Day After Report: Week 5
So sorry for the delay, but it was a crazy weekend. A long road trip followed by being home sick.
My goal: To be back to full strength before Friday. I don’t want to miss any football games.
Anyway, here is a Reader’s Digest version of the Day After Report:
First off, hope you have enjoyed that we’ve had stories on every game played in Clark County this season, with reporters and freelancers at the games. Many of our freelancers are covering football for the first time. They are doing a fine job with their stories and many of them are getting really good with the stat-keeping. However, we have been far from perfect with the statistics. Because of this, we are asking the coaches for the games that we send our freelancers to call us on Friday nights with their stats … just like the old times. You know, like last year!
Unfortunately for all of us, we had major issues from the Skyview game. (We had enough available reporters to cover Skyview’s game in Portland this past week.) We did get the story, but our numbers were off. It turned out, the Skyview stat-keeper, one of the best in the business, was not at this particular game. So the Skyview coaches never called Friday night. When our reporter had trouble with roster/number reading, well, our stats were way off. On the positive side, we did have a story. Had this been any other year, without a call from the coach, we would have only had a score from the game with no other information.
Thanks to Bryan from gshlfootball.com, I have received the stats from this game. I will update the online story, hopefully by Wednesday, and I will use those stats for our season stats database.
We apologize to the Storm and their fans for the miscues.
In the long run, though, we believe our coverage is improved with having people at all the games. But just like old times, we would love it if the coaches would start calling in their stats again, to double-check our numbers.
UNION 33, MOUNTAIN VIEW 21
The Titans lose a big lead, but then finish strong to defeat the Thunder.
What a start: The Titans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, jumping out to a 21-0 lead.
Gabe Rego scored on a 63-yard run on the third play from scrimmage. After the Union defense forced a three-and-out, the Titans made it 14-0 on a seven-play, 54-yard drive. Rego had five carries for 29 yards, including the 1-yard TD run. The Thunder responded with a long drive, but a bad snap on a field goal ended the series. Four plays later, the Titans were in the end zone again, this time on a 23-yard pass from Kaben Humphrey-Butler to Tanner Nelson.
Thunder back in it: Mountain View’s Riley O’Dell scored on a 1-yard run with 5:30 left in the second quarter to get the Thunder on the board. Both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, and then Mountain View recovered a muffed punt to set up at Union’s 4-yard line. Two plays later, Michael Rivers scored to make it 21-13. It was a game again. Midway through the third quarter, Rivers broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run. The two-pointer tied the game at 21.
The finish: The Thunder would get the ball, still tied, after a Union fumble, but the Union defense dominated the final 16 minutes of the game. Mountain View did not pick up a first down on its next four possessions, going 20 yards in a total of 13 plays.
In the meantime, the Union offense got going with another Rego touchdown to make it 27-21 late in the third. Humphrey-Butler would find the end zone on a 4-yard run midway through the fourth for the final score.
“I really thought, for the most part, we played well,” Union coach Cale Piland said. “They never really had a drive against us. They did some things, scheme-wise, to cause our backers some problems. They were able to bust some runs. The mistakes we made defensively are correctable.”
Union’s next three games are against Heritage, Battle Ground, and Evergreen — all games that the Titans would be expected to win. That would set up a Week 9 showdown with Skyview.
Piland said it was good for his team to get challenged by Mountain View on Friday. The Titans now know that when they needed it, they could finish down the stretch.
Statistically speaking: Rego finished with 230 yards on 24 carries with his three touchdowns. Rivers led Mountain View with 123 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Union finished with 347 yards of offense. Mountain View gained 231 but was held to 98 yards in the second half.
GRANT 45, HERITAGE 0
The Generals scored two touchdowns in 12 seconds early in the game, then rolled to victory.
A few Heritage highlights: Not much went right for the Timberwolves, but Nate Jenkins did get free for a 53-yard run and Rajheem Carrie had a 36-yard run. E’Lon Mack had seven catches for 34 yards. Defensively, Jason Forwood had two sacks for a total of negative-13 yards.
CAMAS 35, PRAIRIE 6
Papermakers unofficially wrap up league title with victory.
Shorthanded Falcons: The region’s passing leader, Colin Seitz, did not play for the Falcons in this game. He suffered a concussion the previous week. Now, not saying Prairie would have won with Seitz, but it would have made for more of a challenge for the Papermakers.
Is it over? Sure looks that way. Camas is 3-0 in league play, with wins over Mountain View, Columbia River, and Prairie. Those three teams are in a battle for the final two playoff berths. Camas’ final three league games are against Hudson’s Bay, Kelso, and Fort Vancouver. Those teams are a combined 2-13.
Playoff intensity: The mood in the Camas camp wasn’t exactly celebratory after the win over Prairie put the Papermakers on solid footing to claim the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League title.
