Down by 21 points with three minutes remaining – and its star quarterback sidelined with an injury – No. 10 Grants Pass mounted a dramatic rally to overcome No. 5 Nelson 49-48 in overtime in a 6A nonleague football game Friday.
The host Cavemen played most of the game without senior quarterback Jordan Rossetta, who left shortly after landing on his throwing shoulder in the first quarter. Junior Aaron Hart filled in and completed 26 of 36 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns, making several big throws down the stretch.
“He was a warrior for us,” Grants Pass coach Matt Kennedy said of Hart. “He got his first start at linebacker, and after the game he was telling me, 'I was so nervous to play linebacker, I didn't have time to think about playing quarterback.' As soon as he had to go in at quarterback, he was done at linebacker.”
Hart threw a one-yard touchdown pass to senior Parker Howe to cut Nelson's lead to 42-28 with 2:50 remaining. After Grants Pass got the ball back at its own 20-yard line with 1:20 left – and no timeouts – senior Treyton Powers turned a short pass from Hart into a 43-yard touchdown with 38 seconds to go. The score was 42-34 after the extra-point attempt failed.
The Cavemen recovered the ensuing onside kick when senior Brevik Hill leaped to snag a high hopper away from the Hawks. Hall hit Powers for a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 42-40 with 19 seconds left, then Hall passed to Howe for the two-point conversion to tie 42-42.
Nelson appeared to have won the game on the final play of regulation when senior quarterback Braylon Gaines connected with senior Kevin Cohen on a 57-yard heave into the end zone, but the Hawks were flagged for an illegal man downfield, sending the game to overtime.
Nelson took the lead on the first series of overtime when Cohen ran for a one-yard touchdown, but Howe blocked the extra-point try, keeping the score at 48-42. Powers ran for a five-yard touchdown to draw Grants Pass even, and senior Alejandro Leon booted the extra point for the 49-48 win.
“It's a resilient group,” Kennedy said. “We don't have transfers coming in, and I think there's something to be said for the camaraderie and brotherhood that it has built among this group.
“To score three times in three minutes, things had to go our way. But it was also a game that we were in the entire time, and the kids knew it. They knew we just needed to make some plays, and that happened.”
Powers rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and caught three passes for 71 yards and two scores. Junior James Traylor III had 11 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns and Hill had 10 catches for 99 yards.
The status of Rossetta, a third-year starter with 55 career touchdown passes, is key going forward for Grants Pass.
“He's kind of week-to-week at this point, but he'll be back,” Kennedy said.
Lakers impress at Willamette
Lake Oswego's dominant defensive front was as advertised Friday night when the top-ranked Lakers opened their season with a 34-7 road rout of No. 6 Willamette.
But the reigning 6A champions also got encouraging play from their new quarterback, senior Ryder Lemm. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns, two to senior Cameron Elijah and one each to junior Presley DeLance and senior Jasiah Agnimel.
The 6-1, 185-pound Lemm has filled the spot vacated by Hudson Kurland, who starred in the Lakers' title run last year before heading off to a college career at Iowa State.
“I've loved Ryder from a long time ago,” Lake Oswego coach Steve Coury said. “In fact, last year I thought if we had to play him, if Hudson would've gotten hurt, I still think we would've been fine. I've always thought a lot of him.”
Coury said that Lemm “missed some things” in Friday's game – he threw one interception – but “he's only going to get better.”
“The thing I love about him is he's a program guy,” Coury said. “This is his fourth year, he's waited his turn, and now it's his turn. I think he's got some special tools. He can run the ball, too, which he didn't do.”
Lemm threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Elijah on fourth-and-goal to put Lake Oswego up 7-0 in the first quarter. He tossed touchdown strikes of 33 yards to DeLance and 31 yards to Agnimel to expand the lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter, then hit Elijah for a four-yard score to make it 27-7 in the third quarter.
Lake Oswego's defense smothered the Wolverines and junior quarterback Zeke Thomas, a Boise State commit. Elijah intercepted Thomas and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown for the final score.
The defensive line of Oregon-bound senior Josh Christensen (6-6, 285), senior Aidan Soraghan and junior Max Matijacic dominated along with senior linebackers Cash Wilks and Xavier Gwynn.
“They were physical. I loved the way they played,” Coury said. “There's experience there with the front five guys.”
Their physicality proved to be too much for Willamette.
“That level of play, we have not seen. We just haven't seen it," Wolverines coach Josh Line told the Register-Guard. "Even with the schedule we played last year. I'm grateful that we had that opportunity. I think if we learn the lessons that we have to learn. and we respond, this could be something we look back on and say, 'That was a defining moment for us.""
'Good to be back out there'
Estacada absorbed a 32-28 loss at Vale in its season opener Saturday afternoon, but for Rangers assistant Garrett Thornton, coaching in the game was a victory in itself.
Thornton, a Sandy police officer, was shot four times in an exchange of gunfire with a man who police say shot and killed three people in a domestic dispute May 31.
He was shot twice in his right arm -- sustaining nerve damage – as well as once in his left hand and once in his leg, resulting in a broken femur. He spent one month in the hospital and has undergone three surgeries. He missed much of Estacada's summer activities but returned to practice for the run-up to the season.
“I've gotten away from walkers, but I'm still getting around a little slow,” Thornton said. “Progress is slow but steady. I'm a sports guy, and I'm like, you sprain an ankle and you're out 6-8 weeks. This isn't really the same.”
Thornton achieved a personal goal by making the six-hour bus ride to Vale to coach in the opener.
“I was hoping to be back at Vale,” he said. “I'm a little limited on some things. I coach from the press box, and I usually go to the locker room at halftime. I didn't make it to the locker room at halftime, but it was good to be back out there. Wish we would have won.”
