Stevenson beats Columbia, 13-0, in Gorge Bowl

“(With) six turnovers it’s really difficult to get in the offense consistently,” Columbia Coach Dan Smith said.

The coach shouldered some of the blame for his play calling, especially down the stretch. “You get down and the game starts getting closer to the end, and I pressed a little bit too much I think,” Smith said. “I should have maintained our running game and not thrown as much, which forced some things.

“The good thing coming out of it is you only give up one offensive touchdown as a defense (even when) you turn the ball over six times in your own territory. That was really good to see, (that) our defense played significantly better than the week before.”

Linebacker Kai Brasuell and lineman Matthias Posini led the Bruin defense with six and 5.5 tackles, respectively. Petey Schlegal was his usual self with aggressive run support from his secondary spot and added a fumble recovery, while Avery Schalk picked off a Stevenson pass.

The defense couldn’t do anything about the first Stevenson score. A couple of minutes into the second quarter, Stevenson junior lineman Chayton Cameron tipped an inside screen pass attempt from Columbia quarterback Wesley White at the Bruin 47-yardline. Cameron, his momentum going forward, hauled in the ball at the 44 and ran untouched down the middle of the field to the end zone to break the scoreless tie. Garrett Hickman added the point-after kick giving Stevenson a 7-0 lead.

Prior to that play, Columbia (0-2) had moved the ball on the Bulldogs. In fact, until the pick six, Columbia had outgained Stevenson 48 yards to 24 through the first 14 minutes of play.

“We moved the ball on our first possession really well,” Smith said of the Bruins’ first drive which ended near midfield with a Stevenson interception. “And then it’s like we always talk about, we have a mental mistake, and a false start, and then things just go a little bit sideways and that stops momentum and then it’s a regrouping issue.

“The good thing is that those things are fixable.”

The Bulldogs (1-1) added the game-clinching score late in the third period on a 17-yard pass play. Wide receiver Nate Kick ran a slant route from the left side toward the middle and flanker Sean O’Neal ran a fade toward the left corner. Quarterback Kacen Bach had an easy pass-and- catch to O’Neal in the front of the end zone, as three Columbia zone defenders went inside with Kick.

Columbia had called a timeout just prior to the touchdown pass and appeared to have its defenders in the right spots.

On Stevenson’s first score, Columbia was looking for an inside screen, which was set up fairly well until a backpedaling White and running back Schlegal got their legs tangled up and the Bruin quarterback lost his balance while throwing the ball as he fell over backward.

Cameron had slipped off a block and spun around to notice the ball gifted in the air toward him. Had Cameron not made the pick, Columbia had a wall of blockers ahead of intended receiver Schalk, who was running a crossing route back toward the middle along the line of scrimmage.

“It’s just one of those early-season issues that you get through and you learn from and hope to make it better the next week,” Smith said.

Stevenson’s win was the second straight for the Bulldogs over their neighbor to the east. Stevenson blocked a fourth-quarter field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown for a 6-0 victory in 2021.