Ken Roberts
For The New Era
When it came time to raise four fingers, to indicate how they planned to dominate the fourth quarter, Sweet Home’s football team meant it Friday.
The Huskies turned up the heat and good on their statement as they squeaked out a 14-6 victory over Philomath in double overtime. That win guaranteed the Huskies the third state playoff berth out of the Val-Co League and a chance to play at Marist next Friday.
Normally a team can’t turn the ball over five times and still win, but that is what Sweet Home did on a muddy field and a soggy night when it was difficult to keep a firm grip on the ball.
“When you turn the ball over five times and you only have eight or nine possessions in a game, there isn’t a lot of margin for error,” coach Rob Younger noted.
Regardless of the problems, Younger was elated over the outcome.
“To overcome the anxiety and adversity of the year the way we did,” said Younger, “it was a big win and one that our kids really deserved.”
In the first quarter, Sweet Home shut Philomath down on its only possession. The Huskies then put together a steady drive that eventually died out at the Warrior 34-yard line following a critical holding penalty that cost them a first down.
After intercepting the first of three passes and returning it to the Husky 34 in the second quarter, the Warriors took just seven running plays to score their first and only touchdown. On a quarterback delay, Dan Haynes scooted seven yards through the heart of the Sweet Home defense. Philomath botched the snap for the extra point to take a 6-0 lead, one that would hold up until the fourth quarter.
Kyle Pettit almost broke the ensuing kickoff return, but he was tripped up at the Warrior 45-yard line and the ball squirted loose into the waiting hands of the Warriors. The Husky defense rose to the occasion again, making sure that Philomath would only have the six-point lead at the half.
“You have to go a little bit slower and get a little bit lower to close the gaps,” said defensive lineman Tyrone Perrine about their attempts to slow down the Warriors’ running game in the muck. “Even then you are going to slip a little.”
To start the second half, Philomath nearly put the game away with an extended drive. As usual for the Warriors, Matt Hill and Haynes were the only two players to touch the ball. Both came up with a big play, Hill on a 43-yard scamper around end on a third and 13 and Haynes on another quarterback draw of 29 yards on a fourth-and-four.
Then the Huskies made the pivotal play of the game when Hill took a handoff at the one-yard line. Skyler Bascom applied the key hit and Greg Sipe recovered the ensuing fumble in the end zone for a touchback.
Finally, the fourth quarter arrived. From that point on, it was all Sweet Home. Still, it wasn’t easy.
On the Huskies’ first possession, they moved the ball, only to fumble it away just inside Philomath territory.
The defense, however, just kept doing its job, giving the Huskies opportunity after opportunity.
Midway into the quarter, Pettit, who had trouble hanging on to the wet ball, hooked up with Adam Hummer twice. The first pass was on a short out pattern for five yards. That set up the next play, in which Pettit lofted a ball to Hummer, who initially ran a hook and then turned upfield.
Despite the ball being slightly tipped, Hummer managed to haul it in and then outraced the Warrior secondary for a 74-yard touchdown. Like the Warriors, the Huskies had problems with the snap and the kick never got airborne.
After stopping Philomath quickly again, the Huskies looked like they might put together another scoring drive.
Pettit again connected with Hummer on a 25-yard pass play to the Warrior 30-yard line on a third-and- 18 situation. Philomath, however, sacked Pettit for an eight-yard loss and then intercepted their second pass of the night.
That sent the game into overtime. On Philomath’s first play, the Husky defense corraled Cody Patterson on a reverse for a six-yard loss from which the Warriors could not recover. However, Sweet Home could not take advantage, suffering another interception on their very first play.
In the second overtime period, the Huskies were granted the first possession. It was all Nick Pitts, who ran for seven yards on first down and then finished it with a blast up the middle for 18 yards. Pettit converted the two-point play after faking up the middle and then trotting to the outside untouched.
