Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Mushers race past Cowboys, make state semi-final

Camas County ousts North Gem 42-18


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Camas County senior Dakota Dalin (373 all-purpose yards) scoots past North Gem?s Aaron Hatch (#44) during Saturday?s state playoff game won by the Mushers 42-18 in Fairfield. Photo by Willy Cook

Being a Boston Red Sox devotee, Camas County football coach Randy Jewett might have likened Saturday?s 42-18 State 1A Division 2 playoff triumph over the North Gem Cowboys to the first and second games of the recently-concluded 2004 World Series.

Remember, the Red Sox won both of those games at Fenway Park, but they committed eight errors and didn?t quite look like the World Champions they would eventually become.


The Mushers didn?t have their best game against North Gem. They piled up 135 yards in penalties and lacked a certain emotional fire and maybe were taking too much comfort recalling their 58-8 win over the Cowboys in 2003, the last time the teams clashed.

Although Saturday?s state quarterfinal playoff game on the Fairfield gridiron wasn?t an artistic triumph, Camas County piled up 626 yards in total offense, won convincingly and advanced into the state semi-finals for only the second time in Jewett?s 11-year tenure as Musher coach.

Senior running back Dakota Dalin was the big Musher gun. He scored three touchdowns in the first half, and amassed 199 yards in rushing yardage and 373 yards in all-purpose yards. Dalin also made 10 tackles on defense.

Jewett said, ?We had a lot of penalties, but we did execute our offense well and had some big plays. Dakota (Dalin) had another huge game and we got contributions from everyone. And our bend-but-not-break defense came up with some big plays, too.?

After North Gem cut its 22-6 half-time deficit to 22-18 with touchdowns on its first two possessions of the second half, the Camas defense stood tall. The Mushers stopped Cowboy drives at the their own 16-yard-line and 14-yard-line in the fourth quarter.

In all, Camas scored six touchdowns to North Gem?s three?and the Mushers made four of six conversions.

Camas County (8-2) won its eighth consecutive game, matching the single-season mark of eight straight wins set by Jewett?s 8-2 Musher squad of 1998. That 1998 team, scoring 44.2 ppg and yielding only 14.0 ppg, was similar statistically to this year?s team that has averaged 41.7 ppg and given up 16.1.

With North Gem (3-5) safely behind, Jewett and his coaching staff are working the Mushers hard for what should be the biggest Camas game in many a moon. It is set for Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. against the undefeated Mackay Miners, at Mackay.

To beat Mackay, ?we?ll have to play the best game we?ve played all year and we?ll have to be extremely fired up,? said Jewett. ?Mackay is well coached, and they have the best passing game in our division, with the best passing quarterback and the best receiver.

?One of the problems we?ve had is doing the math?comparing how another team has done against another team we?ve played, like Carey beating North Gem, and us beating Carey. Well, I told the kids in practice today, if we do the math of this game against Mackay, we are already beat.?

That?s because Mackay, State 1A 11-man football champ for six years from 1996-2001 before being dethroned by Raft River 27-14 in 2002, handled the Mushers easily 52-24 back on Sept. 10 in Mackay. ?We had a horrible game at Mackay,? Jewett said.

Mackay, in its second year playing eight-man football, is shooting for a spot in the championship game of the eight-team 1A Division 2 playoffs after exiting quickly 66-62 to Raft River in the quarterfinals last November. Camas County also lost in the 2003 state quarterfinals, to Council 66-20.

Here?s how the playoffs shape up:

Mackay (9-0, 6-0 home) routed Richfield (5-4) by a 66-20 score Friday. The Miners (51.8 ppg offense, 15.8 ppg defense) have played a favorable home schedule all season, starting with their 28-point win over Camas.

In other State 1A Division 2 quarter-final games, Clark Fork (9-0, 47.1 ppg) blanked Mullan (3-6) by a score of 50-0 and Horseshoe Bend (9-1) ousted Notus (8-2) by a 44-8 count.

The results set up this weekend?s semi-finals: #2-ranked Clark Fork hosting Horseshoe Bend Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. and top-ranked Mackay entertaining Camas County Saturday, also at 1 p.m. Championship game is set for Nov. 19 or 20.

