Ken Roberts
For The New Era
The Estacada Rangers were knocking frequently on opportunity’s door, but the Sweet Home defense kept slamming that door in their face as the Huskies jumped on the Rangers early and finished with a 35-7 victory in the second round of the state playoffs.
Starting with Lance Carter’s kick return to the 35 on the first play of the game, Coach Rob Younger’s script for the first series worked masterfully. In the six play drive, Travis Smith had four carries of 9 yards or more and Kyle Pettit completed his first pass, a 14 yarder to Carter.
“You couldn’t get a better first series,” stated Younger. “Everything we did, we were just ripping off big chunks of yardage.”
On the other hand, Estacada stumbled out of the blocks. They opened with two motion penalties and a rush for a yard loss. After quarterback Reed Huskey completed a 9 yard pass, his next one was picked off by Brandon Martin, who dashed 23 yards for a return touchdown.
“I saw the play on film,” said Martin, who has returned both of his career interceptions for touchdowns. “I dropped back into the zone and I knew it was right there.”
Estacada’s misfortunes continued on their second possession. Gordon Grochowsky, the Ranger tailback, was able to race outside Husky containment, which happened just that once, and scampered down the sideline for 51 yards. However, Smith, from his safety position, chased down Grochowsky, snagged his jersey, and stripped him of the football, which a trailing Carter recovered.
“Coach talks to us about the importance of the first six minutes of the half,” said Smith, noting that this play may have built up the Husky impetus and taken the fire out of the Estacada team. “I think they probably felt it wasn’t happening for them this night.”
Starting at their own 28, the Huskies put together a steady drive, which opened with a pass interference penalty plus an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Rangers. Pettit was able to extend the Husky first quarter burst when he trotted in from 3 yards out on a bootleg.
In the second quarter, Husky errors put them into poor field position. On their first series in the quarter, Pettit had a pass picked off by Mark Stafford that gave Estacada the ball at the Sweet Home 26.
But the defense made the first of their four spectacular stands with their backs to the wall.
The Rangers were shut down in four plays, giving the ball back to Sweet Home. But after two solid runs by Smith and Martin, the Huskies’ offense stalled. On a third down and long, Pettit was sacked for a ten yard loss. Then on the punt attempt, a bad snap cost the Huskies another 12 yards and Estacada started at drive number two at the Husky 37.
Yet again, the Rangers went empty after four plays when Charlie Fitzsimons recovered Grochowsky’s second fumble of the night.
Sweet Home struck quickly it seemed after Smith ran for 12 yards and then broke out for a79 yard run, but that play was called back with a holding penalty. Instead, the Huskies went into another ten play drive, highlighted by a 46 yard screen pass to Smith and a 24 yard run by Martin, who dragged an Estacada defender who hung onto his jersey for the last ten yards. Smith capped off the drive with a 1 yard run.
With their hopes dimmed after trailing 28-0, Estacada opened the second half with a 46 yard return by Nate Nicholson to the Sweet Home 24. Enter the defense again. Charlie Fitzsimons intercepted Huskey on a fourth down passing play. Fitzsimons was more impressed with Sweet Home’s ability to contain the running game than he was with his own feats of an interception, a fumble recovery, and 5 tackles.
“We tried to take a different approach,” explained Fitzsimons. “We played tighter toward the line more and were able to keep it inside better than other teams could.”
Deep in their own territory, the Huskies were unable to dig themselves out. With a short punt and a 17 yard return by Andy Loehr, Estacada started their second series of the half at the Husky 20. But Sweet Home’s secondary was solid again as three Reed Huskey passes fell harmlessly incomplete. Estacada kept the pressure on and forced another Husky punt, taking over this time near midfield.
Keeping the ball primarily on the ground, Estacada chewed precious time off the clock with their 10 play drive. To make matters worse for the Rangers, they were stopped at the one yard line. And this time, Sweet Home delivered the final blow to the Ranger pride. In just five plays, the Huskies went the length of the field two minutes into the fourth quarter, scoring on a Smith 50 yard run.
Even the second unit of defense held off the Rangers for a while. Trevor Tagle intercepted a pass, the fifth turnover of the night for Estacada. Later in the quarter, the Rangers finished the night with their lone bright spot, another extended series that Huskey finished with a 7 yard draw play for their only touchdown.
