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Ashland set to tangle with Grants Pass By Don Hunt The Ashland Grizzlies are an enigma. They rank last in the Southern Oregon Conference in total offense, fifth in total defense and their once-feared passing attack has managed all of 91 yards in two games. But the Grizzlies stunned No. 2-ranked Marshfield 27-12 last Friday, ending the Pirates� 55-game regular-season win streak. Now it�s on to Grants Pass, where the Grizzlies, 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the SOC, face a ranked opponent for the third time in as many weeks. In other games involving SOC teams, Klamath Union (1-1) visits Roseburg (2-1), Crater travels to Sheldon (0-2), Eagle Point plays host to Mountain View (2-1) and South Medford (2-0) meets North Medford (2-0) at Spiegelberg Stadium. "We�ve made some big plays on special teams and our defense has hung pretty tough throughout," says Ashland coach Jim Nagel in explaining the Grizzlies� ability to beat Marshfield and play Roseburg tough the previous week. The Grizzlies can thank do-it-all Ryan Goodman for much of their success. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior had a touchdown reception, two field goals and three extra points against Marshfield while playing full-time as a wide receiver on offense and a cornerback on defense, not to mention running back punts and kickoffs. Had Goodman�s 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown not been nullified by a penalty against Roseburg, the Grizzlies might be unbeaten. "He does some things you can�t coach," Nagel says, "like run to daylight and make people miss." Junior Cameron Voget will make his second straight start for the Grizzlies, even though his quarterback ranking is next-to-last in the SOC. (Only teammate Mike Allen�s is lower). While Voget has completed just 3 of 13 passes for 66 yards, one touchdown and one interception, his ability to run gives the Grizzlies an added threat. The 6-2, 195-pound junior ran for one touchdown against Roseburg and two against Marshfield. "Cameron does some good things with his athletic ability and one of these games everything is going to click," Nagel says. "He�s still learning how to make reads and his accuracy isn�t always the best, but he has a knack for making big plays." Senior halfback Mac Contreras, who missed the Marshfield game with a concussion, is expected to play Friday. Grants Pass, meanwhile, is off to a 2-0 start under first-year coach Jeff Weiss, and the men defense has yet to be scored upon. But the wins have come over Crook County (40-0) and Klamath Union (21-0), two of the weaker Class 4A teams in the state. "This is a huge game for both teams and it definitely has playoff implications," says Weiss, whose Cavemen are ranked No. 6. "I know Ashland doesn�t want to start out 0-2 (in the SOC) and we�d like to take care of our home turf." Grants Pass tailback Brandon Hamada leads the SOC in rushing with 291 yards and seven touchdowns, but could find yardage hard to come by against a mobile Grizzly defense that is led by tackle Ben Holtey and end Zach Williams. In fact, neither offense is likely to see the end zone often. MOUNTAIN VIEW AT EAGLE POINT � The winless Eagles face a formidable non-conference opponent in Mountain View, which advanced to the state semifinals last season and is off to a 2-1 start this fall. But Eagle Point coach Mike Johnston was encouraged by the play of his offense during last week�s 27-12 loss to South Medford when quarterback Kyle Gray passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Greg Horn, Gray�s favorite target, leads the SOC with 14 receptions for 217 yards. "I think we can win this game but we can�t give up the big play like we did last week," Johnson says, recalling the 64- and 50-yard touchdowns his defense allowed against South Medford. "And we need to improve our running game." Linebackers Jamie Mannenbach and Sam Dodenhoff each had 14 tackles last week. CRATER AT SHELDON � Both teams are desperate for a victory in this non-conference encounter. Crater�s young defense is allowing 408 yards and 37.7 points per game � last in the SOC � and will again be tested by a Sheldon offense that gained 296 yards in a 30-13 loss to Churchill last week. Sheldon has a fine running back in Brent Andrews, who rushed for 76 yards and had a pair of touchdowns last week. KLAMATH UNION AT ROSEBURG � This game is usually over by halftime but Klamath Union is making some waves under fourth-year coach Wayne Amos. And Roseburg has a rash of injuries. Not only will tailback Conway Bixby miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain, but linebacker Leif Forrest has a separated shoulder, offensive tackle Willie Kingry a stress fracture in his foot, offensive tackle Jeff Bond a sprained ankle, offensive guard Eric Hayes a broken thumb, wide receiver Chris Gray a pulled hamstring and kicker Michael Myhre a bad back. If that weren�t enough, Hayes and tackle Brian Frasnelly have missed practice all week with the flu. All but Bixby and Forrest might play Friday, but none will be 100 percent. The Indians managed to beat Redmond 30-22 last Friday despite gaining only 81 yards rushing. "We have no cohesion in our line because of all the injuries," Roseburg coach Thurman Bell says. "In all my years of coaching, we�ve never been hit like this." 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