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--> --> Oct. 19: Homecoming kings By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Rock music is booming through the locker room, an Ashland quarterback is smiling, and Jim Nagel is concerned about whether or not he ran up the score. Is this 2002 or 1998? In a flashback to its glory days of just a few years ago, the Ashland High football team ambushed the Eagle Point Eagles 47-20 Friday night at Phillips Field, catapulting themselves right back into the suddenly unpredictable Southern Oregon Conference playoff race. The Grizzlies (3-4 overall, 2-3 SOC), hosting their annual homecoming game, scored the first 26 points, led 26-6 at the half and were never threatened despite being outgained by the Eagles (3-4, 2-3) 360 yards to 312. "Well, we've been waiting for a breakout game like this all year," said Ashland junior David Morris, who scored three touchdowns on offense and another on a 55-yard interception return. "We knew we could do it if we could just put four quarters together. (Bryan) Clevenger, it was huge to have him back, he's just a great leader on the team and once we got those points on the board and forced them to pass, it played into our game plan." Clevenger, who sprained his left ankle in practice Oct. 9 and missed last week's 45-3 loss to North Medford, completed 11 of 20 passes for 255 yards and five touchdowns. He looked comfortable both in the pocket and on the run, and even caught a fake punt pass and took it 27 yards for a crucial first down. Eagle Point quarterback Tyson Nelson completed 23 of 51 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, as the Eagles played most of the game in catch-up mode. The win, coupled with Roseburg's loss to Grants Pass, gives Ashland a legitimate shot at the playoffs. The Grizzlies play Crater (1-6, 0-5) next week before concluding their league schedule Nov. 1 at Roseburg. If Ashland handles Crater and Roseburg (2-3 SOC) takes care of Klamath Union (0-5 SOC), the Ashland-Roseburg regular season finale will likely determine the SOC's fourth representative to the Class 4A state playoffs. "No one believes in us at all but we don't really care," Clevenger said, pointing out that few local prognosticators predicted a Grizzly victory. "We know what we're capable of and we knew that we could do some things in the passing game tonight if we came out and executed, and we did." Especially early. Ashland set the tone from the get go, going 65 yards on a balanced opening drive, which was capped by Clevenger's 25-yard scoring strike to Morris just four minutes into the game. Less than five minutes later the Grizzlies were celebrating again, this time following Clevenger's 12-yard TD pass to Nick Palmesano, which capped a seven-play, 64-yard drive. Morris' 31-yard touchdown catch with 7:27 left in the half and Airin Brown's 46-yard TD grab with 1:03 to go completed Ashland's first-half barrage, which nearly tripled the Grizzlies' point total from their previous two games combined. The Eagles scored just before the half to cut the deficit to 20, but never got closer than 22 after Ashland scored the first touchdown of the second half on Morris' spectacular, weaving interception return. "Well it was an important one, that's for sure," said Nagel, Ashland's 20th-year head coach who led the Grizzlies to three state championships between 1989 and 1998. "It certainly brightened our playoff hopes quite a bit and kept us in the running and that's certainly a goal of the team and the program, to get in the playoffs, and that's still not beyond the realm of possibility at all." Morris did it all for the Grizzlies. Besides the touchdowns he had two interceptions, three catches for 96 yards and a 48-yard punt return in the third quarter that set up another score - Ashland's sixth of the day. Morris' 40-yard touchdown reception with 7:43 to go in the game allowed Ashland to take its biggest lead of the night, 47-12, prompting Nagel to start subbing in sophomores and freshman. "I don't know, everything came my way," Morris said. "On my interception and my punt, I had great blocking. James Page and Colby (Knapp) both had flat-backs that got me into the endzone." Clevenger said Morris was the difference. "D-Morris stole the show tonight," he said. "Seriously, he had so many big plays in the second half it was getting boring for our offense because we get the ball on the 2-yard line or something like that. And when our offensive line plays that well, when all the seniors - Zach Cohen, Owen King, James Page - when all those guys do their jobs it just opens the door for all the skill position players to show what they got." Grizz Notes: Ashland took advantage of great field position all night. Nine of the Grizzlies' 16 drives began no further from the end zone than their own 43-yard-line, including four that started in Eagle Point terratory. Eagle Point, on the other hand, had six of its 16 drives start inside its own 25. ... The Eagles ran 82 plays for 360 yards, a 4.4 yards per play average, while the Grizzlies needed just 50 plays to gain 312 yards for a 6.2 yards per play clip. Eagle Point also finished with 12 more first downs than Ashland (23 to 11) and won the time of possession battle 25:33 to 22:27, but was victimized by four turnovers - two lost fumbles and two interceptions. Email your... 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