Sports Blog
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Game reaction: Canby 63, Centennial 36
I don't think anyone saw this coming, especially at this stage of the playoffs in the state quarterfinals.
No. 3 Canby had everything working in one of the more memorable offensive displays in what I could imagine ever in school history, in posting a 63-36 victory over unranked Centennial in the Class 6A state playoffs at Pioneer Stadium in Oregon City.
There were trick plays, huge running plays and big pass plays. If you turned your head in the first 24 minutes, you were bound to have missed something. It was that kind of night.
Senior quarterback Josh Yoder was incredible once again, not letting the previous week's game against Sprague where he passed for just 30 yards deter him. He has directed coach Mike Doty's offense beautifully this entire year, and passed for nearly 300 yards with five touchdowns and again, no interceptions.
The roll that this Cougars' offense is on right now is downright scary. Take one thing away, another weapon emerges. The pass game is one of the best in school history, and the running game is what this program has prided itself on for a long time. What do you take away?
My recap,
Video: Cougars slaughter Centennial en route to semifinals:
The number of points scored was a school record under 19th-year coach Mike Doty, surpassing the 62-point total achieved in the first round of this year’s playoffs — a 62-24 win over North Medford on Nov. 13.
All in all, it was a night that many will remember for its efficiency, quick play strikes and a first half clinic in offensive execution.
The Cougars (11-1 overall) scored seven touchdowns in the first half and led 49-21 at halftime with the only question remaining, how many points would this Canby team score.
David Ball, Gresham Outlook,
Canby's air show rockets past Centennial in state quarterfinals:
Canby simply couldn’t be slowed down Friday night during its 63-36 quarterfinal win over Centennial in the OSAA Class 6A football playoffs.
The Cougars found the end zone on nine of their first 10 possessions, taking a 56-21 lead early in the second half when quarterback Josh Yoder found Cody Smith along the left sideline for his sixth TD strike of the game.
Norm Maves, Jr., The Oregonian,
No. 3 Cougars nearly unstoppable in victory over Centennial:
Centennial coach Chris Knudsen knew what he was getting into with his game plan.
"They're a good ballclub, and he is an excellent quarterback," he said. "So we knew they could pass the ball. But we felt we needed to get as many guys up front against their run as we could.
"We knew it was a gamble."
Knudsen lamented a series of breakdowns in the second quarter, when the Cougars scored on four consecutive possessions.
"We made some mistakes and got three players hurt," he said. "Then we had an inadvertent whistle (that called back a long run). Things were just going the wrong way fast. We made a season full of mistakes in a quarter and a half.
"But sometimes you just get beat, and Canby is just a very good club. Sure, we made mistakes, but we had a great season."
Videos from Friday night's game can be found here at the
Canby Herald (courtesy of John Baker) and at
KGW.com.
Canby will now square off against No. 1 Sheldon in the semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. at PGE Park in Portland for the right to go to the state-championship game.
With one win, the Cougars would make their first ever appearance in the state-title game in school history.
The Cougars have reached the semifinals five times in school history, and fell just short each time, going 0-5 in semifinal games. Three of those times have occurred in the Mike Doty era, which include 2002, 2003 and 2006. The other two times (1983 and 1987) occurred during the Erv Garrison era.
For the Irish, they are coming off a 44-7 victory over Lake Oswego in the quarterfinals, earning a bit of revenge after losing to the Lakers last season in the quarterfinals.
Jeff Smith, The Oregonian,
Jordan Johnson, Sheldon turn tables (and towel) on Lake Oswego:
No. 1 Sheldon returned the favor, beating No. 6 Lake Oswego 44-7 in an Oregon School Activities Association Class 6A quarterfinal game at Sheldon High School.
It was the sixth time in eight seasons that the Irish (12-0) and Lakers (7-4) met in the playoffs, including the third consecutive quarterfinal matchup between the teams.
"There are certain teams that get players' attention," Sheldon coach Marty Johnson said. "All you have to do is say, 'Lake Oswego,' and they're ready. This week went by real fast because of the amount of respect we have for that program."
