Here’s how Basin football teams fared in this weekend’s playoff games.
No. 2 Tulelake 58, No. 6 Loyalton 0
Tulelake (8-2) put up a season-high 570 rushing yards to advance to the section championship game for the second year in a row.
The Honkers led Loyalton (6-5) 13-0 after the first quarter, 36-0 at halftime and 51-0 after the third quarter. It was their second time shutting out the Bears this season and largest win over the Bears in the MaxPreps era (since 2004).
“Our line was hitting on all cylinders,” Tulelake head coach Matt Andrade said. “We went away from some normal tendencies with certain formations and kept the defense guessing all night.”
Senior quarterback Xavier Silva completed 1-of-6 passes for 12 yards while rushing for 70 yards and three touchdowns on 11 attempts. Senior receiver Danny Garcia led the Honkers with 277 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and had the lone reception. Freshman running back Max Robison had 145 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries; senior receiver Angel Sandoval had 35 yards and one touchdown on two carries; and freshman quarterback Ricky Garcia had 19 yards and one touchdown on two carries.
Sandoval, junior defensive back Ivan Jaime and senior linebacker Max Martinez-Bravo shared the team lead with four tackles each. Two of Jaime’s tackles were for loss, including one sack. Silva had three tackles for loss, including one sack, and caused a fumble. Senior defensive linemen Erik Salazar and Adrian Garcia recorded one sack and one tackle for loss, respectively.
Loyalton’s senior class–Gus Petterson, Nate Jordan, Matt Fatheree, Polo Lopez, Wyatt Kellner, Jedidiah Espana and Layne Corbridge–graduates with a four-year record of 22-19 (including a pair of forfeit wins), the most wins in a four-year span for the Grizzlies since 2012-15.
Tulelake will travel to No. 1 seed Hayfork (11-0) for the CIF Northern Section 8 Man championship game at 6 p.m. Nov. 22. The Timberjacks beat the Honkers 44-22 Nov. 1 and 36-14 in last year’s title game.
No. 3 Henley 21, No. 6 Philomath 14
Matt Green was content to kick a field goal.
With 17 seconds left in Henley’s (10-1) 4A quarterfinal game against Philomath (8-3) and the Hornets facing a second-and-goal from the 10-yard line, the first-year head coach called a draw for junior quarterback Joe Janney to get the ball to the center of the field.
But when Janney took the snap, a large hole opened in the middle, allowing him to race into the end zone untouched.
“It was a great job by our offensive line,” Janney said. “They blocked it up really well.”
The touchdown was Henley’s only score of the second half and put the Hornets into the state semifinals for the second year in a row. It’s the first time Henley has made consecutive semifinal appearances since a run of three straight from 1946-48.
“These guys have no quit in them,” Green said.
The Warriors–who had the No. 2 passing offense in Oregon entering the game–advanced to the Hornets 10-yard line in four plays on the opening drive, but junior linebacker Jeremiah Brunick recovered a fumble at the 5-yard line. Henley made it all the way to the Philomath 1-yard line on the ensuing possession, but a stuffed run on third-and-goal followed by an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal gave the Warriors the ball back at their own 3-yard line.
Philomath cashed in on its second drive, going 97 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Senior quarterback Caleb Russell threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver CD Nuño on third-and-13 on the second play of the second quarter. Henley answered in very similar fashion, with Janney throwing a 26-yard scoring pass to senior receiver Mark Carpenter to cap off a 12-play, 72-yard drive with 5:14 left in the first half.
The teams traded punts before the Warriors advanced to the Hornets 39-yard line. After throwing three straight incompletions, they decided to go for it on fourth-and-10 with less than 30 seconds remaining. Senior defensive lineman Nolan Sieben sacked Russell for a turnover on downs, and Philomath was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play, giving Henley the ball at the Warriors 40-yard line. Carpenter took it to the 24-yard line on a jet sweep, then caught a dime from Janney in the back left corner of the end zone with one second on the clock to put the Hornets up 14-7.
The third quarter lacked scoring but didn’t lack drama; after Henley turned the ball over on downs at the Philomath 29-yard line, the Warriors drove to the Hornets 7-yard line with a first-and-goal but were denied on four straight plays. Henley went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, though, giving Philomath the ball near midfield to start the fourth quarter.
The Hornets brought up fourth-and-5, but Russell threw a 21-yard pass to junior receiver Rocco De La Rosa to get the Warriors into the red zone. Russell took a hit during the play that aggravated a previous ankle injury, forcing him to come off for sophomore AJ Altishin. After giving up a 15-yard run to junior running back Lake Mulberry, the Henley defense clamped down to bring up fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line. De La Rosa took the snap out of the wildcat formation and scored at the left pylon to tie the game with 7:15 to play.
