Photo Credit: God’s Gifts Photography
All three Klamath Basin teams competing in the OSAA On-Point Community Credit Union Football State Championship Semifinals earned wins and have advanced to the title game. This is the first time in history that three Basin teams will be competing for football state championships on the same weekend. Here is how each semifinal game unfolded, and a look at what’s next…
Crosspoint Christian Earns First Championship Bid in School History
The Crosspoint Christian Warriors (5-0; 9-2) blasted the top-ranked Dufur Rangers (6-0; 10-1) 44-8 at Summit High School on Saturday. The Warriors had lost to Dufur 20-12 on September 12th, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell once the semifinal got underway.
Crosspoint wasted no time getting points on the board, taking their first drive downfield in four plays and 2:29, and scoring on a 62-yard rush from Nate Gibson. The Warriors’ defense held strong, forcing punts on each of Dufur’s first four possessions. When Crosspoint got the ball back late in the first quarter, they sourced a nine-play 4:04 drive, which was capped off with Gibson’s second touchdown of the day.
Gibson and Trey Johnston would each add another rushing score before halftime, giving Crosspoint a commanding 30-0 lead at the halftime break. Dufur started the second half with the football and scored in six plays when Choice Richards punched it in from one yard out. But Gibson added two more touchdowns for the Warriors in the third as Crosspoint cruised to a semifinal victory.
Gibson was unstoppable, carrying the ball 16 times for 214 yards and five touchdowns. His output alone outdid Dufur’s total yardage as a team (163). He was helped by Chris Kelly, who had 81 yards on nine carries. For Dufur, Gavin Anderson had 86 yards on 13 carries, while Richards at 17 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. Click here to see the full box score.
The Warriors will take on the Adrian Antelopes (5-0; 11-0) in the State Championship on November 29th at Redmond High School. It will be the second meeting this season, where the first went the way of the Antelopes 44-0 on September 6th. Adrian also went undefeated in 2024 en route to a state championship. They also captured the title in 2021 and 2019. Crosspoint will be playing in its first football state championship in school history (Hosanna Christian, which combined with Triad School in 2020 to form Crosspoint Christian, made the state title game in 2017). Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with coverage options available on OSAA.org.
Raiders Tame the Tigers in the Semifinal
The Lost River Raiders (5-0; 11-1) used a masterful defensive effort to quell the Bandon Tigers (4-0; 10-1) in the semifinal, 33-13. This was Bandon’s first trip to the semifinals since 2004.
Admittedly, it didn’t look great at the start for Lost River, as the Raiders were forced to punt on each of their first two drives after penalties stiffled momentum. The Raiders trailed after the opening frame 7-0 after a 74-yard touchdown rush by Bandon’s Reggie Turner. But something changed for Lost River in the second quarter. Whether it was experience kicking in or nerves cooling off, the Raiders scored on three of their remaining four drives of the half.
Drew McDonald caught a 34 touchdown pass from Kyle Diaz to get the scoring started for the Raiders. They followed that up with a 34-yard Kellen Dunlea rushing score, and a nine-yard touchdown catch from Parker Staunton to close the first half up 18-7. Lost River continued to clean up mistakes in the second half and had no penalties against them in the third or fourth quarter, something that had stopped them earlier in the game. Charles Overcash added the only offensive touchdown of the second half for the Raiders with a 14-yard catch in the third quarter. The Raiders would add a field goal and a pair of safeties to finish the game.
Diaz completed 10/12 passes for Lost River for 116 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 21 yards. The Raiders were led in rushing by Dunlea, who had 11 carries worth 114 yards and a touchdown. McDonald led all Raider receivers with three catches, 40 yards, and a score. For Bandon, Turner completed 10/19 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Lost River outgained Bandon 348-141. Click here to see the full box score.
Lost River will advance to its sixth title game in school history, and its third in the past four seasons. The Raiders won the state championship in 2022 and 2023. They’ll meet the Heppner Mustangs (6-0; 12-0) in the championship game. It will be the second meeting of the season between the Mustangs and Raiders, as back on September 12th, Heppner defeated Lost River 43-8. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on November 29th at Summit High School in Bend with coverage options available at OSAA.org.
Hornets Sting Pirates Again, Advancing to Third Straight Title Game
The Henley Hornets (5-0; 9-2) cruised past the Marshfield Pirates (4-0; 10-2) in the semifinal, 26-14. It was the second meeting between the Hornets and Pirates this season, and the Hornets won the first on October 24th, 21-6.
Henley notched the first points of the game late in the first quarter when Joe Janney punched it in from one yard out. Hneley’s defense forced Marshfield to punt on the next drive, and the Pirates pinned them back against the goalline. Henley would go on to suck all the air out of the coastal team when they engineered a 99-yard 11-play 4:09 drive to go up 14-0. A Marshfield fumble in the second quarter gave Henley one more chance to score with nine seconds left on the clock, and they did with a touchdown pass to Julien Rayas.
Both teams traded scores in the third quarter, but once the game got to the fourth, the pace slowed dramatically. Henley got the ball with 1:20 left in the third quarter and put together a 12-play 60-yard drive, which shaved 6:20 off the clock. Marshfield got the ball back and scored in less than a minute, but that was it. Henley finished off the game with a 12-play drive that took the remaining 6:17 off the clock. Henley held the ball for 11:17 in the final quarter and would finish with a total time of possession of 31:59, compared to Marshfield’s 15:09.
Janney completed 15/23 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown. Jeremiah Brunick led the team in rushing with 96 yards on 17 carries. Julien Rayas led the team in receiving with 164 yards on five catches and two touchdowns. For Marshfield, Enoch Niblett completed 7/17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 64 yards. Lane Olsen was the top receiver with 66 yards on three catches and a touchdown. Click here to see the full box score.
Henley will now face the Cascade Cougars (4-0; 12-0) in the championship game. This is the fourth year in a row that the Hornets will take on Cascade, with Henley winning each of the previous meetings in this stretch. Most recently, in the 2024 semifinals, Henley defeated Cascade 21-14 in overtime. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on November 29th at Cottage Grove High School. Coverage will be available locally on 104.3 FM and 960 AM, with other options available on OSAA.org.
