Newberg Graphic Online

Newberg unable to keep up with Central Catholic's offense and loses 56-34

Rams' score at will in first round of Class 6A state football playoffs

• By: Frank Graham  
• Published: 11/14/2009 12:53:34 AM
• Last Updated: 11/14/2009 10:30:06 AM

Photo By: Gary AllenStretching for a reception
NHS wide received Jordan Howell pulls in a pass Friday evening at PGE Park.

   PORTLAND — Newberg ran into a buzz saw Friday against Central Catholic and fell 56-34 in the first round of the Class 6A state football playoffs at PGE Park.
   Newberg, 6-4 overall this season, simply couldn’t stop the powerhouse offense of the Rams, 8-2 overall this year and ranked eighth in the state.
   Despite taking only 58 seconds to take their opening drive 58 yards to take the initial lead, the Tigers couldn’t match the scoring pace of the Rams, who outscored Newberg 14-7 in the first quarter, 21-7 in the second quarter and 21-7 in the third. The Tigers outscored the Rams 14-0 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late.
Rams quarterback Jordan Perry stole the show, running and passing at will against the Tigers.  He threw for 336 yards and six touchdowns while racking up 606 yards of total offense against the Tigers. The cold Friday the 13th night turned out to be bad luck for the Tigers, who had five turnovers for the night.
   Tigers quarterback Matt Dufour had four interceptions in the game and running back Joey Chandler lost two fumbles, although one was recovered by the Tigers.
   Dufour completed five passes on 16 throws for 40 yards and a touchdown and rushed four times for 23 yards and scored a running touchdown. Chandler rushed 20 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Winterfield rushed nine times for 89 yards.
   Conor Hazenberg had one catch for 16 yards and Cody Hunter-Brown had one catch for six yards. Jordan Howell had two catches for 13 yards and intercepted Perry twice in the game.
   The Tigers scored on their first possession on a 23-yard run by Dufour.
   On the Rams first play from scrimmage, the Tigers stripped Perry of the ball. Both Chandler and Wyatt Mahoney were involved in the tackle.
   The Tigers drove nine yards to the Rams 18 yard line, but Dufour’s pass was intercepted on the one yard line.
   The Rams then drove 99 yards on 10 plays and scored when Perry ran it in from the three, tying the game at 7-7.
   The Tigers punted on their next possession and Central Catholic put together a seven play drive that ended when Howell intercepted Perry on the 32. Unfortunately, Chandler fumbled on the next play and the Rams recovered on the Tigers’ 33 yard line.
   Perry tossed a 33-yard pass to wide receiver Bryson Koch to put the Rams ahead 14-7, a lead they would never relinquish.
   Rory Oliver took the ensuing kickoff and smashed head first into the Rams’ Marcus Brannon, advancing the ball to the 37.
   The Tigers drove the ball to the Rams’ 23, but Dufour’s pass was picked off at the five yard line.
   The Rams then put together a four-minute, 95-yard drive and scored on a 13-yard run from Demetri Posey. They led 20-7 after the missed extra point.
   The Tigers turned it over on downs after a five-play drive and Perry connected with Brenden Scarlett on a 57-yard touchdown to lead 28-7 after a successful two-point conversion.
   The Tigers answered with three runs by Mahoney and a 29-yard pitch to Chandler for the score to cut the lead to 28-14 after Scott Goodman’s second extra point of the night.
   But the Rams successfully completed five straight passes as they moved 80 yards in seven plays and scored on a 17 yard touchdown pass to lead 35-14.
   Mahoney returned the kickoff more than 60 yards to the Rams’ 22 yard line with one second on the clock before half. Dufour threw a pass into the end zone, but it was intercepted and the half was over.
In the third quarter, the Rams scored on all three possessions. Newberg punted on their first and scored on their second, a 10-yard scramble by Chandler to end the third at 56-21.
   The Tigers scored twice in the fourth quarter, a three-yard run by Dufour and a 24-yard pass to Hunter-Brown. A Goodman extra point went wide which left the final score 56-34.
   To the seniors on the team, the loss and exit from the playoffs was emotional. Many shed tears.
   “Loved playing with you dude,” Chandler said to Hazenberg, who suffered a knee injury to his left leg in the third.
   “I’m as proud as I can be of them,” said Coach Eric Carlson, who coached his 21st season with the team this year. “They never quit. We would have scored again had we got the ball back.”
Carlson said Central Catholic was a “very good team” and called them “the real deal.”
   “That’s why they are ranked so high in the state,” he said. He said he thought the mix of runs and passes was just right during the game. “We have to have a balanced offense. We got some bad breaks with the turnovers, but that’s football.”
   Carlson said the team had a great season and came up against a great team. “It’s a tough loss but it was a great season overall,” Carlson said.

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