Columbians ship Prospector out of town
Sunday, November 18, 2007 5:16 AM PST
By R.D. Hight
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RAINIER ---- After an unproductive start, third-ranked Rainier regrouped and gave Grant Union all it could handle ---- and much more ---- in the second half of a convincing 23-14 win over the Prospectors in the quarterfinals of the Oregon 3A state football playoffs Saturday.
With the victory, the Columbians (11-1) moved into the semifinals for the first time since 1983, and will face top-ranked Gold Beach (12-0) next Saturday at a site to be announced on Monday by the Oregon School Activities Association.
Rainier coach Thor Ware said he expects the game to be played at a neutral site, probably on FieldTurf.
Gold Beach defeated second-ranked Regis 20-7 in its quarterfinal.
Both offenses labored in the first half, suffering negative yards on drive after drive. The second quarter opened with five consecutive three-and-out possessions.
Grant Union (8-3) coaxed life from its offense first, scoring with a 30-yard pitch-pass from Jimmy Cook to Dustin Lippert.
Rainier answered with a 60-yard option run by Austin McGlone, and thanks to Hazze Walker's point-after kick, the hosts hit their locker room ahead 7-6 at the intermission.
At that time, both teams had combined for only 66 yards of total offense and five first downs.
"We got a war out there," Ware said of the first half.
Rainier's defensive backs continued their rampant thievery with three interceptions, from Walker (his team-leading ninth of the season), Dalton Earlywine and Jesse Renoude. The Columbians lead the state in picks with 30.
But the Prospectors didn't allow Renoude, Rainier's senior quarterback, to enjoy much success, either, as he finished the game 1-of-8 for minus-10 yards with one interception.
Neither team had gotten very far in establishing itself as a deserving recipient of a semifinal slot. But in the second half, the hosts picked up the gauntlet ---- and then used that gauntlet as an iron fist.
"They (the Prospectors) were pretty tough on defense early in the first half," Ware said. "We made some adjustments. We even talked about that kickoff. We even called it to this side and everything, so everything was perfect. Then they kicked it to Hazze ---- bad idea."
The speedy Walker ran back the opening kickoff of the third quarter 80 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-6. Despite his poor passing numbers, Renoude continued to show his skill at running the option, and later rumbled for a 41-yard score.
With a 20-6 lead and 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Rainier delivered the real backbreaker: A game-winning drive that started at the Columbians' 2 and chewed seven minutes off the clock.
Wingback Branden Staehely started things off with a 31-yard scramble. Grant Union later forced a punt, but McGlone raced down the field, spun the deep man around, and forced him to fumble the ball, which hit Rainier's Blake Zytniowski right in the numbers without ever touching the ground.
Finally, Walker hit a 22-yard field goal ---- a rare move for the Columbians, but his second attempt for the game ---- to cap the march, giving the hosts a 23-6 lead.
"Hazze was on," Ware said. "We needed that to put it out of reach."
Grant Union was able to hit one last Hail Mary 55-yard pass from Austin Ranft to Lippert, then made a two-point conversion using a well-executed trick play to trim the deficit to 23-14. But the Prospectors' onside kick failed to go 10 yards, scuttling their last chance.
Rainier fans crowded around their team to listen in on Ware's victory speech and celebrate their first semifinal appearance in nearly a quarter-century.
"It feels good ... I think we're good enough," Ware said.
Virtually everyone on Rainier's defense had moments of glory as the Prospectors netted 4 yards in 27 running plays. Nose guard Andrew Allen was a particular standout.
On offense, Allen, a junior fullback, finished with 15 carries for 39 yards. McGlone led the way with 94 yards on 11 attempts and played well from his linebacker spot on defense. Staehely was another solid runner with 12 carries for 75 yards.
Ware mentioned Kyle Palmer, Earlywine and the hard-hitting Jordan Smith as other key defenders.
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