Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
A15 WEDNESDAY November 1, 2017 OFF TO STATE! E NTERPRISE , W ALLOWA FOOTBALL TEAMS ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS Cougars to face Elkton on Saturday in Class 1A competition By Paul Wahl Wallowa County Chieftain Steve Tool/Chieftain Enterprise Outlaws football players rejoice after pulling out a 20-14 last-minute victory over the Imbler Panthers last Friday. The Outlaws will host Kennedy in the first round of state playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 4. Outlaws pull off miracle victory over Imbler, 20-14 By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain The Outlaws gridders are headed to the 2A state playoffs after pulling out a fi nal-seconds 20-14 victory over the Imbler Panthers Oct. 28. The game saw Imbler nursing a 14-6 lead going into halftime, but the Out- laws defense came out rock- steady, holding Imbler score- less in the second half. A late third-quarter touchdown saw the Outlaws narrowing the gap to 14-12 after a failed two-point conversion. The Outlaws had scor- ing opportunities as the Pan- thers’ offense sputtered. A drive that saw the team fi rst- and-10 on the Panther one- yard-line ended with the Out- laws incurring an off-sides penalty, later turning the ball over on downs. The defense held the Pan- thers inside the fi ve-yard line. The ensuing punt from the end zone shanked, and the Outlaws took over on the Panthers’ 13-yard line, but failed to move the ball. With 35 seconds remain- ing in the game, the Panthers looked to be easy victors. They had the ball in Out- laws red zone, but on fourth and two, the team tried a pass instead of sitting on the ball, which proved their undoing. Senior Brett Greenshields broke into the backfi eld, fell- ing the Panther’s quarterback to the turf more than 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. The ball squirted out another six yards toward the Outlaws’ goal and senior Cole Farwell scooped up the pigskin and ran 54 yards for the touch- down and win. The stunned Panthers were unable to stop the two-point conversion. An offensive drive in the remain- ing 34 seconds failed to score as the Outlaws fans roared their joy. Coach Rusty Eschler cred- ited his team for not giving up when the chips were down while also lauding the play of Farwell and Greenshields. “Brett broke through and came across the top and made the play,” Eschler said. “Most kids want to dive on the ball, but Cole decided to scoop it Steve Tool/Chieftain Run to paydirt -- EHS senior Cole Farwell on the way to a 54- yard touchdown run after recovering a fumble in the closing minute of last Friday’s final league game against Imbler. Far- well’s touchdown sealed a 20-14 victory. up and run.” Greenshields and Farwell said surrender was not an option. “I didn’t see any point in giving up,” Greenshields said. “After I sacked the quarterback, I saw the ball squirt out and started to get up after it. Then I saw Cole getting it.” Farwell said he told him- self before the touchdown that it was his last minute of high school football, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fi ght. He also fi rst considered diving on the ball. “That was my fi rst instinct, but I knew we needed to score, and I saw an empty fi eld in front of me, and I ran,” he said. The Outlaws ended their season second in the Wapiti League with a 2-1 record and 3-3 overall and a seventh ranking by the OSAA. In the fi rst round of 2A state playoffs, Enterprise will host Kennedy High School at 1 p.m. Nov. 4. The upshot of Friday’s loss by the Wallowa Cougars foot- ball squad to Crane is a 464-mile trip to play in the fi rst round of the state tournament in Elkton. The loss was only Wallowa’s second for the season, 38-46. The Cougars stuck close to Crane but were tripped up by turnovers and fumbles, according to Coach Matt Brockamp. Wallowa lost possession three times on fumbles and were socked with eight penalties. Crane was fumble-free and had four penalties. “We left two or three touchdowns on the fi eld,” Brock- amp added. The game was tied at 38 with under four minutes remain- ing on the clock, enough time for Crane to drive the fi nal yards for the game-winning touchdown. Wallowa outpaced Crane on the ground with 349 yards (271 for Crane) rushing and 183 yards (97 for Crane) passing. Crane scored an unanswered touchdown in the fi rst quar- ter, but Wallowa pushed the ball over the