NOVEMBER 12, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A21
“We didn't have our two fastest play-
ers healthy enough to take big shots,
but we had other guys step up,” Tyler
Copeland said.
“We converted some big third and
fourth down plays today. We had a nice
mix of running and throwing. We have
had some explosive plays, but some of
our explosive guys are a little slower
at the moment,” Auvinen added. “I
thought the game plan was really solid
and I thought the kids executed really
well.”
After getting the ball inside the
20-yard line, McNary off ensive coordi-
nator Connor Astley called Smedema's
number, giving him the ball on a fl y
sweep. Smedema, who was playing in
his fi rst game since an injury on Oct. 15,
ran to daylight without diffi culty, weav-
ing through multiple defenders on his
way to a 17-yard touchdown run.
“It feels great to be back. I hated
being out. Today was the fi rst day of
actually running on it. It felt pretty
great,” Smedema said. “I was going to
play because I knew it could be my last
game.”
The fl y sweep isn't a normal staple
of the McNary off ense, but according to
Auvinen, multiple coaches saw the play
as a way to exploit the Black Tornado
defense.
“I think the coaches just saw how
(North Medford) was reacting to it and
saw that we had some openings,” he
said.
Receiving the ball to open the third
quarter, the Celtics pulled some trick-
ery out of their hat as Dyer received the
kick and lateralled the ball to Aicher,
who sprinted up the sideline all the way
to the North Medford 31-yard line.
After a 14-yard pass from Tyler
Copeland to Smedema, sophomore
running back Jake Allen scored from
three yards out to increase McNary's
advantage to 20-0.
Despite having an incredibly
successful season as the Mountain
Valley Conference Player of the Year,
Copeland has played half the season
with a high ankle sprain and has had a
diffi cult time with his mobility for the
last month. But in the third quarter, the
senior signal-caller was able to give
the crowd a glimpse into his old self,
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Zane Aicher stiff-arms a defender on his way to a first down run.
showing his athleticism to escape from
the pocket on third-and-14, elude mul-
tiple defenders and connect with Dyer
for a fi rst down across the middle.
“I'm still not at 100 percent but I felt
like I was able to move a little bit more,”
Copeland said.
The Celtics extended their lead to
23-0 later in the quarter after a 35-yard
fi eld goal from Ready.
Midway through the third quarter,
after having trouble moving the ball for
the whole game, North Medford took
advantage of a Celtics miscue to make
it a two-score game.
On third-and-20 from their own
17-yard line, Warren escaped pressure
on a broken play and threw the ball
downfi eld into double coverage. Dyer,
who was playing safety, looked to have a
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
chance to come away with the intercep-
tion, but he mistimed his jump, tipping
the ball into the hands of Black Tornado
receiver Bryce Dyer, who scampered
down the sideline for an 83-yard score,
cutting the defi cit to 23-7.
However, it didn't take McNary long
to respond. The Celtics went 70 yards
See CELTS, page A25
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