SPORTS
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Seahawks’ offense missing during irst two weeks
NFL
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. —
With
Russell
Wilson’s
mobility limited because
of his sprained right ankle,
the Seattle Seahawks were
hoping to ind balance on
offense.
Instead, Week 2 only
brought more offensive
frustration.
“We’re not getting the
same balance that we felt,
about mixing the run game
and the pass game where we
can play off the running game
and it hasn’t been as obvious
right off the bat. That’s an
issue,” Seattle coach Pete
Carroll said on Monday.
Seattle has just 15 points
in two games after Sunday’s
9-3 loss to Los Angeles. Its
only offensive touchdown
came on the inal drive of the
opener against Miami.
The run game is spotty
at best, Seattle’s offensive
line has struggled against
two of the better defensive
fronts in the NFL and while
Wilson’s been able to throw
successfully, he’s not much
of a running threat because
of his injured ankle suffered
in the opener.
AP Photo/Jae Hong
Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael, right, fumbles the ball as Los
Angeles Rams outside linebacker Mark Barron, left, tackles him along with outside
linebacker Alec Ogletree, center, during the second half of an NFL football game at
the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Los Angeles.
And to top it off, injuries
are starting to mount already.
Along with Wilson’s ankle
sprain, wide receivers Doug
Baldwin and Tyler Lockett
were limited in Sunday’s
game.
Both underwent MRIs on
Monday, but Carroll did not
immediately have results,
saying it would be later in the
week before their status was
determined.
Lockett missed a signii-
cant chunk of the game with
a sprained knee, but returned
for the inal drive and caught
a 53-yard pass from Wilson.
Baldwin did not miss any
game time despite getting
rolled up on from behind
while blocking in the irst
half.
Running back Thomas
Rawls also suffered a contu-
sion to the outside of his
upper left leg and like the
other two will be evaluated
later in the week.
“I don’t know really good
information for you, like I
said, but (Baldwin) seems
to feel OK and there will be
three or four guys that we got
to check out as the days come
off this week,” Carroll said.
“We’ll see what happens
Wednesday-Thursday. Give
them a couple days to get
back and see what happens.”
Sluggish starts to the
season offensively aren’t
new during Carroll’s time in
Seattle. But it’s the combi-
nation of issues already
surfacing that are causing
concern.
First are the struggles
of the offensive line that
appeared settled through the
preseason before rookie right
guard Germain Ifedi suffered
an ankle injury just before
the opener.
J’Marcus Webb has
started the irst two games
in place of Ifedi, but did not
play the position for Seattle
through training camp.
In their defense, the
Seahawks have faced two of
the better defensive lines in
the NFL to start the season
with Miami and Los Angeles,
but the problems up front
have ampliied the issues in
the run game.
The Seahawks are aver-
aging just 3.2 yards per carry,
tied for 25th in the NFL. Both
Rawls and Christine Michael
have been unable to ind a
rhythm in the run game.
And the inability to ind
sustained success on the
ground is putting extra pres-
sure on a hobbled Wilson and
the passing game, especially
on third down.
The Seahawks are a
combined 9 of 29 on third-
down attempts and many of
those — especially against
the Rams — were third-and-
long situations.
Carroll said he expected
Seattle to pick up where it left
off last season with its third
down success. The Seahawks
were fourth in the NFL last
season converting 46 percent
of third-down opportunities.
“That’s
staying
on
schedule. It goes back to the
running game. Remember
last year how much we
talked about third down, and
you saw third down shift and
you saw everything change,”
Carroll said. “That’s still
the key, and converting and
creating a new set of downs
and all that is crucial.”
BULLDOGS: Look to match explosive offense
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Maria Chavez, of Hillsboro, and Hermiston’s Cydney
Lind battle for the ball Tuesday in Hermiston.
DAWGS: Hillsboro scores
inal goal in 81st minute
Continued from 1B
the ball slipped past her
into the net for a good goal
— Torres’ irst goal of the
season — tying the game at
1-1.
