Estacada football needed to “get right” during League play after a tough nonconference slate had its postseason hopes on the ropes.
They did that and more on the road, winning big with a 48-6 victory over The Dalles Friday, Oct. 4.
Estacada junior running back Blake Barger (10 carries, 126-yards rushing, three touchdowns) helped lead a powerful Ranger offense which simply overwhelmed the Riverhawks. Barger had a solid defensive performance too, with a fumble recovery and interception.
“It was a total team effort, we all did our assignments the way we were expected to do, so it’s not just one person leading the way, but everybody on our team contributing to the victory,” said Barger, who has scored a total of four touchdowns this season. “I think we have a real good chance to win the league title this year.”
“It’s just a matter of having good team chemistry, with everyone playing with a high intensity level in every single game,” he added. “If we do that then I think we’ll win league.”
The Rangers went up 8-0 with 7:13 left in the first quarter when senior running back Lincoln Rathmanner scored on a five-yard touchdown run, which was followed by his two-point conversion run. The two-play, eight-yard scoring drive was setup by Barger’s interception of a pass thrown by The Dalles quarterback Leighton Voodre, and he returned it 17 yards to the Riverhawks eight-yard line.
The Riverhawks answered on their next possession as sophomore Creighton Clack scored on an 85-yard kickoff return, making it 8-6. The Rangers responded on their ensuing possession with a nine-play, 57-yard scoring drive, capped by a Barger 15-yard touchdown run, putting the Rangers up 14-6 with 3:35 left in the quarter. The Rangers then got a two-point safety when the Riverhawks fumbled a punt from their end zone, which helped Estacada take a 16-6 lead after one.
The Rangers (2-4, 1-0 League), guided by 12th-year Coach Andy Mott, continued to dominate the game offensively and defensively. They limited the Riverhawks to a minimal amount of yardage throughout the contest and the Rangers scored on nearly every offensive possession to build an insurmountable advantage on the scoreboard.
“It was a team effort on offense and defense with everybody making key plays so that we could get the win,” said Mott, whose Ranger squad played a tough nonleague schedule against three top-10 ranked teams. “We had a tough preseason while we faced some really good teams. Our mantra was that we just wanted to get ready for league by playing some challenging opponents.”
“I’m proud of the kids for coming out here to The Dalles and helping us get a great start to our league schedule,” Mott added.
In the second quarter, senior quarterback Carson Randall (12 carries, 91-yards rushing; 2-for-5 passing, 36-yards) scored on a six-yard touchdown run and Barger scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to help the Rangers extend their lead to 28-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Barger (16-yard TD run), Elliot Coyle (one-yard TD run) and Turner Jackson (eight-yard TD) each capped scoring drives with touchdown runs to put the Rangers ahead 48-6 after three quarters.
Following a bye week, the Rangers will resume their schedule with a 7 p.m. road contest Friday, Oct. 18, versus Gladstone.
“I feel like we can get a fourth consecutive victory over Gladstone,” said Barger. “That’s a big rivalry game for us, so we’ll be well motivated to come out and play with a high energy level so that we can hopefully get another win.”
Estacada won 34-0 at home over Gladstone in last season’s rivalry matchup.
“We’re just going to take things one week at a time,” said Mott. “It’s good to have a bye week, which is great right now, because we have a few guys who are beat up a little and this will give us a chance to get everyone healthy for the final three league games.”
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