On the other side of the bracket, Jesuit defeated Grant, 33-0, at home. And West Salem beat West Linn, 41-20. Jesuit will square off against West Salem on Friday at 5 p.m. at PGE Park in the opening semifinal game.
The state-championship game will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis.
Excited yet, Canby?
(On another note, yes, I did hear you guys in the student section with those chants)
~ posted by Alex Tam at 9:02 AM
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Game reaction: Canby 28, Sprague 21
What a game.
In what was most likely Canby's toughest matchup and opponent since the six-point overtime loss to Westview, the Cougars grinded out a 28-21 victory over Sprague in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs at Sprague High School.
It was the type of game that really showed the character of this team, facing an early deficit and not taking their first lead until late in the second half and hanging on against a team on its home field in a tough environment.
Canby did it with defense, holding a team that was used to scoring more than 40 points per game to just 21 points.
My recap,
Video: Defense propels Canby into state quarterfinals:
“It’s a huge win,” senior Cody Smith said. “We came in knowing they’re a great offensive team and it was going to be an offensive battle. We prepared hard all week on defense, changed some things up and got a lot of people back.
“The defense held out well. They averaged 40 points per game and we held them to 21.”
The 21 points was a season low for the Olympians, who had scored 40 points or more in seven of their nine games played this season. Their previous low was 32 points in a 35-32 loss to South Salem.
“To come back here and pretty much take down a team that was averaging 40 points and hold them to 21, that’s amazing,” senior Mike Raub said.
B. Scott Anderson, Salem Statesman-Journal,
No. 3 Canby rallies to oust Olympians in see-saw battle:
With one sailing ball, Sprague High's season came to an end Friday in a 28-21 loss to No. 3-ranked Canby in the second round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the potent Sprague offense was driving down the field for a potential game-tying score before quarterback Jeff Kidd saw a quarterback's worst nightmare: a snap from center that sailed over his head.
Kidd hustled to the ball and was tackled for a 14-yard loss. Sprague was forced to punt and never got the ball back as Canby milked the final 2:53 off the clock and defeated the Olympians.
"That was definitely a turning point of momentum," said Kidd, a senior who finished 14 of 24 for 174 yards.
Videos from Friday night's game can be found here at the
Canby Herald and at
KGW.com
The Cougars will now face Centennial in the Class 6A state quarterfinals next week. The game will most likely be Friday at 7 p.m., but the location of the game has yet to be determined due to the field conditions at Cougar Stadium at Canby High School.
The game could be moved to a nearby turf field, or remain at CHS. That decision will be made by Monday afternoon.
Canby will face a Centennial team that defeated Clackamas, 42-21, on Friday night for its first state-playoff victory since 1993.
Jerry Ulmer, The Oregonian,
Centennial 42, Clackamas 21:
The last time Centennial won a football playoff game, coach
Chris Knudsen was early in his 24-year tenure and many of the current
players were learning how to walk.
But Friday night -- after
seven one-and-dones since they made the 1993 semifinals, including the
past four years -- the Eagles finally put another notch in their belts.
Mt. Hood Conference champion Centennial (8-3) rushed for 406
yards on a muddy field and pulled away in the second half to beat
Clackamas 42-21 in an Oregon School Activities Association Class 6A
second-round game. The Eagles will play No. 3 Canby in the quarterfinals next week.
"This means the world, man," Eagles
senior Kevin Bannister said. "The Mt. Hood title was the biggest thing
for Knudsen, but now we've got a playoff win. It's amazing."
David Ball, Gresham Outlook,
Centennial eliminates Cavs 42-21:
The win sets the stage for a quarterfinal showdown at Pacific champion Canby in next Friday’s quarterfinals.
“We’re happy to represent our community and people are pretty excited about this,” (Centennial coach Chris) Knudsen said.
