A6 — BAKER CITY HERALD
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
Bulldogs rout Newport for first win
SPORTS
Buell Gonzales Jr., athletic
director for the Baker School
District, scrambled to find
The Baker football team
broke out of its early season an opponent.
Gonzales found a willing
doldrums, and the Bulldogs
team in Newport, which had
only had to drive halfway
its own scheduling travails
across Oregon, arriving
when its Sept. 24 game at
home a few hours before
Marshfield was canceled.
dawn, to do it.
Ramos said Gonzales set
Baker’s 41-0 romp over
up the game against New-
Newport on Saturday
evening, Sept. 25 at Sisters
port — at Sisters, so that
High School more than
neither Baker nor Newport
doubled the Bulldogs’ of-
had to make a cross-state
trip — last weekend. That
fensive output in its three
made it possible for the two
losses to open the season.
But neither the opponent, teams to exchange film of
their previous games, the
nor the neutral field venue,
customary practice that
was what Baker had been
allows coaches to get a sense
expecting.
for their upcoming opponent
The Bulldogs (1-3) were
and design practices accord-
supposed to open Greater
Oregon League play on
ingly.
Friday, Sept. 24 by traveling
Ramos said that al-
to Milton-Freewater to take though he had hoped for a
on Mac-Hi.
Friday night game rather
than a Saturday evening
But the Pioneers, due to
kickoff, he was gratified that
a positive COVID-19 case
on their roster, had to cancel Gonzales made the arrange-
the game.
ments.
“We’re ready to go if it
Baker coach Jason
Ramos said that after learn- means the chance to play a
game,” Ramos said.
ing about the cancellation,
By JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
The Saturday kickoff
gave Baker an extra day of
practice, and the Bulldogs
took advantage.
After leaving Baker City
about 10 a.m. on Saturday
and driving the 240 miles or
so to Sisters, the Bulldogs
moved the ball down the
field almost as rapidly as
their bus had traveled.
“We want to establish a
running game, and we did
that right from the start,”
Ramos said.
Senior running back
Gauge Bloomer had a
breakout game, rushing 14
times for 195 yards and four
touchdowns.
Ramos said Baker’s
young offensive line blocked
well, creating gaps in the
Cubs’ defense that Bloomer
exploited.
“Gauge was getting big
chunks of yardage,” Ramos
said. “We’re getting better,
week by week, as expected.
It’s a process.”
After forcing Newport (0-
4) to punt on the game’s first
series, Baker scored in just
Chara brothers both score in
6-1 Timbers’ victory over RSL
PORTLAND (AP) — Yimmi Chara and his
brother Diego Chara scored in the Portland
Timbers’ 6-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on
Saturday night, Sept. 25.
Felipe Mora, Dairon Asprilla, Jaroslaw
Niezgoda and Cristhian Paredes also scored
for Portland, which is undefeated in its last six
games.
The Timbers (12-10-4) started the game in
fifth place in the Western Conference, just a
point in front of sixth-place RSL, but the win
vaulted Portland into fourth. Salt Lake dropped
to seventh behind Minnesota.
Salt Lake (10-10-6) had won two straight
and three of its last four, playing under interim
coach Pablo Mastroeni, who took over when
Freddy Juarez joined the Sounders’ staff.
The Timbers won the last meeting between
the teams 3-2 on Aug. 7 at Providence Park.
Mora scored his 11th goal of the season in
the 11th minute to give the Timbers the lead.
Sebastian Blanco’s pass found Mora on the run
in front of the goal.
Dairon Asprilla made it 2-0 with a goal off a
header in the 36th minute.
RSL narrowed the margin before halftime
with Damir Kreilach’s goal from close range in
the 41st. It was Kreilach’s team-leading 11th
goal of the season.
Yimmi Chara extended Portland’s lead to
3-1 in the 49th, with another Blanco assist.
Older brother Diego Chara scored in the 68th.
Niezgoda scored in the 85th and Paredes added
another some three minutes later.
Salt Lake has 42 goals this season, second-
most in the conference.
three plays, the last being
Bloomer’s first touchdown,
to lead 7-0.
On the ensuing posses-
sion Baker forced a turnover,
then scored in just one play.
“We were up 14-0 after
just four offensive plays,”
Ramos said.
Baker extended the lead
to 21-0 after one quarter,
scoring a third touchdown
on its third possession.
Baker capped its domi-
nating first half by driv-
ing 97 yards in about two
minutes to score a final
touchdown and lead 34-0 at
halftime.
Ramos said he was
pleased to see sophomore
quarterback Paul Hobson
execute the hurry up offense
during that final drive.
With Bloomer and Dylon
Freeman (nine carries for
72 yards) controlling the
game on the ground, Ramos
said Hobson didn’t have
to force passes. During
Baker’s losses to Cascade,
Homedale and Weiser, the
Bulldogs trailed the entire
game, and Hobson was put
in difficult positions, having
to scramble against aggres-
sive defenses and throw on
the run.
But it was a much
different scenario against
Newport.
With Baker’s offensive
line controlling the line of
scrimmage, and the running
game established, Ramos
was able to mix in passing
plays.
Hobson completed 10 of
14 passes — to six different
receivers — for 137 yards
and one touchdown. He
threw one interception.
“It was a good, solid per-
formance for Paul,” Ramos
said. “He was able to relax
and settle in, he was poised
and made some good throws
from the pocket.”
Malaki Myer caught
three passes for 35 yards
and a touchdown, and Hud-
son Spike had three catches
for 52 yards.
With the game in hand at
halftime, Ramos said he was
able to substitute younger
players frequently in the
second half. Freshman
quarterback Jaxon Logsdon
ran the offense for a couple
of possessions and gained
valuable experience.
After the challenging
start to the season, Ramos
said he was pleased to see
Baker not only get its first
win, but also gain some
momentum for the league
schedule to come.
Baker’s first three op-
ponents have a combined
record of 14-0.
“We do have significant
potential,” Ramos said.
“Against Newport we got a
sense of what we’re capable
of doing.”
The Bulldogs, who
returned to Baker City
about 3 a.m. on Sunday,
Sept. 26, now have a short
week to prepare for their
league opener Friday at
7 p.m. against Nyssa/Harper
Charter at Baker Bulldog
Memorial Stadium.
Nyssa/Harper Charter is
1-2, its one win a 38-6 rout
of Ontario on Sept. 17.
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