goal line three times in the second quarter. Patrick Ritthaler caught a 67-yard pass from quarterback Gus Ramsden and a second pass for 58 yards in a rare display of passing prowess. Ramsden completed six of 10 attempts for 183 yards passing for the night. Ritthaler led the stats with 123 yards receiving, followed by Joe Robb, Ethan Burns and Austin Brockamp. Brockamp picked up 135 yards rushing in the game, Ramsden added 74 and Ritthaler 58. Defensively, Ramsden and Burns led with fi ve tackles apiece and 12 and 13 assists, respectively. Coach Brockamp said he doesn’t know a great deal about Elkton, which is 7-1 for the season. Like Wallowa, Elkton has made mostly lopsided victories, including a 62-0 and 60-0 skunking of Prospect Charter and Chiloquin, respectively. Elkton’s roster lists six players weighing more than 200 pounds and one at 350 pounds. Elkton is located west of I-5 south of Eugene. Brockamp said it was a good feeling to be back in the hunt for a state title after injuries kept Wallowa out of the running. This is the third year of four in post-season play since Brock- amp has been coaching the Cougars. A Wallowa victory Saturday at 1 p.m. would qualify the team for quarter-fi nal play with two more games to reach the top. A loss would end the season. Brockamp said his team has played hard all year and is ready to face the teams ahead. State reminds drivers not to salvage roadstruck deer or elk Several times this year, an OSP trooper has arrived at the scene of a vehicle col- lision with a deer or elk and the driver has asked if the ani- mal can be salvaged and taken home. ODFW offi ces are also getting such requests. The answer is no, not yet. New rules allowing drivers to lawfully salvage roadstruck deer and elk don’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2019. Calls and questions about the new roadkill law are increasing because wild- life-vehicle collisions peak this time of year. Accord- ing to ODOT statistics, there were 1,160 such collisions in November of last year and 1,052 in October, compared to just 377 in December 2016. That’s because deer and elk are on the move this time of year, in annual migrations that see them crossing major Oregon highways to get from higher elevation summer hab- itats to lower elevation winter habitats. Deer are also on the move due to their annual “rut” or breeding season which lasts from late October until mid-to- late November. Fewer daylight hours also contribute to higher incidences of collisions. “Be extra careful driving this time of year, especially where there is a lot of vege- tation next to a road, or when going around curves, as wild- life near the road might not be visible,” said Oregon State Police Captain Bill Fugate. “Drivers who see an ani- mal near the roadway should try to reduce their speed and be aware that other animals will often be crossing, too. Finally, if you can, stay in your lane because serious crashes involving wildlife are often due to drivers swerving to avoid hitting an animal.” After any wildlife-vehi- cle collision, ODFW, OSP or ODOT attempt to salvage ani- mals and will donate edible meat to a local food bank when possible. With the passage of SB 372 by the 2017 Oregon State Leg- islature, drivers will also be able to salvage roadkilled deer and elk for the meat beginning Jan. 1, 2019. The Legislature gave ODFW time to develop a 800 S. River, Enterprise • 541.426.9228 • carpetoneenterprise.com OFF OFF 25 % - 15 % 20 % OFF See sale details on pg A13 safe, responsible salvage pro- gram. As with all regulations, ODFW staff will write draft rules and present them to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for public comment and con- sideration before adoption. “ODFW will work to write rules that make getting a per- mit to legitimately salvage a roadstruck deer or elk as sim- ple as possible, but that also discourage poaching,” says Doug Cottam, ODFW Wild- life Division Administrator. Salvaging roadkill has been unlawful to discourage peo- ple from deliberately hitting a game animal with their vehi- cle in order to keep the meat or antlers, or from poaching an animal and covering it up by claiming it was roadkilled. “OSP will continue to aggressively enforce wildlife laws once this new regulation takes effect on Jan. 1, 2019,” added OSP’s Fugate. Even licensed hunters may not pick up roadkilled deer and elk during legal hunting seasons. For more information, visit ODFW’s webpage.