With the pressure of both Estacada’s option and power running games, Younger sold his team on a complete team defensive concept. And that’s exactly the belief of middle linebackers Ryan Elliott and Martin, who led Sweet Home in tackles.
“Our defensive line did a good job taking on double teams, and Brandon and I were just shedding blocks,” said Elliott of his team’s effort when they staved off the Rangers time after time. “It keeps you pumped up. You just want to keep doing as well as you are.”
“Our whole focus is to dominate teams defensively,” chimed in Martin. “That’s my goal. I want us to be the best defensive team we can.”
The total offensive yardage was not that much different. Sweet Home had 319 yards to Estacada’s 284, most of which came on Grochowsky’s 50 yard run that ended in the fumble or occurred late in the game. Smith ran for 188 yards on 23 carries while Martin bulldozed his way for 86 yards on 10 attempts. Neither team’s passing game was effective.
This game, however, will be remembered as a night for the defense.
“Not only are our guys up front physical with good size,” explained Younger, “but our five deep will come up and lay a pad on you.”
Players like Cody Shipp and Lance Carter, the defensive halfbacks, have become solid tacklers along with Smith, who has always been a hard hitter. Then with Tim Faulconer and Fitzsimons keeping containment on the outside, there isn’t a spot where an opponent won’t feel some pain.
Younger commended the play of Fitzsimons, which jumpstarts the unit in practice as well.
“Charlie, in many ways, is a leader of our defense in practice,” said Younger. “He gives us a little bit of a mean spirit in a good way. He just leaves a positive impact by the way he does things.”
The Huskies next opponent will be Scappoose, who easily dismantled Toledo 33-0. The Indians rely heavily on a passing game with three or four receiver sets and a single running back. It will be a different look than the Huskies have had to face this year.
“We are in the final eight now; they are all going to be good teams,” said Younger. “We’ll just have to step up one more time.”
That time will be Friday at 7p.m. at Husky Stadium.
HUSKY SCOREBOARD
Varsity Football
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
SHHS 21 7 0 7 35
Estacada 0 0 0 7 7
1st Quarter
SH—Smith 10 yd. run (Belknap kick)
SH—Martin 24 yd. pass interception (Belknap kick)
SH—Pettit 3 yd. run (Belknap kick)
2nd Quarter
SH—Smith 1 yd. run (Belknap kick)
4th Quarter
SH—Smith 50 yd. run (Belknap kick)
Est–Huskey 7 yd. run (Cogdill kick)
Team Stats
Rushing: SHHS 38-281; Estacada 38-193
Passing: SHHS 60; Estacada 91
Sacks: Estacada 2-22
Total: SHHS 319; Estacada 284
1st Downs: SHHS 13; Estacada 11
Turnovers: SHHS 1; Estacada 5
Penalties: SHHS 2-15; Estacada 7-63
Individual Stats
Rushing: SHHS: T.Smith 23-188; Martin 10-86; Tagle 2-7; Elliott 1-2; Pettit 2-(-2)
Estacada: Grochowsky 14-87; Nicholson 12-59; Huskey 8-27; Cogdill 2-21
Passing: SHHS: Pettit 2-6-1, 60
Estacada: Huskey 7-20-3, 91
Receiving: SHHS: Smith 1-46; Carter 1-14
Estacada: Coyle 2-38; Loehr 2-21; Simpkins 2-20, Weston 1-12
Punts: SHHS: Belknap 3-85 (28.3, 22.7 net)
Estacada: 2-44 (22, 22 net)
Punt Ret: Estacada: Loehr 1-17, Coyle 1-0
Kickoffs: SHHS: Belknap 6-278 (46.3, 34.2 net)
Estacada: 2-88 (44, 18 net)
Kick Ret: SHHS: Bascom 1-32, Carter 1-20;
Estacada: 3-73
Interceptions: SHHS 3 (Martin, Fitzsimons ,Tagle);
Estacada 1
Fumble Rec: SHHS 2 (Carter, Fitzsimons)
Tackles: SHHS: Elliott 9, Martin 8, Aitken, Schaeffer and Tagle 7