Barlow holds off HRV Friday night, 28-21

Huckaby’s ensuing onside kick was recovered by Sietstra at the Bruin 33 with eight seconds remaining. Wells tried to find receiver Davin Snyder down the left sideline, but his pass was out of bounds. That set up the game’s final play, a bubble screen to Snyder. The senior receiver made his ninth catch of the game and raced to the Barlow 5-yard line before he was tackled out of bounds to end the game.

Snyder had 96 receiving yards, but it was his use as a decoy which enabled HRV to stay with Barlow. The Eagles scored first on a Sietstra 41-yard scamper in the first quarter. Snyder went in motion on the play, drawing attention from the Bruin linebackers. A hole was opened up front by senior linemen Milo Bielen and Reece Reierson which propelled Sietstra into the secondary where he did the rest.

Barlow (1-1), which was hurt by penalties (17 for 153 yards on the night), tied the game on its next possession on a four-yard run by Hood River transfer JR Mendez. Tanner Smith blocked the point-after kick for HRV.

Hood River answered on its opening possession of the third period, when Snyder was again the decoy. Brady Rice got behind Barlow’s secondary and Wells hit him in stride for a 70-yard TD strike.

Barlow scored the next three times it had the ball to build its 28-14 lead. The Bruins went to a tight, double wing set and kept the ball on the ground.

Sietstra finished with 18 carries for 103 yards rushing. Wells was 13 for 22 for 186 yards. Snyder’s nine catches covered 96 yards. Mendez finished with 89 yards on 17 carries for Barlow.