Football fans in Sherman and Dufur have enjoyed a nice local rivalry in the past eight seasons, as not only are Big Sky Conference bragging rights on the line, the winner of this annual high-powered tussle most likely earns league championship status.
Since 2006, the Rangers have won five of the past eight matchups, including the last two by an average margin of 90-30.
While the roster names have changed, Dufur head coach Jack Henderson is the stabilizing force on the Ranger sidelines in that span, while the Huskies have had Steve Kaseberg, Kyle Blagg, Greg Evers, Mike Somnis, Todd Swan and now Ron Townsend as head coach.
Both Townsend and Henderson have combined for eight state championships at their respective schools, six for Henderson.
They also have amassed close to 350 wins.
Both coaches won state crowns back in 1994, both by shutouts, Sherman’s coming at the 2A level.
That 1994 campaign was the last state football title won by Townsend.
Henderson won again in 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006.
This time around, Sherman is ranked second in the state with an undefeated 6-0 record and boasts the 1A classification’s top offense along with the fourth-best scoring defense for Townsend.
The Husky coach is looking forward to sending his black-clad group out on the gridiron to put the hours of practice and a tough preseason slate to the test.
“We are looking forward to the challenge this week,” Townsend said. “Dufur has been one of the most successful programs in the state for a number of years and present a lot of problems with their multiple offensive abilities and their sound defense.”
In six games this year, the Huskies have averaged 66 points a game, and they are coming off a completely dominant 84-24 trouncing of Condon-Wheeler last week in Moro.
In that game, Sherman carried the ball 33 times for 541 yards and senior fullback Blake Evans rushed for a season-high 202 yards and four touchdowns.
In a span of five drives in less than nine minutes, Sherman scored five touchdowns, four by Evans and another on a short scamper from Maverick Winslow to make it 38-0 after the opening quarter.
This high-powered offense is going up against a Dufur defense that is ranked eighth in points allowed (152 points), but during this four-game winning streak, has given up just 18 points a clip.
“Offensively, we will try and take advantage of our speed,” Townsend said of his offensive crew.
Facing the Wing-T offense presents its many challenges, so the focus has been placed on fundamental football and execution.
It is tough enough stopping running backs Blake Evans, Winslow, Brett Evans and starting quarterback Austin Kaseberg.
But the Ranger defensive front of Trever Tibbets, Alec Smith, Zach Christiansen, Jon Buntin and Brent Sumner will need to match power-to-power with the Husky front of Kevin Hart, Tanner Sandquist, Wyatt Stutzman, Isaiah Coles and Kyle Fields.
“We have to be disciplined and not get out of position,” Henderson said. “They have kids that can go the distance from anywhere on the field. You have to be really disciplined and play assignment football. If you get out of position, they can score quickly on anyone, as they have shown this year.”
Another thing Sherman has on its side is some home cooking.
This year, the Huskies are 3-0 at home and have outscored opponents by a 218-44 margin.
During this eight-year rivalry, the Rangers have won three of four games in Moro by a 172-116 edge, with the last, played in 2012, going to Dufur in a 52-14 final.
While the Sherman offense is clicking at an impressive rate for tops in the 1A division, the Ranger offense is not far behind, sitting at fifth-best with 308 points scored for 51.3 points a matchup.
Just as Sherman took care of business last week, the Rangers had four one-play drives, two scoring drives of three plays or less and Bailey Keever added a punt return to pace a 66-14 triumph in Ione.
Dufur has a stable of backs available as well, with Tibbets, Nick Little, Hagen Pence and Kurt Nuevo along with Jake Little at end, Curtis Crawford at the other end and Keever calling the shots under center.
This Husky defense will have to keep up its current trend using hard hits and speed to cut down any big gains and sustained Dufur drives.
This Sherman defense is ranked fourth in the state at 18.6 points a game.
“Offensively, we like where we are at at this point in time,” Henderson said. “We are pretty multi-dimensional with our depth and stuff. We have better depth than we have had in a long, long time. We have four running backs and that is unheard of at our level. They all are continuing to improve.”
The stands are expected to be filled to capacity under what is expected to temperatures in the mid-50s with a 20 percent chance of showers at kickoff on homecoming night.
Both veteran coaches are looking forward to this challenge on the schedule.
If things go well down the line, they could meet again in the playoffs.
“Hopefully, it will be a good game where both teams play well,” Townsend said.
Henderson is happy to see this budding rivalry game between two solid programs mean so much to so many for one night in mid-October.
That is why the coach’s coach and the players starp on the helmets to play this warrior game.
After the opening kickoff, the victors shall enjoy the riches for the next year.
“It is fun that this game is finally here,” Henderson said. “We really expect a great game. We know that they are tough and our kids will have to play very well to compete with them.”
Opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.in Moro and radio station 102.3 FM will broadcast the game.
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