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Opening act impressive for Cascade Christian By Danny Penza Updated: Nov 05, 2022 12:12 AM A A 6 View all photos No. 2 Challengers score twice in first minute, roll to opening-round win over Ontario It took Cascade Christian all of about 15 seconds to set the tone Friday night. By the time a minute came off the game clock, the Challengers were already up two touchdowns. It was another kind of night where big plays ruled the day for Cascade Christian, as the second-seeded Challengers rode a game-opening kickoff return from Brody Sample and a pair of Kameron Rague first-quarter touchdowns to a 52-20 win over No. 15 Ontario in the first round of the Class 3A football state playoffs at Spiegelberg Stadium. “If you could design every game like that, that’s exactly what you want,” said Cascade Christian head coach Jon Gettman. “Brody did an awesome job and we’ve talked about kickoffs because we hadn’t returned a kickoff in ... I don’t know, it’s been a while. Brody taking it and the guys blocking it up front was great to see. Then you get a turnover and capitalize on that right away, that’s a big part of just the momentum swing and you’re able to jump on. That’s hard to get out of (if you’re Ontario).” Cascade Christian (10-0), which last hit a double-digit win total during its run to the state title game in 2018, will next face the winner of Saturday afternoon’s opening-round matchup between No. 7 La Pine (8-1) and No. 10 Warrenton (6-2). La Pine, the champion of the Mountain Valley Conference, was a state semifinalist last season, losing to eventual state champion Siuslaw. “We saw them at the beginning of last year and we played a half of football against them,” said Gettman, alluding to Cascade’s 2021 season opener against La Pine that was called off at halftime due to poor air quality. “We know they’re athletic and I know they have a good quarterback. We haven’t faced Warrenton, but I’ve seen them on film and we know they’re an athletic team, too. “It’s going to be a good matchup. It’s football and it’s going to be the quarterfinals, so we need to be ready to go either way.” It all started with a bang for the Challengers, as Sample took the opening kickoff 85 yards to the house to immediately give the Challengers the lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Cascade Christian recovered an Ontario fumble that gave the Challengers field position in Tigers territory. Cascade turned it into points moments later, with Rague breaking through the first level of blocks and running it in from 31 yards out to double the Challengers’ lead at 14-0. Ontario cut into its deficit when quarterback Diego Rodriguez connected with Ethan Hendrickson on a 21-yard TD pass. But the one-possession game was short-lived when the Challengers capitalized on a Jaxon Turituri fumble recovery that set up Rague’s second scamper into the end zone of the first quarter. The Tigers fumbled deep in their own territory again on their next drive, and Triston Wallace scored on a 2-yard run up the middle on the following play. Rague’s third TD run of the night, a 48-yard sprint down the Challengers’ sideline after he broke things outside, came after Peyton Maurer’s first interception of the season. Ontario turned it over four times in the first half. Cascade scored a touchdown off of all four turnovers. “It comes down to Kam making a number of great runs and the offensive line did a great job up front,” said Gettman. “You talk to the kids about it, you work through it and you practice it all the time about capitalizing on these momentum swings and the kids did a great job with it tonight.” Rague finished with 126 yards on 10 carries and three touchdowns, while Wallace rushed 10 times for 62 yards and a TD. Cascade Christian quarterback Keith Reed was 11-of-20 for 111 yards and two touchdowns through the air and rushed for 78 yards and 15 carries. Tyler Almasy, who caught five passes for 46 yards, and Kristofer Fralich each had a touchdown reception. Maurer added a second interception in the fourth quarter on a nice leaping catch as he came over from his safety spot. The Challengers outgained the Tigers by a 379-115 margin. “It comes back to our run game — we were really strong in the run game in the first half,” said Gettman. “In the second half, we were able to then pass the ball and that was good to see and that was really positive for Keith to get some good completions and a rhythm. But I think it just comes down to your offensive line and your running backs, and they were great tonight.” The 20 points scored by Ontario marks just the third time all season a team has scored double digits against Cascade Christian. “I was happy and I loved their effort,” said Gettman. “Every day they give great effort and that’s the No. 1 thing you want to see. We’ll go back and clean up how they did technique-wise, scheme-wise, but the No. 1 thing you ask for the kids is to give all of the effort they have and they did that. They came out and accomplished the game plan that the coaches put together. Coach (Mike) Schaan did another great job with the defense.” Ontario6086—20 Cascade Christian281077—52 CC — Sample 85 kick return (Hoffman kick) CC — Rague 31 run (Hoffman kick) O — Hedrickson 21 pass from D. Rodriguez (kick blocked) CC — Rague 7 run (Hoffman kick) CC — Wallace 2 run (Hoffman kick) CC — Rague 48 run (Hoffman kick) CC — Hoffman 27 FG CC — Almasy 2 pass from Reed (Hoffman kick) O — D. Rodriguez 36 run (Delgado pass to D. Rodriguez) CC — Fralich 17 pass from Reed (Hoffman kick) O — Delgado 86 kick return (kick failed) Reach reporter Danny Penza at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @penzatopaper. Cascade Christian's Kameron Rague runs for a score during the 1st quarter against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Peyton Maurer intercepts the ball during the 2nd quarter against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Keith Reed throws for a first down against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Triston Wallace protects the ball running for a score during the 1st quarter against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Kameron Rague runs for a score during the 2nd quarter against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Cascade Christian's Keith Reed runs for extra yards against Ontario at Spiegelberg Stadium in Medford Friday night. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]