“At irst I saw her grab the
ball and I was like ‘Oh man at
least I took the shot’,” Torres
said, “and then it slipped
through and I didn’t know
what to think ... I wasn’t
expecting it to go in.”
However,
Hermiston’s
momentum quickly evapo-
rated after the goal and just
three minutes later Hillsboro
re-took the lead and then
added some insurance in
the 81st minute to grab the
victory.
The Spartans are also the
third straight solid 5A team
that Hermiston has faced,
joining Putnam (lost 3-1)
and St. Helens (lost 2-1) for a
combined 10-4 record so far
this season. Both Hillsboro
and St. Helens are also top-10
teams currently in the OSAA
rankings, which Torres said
has been good for Hermiston
to play against.
“For the most part I think
playing teams like this will
help out when it comes
time for league play ... it
will really help us with our
defense,” Torres said. “Hood
River and The Dalles both
have strong teams and tall
girls like (Hillsboro),” Torres
said. “Last year we really
struggled down the stretch
with our defense but this year
I feel like we’ve stepped up
and I think we’ll be able to
compete really well.”
Hermiston next plays at
Sandy on Thursday for a 4
p.m. start before starting up
league play next Tuesday at
home against The Dalles.
———
Contact Eric Singer at
esinger@eastoregonian.
com or (541) 966-0839.
Follow him on Twitter @
ByEricSinger.
Continued from 1B
for a win and it was a great
opportunity for us,” Herm-
iston coach David Faaeteete
said after the team’s practice
on Tuesday. “It was a hard-
fought game for us all the
way to the fourth quarter. It
was fun for our crowds, the
students were crazy and it
was fun to listen to them roar.
“It was just an awesome
win for our team.”
Senior offensive lineman
said that the victory has led
to an increased morale at
practice, but admitted that
the team should not be satis-
ied with just the one win.
“Now that we have that
winning taste we want
more,” Caldwell said. “It’s
deinitely helped us this
week but we just have to stay
motivated and keep working
even harder at practice and
not get complacent.”
And if there was any
week to not be complacent,
this week would be it for
Hermiston (1-2, 1-0 SD1).
The Bulldogs host the
defending Class 5A state
champion Summit Storm on
Friday in Special District 1
action. The Storm (2-1, 1-0)
roll into town on a two game
win streak, most recently
dominating Pendleton 55-17
last week.
“It’s exciting, everyone’s
ready for this,” Caldwell
said. “(Summit’s) a tough
team, for sure, and they’ll
come out and play good
football but hopefully at the
end of the night we’ll come
out as the better team.
“It’s going to be a fun
game.”
SCOUTING SUMMIT
The defending state
champion Summit Storm
aren’t quite the dominant
team they were one year ago,
when they outscored oppo-
nents by an average of 46-11
last season, but the Storm are
still one of the elite teams in
Class 5A this season.
The
most
notable
returning starter Summit
returns from last year’s
squad is senior quarterback
John Bledsoe — the son of
ex-NFL quarterabck and
current Summit offensive
coordinator Drew Bledsoe.
John, a 6-3, 210-pound right
thrower was the 5A Player of
the Year in 2015 as he threw
for more than 2,500 yards
and 30 touchdowns, and has
continued his success this
season so far as well.
Bledsoe did miss part
of Summit’s victory over
Pendleton last week with an
injury to his non-throwing
left shoulder, though all
indications are that Bledsoe
— a Northern Arizona
football commitment — will
be ready to go on Friday
night. Aside from Bledsoe,
Summit’s biggest weapons
are senior running back
Dawson Ruhl — who
also threw two touchdown
passes in relief of Bledsoe
last week — and senior
receiver Brayden Durfee
who has cemented himself
as Bledsoe’s favorite target.
“(Summit) has plenty of
depth, that’s for sure,” Cald-
well said. “They have depth
at every position and we have
to be as prepared as possible.”
After losing their season
opener to a Class 6A top-ive
team in Clackamas 42-14,
Summit responded with a
35-21 victory over 2015 state
runner-up Ashland in Week
two before the blowout win
over Pendleton last week.
