Tigers tear up Yamhill
Sunday, November 19, 2006 9:24 AM PST
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| ray rodriguez | Argus Observer
Ontario running back Jake Turner is swarmed by Yamhill-Carlton defenders Jeff Baisch (52), Willie Webb (21) and Zachary Kelly (65) during Saturday's 4A state playoff football game at Tiger Stadium in Ontario. Turner rushed for 52 yards, and Ontario won 49-35. |
RAY RODRIGUEZ
ARGUS OBSERVER
ONTARIO
Ontario's Bryson Sap just had one of those days.
The junior quarterback ran for 204 yards and three touchdowns, added another through the air and also forced a fumble to help Ontario come back from a 28-21 halftime deficit to defeat Yamhill-Carlton 49-35 at Tiger Stadium in Ontario.
“All week we were focused,” Sap said. “Our line did good. Our defense did good in the second half, so it was more everyone. People made big plays for us, and the guys blocked well when I was running it.”
Ontario ran the ball 45 times for 326 yards, and the defense held Yamhill-Carlton to one touchdown in the second half, while forcing three turnovers.
“We ended up getting more pressure on them in the second half,” Ontario head coach Randy Waite said. “That helped us out a lot. Some of it was schemes and some of it partly goes to we just came out and played hard. These guys weren't ready to go home today.”
The Tigers started the scoring with a trick play in the first quarter, as freshman Josh Mejia got the ball on a double reverse and fired a strike to a wide open Ryan Laubacher for a 20-yard touchdown. Ontario went up 14-0 after Sap took the snap and weaved back and forth past Yamhill-Carlton tackles for an 82-yard touchdown.
Sap wasn't done, however, and he put Ontario up 21-7 after a 56 yard scamper, but Yamhill-Carlton would not quit.
The Yamhill-Carlton Tigers scored on their next three possessions, using a 7-yard touchdown run by J.T. Sorenson and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Zach Anderson to Sorenson to tie the game at 21.
Anderson led Yamhill-Carlton with 361 yards passing, 56 yards rushing and Sorenson had a monster game with 12 catches for 168 yards.
Yamhill-Carlton took the lead with 19 seconds left in the half, capitalizing on a Loren Stewart fumble on Ontario's 35-yard line.
Three plays later, Anderson tossed his second touchdown of the game to Tony Perry from 8 yards out to giver Yamhill-Carlton the 28-21 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Ontario Tiger defense played a major role in keeping the offensive juggernaut known as Yamhill-Carlton at bay.
The Ontario Tigers forced two interceptions, had three quarterback sacks and also recovered a fumble.
“We knew Yamhill was pretty talented, especially offensively,” Waite said. “Our defense had to step up in the second half. We gave up 28 in the first half and only seven in the second half, so that was the difference. They gave our offense a lot of opportunities and our kids played well.”
Ontario put the game on ice in the third quarter, scoring three times. The Tigers first scored on a 13-yard run by Jake Turner after a double reverse.
The second score came from a 35-yard touchdown reception by Laubacher after Sap found him wide open down field.
Stewart capped the scoring with a 16-yarder with 28 seconds left in the third quarter, giving Ontario a 42-28 lead.
Laubacher led the receivers with five catches for 105 yards and Turner had 11 carries for 52 yards.
“Frankly, we weren't ready for our season to be over,” Turner said. “We had a lot to prove to a lot of people. We didn't want our season to end like this. The guys worked hard all season and deserved better. The second half we battled.”
Yamhill-Carlton crept to 42-35 after a scoring strike from Anderson to Willie Webb with 11:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Then Ontario went on a 78-yard drive, using more than four minutes of the clock, and Sap scored his third rushing touchdown in the game from 13 yards out.
“He was a stud today,” Waite said of Sap. “They were keying on Loren and trying to stop Loren, so we knew all of the guys were going to have to step up, and Bryson stepped up big.”
Ontario next plays Hidden Valley for a semifinal match up Saturday. The time and date have yet to be announced.