The Hornets drove to the Philomath 31-yard line but turned the ball over on downs with 2:53 remaining. Russell, with his mobility severely limited, came back in to try to lead the game-winning drive. On second-and-20 from the 36-yard line, he threw a pass too long over the middle that was intercepted by Carpenter and returned to the 25-yard line. It was his first interception of the season; teams largely stopped throwing at him after he co-led 4A with seven picks last year.
Carpenter later tackled De La Rosa at the Henley 44-yard line to end the game.
The Hornets were outgained 331-270 but had zero turnovers to the Warriors’ two. Philomath’s 14 points were its second-fewest of the season. Henley has now come from behind in six of its 10 wins this year, including both of its playoff games.
Janney completed 10-of-21 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 97 yards and one touchdown on 16 attempts. Carpenter finished with 10 receptions for 49 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 1,044 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Senior Bryson Montag had two receptions for 47 yards.
Sieben, Carpenter and Janney shared the team lead with six tackles each. Five of Sieben’s tackles were for loss, including two sacks. Carpenter also had two pass deflections in addition to his 29-yard interception return. Janney had one tackle for loss, and junior defensive lineman Luis Venegas had one sack.
With starting kicker Max Tobiasson in Hillsboro preparing to play in the Henley boys soccer team’s state championship game Saturday, the Hornets turned to senior KJ Goff. He averaged 41.5 yards on four kickoffs and made 3-of-3 PATs.
In his final high school game, Russell completed 20-of-34 passes for 274 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He finishes the season with 3,378 passing yards and 40 touchdowns, both program records (he also set a program record with seven touchdown passes in Philomath’s 56-0 win over The Dalles Sept. 27). Nuño, who holds a Division III offer from Southern Virginia, had six receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. De La Rosa had four receptions for 66 yards while rushing for 56 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.
In addition to Russell, Philomath graduates Warwick Bushnell (three receptions for 57 yards), Hudson Raab (five receptions for 38 yards), Grant Niemann, Mitchell Berklund, Jeshua Gonzalez-Bush, Zack Powers, Brady Russell, Peyton Humphrey and Colton Hruska from this year’s team. The 11-player class helped guide the Warriors to their most wins and first quarterfinals since 2015.
This was the first recorded meeting between Henley and Philomath in football. The Warriors visited Klamath Falls last season for a Week 8 game at Klamath Union and left with a 30-8 win.
Henley will face No. 2 seed Cascade (10-1) in the 4A semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23. The game will be played at Grants Pass High School.
No. 1 Heppner 16, No. 9 Lost River 12 (Saturday)
Lost River (8-3) took a 6-0 lead into halftime but couldn’t complete the upset as Heppner (11-0) advanced to its fourth 2A semifinals in five seasons.
“We played well against a good team and had a shot to win in the end,” Lost River head coach Dennis Dunlea said. “Not sure what else you could ask for.”
The Raiders advanced as far as the Mustangs 3-yard line in the first quarter but were kept out of the end zone. Senior Kayden Hartman scored on a 6-yard run with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter for the lone points of the first half.
With 5:24 left in the third quarter, Heppner went up 8-6 on an 18-yard pass from senior Mason Orem to sophomore Alakae Rodriguez. The Mustangs scored again on a 6-yard run by senior Zach Brown to push the lead to 16-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Lost River cut it to a one-score game with a 13-yard touchdown pass from junior Kyle Diaz to senior Noah O’Neill with 6:05 remaining. The Raiders forced a punt and got the ball back with 2:36 to play. They got to the Heppner 30-yard line before senior Nick Wenberg intercepted a Diaz pass near the goal line with 25 seconds left.
Lost River outgained Heppner 271-167 and had 18 first downs to the Mustangs’ 10. The Raiders went for seven fourth downs and converted five; Heppner went for six fourth downs and converted none. The four-point win stands as the Mustangs’ closest game this season.
Diaz completed 14-of-19 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown with one interception while rushing for 34 yards on 11 attempts. O’Neill ran for 54 yards on 11 carries and had three receptions for 24 yards and one touchdown. Hartman ran for 45 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries, had five receptions for 27 yards and threw a 22-yard completion. Junior Kellen Dunlea had seven receptions for 88 yards.
For the Mustangs, Orem completed 3-of-5 passes for 46 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 22 yards on five attempts. Rodriguez led Heppner with 36 rushing yards on eight carries; his touchdown reception was his only catch of the game. Sophomore Tripp Stewart had two receptions for 28 yards and ran for 24 yards on five carries; senior Hayden McMahon had 19 yards on four carries; and Brown finished with 16 yards and one touchdown on three carries.
This was the final matchup between Dennis Dunlea and Mustangs head coach Greg Grant, who is retiring after 35 seasons at Heppner and ranks No. 3 on the state’s all-time wins list. The two first faced off in the 2004 2A quarterfinals; Lost River won 21-14 en route to Dunlea’s first state title as a head coach. Dunlea’s Raiders went 5-3 against Grant’s Mustangs.
