Hood RIver Valley football wins at Centennial

HOOD RIVER — Hood River Valley returned to its winning football ways Oct. 17 with a methodical, 36-6, road win at Centennial High School.

Hood River, coming off its first loss of the season the previous week, dominated the game at the line of scrimmage en route to a 21-0 halftime lead. HRV improved to 6-1 this season and 4-1 in Special District 1 play. Milwaukie, the team which beat Hood River on Oct. 10, lost, 27-21, five miles away at Gresham High. That leaves HRV, the Mustangs and Gresham tied for first place with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

Hood River built its 21-point lead on a first-quarter, 16-yard touchdown run by Nick Tuttle, a second quarter Bam Layna three-yard run, and Jose Betancourt-Valle’s scoop and score, 60-yard fumble recovery. Coach Caleb Sperry’s team had another touchdown called back late in the first half. Davin Synder caught an inside screen and raced 90 yards down the left sideline for the apparent score, but most of the HRV offensive line was downfield prematurely on the play.

That line — on both sides of the ball — was aggressive the entire contest. It will be key as HRV closes in on a state playoff berth. The top two teams from District 1 automatically qualify for the postseason. Wins in its final two regular season games — Oct. 24 vs. David Douglas and Oct. 31 vs. Parkrose — will assure HRV of at least a tie for one of those berths.

Against Centennial, Hood River scored twice in the third period for a 36-0 lead, necessitating a running clock the entire fourth period. Quarterback Bodie Stuben and Snyder connected on a down-and-out pass from the 5-yard line and Stuben’s point-after kick made it 28-0. The score was set up by Tuttle’s 31 run on a fly sweep fueled by Miguel Arriola’s block on the edge.

Centennial (3-4, 2-3 league), which scored on the game’s final play from scrimmage to prevent the shutout, couldn’t contain HRV’s ground game for any sustained among of time. Layna scored on a three-yard run and Josh McLaughlin’s heads-up play on a low snap from center on the subsequent point-after attempt led to the senior running in for a two-point conversion instead.

The TD was set up by two big plays: a 29-yard run by Layna, with a spring block from junior Milo Bielen and a key downfield block from Talon-Quinn Britt. The senior was rewarded on the next play, when he caught a Stuben pass and rambled 28 yards to the 2-yard line. The Eagle offensive line ushered in Britt from there.

Layna finished with 112 yards rushing on 17 carries. Snyder caught four Stuben passes for 30 yards.