KEYS FOR HERMISTON
KEEP ON RUNNING:
Hermiston offense has been a
work-in-progress for the most
part through its irst three
games. The unit has lashed
at times, but has also shown
plenty of growing pains
with sophomore quarterback
Andrew James and some
inconsistency in the run game.
Last week’s win was
the best overall effort from
the offense so far, as James
completed nearly 60 percent
of his passes and tossed
three touchdowns while the
running game got going
behind a 20-rush, 111-yard
effort from Jonathan Hinkle.
A key reason for the
Bulldogs success in the run
game against Mountain
View was in the dominance
of the offensive line.
Anchored by Caldwell at
the center position, Herm-
iston routinely got the push
up front it had been lacking
through the irst two games,
and opened up holes for
Hinkle, James, and Mitch
Brown to run freely.
“We prepared really well
that week, watched a lot of
ilm and as a group we played
really well,” Caldwell said.
“Hopefully again this week
we can come in prepared
enough, watch enough ilm
and be ready for Summit.”
The Bulldogs will have
their hands full against a stout
defensive front from Summit
on Friday that helped limit
Pendleton to a combined
minus-29 rushing yards last
week. Caldwell said that
working together being smart
with their assignment will be
important on Friday.
“We deinitely have to
work as a group, and execute
everything our coaches tell
us to pretty much,” Caldwell
said. “As long as we do as
we’re told, block the right
guys and do everything right
we should come out on top.”
Continuing the ground
success could be a useful tool
for Hermiston in an attempt
to control the clock and keep
its defense fresh against the
Storm’s fast-paced, high-
scoring offense. Though
Faaeteete said the initial
gameplan will be to stand
toe-to-toe with the Storm.
“Our gameplan is going
to be to try and match their
offense,” he said. “Our
running game is going to
come if our running backs
can get going and get
movement up front. But we
have the ability to run the
football when we need to,
we showed it last game.”
WEATHER
THE
‘STORM’ ON DEFENSE:
With an offense like
Summit’s, it is hard to truly
stop the unit. Instead, Herm-
iston must do it’s best to
contain the Storm’s skill posi-
tions as much as possible and
limit the big plays. Faaeteete
said that the defensive focus
this week has been trying to
close gaps in the secondary as
well as getting off of blocks
with the front seven to create
more pressure up front.
“Quick-paced offenses’
big nemesis are incomple-
tions or short gains on irst
downs and schematically we
need to win irst and second
down to make third downs
longer and more dificult to
call for them,” Faaeteete said.
Hermiston will need its
best efforts from defensive
anchors Vaemu Ena, John
Henry-Line, Dayshawn Neal,
and run-stuffer Beau Blake
to give the Bulldogs its best
chance at the upset victory.
BUCKS: Ridgeview senior quarterback Blaine Gibbs gets overtime win in irst start
Continued from 1B
avoid an 0-2 start to league
play after a 55-17 loss at
Summit last week.
Pendleton (1-2, 0-1) got
off to a good start against the
No. 1 team in the state, but
was outscored 34-3 after the
irst quarter and hurt itself
with multiple penalties.
The team’s 11 seniors are
putting it on themselves to
get the Bucks headed in the
right direction after back-
to-back losses, and held a
seniors-only meeting after
practice.
“Us as seniors, we
have to be leaders to the
younger guys,” said starting
linebacker/safety
Morgan
Holcomb. “They have one
more year, this is our last
year. So we have to give
it everything we’ve got to
show them that Pendleton
football is the best.”
Jamal Vann, a running
back and defensive end,
said hearing Davis call this
a must-win game adds some
pressure.
“It really does,” he said.
“It means that everyone
that’s going to be playing in
this game needs to put in the
hard work. They have to give
110 percent in practice, and
even more when they step on
the ield.”
Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.
on Friday at Ridgeview High
School in Redmond.
It’s the second-straight
week the team travels to
central Oregon, and will be
a homecoming of sorts for
Davis, who graduated from
Redmond High School in
1994. The Bucks are eager to
get a home game, but also are
making the most of the long
bus rides.
“We’re not really used to
going to the Bend area …
but we always bond a lot on
the bus,” Holcomb said. “We
joke around, make fun of
each other. That’s our team
bonding, the longer the trips
the more the bond.”