It was his first action at tailback, a decision Younger made based on field conditions. Normally the lighter, faster Cody Sells would have started, but Younger decided the more powerful, slashing style of Pitts fit better on a muddy field. Pitts and Bascom, the fullback, were able to grind out more than 50 yards each between the tackles.
Down to their last chance, Philomath fumbled the first handoff to Hill for a five-yard loss. Twice more Hill was the ballcarrier until the Warriors were forced to throw a pass up for grabs, which Pettit knocked down to end the game.
On a night where Pettit could have become easily discouraged, he hung in there to deliver some crucial plays.
“I just tried to keep my composure,” said Pettit. “I felt good for our defense because we were playing smash-mouth football and stopping them all night long.”
Until the fourth quarter, the Huskies had only amassed 93 yards of total offense. In the fourth quarter and in overtime, they tacked on 177 yards. While the offense was doing that, the defense showed similar work. The Huskies yielded 200 yards in the first three quarters but only 16 yards after that.
“The kids really executed down the stretch,” explained Younger. “We talked about being playmakers all year long and that’s exactly what they were.”
Pettit, despite the three interceptions, chalked up a 15 for 22 passing performance for 171 yards. Hummer caught eight of those balls for 132 yards.
Hill was a workhorse for Philomath with 34 rushes for 144 yards. Philomath’s Haynes was held to just 3 of 12 passing for 37 yards and one interception by Sells.
The road into the state playoffs will be a bumpy one as the 4-6 Huskies take on the 7-3 Marist Spartans. Marist has lost to a Washington high school, number one-rated Sisters 41-21, and to the Capital Conference champions, Newport, 26-20, last Friday. The Spartans also defeated another common opponent, Junction City, 28-21.
“They will probably overlook us a little bit,” said Hummer. “We will have to be physical and stop their running game.”
Younger will emphasize finishing to his team this week.
“We’re going to have to finish plays, series, quarters,” stated Younger. “The team that makes their breaks and keeps their mistakes to a minimum usually wins.”
In other words, don’t expect Sweet Home to be able to win with five turnovers, even if it is played in another downpour.
Game Statistics
1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Final
SHHS 0 0 0 6 8 14
Phil 0 6 0 0 0 6
2nd Quarter
Phil—Haynes 7 yd. run (kick failed)
4th Quarter
SHHS—Pettit to Hummer 74 yd. pass (kick failed)
Overtime
SHHS—Pitts 18 yd. run (Pettit run)
Team Stats
Rushing: SHHS 29-118; Phil 43-179
Passing: SHHS 171; Phil 37
Sacks: SHHS 0; Phil 3-19
Total: SHHS 270, Phil 216
1st Downs: SHHS 11; Phil 8
Turnovers: SHHS 5; Phil 2
Penalties: SHHS 5-40; Phil 10-80
Individual Stats
Rushing: SHHS: Bascom 10-56; Pitts 11-54
Sells 1-4; Pettit 7-4
Phil: Hill 34-144; Haynes 8-41
Passing: SHHS: Pettit 15-22-3, 171;
Phil: Haynes 3-12-1, 37
Receiving: SHHS: Hummer 8-142; Bascom 3-19
Riggs 2-11; McKinney 1-0; Pitts 1-(-1)
Phil: Gunter 2-21; Braly 1-16
Punts: SHHS: Delong 2-76 (38; 37 net)
Phil: 5-150 (30; 27.4)
Punt Returns: SHHS Pettit 2-13; Phil 1-2
Kickoffs: SHHS: Delong 2-60 (30; 21 net)
Phil: 2-76 (38; 22.5 net)
Kick Returns: SHHS: Pettit 1-31;
Phil: 2-18
Interceptions: SHHS: 1 (Sells); Phil 3
Fumble Recoveries: SHHS 1 (Sipe); Phil 2
Tackles: SHHS— Schaefer 10; Whitfield and Sells 8;
Bascom and Pitts 7