Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Page A-3
Cougars end season in playoff loss
Tristan Stocker
IVN Contributing Writer
Soccer season draws to a close after a
fantastic year full of blood and sweat and tears
for the Illinois Valley boys’ soccer team who
just recently met their match in their first and
final playoff game against Western Mennonite
(6-4-2) up in Salem Wednesday, Nov. 1 - the
final score set at 0-2.
(Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
No. 11 senior Action Phokaeo receives
a throw-in during the home win
against Lakeview earlier in the season.
The boys blasted up to Salem with
high hopes after a four game winning streak,
however, Huver Rodriguez their star player
was still recovering from an ankle injury he
received while playing Canyonville, which
undeniably set them back.
“He was probably playing at about 70
percent,” said head coach Neigel Hruska. “I
mean you could tell; he could play, but he was
being very cautious on it. If he would have
been at 100 percent that would have helped out
a lot, but we still hung in there pretty good and
got a couple of good shots in.”
Action Phokaeo another great player
actually took a pretty hard spill on his knee
right off the bat, which worried him along with
the rest of the team.
“It was definitely a nail-biting game.
Nobody was disappointed with it,” said
Hruska. “They didn’t get dominated. It was a
pretty even game. It was making grey hairs on
my head.”
This was the team’s third trip to the
playoffs: the first time way back in 1986, and
more recently, six years ago in 2011.
The Illinois Valley High School is also
getting placed into the 2A division, which
means no more Cascade Christian and no more
St. Mary’s.
“We’re gonna be the biggest school in
that division, so hopefully that’ll help us out to
(Photo by Dan Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
No. 14 senior Huver Rodriguez fights to regain possession against a Honker
forward during early season play. Rodriguez was fighting an ankle injury
during the loss in Salem.
compete,” said Hruska.
Hruska is looking forward to coaching
next year along with assistant coach Dustin
Henderson.
“We’ve got nine freshmen supposedly
coming up,” said Hruska. “So between me and
Dustin we should be able to have each other’s
backs to get the kids going through.”
Pettis sets NCAA mark as No. 12 Washington rolls Oregon 38-3
By
Tim Booth
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) — After five
games without a spectacular moment
on special teams, it was time for Dante
Pettis to stand alone in the NCAA
record book.
Pettis became the NCAA’s career
leader in punt return touchdowns and
had a 47-yard TD reception, leading
No. 12 Washington past Oregon 38-3
on Saturday night.
“If he makes the first guy miss,
it’s usually a touchdown,” Washington
quarterback Jake Browning said.
A year after breaking a 12-game
losing streak to the Ducks, Washington
(8-1, 5-1 Pac-12, No. 12 CFP) kept
alive its hopes for a return to the
College Football Playoff by thumping
its rival to the south.
The blowout was sparked by
Pettis on a frigid, wet night along
the shore of Lake Washington. After
a sluggish start, Pettis’ ninth career
punt return touchdown early in the
second quarter started an avalanche of
Washington points.
“Punt returns for touchdowns are
rare ... and I already had three this year
so it wasn’t like, ‘I haven’t got a punt
return in a long time,’” Pettis said.
“Each week I was going into it and
just trying to get the best return that I
could.”
Pettis caught the line drive
from Oregon’s Adam Stack, made
the initial defenders miss, hurdled an
attempted tackle from Stack at the
Oregon 40 and found open space as he
sprinted to the end zone. The 64-yard
play was the fourth punt return for
a score this season by Pettis, tying
a Pac-12 record. He had punt return
touchdowns in three straight games in
September to pull even with Antonio
Perkins (Oklahoma) and Wes Welker
(Texas Tech) on the NCAA list.
“We didn’t get enough hang
time on it to get our guys down there,”
Oregon coach Willie Taggart said.
“That’s like Football 101. When you
punt the ball you’ve got to allow your
guys to get down there and we didn’t
do a good job with that kick.”
It was just the start of a big night
for the senior. He finished with four
catches for 87 yards and put the game
out of reach on the first drive of the
second half, getting behind the Oregon
defense for his seventh touchdown
reception of the season and a 24-3
lead.
“He’s just got a knack,”
Washington coach Chris Petersen said.
“He’s a really deceptive guy even as
a receiver. He’s a long strider that has
tremendous suddenness to him.”
Lavon Coleman added a
remarkable 31-yard, catch-and-run
touchdown later in the third quarter.
Coleman was just trying to get a first
down on third-and-12, but ended up in
the end zone. He was spun down by
Oregon’s Jimmie Swain, but instead
of hitting the turf, Coleman’s backside
bounced off Swain’s chest. Coleman
popped up and raced the final 20 yards
for the score.
Myles Gaskin rushed for 123
yards, including a 34-yard touchdown
in the first half where he faked a
reverse to Salvon Ahmed, kept
the ball and got great downfield
blocking. Ahmed later added a
58-yard touchdown run as part of
Washington’s 21-point third quarter.
Browning threw for 204 yards,
and his two TD passes tied Keith Price
for the school record at 75.
Brandon Burmeister started at
quarterback for Oregon as the Ducks
(5-5, 2-5) kept Justin Herbert out for
one more game due to a collarbone
injury. Herbert has not played since
being injured in late September.
Royce Freeman rushed for 122
yards, but the Ducks had almost no
passing attack. After gaining 116 yards
on their first two possessions, Oregon
gained just 73 total yards on the next
eight possessions.
“I think we can run the ball
better if we can throw it better,”
Taggart said. “It’s good to see that our
guys are able to run the football when
everyone knows we’re going to run.”
Monday-Sunday: 6aM-8pM
The
G SPOT
now and
then
Hump Day Karaoke
w/ Jammer & Birdy
F r i d a y, N o v. 1 0
@ 5:30
8-midnight
Open Mic
w/ B
Thurdays @ 7
KARAOKE
w/ Steve- OH
Friday, Nov. 10 @ 9 p.m
TimMitchell
Saturday the 11th 6 PM
Every Wednesday
from
Taylor’s
Country Store
Saturday Pool Tourney @ 8
Sunday night is FREE pool &
Football/hotdogs
Open MIC Night
6 - 8 p.m.
Mon & Thurs night
H omemade Meals & Football
J Barley
Sportsman
Tavern
Fridays @ 6 p.m.
Art’s Red
Garter
New Cooks
7 days at week
“The Other
Funs”
(Deadheads music)
Friday, Nov. 10
9 PM $5
4 -8 p.m.
DJ Lay’D Beatz
KARAOKE
Wed & Sun nights
DJ - Fri & Sat
@
McGrew’s!