Other scores from Friday's action in the second round
Jesuit 41, SOUTH MEDFORD 14
GRANT 50, Central Catholic 14
West Linn 46, WESTVIEW 34
WEST SALEM 42, Roseburg 7
Canby 28, SPRAGUE 21
CENTENNIAL 42, Clackamas 21
Sheldon 26, ALOHA 13
LAKE OSWEGO 24, South Salem 9
~ posted by Alex Tam at 9:15 AM
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Listen to Friday's game live online
If you can't make it to Friday's Class 6A state-playoff second-round matchup between Canby and Sprague, the game will be broadcasted live online with live streaming audio from Sprague High School.
You can access the broadcast at
www.FullAccessSports.com, with airtime beginning at 6:45 p.m.
In my opinion, this is a great thing if you're not able to travel down to Salem for the matchup. Tune in if you're at home.
Full Access Sports has provided play-by-play for Willamette University football and Salem-area high school football.
And check back at the Canby Herald Web site after the game for more coverage, including photos, game video, statistics and more.
~ posted by Alex Tam at 12:34 PM
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Playoff preview: Canby at Sprague
With the fall sports season at Canby coming to an end, just one team remains in the 2009 campaign.
The No. 3 Cougars travel down to face Sprague on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. And who really knows what's going to happen.
Sprague is one of the sleeper teams who could dethrone Canby as the Olympians were once ranked No. 3 in the state. However,
illnesses took out most of the football team in late October in a stretch that saw Sprague lose two of three in conference play. It forced the Olympians to cancel a late-season test against Lake Oswego.
Sprague (7-2) is coming off another stellar offensive performance, scoring at least 40 points for the seventh time in nine games this season, in last week's 41-14 victory over Lincoln in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
The combination of quarterback Jeff Kidd and Chad Coburn dismantled Lincoln's defense, and should give Canby one of its stiffest tests this season.
Luke Andrews, The Oregonian,
Olympians earn gold on offense and defense:
"Sprague's defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, to help turn what appeared to be a potential shootout in the first half.
The Olympians (7-2) held Lincoln (6-5) without a score in the second half.
"We've done that all year," Sprague coach Robin Hill said of his offense. "But that (turnovers) is what we've been missing. When you play good teams, sometimes that can be the difference, and it was tonight."
...
"We feel very fortunate to have a lot of playmakers," Hill said. "Weused a lot of play-action plays, and they had a tendency to stare in the backfield. Chad (Coburn) is so athletic, he only needs a step. It was his night tonight." "
The Kidd to Coburn connection will certainly be a matchup to watch for as Canby prepares for Friday's game. According to the Sprague players, they simply haven't seen a defense yet that could stop them.
Dan Itel, Salem Statesman-Journal,
Powerful Sprague rolls on in 41-14 win at Lincoln:
And there wasn't much Lincoln, the second seed from the PIL, could do to slow down Sprague as the Olympians scored all their points in the first three quarters in a 41-14 road victory.
"We haven't really seen one yet," said Coburn, referring to a defense equal to the task. "So we'll see."
Coburn was one of the biggest reasons for Sprague's red-carpet to the end zone. The senior wide receiver/running back/defensive back caught seven passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, had nine carries for 43 yards and a touchdown and, to top it off, broke up a couple of passes on defense.
"He's just an all-around athlete," Sprague quarterback Jeff Kidd said. "I'm so proud of him for making me look so good, making our team look good."
My preview,
Canby prepares for defensive challenge:
The Cougars finished in the top-third of the state in points allowed, ranking 12th out of 45 teams at 20.1 points per game.
Sprague presents the most dynamic offense outside of No. 1 Sheldon, as the Olympians are ranked No. 2 in the state in points scored at 44.9 per game.
“They’re a very good football team,” Canby coach Mike Doty said. “They’re a lot like us. They’re a wing-T team, they do a lot of the same things we do. They’re a little more interior run-oriented but this year, they’re throwing the ball. They’ve got a very good quarterback.”
Game time for Friday night's game is 7 p.m. at Sprague High School. The winner plays either Clackamas or Centennial next week in the Class 6A quarterfinals. If Clackamas wins, Canby would most likely travel for the quarterfinal matchup. If Centennial wins, the Cougars would host next week's game.
~ posted by Alex Tam at 2:55 AM
