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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2019)
SEPTEMBER 27, 2019, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE C7 Whiteaker unable to contend with Parrish KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings Whiteaker running back Marquis Jackson breaks away from defenders to pick up a fi rst down. The Wolverines, however, would fall to Parrish 34-3 on Wednesday, Sept 19. By MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes In a rematch of last year’s Salem-Keizer Middle School Championship game, the in- experience of the Whiteaker football team proved to be costly. After taking a 3-0 lead in the fi rst quarter, the Wolver- ines were plagued by turn- overs and penalties, allowing Parrish to runaway with the 34-3 victory on Thursday, Sept. 19. “We handled ourselves pretty well in the fi rst part of the game, then we just started to turn the ball over,” White- aker head coach Tom Lar- imer said. “You can’t do that when you’re facing a good team and stay in the game. We were just careless with the ball.” Even though the White- aker roster features several players who are competing in the sport for the fi rst time, the Wolverines held their own with Parrish in the fi rst half. A pair of fi rst down runs from running back Marquis Jackson and quarterback Tony Bravo had the Wolver- ines inside the red zone. Even though they were stopped on third down, Bravo connect- ed on a 36-yard fi eld goal to verines deep into their own territory. Moments later, Bravo threw an interception that was returned to the Wolver- ines seven-yard line. Parrish scored two plays later to take a 6-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Despite getting the ball at midfi eld after recovering an onside kick, Whiteaker fum- bled on their next offensive play to give the ball right back to Parrish. Parrish was able to punch it into the end zone with one second left in the half, giving them a 12-3 lead at the break. After another Parrish give Whiteaker the early lead. Field goals of that length are pretty rare in high school football, let alone middle school football, which is why the Whiteaker team was pumped when Bravo ran back to the sideline. “That was fantastic. Our kids are going to remember that for a long time,” Larimer said. The Wolverines defense then turned around and stuffed Parrish on fourth down to give their offense the ball back. However, a pair of holding penalties, as well as an unsportsmanlike con- duct fl ag, pushed the Wol- touchdown late in the third quarter, Whiteaker commit- ted their third turnover of the contest. The Wolverines defense gave up two long touchdown runs in the fi - nal period to make the score more lopsided. “When we turned the ball over on offense, I think the kids got discouraged and got a little fl at,” Larimer said. “We fell for some (Parrish’s) ball-fakes and our guys on the outside got beat for a few long ones.” Offensively, Whiteaker was able to get just two fi rst downs in the second half. “We’re pretty inexperi- Y R A ERS V I N AN E L A 0 5 S enced, so we have to try and keep things really simple,” Lairmer said. While Larimer knows that his team needs improvement going into the rest of the season, he also feels like this squad has what it takes to be more competitive. “We’re big enough and physical enough to com- pete, we just need to work really hard on our blocking schemes and work really hard on our containment,” Larim- er said. Whiteaker goes on the road to take on Stephens at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2. T R AV E L S TRAILER EELS H W H T 5 LERS U A H Y O T T H RV ENJOYMENT IN ANY SEASON! • Hathaway Edition • Silverback Edition • Cottage YOUR FULL SERVICE RV DEALER SINCE 1969 trailer sales JUST WEST OF I -5 3282 Silverton Rd NE, Salem 503.585.7713 wagersrvs.com
