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Grants Pass takes on Eagle Point, with eye on Panther-Tornado game By DON HUNT Two weeks ago the Grants Pass High football team was 6-0, ranked seventh in the state and seemingly a lock for the state playoffs. Now the Cavemen are 6-2 with no guarantee of making the postseason. The Cavers wind up their regular season Friday night at Eagle Point, and coach Jeff Weiss will be keeping one eye on his game and another on the North-South game. If South beats North, then Grants Pass advances to the playoffs as the No. 3 team from the Southern Oregon Conference, regardless of how it fares against Eagle Point. If North triumphs, then GP needs a win over the Eagles to force a three-way tie for second place. A coin flip would then determine the No. 2 and No. 3 state berths, with the third team getting ousted from the playoffs. "All we can do is control our game against Eagle Point," Weiss says. "The main thing we need to do is stop the bleeding and get back on the winning track." In other SOC games Friday, Roseburg (7-0) travels to Ashland (3-5) and Crater (1-7) journeys to Klamath Union (2-6). The Cavemen's two losses have come against second-ranked Roseburg and seventh-ranked South Medford, but Weiss admits he's a little nervous going against an Eagle Point squad that has played well in recent weeks. The Eagles defeated Ashland 27-19 on Oct. 19 and trailed North Medford just 13-8 at halftime last Friday before settling for a 36-15 loss. "They threw an interception on their opening drive or they really could have made things interesting," Weiss says of the Eagles. "They're still playing hard." Eagle Point coach Mike Johnston says his team would love to end its season on a winning note and carry a little momentum into next year. "We'd like to finish with a win and it would be fun to play a part in the playoff picture even though we're not directly involved in it," Johnston says. "We wish we could have played more consistently throughout the season but our guys haven't thrown in the towel." Eagle Point features one of the SOC's top players in Sam Dodenhoff, an offensive guard and linebacker who also punts for the Eagles. Wide receiver/defensive back Andrew Tree has also excelled recently - he returned a fumble 63 yards for a touchdown against Ashland and caught a 66-yard touchdown pass against North Medford last Friday. Grants Pass is led by quarterback Tom Cohen, who has passed for 1,443 yards, 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
ROSEBURG AT ASHLAND - These two teams have played for the conference championship 10 of the past 12 years, but this season's matchup has no bearing on the SOC title or the state playoffs. The Indians (7-0 overall, 6-0 SOC) have already locked up the No. 1 state berth, while the Grizzlies (3-5, 2-4) are in the midst of their worst season in 17 years. Roseburg tailback Rod Cope leads the SOC in rushing with 1,180 yards and will be seeking his third straight 200-yard game. Tight end Joe Newton, who missed the Indians' 44-0 victory over Klamath Union last Friday with a strained knee ligament, is expected to be in Roseburg's starting lineup. "Ashland has struggled this season but they still scare me," Roseburg coach Thurman Bell says. "They've beaten us a lot on their home field."
CRATER AT KLAMATH UNION - Progress comes in small steps for these two teams. Klamath Union (2-6, 1-5) is striving for its first three-win season since 1993, while Crater (1-7, 1-5) is attempting to ease the memory of last year's winless campaign. Crater tight end Andrew Norum had 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns in last Friday's 32-22 loss to Ashland, giving him an SOC-leading 43 catches on the season. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail dhunt@mailtribune.com |
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