away from a third TD but was run out of bounds after racing 82 yards). Cates’ best run arguably came in the first quarter when he broke four tackles for a 35-yard gain.
Dufur’s other score was a 70-yard, fourth-quarter run by swift junior Chase Richards.
The Rangers get no reprieve in their schedule, as they play Sept. 11 at Klamath Falls against Crosspoint Christian (1-1). The Warriors, who lost last week to Liberty Christian (Washington), beat Dufur, 44-8, in the 2025 1A semifinals. The Rangers won the regular season game between the two teams, 20-12. (Of note: Liberty Christian lost to DeSales in last year’s WIAA 1B title game.)
Sherman County won its opener, 36-18, over visiting Union (0-2) on Sept. 3 at the Dufur Classic. The Huskies, looking to build on last year’s 9-3 record in 6-man football, tried to set the tone early in this year’s 8-man season when senior Drake Dark wrestled the ball away from a Union player on the opening kickoff.
Sherman turned the ball over on downs on that possession and Union would end up scoring on its initial drive. But the Huskies reasserted themselves offensively in the next series when quarterback Gabe Simpson connected with Ryder Smith on a swing route out of the backfield for a 37-yard touchdown.
Union regained the lead on its next possession before Smith scored on a 20-yard run early in the second period. Smith added a 73-yard TD run in the third period. Smith was sprung by a kickout block at the line of scrimmage by Cristian Rubo and a seal block by Cael Bish.
Lyle lost its opener 46-0 against Camas Valley (2-0) at the Dufur Classic. Sherman will play at Lyle/Wishram at Lyle High School, 7 p.m. Sept. 11 in the Special District 3 opener for both teams.
South Wasco County also lost its 6-man opener, 55-0, Sept. 4 to visiting Jordan Valley.
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