Forest Grove ends McMinnville's season
As McMinnville and Forest Grove played for the last possession of the ball Friday night at Wortman Stadium, the Vikings set the edge when it counted, and won the game.
The Grizzlies trailed 21-14 when Cedric Agcaoili-Ostrom ran the ball in from two yards out with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining in the third quarter. On the extra point, however, Vikings senior A.J. Turner motored around from the left side and blocked Colton Ramos' kick, preserving a one-point lead for Forest Grove.
" It seemed like, whether the snap or the hold or protection or whatever, we were a little slow," McMinnville head coach Ryan McIrvin said.
The Grizzlies forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing Vikings possession -- including a third-and-48 situation -- and attempted a fourth down of its own, needing two yards. McMinnville ran Agcaoili-Ostrom on a toss sweep to the right, but Forest Grove read the play well and reacted. Agcaoili-Ostrom gained just one yard.
McMinnville's season wound down with a touchdown run by Vikings running back Tanner Heikes and a hail of incomplete passes in a last-ditch drive. Forest Grove's 28-20 victory rudely snapped the Grizzlies' winning streak at three games while ending their season; Mac (3-6, 2-6 Class 6A Greater Valley Conference) had an outside shot at a Class 6A state playoff berth with a victory.
Possessions, both teams concluded, would be limited on a night in which driving rain and swirling wind dominated the playing field. McMinnville would possess the ball just six times on the evening. Its biggest play came on the opening drive, when Wyatt Smith found Justin Trimble on a third-and-22 conversion attempt; Trimble shed a Vikings defender for a 50-yard touchdown.
To control the tempo, McIrvin placed the ball in Agcaoili-Ostrom's capable hands. The junior carried the ball 23 times for 156 yards and two touchdown passes in all, accounting for over half of McMinnville's 274 total yards.
"I thought our kids did a good job all game of establishing the run. I thought Cedric ran hard," McIrvin said. "Talk about a guy that's improved each week. He's gotten stronger, he's seeing things better, (he's) way more confident."
Forest Grove (5-4, 4-4 GVC) makes no secret of its offensive plans: the Vikings go by the arm of quarterback Taylor Jensen (14-of-17, 152 yards, two touchdowns, interception). But the Vikings were equally committed to the ground game, as Heikes (18 carries, 98 yards, two touchdowns) and the Forest Grove offensive linemen wore down the Grizzlies' front line.
"Just sustaining with drive blocks -- that's what they were pretty good at," senior nose guard Luke Grossnickle said.
McMinnville contributed to its own limitation of possessions. Odin Thorson lost a kick return fumble as the first half drew to a close. In the third quarter, senior Kadin Wilson intercepted Jensen and returned the ball 20 yards; in trying to extend the play, Wilson fumbled and the Vikings recovered, a net four-yard loss on the play.
Eleven plays later, Heikes scored from two yards out to give the Vikings a 21-14 lead. Five minutes had been extinguished from the clock.
Grizzlies seniors Sean Roberts, Wilson, Jesse Medley, Spencer Stillwell, Andrew Serna, Justin Trimble, Tyler Terry, Luke Mannix, Garrett Scales, Taylor Brown, Michael Freeman, Colby Nall, Jeremy Riegelmann, Jesus Fajardo, Grossnickle, Sam Swenson, Grifin Williams and Andrew Steber were honored before the game.
"Girv really put it in us to have a lot of heart, to come out every game like we mean it," Wilson said. "We showed some people that we can compete; we showed people that we can play. And this is just the beginning."
Amity 16, Dayton 8
AMITY – Friday’s Highway 221 rivalry game at Randolph Scoggan Field was wet and at times wild, but in the end it was a simple matter of capitalizing on mistakes for the Warriors as they held on to beat Dayton, 16-8, in Friday night's Class 3A West Valley League matchup.