Jewett said the Mushers will be ready for Mackay. ?We have some of the best senior leadership we?ve ever had,? he said.



Mushers grab half-time lead

All teams recognize Dakota Dalin?s speed around the end and do everything they can to pinch down and force the 5-8, 150-pound speedster into the middle of the field, Jewett said.

Jewett said it sometimes takes a while for the Musher coaches to come up with the best plays to utilize Dalin?s running against defenses that are always stacked up against him.

That was the case against North Gem at Harry Durall Field Saturday. Eventually there were 60 points scored and 1,040 yards in offense between the two teams?but no scoring at all in the first 10-and-a-half minutes.

Camas loosened up the Cowboy defense with Travis Van Gelder?s first pass completion of the day, a 25-yard crossing pattern to Michael Blodgett that set up Dalin?s 25-yard touchdown run with 1:27 left in the first period.

In the second quarter, the passing of junior Marshall Hall (10-for-25, 155 yards) enabled North Gem to put together its best drive, an 11-play, 74-yard attack following an interception by Hall. A fourth-and-eight 33-yard pass from Hall to Aaron Hatch cut Camas County?s lead to 8-6.

But Dalin, who had been beaten in coverage at the goal line by Hatch?s height, broke up the conversion pass.

Blodgett caught the subsequent kickoff and worked a reverse handoff to Dalin, who outsprinted all the ?Pokes for an 87-yard kickoff return.

Jewett said, ?That was important, stopping their extra point to maintain the lead and coming right back to score. We got it right back.?

The Musher defense (Van Gelder, Mark Wilson, Kyle Menck and Chase Lee across the line, Tony Gonsales and Josh Shroyer as backers, Dalin and Blodgett in the backfield) made another big stop?Van Gelder sniffing out a reverse for a loss?and the Mushers took over around midfield.

Behind a crack-back block by Van Gelder, Dalin raced 49 yards for his third touchdown and Blodgett threw his second conversion pass to Chase Lee for a 22-6 Musher lead at the half.

The second half started shakily for Camas when, on fourth-and-eight, North Gem?s Brett McLain wrestled the ball away from Josh Shroyer at the goal line and the Cowboys completed a 22-yard touchdown pass from Hall.

North Gem?s Josh White then recovered a Musher fumble and Cowboy junior Orrin Christensen (16 carries, 106 yards) rambled 36 yards for a touchdown cutting the lead to 22-18. But Dalin (7 returns for 168 yards) brought back the next kickoff 30 yards?and Van Gelder tossed a 40-yard touchdown aerial to Chase Lee.

That made it 28-18 and the Mushers were on their way. Camas finished with 338 rushing yards behind the blocking of Zack Kandler, Mark Wilson, Kyle Menck and Chase Lee. Touchdown runs by Gonsales and Blodgett finished the Musher scoring.

?I felt we played a good football game. Our heads were in it, but we needed to be a little more fired up,? said Jewett.

MUSHER NOTES?Jewett, last year?s Sawtooth Conference ?Coach of the Year,? has a 73-32 record in 11 Musher seasons and is 2-4 in five state playoff appearances. The Hill City resident is a 1978 Camas County graduate who made All-State football in 1977 when the Mushers won the state championship?..Saturday?s win over North Gem was Camas? first state playoff victory since 1997?.Jewett is hoping the 2004 Mushers can do something that Camas did in 1997?when the Mushers turned around from a bad loss to Carey and defeated Carey 26-20 in the first round of the state playoffs. That huge victory snapped a six-year, 31-game Carey home winning streak. Camas (8-3) then lost in the state semi-finals to Cambridge 42-22....Jewett?s 1998 team with Jamon Frostenson, Rufus Lockwood and Jake Miller won eight straight and lost to Wilder 18-8 in the state playoffs. That was the year Carey (11-0) beat Deary 44-42 in the state championship?.Actually, Camas had a nine-game win streak covering two seasons in 2000 and 2001?winning five straight to end the 2000 season and adding four more wins to start 2001?.Camas has now posted seven straight wins over North Gem dating to 1996, Jewett?s only losing season as Musher coach when the Cowboys pasted the Mushers 62-12.