Thornton played quarterback at Centennial and assisted there for six seasons. He is in his ninth season on the staff at Estacada, where he serves as quarterbacks coach and helps coach Andy Mott run the offense.
“I'm a quarterbacks coach who can't really throw the football right now, which is a little weird,” he said. “I'm just trying to get out of the house and be at practice, take my mind off of things and help the team.”
In Saturday's game, 4A No. 6 Estacada took a 14-6 lead in the second quarter over 3A No. 2 Vale. But the Vikings responded with four consecutive touchdowns to lead 32-14 early in the fourth quarter.
Vale junior quarterback Cal Johnson completed 9 of 19 passes for 241 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 47 yards on 13 carries. All five touchdown passes went to senior Kellen Hartley, who finished with five catches for 178 yards.
Estacada senior Thomas Classen rushed for 152 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Junior Dane Carpenter passed for two scores.
Black Tornado surprises
Coming off a 1-8 season, North Medford was searching for positive signs when it played host to No. 9 Lakeridge of the powerful Three Rivers League in a 6A nonleague game Friday.
The Black Tornado left Spiegelberg Stadium surging with optimism after upsetting the Pacers 22-14.
“If you can win that first one, it provides so much momentum for you,” North Medford coach Nathan Chin told the Rogue Valley Times. “Then the practice and the operation and everything … the buy-in just changes.
“It’s awesome, and I’m happy for the kids. It was a tough year last year for the group, and they worked hard to be able to try and change, and I’m proud of them.”
Senior quarterback Quinn Scott completed 12 of 20 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the win. He threw scoring passes of 75 and 48 yards to senior Brady Patterson and 66 yards to junior Za’Khyem Tuivanu as the Black Tornado opened a 19-7 lead at half.
North Medford's defense yielded 399 yards but forced four turnovers, three in the red zone. The Black Tornado twice took the ball away near the goal line in the first half. Senior Liam Rea blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that led to a Patterson field goal that made it 22-14.
Patterson finished with three catches for 125 yards.
“This was pretty big,” Patterson told the Rogue Valley Times. “I think it showed a lot of people how we’re going to come out this year and play football, so I think it was pretty big for us.”
Added Scott: “It’s just a huge boost into the season. Last season we started off 0-7 and we’re 1-0 right now. Everything’s different. It’s amazing.”
Roseburg, Ashland renew rivalry
For the first time in 21 years, former rivals Roseburg and Ashland squared off Friday night when the 5A Indians won 18-7 at home over the 4A Grizzlies.
The teams' first recorded meeting was in 1921. They played off and on for the following four decades, then met every season from 1960 to 2005, most of that time in the Southern Oregon Conference. When the OSAA realigned from four classifications to six in 2006, they went their separate ways, Roseburg to 6A and Ashland to 5A.
The rivalry reached a fever pitch when they collided in two big-school state championship games, with Ashland prevailing 24-22 in 1989 and 29-23 in overtime in 1998.
To commemorate renewing the series Friday, the coaches from those championship games – Ashland's Jim Nagel and Roseburg's Thurman Bell – participated in the coin toss as honorary captains.
The schools agreed to a home-and-home series, with Roseburg visiting Ashland next season.
“I think it was the perfect match of trying to bring back the glory days, even though both programs have kind of fallen on tough times,” said Ashland athletic director Charlie Hall, an assistant on the 1998 title team and the Grizzlies' head coach from 2005 to 2016.
Hall recalled how the teams clashed in the golden era of SOC football.
“You could never take any week for granted,” Hall said. “Roseburg was always so big and super physical. If you could get by Roseburg, the chances were that you were going to see them again in the postseason.”
Buckaroos dominate
No. 3 St. Paul made an early statement by blitzing No. 4 Oakland 52-14 in a 2A nonleague showdown Friday night at Harrisburg High School.
Senior Bricen Britten rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Buckaroos, who bolted to a 32-0 lead in the second quarter. Senior JJ Hempfling and junior Max Burns also rushed for two scores.
“This is a great foundation, great first game to start off with,” Britten said. “We need to keep working every single week. If we can bring that energy into the next few games, we’ll be set to win. Everyone played a part and the part fit perfectly like a puzzle.”
Seniors Wyatt Smith and Jack Gregory led the Buckaroos with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Hempfling and senior Max Cain had interceptions.
“Everyone did their jobs amazingly and we had all of our energy,” Gregory said. “We all feed off each other.”
Up next for St. Paul is semifinal rematch at No. 2 Heppner on Friday. The Buckaroos lost to the Mustangs 56-16 in the playoffs last year.
-- Jeremy McDonald contributed to this report
Adrian adds to streak
Adrian, the two-time reigning 1A-8 champion, extended its winning streak to 25 on Friday with a 58-12 home win over Tri-Valley, Idaho's 1A runner-up last year.
The Antelopes rushed for 344 yards and had a 452-217 edge in total yards. Senior Mannie Mulrony had 10 carries for 167 yards and one touchdown and caught a 51-yard scoring pass from junior Isaiah Bayes. Senior Mannie Mulrony had 10 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns and added an interception.
Bayes completed 4 of 6 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns – the other a 41-yard strike to sophomore Landon Martin – and ran for one score.
Adrian opened a 22-0 lead early in the second quarter on three touchdown runs, two by Mulrony and one by Morford. Bayes tossed his two touchdowns in the second quarter to give the Antelopes a 38-12 lead at intermission.
It was a rematch of last year's season opener, when Adrian won at Tri-Valley 44-14.
jerryu@osaa.org
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