Document text
South Medford comeback bid falls short in GP By Kris Henry Updated: Oct 15, 2022 12:17 AM A A South Medford gave itself a chance with a frenzied second-half rally on the road but couldn’t quite seal the deal Friday night in a 27-26 loss to Grants Pass in South/Central Football Conference play at Mel Ingram Field. The Panthers, ranked No. 9 in the Class 6A coaches’ poll, used a pair of 4-yard touchdown runs by Dylan Espinosa and two TD passes by Deacon Edgar — one to himself — to create some concern on the sideline for the Cavemen after trailing 27-7 at halftime. “Our kids battled,” said South Medford head coach Bill Singler. “They put themselves in a position to win the game and that’s all that I can ask. That shows you they still have a lot of resiliency and character and will to play.” After Espinosa’s spinning second TD, the Panthers (5-2, 3-2 SCFC) had a decision to make down 27-26. Instead of vying for an extra-point kick attempt, South Medford opted to go for a two-point conversion with about six minutes to play but Edgar didn’t fool anyone on a jet-sweep fake to Andrew Walker and GP swallowed the senior quarterback up to retain its slim lead. “The way our PAT group has been all year,” said Singler, “I just felt like it was time to win the game there, but we just didn’t have the right playcall.” South Medford used a terrific defensive play by senior linebacker Isaack Valdez to regain the ball soon thereafter after the Cavemen (5-2, 3-2) opted to go for it on fourth-and-10 from its own 41-yard line. Grants Pass senior quarterback Jace Blanchard rolled right on the play and tried to connect with Luke Morgan but Valdez was there for the deflection to get the turnover on downs. Seemingly with momentum on their side and 3 1/2 minutes still on the clock, the Panthers got a 6-yard run from Ryder Scheid on first down. On the second-down play, however, the snap caromed off Edgar’s hands and Morgan was right there to dive on the ball and get it back for GP, which ran the clock out from there. “It’s too bad because we had an opportunity to maybe go down there and score and maybe win the game,” said Singler. “Fate has a funny way of doing things. Grants Pass had lost 5 of 6 to us and we’ve gotten away with it in the last 20 years (winning 17 of the last 22) but you’re not going to win every game. Good for them, they found a way to win in the end. We found a way to win it but then we found a way to lose it. It’s just another great Grants Pass-South Medford game that went in their favor and not in ours.” GP head coach Brad Page said the win was especially “huge” because it marked his first as a coach or player for the Cavemen over the Panthers. “We knew they were going to adjust and make a run at us,” said Page, “I was just glad we kept it together until the end and were able to come away with the win. It was an emotional roller-coaster, for sure, but our dudes held together and we were able to come away with it thankfully.” South Medford put itself in a hole in the first half, dropping a potential TD pass on its first drive and then fumbling twice on offense later in the half. “We certainly didn’t do ourselves any favors in the first half,” said Singler. Blanchard found Tunick for a pair of big TD strikes, 72 and 55 yards, after the speedy senior got behind the defense, and Aiden Dietz slipped a tackle and made his way through the defense for a 33-yard score to highlight a first half that only saw one blemish when Ty Henry intercepted a pass near the goal line. “Defensively we let them get a couple big plays over our head, which we talked about not letting happen but which did happen,” said Singler. “We got ourselves in a hole and tried to get ourselves out of it and we got within a point but it just didn’t happen.” Walker pulled in a 31-yard TD pass from Edgar to give South Medford some hope entering halftime. In the craziest of plays later in the third quarter, Edgar had a pass deflected at the line of scrimmage back into his arms and he ran it in for what was deemed a 13-yard TD run. But at 27-20, the Panthers saw the PAT attempt by Landon DuFour blocked. Edgar passed for 200 yards, with Walker hauling in eight catches for 109 yards and Henry posting four receptions for 70 yards. Scheid led South in rushing with 80 yards on 16 carries. Blanchard was 11-for-20 for 237 yards, with Tunick turning seven catches into 167 yards. South Medford07136—26 Grants Pass72000—27 GP — Tunick 72 pass from Blanchard (Leach kick) GP — Blay 9 run (Leach kick) GP — Dietz 33 pass from Blanchard (Leach kick) GP — Tunick 55 pass from Blanchard (run failed) SM — Walker 31 pass from Edgar (DuFour kick) SM — Espinosa 4 run (DuFour kick) SM — Edgar 13 run (kick blocked) SM — Espinosa 4 run (run failed) Have a story idea? Reach sports editor Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected] or via Twitter @Kris_Henry South Medford's Dylan Espinosa, shown in action earlier this season, ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns to help spur the Panthers’ comeback effort Friday in Grants Pass. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]