Dayton lost three fumbles in the first half, the first coming a minute and a half into the game. Tyler Berrier picked that ball up and took it to the end zone to put Amity on the board, while Clint Hatch’s fumble recovery late in the quarter set the stage for Niko Mudong’s touchdown run to open the second quarter.
Dayton was not out of the contest as Sabino Corona reeled off a long touchdown run on Dayton’s next possession, punching in the two-point conversion to keep it a one-score game. Dayton fumbled again within two minutues of halftime, but the Warriors couldn’t capitalize following Alex Nyseth’s recovery.
Things got heated between the longtime rivals just three minutes into the third quarter. A shoving match resulted in four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and ejections for Dayton’s Devin Nowlin and an unidentified Amity player. Corona was injured later in the quarter – he was helped off the field, did not return to the game and left in an ambulance following the game. His status is unclear.
Amity’s Colby Graham led the Warriors with 104 yards rushing, while Mudong amassed 40. Lance Nelson went 5-for-10 on pass attempts for 64 yards, with Dylan barber leading Amity receivers with two catches for 28 yards.
Amity finishes the campaign at 4-5, going 3-3 in the West Valley League and tying for fourth place. Dayton (6-2, 4-2 WVL) is ranked No. 9 in the state and tied for second in the league. The Pirates' first-round state playoff matchup is yet to be determined.
Willamina 22, Sheridan 12
WILLAMINA -- In the Willamina Bulldogs' postgame huddle Friday night, head coach Rob Shader pulled his players in close.
“We won a football game!” he shouted.
It was their last chance to avoid a winless season and the Bulldogs (1-8, 1-5 Class 3A West Valley League) had just defeated rival Sheridan, 22-12. Twenty-seven Willamina players and a growing perimeter of fans erupted.
“To get this win is huge for us,” Shader said. “It’s big for the the kids, for the program and for the town.”
Willamina jumped on the Spartans (1-7, 0-6 WVL) early in the first quarter. Bulldogs sophomore True Gibbons broke a 40-yard run, but was caught by Sheridan defenders one yard short of the goal line. On the next play, Ian Bruckner finished what Gibbons had started and, after a successful two-point conversion, the Bulldogs were up 8-0.
Later in the quarter, it was Willamina’s defense that put points on the scoreboard. A blitzing Willamina linebacker hit Spartans quarterback Miguel Diaz in the backfield, forcing a fumble. The second man on the scene was senior defensive end Dakota Rock, who scooped the ball out of the mud and sprinted 40 yards for another Bulldog touchdown. Again the Bulldogs converted the two-point attempt and at the end of the first quarter the score was 16-0.
The Spartans' offense didn’t come to life until the last two minutes of the first half. After swapping scoreless possessions with the Bulldogs through the second quarter, the Sheridan offense changed their tune. What had been a straight ahead running attack suddenly became quick passes that Willamina was unprepared for. The Spartans raced downfield and, in a third-and-3 situation at the Willamina 16-yard line, junior running back Chase Butt scampered in for six.
Minutes into the second half Butt scored again, this time on a 47-yard run up the middle and, with the score now 16-12, the Spartans were within reach.
But Sheridan wouldn’t get any closer. With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Ian Bruckner caught a pass on fourth and goal and brought the score to 22-12. Though the fourth quarter, both defenses would hold strong and the game, hard fought, ended in a 10-point Bulldog victory.
“This was a big night for us,” Rock said afterward. “It’s my last time on the field with these guys and, plus, it was against our rivals, so it feels really good to end my career on a ‘W.’
Perrydale 62, Arlington/Condon 14
PERRYDALE -- The Pirates finished off a perfect 8-0 regular season (6-0 Class 1A Special District 4) with a victory over the Honkers Friday night at Perrydale High School.
Perrydale will commence its run in the OSAA Class 1A state playoffs against an opponent to be determined.
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Multimedia Journalist Rockne Roll and freelance writer Brett Tallman contributed to this article.
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