In a game that seemed to hinge on big plays, Sweet Home outlasted the Newport Cubs 28-26 to extend its season record to 6-1 and stay perfect, 2-0, in league play.
“It was a heavyweight fight between two very good football teams,” declared Head Coach Rob Younger. “The winner was going to be the team that made the big play down the stretch.”
Senior Brock Cota, who scored four touchdowns in this game, the second time he has achieved that feat this year, had similar feelings.
“It was a tough game the whole night,” Cota said. “It was a punch-for-punch game. We’d get something on them and they would push right back.”
As is the Huskies’ habit, they allowed Newport to strike first. Quarterback Casee Case completed a critical fourth-down pass play before Chris Barth raced nine yards on a sweep for the touchdown, Barth’s second big run of the series.
Sweet Home’s two series in the first quarter came up empty. A high snap on the first series produced a 15-yard sack, the only sack of the game as both offensive lines protected their quarterbacks well. After a Cota interception on Newport’s next possession, the Huskies had the ball in Cub territory at the 38, but couldn’t produce results.
However, the outcome of that drive had an unforeseen positive effect when Newport intercepted a pass at its own one-yard line. Two plays later, Christian Whitfield tackled the Cubs’ sensational running back, Tristan Metcalf, in the end zone for a safety.
“Everybody (on the line) did what they were supposed to,” said Whitfield. “It was just a matter of me being in the right place at the right time.”
That was the case most of the night for a Husky defensive unit that held Newport to 67 yards, most of that on the first drive.
Metcalf, who came into the game averaging well over 100 yards a game, was limited to six yards in seven carries for the night, though he caught four passes for 179, two for touchdowns.
“We just played well at the line of scrimmage,” said Whitfield, noting the Huskies were simply executing out of their base defense. “We didn’t let him get outside.”
The second quarter, as has also been the case, belonged to the Huskies.
“I’m tired of letting teams score first,” stated Younger, “but these kids handle adversity extremely well.”
With good field position following Newport’s free kick on the safety, Sweet Home set the tone of long, tough drives for touchdowns. Keenan Martin, before dislocating a finger, completed two first down passes to eat up 30 yards of the initial 10 play, 60 yard drive. Cota scored on the longest of his touchdowns from 12 yards out.
Then after a quick defensive stop and an 18 yard Steven Bidwell punt return gave them favorable field position again in Newport territory, Tyler Holly led the Huskies on another 11 play drive. They escaped disaster when the Cubs intercepted a pass but were called for roughing the passer. Cota scored again, this time from 4 yards away.
With less than two minutes to go in the half, Newport used their passing game to bounce back with a 29 scoring strike from Case to Kenny Mertens. In what turned out to be of critical importance, Cota broke up the Cubs’ attempt at a two-point conversion to retain a 15-13 halftime lead.
The Huskies immediately applied pressure on Newport to start the third quarter. Two long passes of 37 and 22 yards to Tim McDowell put Sweet Home at the Newport 2 yard line. Four plays later, the Huskies were still sitting outside the goal line, though it appeared that they had crossed the plane at least twice.
Sweet Home’s defense kept Newport in check and harried Metcalf, the Cubs’ punter, into a short kick. On the first play from the 28 yard line, Holly completed a lateral pass to Cota, who went the distance.
Sweet Home nearly scored again after Zach Jackson intercepted a pass and put the Huskies in the red zone at the Newport 20. The Cubs stiffened up and then blocked an Alex Santana field goal attempt. However, the visitors were backed up on the one-yard line again.
The Huskies could only hold Metcalf quiet for so long. He and Case hooked up for an 86-yard pass play that included a number of broken tackles. Once again though, the Huskies responded as McDowell broke up the second attempt by Newport for a two-point conversion.
Then came an unbelievable 20-play drive for 55 yards that chewed up six and a half minutes of time. It required a long third d-own pass conversion from Holly to Sean Potter, preceding a dead ball personal foul penalty against the Huskies. It required a conversion off a hard snap count causing Newport to jump offsides on fourth down, the fourth time Holly pulled off that scheme. It required two other great receptions by Levi Marchbanks, both on fourth down. And finally it ended with a Cota two-yard plunge. Even the successful extra point by Santana, which bounced off the goal post and through the uprights, was critical to the victory.