S C O U T I N G
RIDGEVIEW
The Ravens were thrown a
loop when senior quarterback
Brent Yeakey quit the team
two games into the season to
focus on a promising track &
ield career, but responded by
literally pulling their irst win
out of thin air in a 12-6 over-
time win against Hood River
Valley last week with senior
Blaine Gibbs under center.
A blocked extra point
preserved the 6-6 tie following
Hood River’s late touchdown,
and the Eagles’ kicking game
came up short again on the
irst drive of overtime with a
missed ield goal.
Facing 4th-and-13 from
the Eagles 28-yard line on
Ridgeview’s ensuing drive,
Gibbs found Clayton Brown
for his second touchdown of
the game.
It was a thrilling irst start
for Gibbs, but Pendleton
should pose a much tougher
test than the offensively-chal-
lenged Eagles, which have
5A’s 30th ranked offense at
just 10.1 points a game.
Ridgeview won’t be
asking Gibbs to do much
passing, though, and head
coach Andy Codding runs a
throwback offense that relies
on big, athletic linemen to
move the ball on the ground.
“It’s basically a modiied
double wing, your basic three
yards and a cloud of dust,”
Davis said.
Paving the way for the
Ravens is senior guard
Gregory Connor, who at
6-foot-4 and more than 400
pounds is a player Pendleton
simply can’t match.
“We’ve noticed Ridgeview
has a tendency, even on
fourth-and-1 in their own terri-
tory, they’re going to think they
can get that one yard just based
off of they’ve got a 400-pound
kid on the offensive line,”
Davis said. “He’s a genuinely
big boy, and not matter what
you can lean forward on that
and get a yard.”
That’s going to put extra
emphasis on keeping the
Ravens in 3rd-and-long
situations.
“They’re just short-yard
running, that’s it. If we give
them three yards every play
then it’s going to be a long
night,” Holcomb said.
“They’ve got to play low
defensively,” Davis said.
“They pull three, four guys
all the time, and if we play
with our pads down I think
we’re going to be OK.”
On defense, Ridgeview
allowed more than 500 yards
of total offense in each of
its irst two games and was
equally as porous attacking
the run as protecting against
the pass in losses to the
Midwestern League’s Eagle
Point (3-0) and Thurston (3-0).
Pendleton’s offense isn’t
in that league just yet, but
junior quarterback Nick
Bower is coming off a
268-yard passing game and
wide receiver Shaw Jerome
went for 197 yards on seven
catches against Summit.
KEYS FOR PEND-
LETON
RUNNING
THEME:
Davis has said it every week
and he’ll continue saying it,
the Bucks need to get Bower
some help by establishing
a viable rushing attack.
The team’s running backs
combined for just 25 yards
against Summit.
“If we can’t run the foot-
ball, Summit proved that you
can pin your ears back and
come, and if they bring seven
sometimes it’s hard to protect
the quarterback,” Davis said.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE:
The
Ravens’ plodding
offense may not put up a lot
of points, but it eats a lot of
clock.
“When we’re on offense
we have to score every
time,” Davis said. “I truly
believe that we can’t struggle
on offense because you may
only get a couple possessions
per a quarter the way they
kind of just methodically
chunk down the ield. So we
have to score fast and often.”
NO
FREELANCING:
The Bucks struggled the last
time they played a run-irst
offense, a 49-21 loss to
Putnam in Week 2, but said
they’ve learned their lesson.
“We had a lot of kids
trying to do other people’s
jobs and it didn’t work
out too well for us against
Putnam,” Davis said.
SEEING
YELLOW:
Penalties, particularly offsides,
really hurt the Pendleton
defense’s ability to get off the
ield, and eliminating those
has been a focus in practice.
“It was mainly penalties
that got us during that game
(against Summit), which is
usually something that we
work on,” Vann said. “I don’t
know what happened, but
it’s not something that we’re
going to be doing this week.”
———
Contact Matt Entrup at
mentrup@eastoregonian.
com or (541) 966-0838.