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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 14, 2006 Dolmage, Cavemen end skid against North By DON HUNT Mail Tribune GRANTS PASS — A big smile crowded out a small wince as Craig Dolmage stood in the middle of the Grants Pass High football locker room on Friday night. The wince came from a twisted knee. The smile came from the Cavemen's 19-14 Southwest Conference victory over North Medford before a standing room only crowd of about 5,000 at Mel Ingram Field. Dolmage, the state's leading rusher, ran for 127 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns as the fourth-ranked Cavemen pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie to beat the Black Tornado for the first time in five years. The win boosted Grants Pass to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the SWC. North Medford dropped to 3-3 and 1-1. "This was a very meaningful win because I think it legitimized our team once and for all," said Dolmage, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior who ran his season rushing total to 1,133 yards. "A lot of people said we hadn't played anybody, but we beat a good team (South Eugene) on the road last week and we beat a great team tonight." Advertisement "Caveman football is back," added Dolmage. Dolmage lay on the ground for several moments with a twisted knee late in the game but said afterward he'll be ready for next Friday's home game against South Medford. "I had our trainer and a doctor look at it and they don't think it's serious," he said. "I'll ice it over the weekend and hopefully be ready for practice Monday." Thanks to a swarming defense led by linebackers Ryan Peterson and Gabe Kasiah, Grants Pass held North Medford to just 165 yards of total offense while racking up 283 of its own. But when North Medford quarterback Darren Bruhns hit tight end Skylar Mlasko on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 9:02 left in the game that capped a 68-yard, 13-play drive, the Black Tornado had closed to within 19-14 with momentum on its side. The pendulum continued to sway North Medford's direction when Shea Bedortha and Jake Hagemaier combined to sack Grants Pass quarterback Zach Morgan on the Cavemen's next possession, leaving the home team with a third-and-10 predicament from its own 15 with just over seven minutes remaining. But the Cavemen wiggled out of trouble when Morgan hit tight end Jennings Stewart on a perfectly executed screen pass for 19 yards and a first down. North Medford finally regained possession on its own 27 with 4:13 to play, but Grants Pass defensive back Spencer Fogelquist stamped out the Tornado's final hopes by intercepting an overthrown Bruhns pass. "That screen pass to Stewart bought us field position and took about three minutes off the clock," said Grants Pass coach Tom Blanchard. "It was huge." Morgan, a junior who was starting in place of an injured Buddy Saxon for the second straight game, completed 9 of 11 passes for 120 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Saxon, who suffered a concussion in a game against Forest Grove on Sept. 29, was cleared to play but Blanchard decided to go with Morgan. "I made the decision Wednesday night after practice because I wasn't sure Buddy was 100 percent," said Blanchard. "He was cleared to play by his doctor but he looked a little sluggish. "People saw tonight that we don't drop off much, if at all, with Zach Morgan as our quarterback. He showed great poise." After a scoreless first quarter, Grants Pass marched 76 yards in 10 plays for the game's first touchdown to take a 7-0 lead with 8:30 left before halftime. The score came on an 11-yard pass from Zach Morgan to fullback Page Morgan, his cousin. Grants Pass held North Medford without a first down until late in the first half when the Tornado marched 97 yards in nine plays to tie the game at 7-all. Bruhns' 33-yard pass to split end Troy Driskell on a go route up the right sideline capped the drive that also saw tailback Jacob Colmenero squirt loose for a 19-yard gain on a counter play. "It was huge for us to go into halftime tied because until we put together that last drive they had clearly outplayed us," said North Medford coach Jeff Olson. "We thought maybe we had something going." On its first possession of the second half, Bruhns connected with sophomore Jordan Ellis on a 66-yard pass play to the Grants Pass 13, only to have Ellis whistled for an offensive pass interference penalty. The infraction left the Tornado deep in its territory and, following another penalty, Grants Pass got the ball back on the North Medford 37 following a punt. One play later, Zach Morgan hit Page Morgan with a 31-yard pass to the North Medford 6 and Dolmage skirted over right end for a touchdown on the following play that put Grants Pass ahead to stay. "That was obviously a big turnaround when we got that penalty to start the second half," said Olson. "We would have been on the doorstep of their end zone with a tie score. Instead, we're punting from our own end zone and they get good field position. "But hey, no excuses. We never got in a groove offensively and they made some big plays at the end to get first downs and preserve their lead. They earned it." Grants Pass went up 19-7 late in the third period when Dolmage plowed in from 2 yards out to culminate a 60-yard, 10-play drive. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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