Sweet Home’s defense held again in a four and out series that gave the Huskies the ball at the Newport 23. The Cubs refused to go away and intercepted their second pass of the night. With less than two minutes to play, the deadly combination of Case to Metcalf struck again, this time for 81 yards on their very first play.
Sweet Home could only breathe easy when Levi Marchbanks fielded Newport’s onside kick attempt, allowing Holly to kneel down for the final three plays.
Due to the two big pass plays, Newport outgained the Huskies in total yardage, 361 to 273. Newport also led in penalty yardage, 123 to 70, giving the Huskies first downs on six different occasions. But it was the Husky emotion of the long drives and stingy defense that ultimately led to the victory.
“The team has to stay motivated and ready for every play,” said Cota. “Everybody was inspiring each other.”
After their perfect home record, the Huskies finish the season on the road, starting with 3-4 Taft, who lost to Central and then to Philomath 26-13. A Sweet Home victory this Friday will guarantee a state playoff berth.
“We are in control of our own destiny,” said Younger. “That’s where we want to be at this point in the season. We just have to take care of business.”
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Sweet Home 0 15 6 7 28
Newport 7 6 6 7 26
1st Quarter
New: Chris Barth 9 yd. run (Pete Gonzalez kick)
2nd Quarter
SH: Safety, Christian Whitfield
SH: Brock Cota 12 yd. run (run failed)
SH: Cota 4 yd. run (Alex Santana kick)
New: Kenny Mertens 29 yd. pass from Casee Case (pass failed)
3rd Quarter
SH: Cota 28 yd. run (kick failed)
New: Tristan Metcalf 86 yd. pass from Case (pass failed)
4th Quarter
SH: Cota 2 yd. run (Santana kick)
New: Metcalf 81 yd. pass from Case (Gonzalez kick)
Team Stats
Rushing: Sweet Home 40-121; New 21-67
Passing: Sweet Home 16-29-2. 167; New 14-22-2, 294
Sacked: SH 1-15; New: None
Total Offense: Sweet Home 273; New 361
First Downs: Sweet Home 18; New 9
Tackles for Losses: Sweet Home 4; New 10
3rd/4th Down Conversions: Sweet Home 13-25; New 4-10
Penalties: SH 8-70; New 14-123
Turnovers: SH 2; New 2
Individual Stats
Rushing: SH: Cota 18-84; Moyer 16-28; Coakley 2-4;
Martin 2-3; Tagle 1-2; Holly 1-0
New: Barth 3-27; Case 10-25; Metcalf 7-6
Passing: SH: Holly 14-25-2, 138; Martin 2-3, 29; Tagle 0-1
New: Case 14-20-2, 294
Receiving: SH: McDowell 4-68; Marchbanks 3-30; Tagle 3-21;
Cota 3-19; Potter 2-22; Moyer 1-7
New: Metcalf 4-179; Mertens 8-98
Kickoffs: SH: Santana 5-240, 40 net; Avg start line: 26
New: Gonzalez 6-226; 27.3 net; Avg start line: 35.2
Kick Returns: SH: Santana 2-30; Bidwell 1-11; Moyer 1-11, Cota 1-10
New 4-40
Punts: SH: Coakley 1-32 net 32; New: Metcalf, 2-59, net 20.5
Punt Returns: SH: Bidwell 1-18; New: None
Interceptions: SH: 2 (Cota, Jackson); New 2
Fumble Recoveries: None
Sacks: SH None; New 1-15
Blocked field goal: New 1
Tackles: SH: Jackson 7, P.Long 5, Bidwell, Whitfield, Marchbanks 4
* * * * *
The frosh/soph football won Thursday night 28-14.
Colton Holly threw two touchdown passes, one to Mitch Keenon and one to Quin Wise.
Wade Paulus and Ty Collins ran for one touchdown each and Paulus and Holly both scored a two-point conversion.
The defense stepped up and bent, but did not break, Coach Dustin Nichol said.
The Huskies are 3-3, going into a three-game home stand after being on the road for five of their last six games.