Lost River’s seniors–Hartman, O’Neill, Doug Jenkins, Christian Sanchez, Wyatt Brugnoli, Juan Hernandez, Brock Lacy, Byran Wessel, Rex Bodle, Beau Sanders, Cade Kliewer and Ediel Figueroa–depart as the most successful class in program history, posting a four-year record of 40-6 (tied for the most wins by a class) and winning two of the Raiders’ four state championships.
Heppner will face No. 5 seed St. Paul (11-0) in the 2A semifinals at 2 p.m. Nov. 23. The game will be played at Caldera High School.
No. 2 Crosspoint Christian 58, No. 10 Sherman/Condon 40 (Saturday)
Crosspoint Christian (9-1) took a 34-6 lead at halftime and kept Sherman/Condon (6-5) at arm’s length in the second half to advance to its first-ever 1A[8] semifinal.
Both teams scored on the fifth play of their first drive–the Warriors on a 6-yard run by junior Chris Kelly, and the Huskies on a 5-yard run by sophomore Gage Simpson. Crosspoint Christian went up 16-6 after senior Kody Sparks threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Trey Johnston on the first play of its next possession, a margin that would carry into the second quarter.
Sparks ran for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 22-6, then got a pick-six (his second of the season) on the second play of the ensuing Sherman/Condon drive to stretch the lead to 28-6. A 16-yard scoring run by Kelly provided the final points of the first half.
The Huskies outscored the Warriors 20-8 in the third quarter, thanks in part to three straight onside kick recoveries. The first came after Simpson threw to senior Blake Carnine for a 25-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 34-14; Sherman/Condon ultimately went four-and-out at midfield, and Crosspoint Christian pushed the lead back to 28 points on a 5-yard pass from Sparks to Johnston.
The Huskies responded with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Simpson to senior Isaiah Riggs on their next snap. After recovering the onside kick, they converted a fourth-and-6 from their own 49-yard line before senior Michael Blagg broke off a 40-yard touchdown run. The third onside kick recovery set up a drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters and ended when Kelly intercepted a pass at the Warriors 4-yard line to prevent his team’s 42-26 lead from being whittled away further.
The Crosspoint Christian offense didn’t show any signs of rust despite being kept off the field for much of the previous quarter, scoring on five- and three-play drives. Sparks and Johnston linked up again for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and sophomore Junior Gonzalez had a 3-yard rushing touchdown after another Sherman/Condon four-and-out.
The Huskies’ final two drives lasted one play each: a 65-yard touchdown run by Blagg to make it 58-32, and a 94-yard touchdown run by senior Jayden Havins for the final points.
Crosspoint Christian outgained Sherman/Condon 485-480. The Warriors converted 0-of-5 third downs and 3-of-4 fourth downs, while the Huskies converted 1-of-9 third downs and 3-of-6 fourth downs. Crosspoint Christian’s 58 points matches its second-most of the season, and Sherman/Condon’s 40 points is the second-most the Warriors have allowed this year.
“I’m not overly concerned about us defensively,” Crosspoint Christian head coach Jim Johnston said. “I think [the onside kicks] just threw everything off for us…we just kind of lost focus.
“One of the difficult parts of 8-man football is special teams. Special teams can create so much momentum, and it can also deflate you.”
Sparks completed 9-of-12 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 80 yards and one touchdown on nine attempts. He now has 1,400 passing yards this season with 25 touchdowns and only one interception (Sept. 13 at Camas Valley). Gonzalez led the Warriors ground game with 153 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, while Kelly finished with 89 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Trey Johnston had five receptions for 97 yards and three touchdowns. He has now caught 36 passes for 996 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.
Defensively, junior Brock Throne led Crosspoint Christian with 11 tackles, including one for loss, and recovered a fumble. In addition to his interception, Kelly had two of the Warriors’ nine tackles for loss. Junior Clayton Turnage recorded one sack.
For Sherman/Condon, Simpson completed 5-of-9 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 15 yards and one touchdown on four attempts. Blagg put up 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, and Havins finished with 146 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries while catching three passes for 41 yards. Riggs’ 53-yard touchdown was his only reception of the game, and Carnine ended up with two receptions for 51 yards and one touchdown. Riggs also recorded one sack and recovered a fumble on defense.
Sherman/Condon’s seniors–Riggs, Blagg, Carnine, Havins, Josh Ward, Brody Bass and Gabe Fritts–depart after leading the Huskies to their first state quarterfinal appearance since 2016.
Crosspoint Christian will face No. 3 seed North Douglas (10-0) in the 1A[8] semifinals at 1 p.m. Nov. 23. The game will be played at Grants Pass High School. North Douglas handed Crosspoint Christian its only loss of the season Oct. 25.
