By James Day
The best football season for Silverton High in 21 years ended Nov. 23 in the Class 5A semifinals.
The Foxes, who last made it to the state semis during their run to the 1991 Class 3A state title, lost 46-19 to perennial 5A power Sherwood at McCulloch Stadium in Salem to finish 11-1. The Bowmen (12-0) move on to Saturday’s championship game against Marist.
“We battled them to the end and the guys really rallied,” said Silverton coach John Mannion.
“Sherwood’s a darn good team, but I think we definitely earned their respect. It’s sad to see it end. We had a great, great season but we really wanted to go one more week and play in the title game. I’m really proud of our team.”
Silverton fell behind 14-0 and 24-6 to Sherwood, but rallied to make a game of it. The Foxes pulled within 24-12 with two seconds left in the first half on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cole Chandler to Preston Kirk. When Chandler and Kirk connected again, this time on a 5-yard scoring play five minutes into the third quarter, Silverton made it 24-19.
The Foxes had the ball with a chance to take the lead on their next possession after a Nick Teubel interception. But Sherwood turned the tables with an interception of its own of Chandler and drove 26 yards for a score that made it 32-19. After stopping the Foxes’ next drive at their own 16, the Bowmen drove 84 yards in seven plays to regain control at 39-19.
The Sherwood running game provided a severe test for the Silverton defense, which had allowed just 74 points in its first 11 games. The Bowmen rushed for 410 yards and three ball-carriers, Keegan Lawrence, Cristian Morris and Mickey Schaefer each gained 100 yards or more.
Ken Pike rushed for 56 yards to lead the Foxes. Chris Garcia added 52 and a touchdown. Chandler completed 8 of 15 passes for 125 yards, with Kirk hauling in six for 104.
Silverton advanced to the semifinals with an impressive 35-6 quarterfinals win Nov. 16 at McGinnis Field against Mid-Willamette Conference rival West Albany.
“We really wanted to make sure we won this one for our senior class because it was going to be the last time they played on this field,” said junior defensive back Cort Martin, who broke the game open with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.
The Foxes had defeated the Bulldogs 28-21 on Sept. 28 at McGinnis in the game that determined the Mid-Willamette title, but the rematch turned into a showcase for the Silverton defense. Teubel also had an interception return for a touchdown and the Foxes held West Albany standout Jake LaCoste to 128 yards on 35 carries, a 3.7 average.
“We watched a ton of film and (assistant coach Grant) Piros and Mannion had a great game plan,” said Silverton linebacker Quinn Dreher. “(LaCoste) had nowhere to run because everybody was doing their job and controlling the gaps.”
Kennedy, meanwhile, advanced to the Class 2A quarterfinals before being eliminated 6-0 by Central Linn on Nov. 17 in Mount Angel. The Trojans (7-4) had defeated the Cobras 14-6 on Nov. 2 to wrap up the Tri-River Conference title, but Central Linn outlasted Kennedy in the rematch on a wet, muddy day.
Central Linn’s Mark LaCoste scored the lone touchdown on a 1-yard sneak with 2:47 left in the first half. The score finished off an 89-yard drive that included 16 plays and two penalties and chewed up 7:42 on the clock.
Kennedy had two strong threats to knot the game. Greg Farris was stopped for a yard loss on 4th-and-1 at the Cobras’ 6 midway through the third quarter before the Trojans mounted one final drive in the game’s closing moments. Farris rushed for 35 yards as Kennedy carved its way 53 yards to the Central Linn 4. But the Cobras’ defense stiffened and stopped the Trojans on a fourth-down play with two seconds left to preserve the win.
“Keep your spirits high there were a lot of blessings this season,” Kennedy coach Randy Traeger told his emotional squad after the game. “It’s been a great season. We were there. We had our chances. And you can’t ask for more.”
Follow James Day on Twitter @jameshday