Camas Cty. 42, North Gem 18
NORTH GEM...0...6...12...0...18
CAMAS CTY...8...14...6...14...42


SCORING

1st half

Camas Cty?Dakota Dalin, 25-yard run (Chase Lee, pass from Michael Blodgett); 1:27 1st (8-0 CC)

North Gem?Aaron Hatch, 33-yard pass from Marshall Hall (pass failed); 4:28 2nd (8-6 CC)

Camas Cty?Dakota Dalin, 87-yard kickoff return (run failed); 4:14 2nd (14-6 CC)

Camas Cty?Dakota Dalin, 49-yard run (Chase Lee, pass from Michael Blodgett); 0:41 2nd (22-6 CC)


2nd half

North Gem?Brett McLain, 22-yard pass from Marshall Hall (run failed); 9:23 3rd (22-12 CC)

North Gem?Orrin Christensen, 36-yard run (pass failed); 5:48 3rd (22-18 CC)

Camas Cty?Chase Lee, 40-yard pass from Travis Van Gelder (pass failed); 4:41 3rd (28-18 CC)

Camas Cty?Tony Gonsales, 15-yard run (Michael Blodgett kick); 8:24 4th (35-18 CC)

Camas Cty?Michael Blodgett, 50-yard run (Blodgett kick); 1:20 4th (42-18 CC)


KEY STATS...NGEM...CAMAS

Off. plays...81...57
Possession time...28:07...19:53
1st downs, rush...8...8
1st downs, pass...4...2
1st downs, penal...3...1
1st downs, total...15...11
Rushes, yards...42-185...37-338
Yards per carry...4.4...9.1
Fumbles lost...0...1
Comp., passes...10-25...6-9
Comp. percentage...40%...67%
Passing yards...155...90
Yards per catch...15.5...15.0
Intercepted by...1...0
Sacks by, yards...1-13...0-0
Returns, yards...8-90...8-198
Tot. yards gained...412...626
Penalties, yards...7-45...14-135
Punts, yardage...5-132...2-77
Punt average...26.4...38.5


INDIVIDUAL LEADERS?Camas Cty.

Rushing?Dakota Dalin 18-199, 6 1sts, 2 TD; Tony Gonsales 10-77, 1 1st, 1 TD; Michael Blodgett 7-56, 1 1st, 1 TD; Josh Shroyer 2-6.

Passing?Travis Van Gelder 4-5, 84 yards, 2 1sts, 1 TD; Michael Blodgett 2-4, 6 yards, 1 conv.

Receiving?Chase Lee 4-59, 1 1st, 1 TD, 2 conv.; Michael Blodgett 1-25, 1 1st; Dakota Dalin 1-6.

Sacks?Chase Lee 1-13; Travis Van Gelder 1-5.

Kickoff returns?Dakota Dalin 3-129, 1 TD; Michael Blodgett 1-30.

Punt returns?Dakota Dalin 4-39.

All-purpose yardage?Dakota Dalin 373.

Tackles (71)?Tony Gonsales 14, Mark Wilson 11, Dakota Dalin 10, Josh Shroyer 9, Michael Blodgett 7, Kyle Menck 7, Travis Van Gelder 4, Zack Kandler 3, Chase Lee 3, Cesar Boatman 1, Tucker Hathaway 1, Andrew Olson 1.


INDIVIDUAL LEADERS?North Gem

Rushing?Orrin Christensen 16-106, 4 1sts, 1 TD; Marshall Hall 13-44, 1 1st; Brett McLain 10-31, 3 1sts; Houston Crossley 3-4.

Passing?Marshall Hall 10-25, 155 yards, 4 1sts, 2 TD.

Receiving?Brett McLain 5-109, 4 1sts, 1 TD; Aaron Hatch 2-40, 1 TD; Orrin Christensen 2-8.

Fumble recoveries?Josh White 1.

Interceptions?Marshall Hall 1.

Kickoff returns?Orrin Christensen 1-32; Houston Crossley 2-16; Marshall Hall 1-18; T.J. Archibald 1-14.

Punt returns?Jasen White 2-5.

All-purpose yardage?Marshall Hall 217.

Tackle leaders?Brett McLain 11, Aaron Hatch 8, Marshall Hall 7, Reed Crandall 7, Orrin Christensen 5, Collen Christensen 4, Josh White 4, Jasen White 4.




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