As previously noted, the Papermakers don’t figure to be tested before the playoffs. So, while they said the right things about not looking past any game, the Papermakers spoke more about the amount of improvement needed before the postseason arrives.
“Everyone knows Bellevue and Lakes are the top teams in Washington right now,” Kamari Brown said. “The mindset that we have to have — the Camas defense and the Camas offense — is to come out here and act like we’re playing Lakes and Bellevue at the Tacoma Dome.”
That’s not great news for Bay, Fort, or Kelso.
“We’re going to play every single game like it’s the state championship,” quarterback Tony Gennaro promised. “We have to prepare ourselves for as far as we want to go.”
“We’ve always got stuff to improve on,” Linebacker Kyle Goodnow said. “We could have played at a higher level. I think we’ll come out next week and be much better.”
Figure coach Jon Eagle will demand it.
“We had some flashes of pretty good offensive play,” Eagle said Friday night. … “but if you can’t tackle and you can’t block people” success will not follow.
“You can only use smoke and mirrors so much,” the coach said.
KELSO 45, FORT VANCOUVER 6
Fort Vancouver lost again, but they had some positive plays.
Fort highlights: Kelso went for it on fourth-and-4 on Fort’s 45 yard line, failed to get the yardage and turned the ball over with five minutes left to play in the first quarter. At this point Fort was down 13-0 with the ball. Unfortunately for the Trappers, they gave up the ball on downs, as well.
At the start of the second quarter Fort recovered a Kelso fumble, followed by a spectacular 30 yard catch by Isaiah Miller on a pass from Jacob Austin. Kelso would get an interception to end the scoring threat, though.
Fort Vancouver running back Jose Johnson got his first carry of the season, an exciting 33-yard touchdown run.
Where’s Lisa? According to Fort coach Eric Ollikainen, linebacker Lisa Spangler did not play due to a neck injury. He said he expects her to return to lineup “soon.”
BATTLE GROUND 54, EVERGREEN 13
The Tigers improve to 4-1, three more wins than in 2010.
I’ll take that: Battle Ground’s Jake Sachen recovered an inadvertent onside kick in the fourth quarter. After the Tigers had taken a 41-13 lead, they sent a short, high kickoff that bounced behind Evergreen’s front line and in front of the second line of the receiving team. Sachen ran in and grabbed the ball on one bounce.
Quick attack: Sachen’s recovery was part of a blitzkrieg delivered by the Tigers that started late in the third quarter.
Ian Humphrey scored on a 1-yard run with 1:51 to play in the third quarter, giving Battle Ground a 34-13 lead. Following the kickoff, Evergreen threw an interception on its next play. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Trevor Ingram ran 43 yards for a 41-13 lead. Sachen recovered the kickoff, and with 11:03 to play in the fourth quarter, Michael Towner scored on a 19-yard run.
That’s three touchdowns in 2:48.
Bergeron’s big night: Battle Ground led 21-13 at halftime, and much of that was due to Tyler Bergeron. The senior running back had 12 carries in the first half for 132 yards and a touchdown, in addition to a 31-yard TD catch from Humphrey. Bergeron was more of a workhorse in the second half, carrying 11 times for 58 yards.
Evergreen highlight: For Evergreen, the best highlight of the night was an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Ryan Wilson, who was matter-of-fact about the score after the game.
“I ran the ball,” he said. “I saw where the opening was, and I just ran to it.”
SKYVIEW 61, LINCOLN 6
Parker Henry rushed for more than 200 yards and the Storm won easily in Portland. Remember, I’ll have the individual stats updated online sometime Wednesday.
COLUMBIA RIVER 37, HUDSON’S BAY 0
Chieftains get scoring from offense and defense in shutout victory.
This and that: Always fun to see a 2-0 football score flash on a computer screen. Columbia River led 2-0 when the Chieftains tackled an Eagle in the end zone. … Remick Kawawaki rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns. … Hudson’s Bay was held to 139 yards of offense.
WASHOUGAL 42, R.A. LONG 14
The Panthers remain the only unbeaten team in Clark County.
This and that: Colton Sullivan threw for 339 yards. … This was Washougal’s league opener. The Panthers had said that their first four wins of the year would not mean much if they did not come out strong in league play. Looks like they accomplished that goal this week.
WOODLAND 21, MARK MORRIS 14
Woodland’s defense was solid throughout the night, and Adam Shoup threw for 220 yards to lead the Beavers to a win in their league opener.
LA CENTER 50, ILWACO 8
The Wildcats rushed for 502 yards, including 182 from Mike Polyakov.
RIDGEFIELD 49, STEVENSON 7
Michael Knox had a dominating night, leading the Spudders to a dominating win. Knox scored five touchdowns, including one on defense and one on special teams.
…
Paul Danzer, Greg Jayne, and Kate Zot contributed to this report.
