Eagle gridders savor 2-1 mark after comeback thriller at home

For one thing, they pulled out a thrilling victory Sept. 20, beating Parkrose on a 20-yard pass touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game, played at Henderson Stadium. The Eagles were down 20-8 at the half in  their third straight home game to open the season.

“We kept it close, had some timely stops, and didn’t abandon our game plan,” Sperry said.

For another thing, now they get a rare “bye.”

Benson Tech, the Portland school scheduled to host HRVHS this week, has not been able to field a team, so the Sept. 27 game is canceled.

That means the next game is Oct. 4 — an early Homecoming contest — against LaSalle. The Crusaders are 1-2 on the season, but Sperry said the team is on guard, considering LaSalle one of the top squads in its conference.

Parkrose comeback

Tanner Fletcher, the Eagles’ workhorse running back this season, scored three running touchdowns in the Parkrose victory.

The difference maker was quarterback Ryan Gray connecting with receiver Grayson Losee, in the endzone.

“They were pumped,” Sperry said. “To overcome a deficit and keep clawing away, it was exciting for everyone.”

Then the Raiders left Losee alone when he ran a slant corner. Gray was well-protected and his Losee for the winning play.

Extra week to prepare

Sperry said the school looked in vain for a replacement for Benson when the Techmen had to cancel but could not find a suitable opponent, so the decision was made to take the week off.

“Taking a week off is tough, especially for high school kids, keeping them on the schedule, but also it’s a good time to rest the kids up and help them heal. We’re making the best of it,” Sperry said.

With two weeks between games, Sperry and his staff will circle back to the fundamentals with their charges.

“We’ll focus on taking care of the ball, and integrating our game plan for LaSalle,” he said.

Keys are “be who we are, establish a running game, and keep things in front of us on defense.”