Document text
Challengers cruise Cascade Christian senior Carson Cochran goes up for a catch in the Challengers' 57-33 Southern Cascade League triumph over St. Mary's Friday. Crusader defenders Calder Pruhliere (3) and Nathaniel Savage (30) move in. PHOTO BY ANDY ATKINSON Saturday Oct 15, 2016 at 12:07 AM Oct 15, 2016 at 12:07 AM Dan Jones Mail Tribune @danjonesmt He looked up, pointed to the sky and smiled after scoring another one of his touchdowns. It was a good night to be a Cascade Christian football player, and even a better night to be Haiden Schaan. The junior quarterback recorded six total TDs as the Challengers downed St. Mary's, 57-33, in their Southern Cascade League opener at U.S. Cellular Community Park on Friday. Schaan had 22 rushes for 192 yards and three touchdowns and was 15-for-26 passing for 291 yards and three more scores for Cascade Christian, which led just 6-0 after the first quarter before going on a 24-7 run in the second to distance itself. "It felt good," Schaan said. "We came together as a team and did what we had to. We've got a little to work on, but it felt good." As for his enormous effort? "My line (gets the credit), for sure," he said. “They were blocking me where they were supposed to and opening big holes. It was just there." Carson Cochran had six catches for 164 yards and a touchdown and Zack Fralich ran the ball 14 times for 65 yards and a score for the Challengers (5-2, 1-0 SCL), who finished with 569 total yards of offense. Senior receiver Bryce Bramscher had a monster day for the Crusaders (4-3, 0-1), erupting for 267 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 11 catches. He pulled off scoring grabs of 60, 46, 44 and 14 yards. St. Mary's quarterback Thys Kuitert was 25-of-56 passing for 345 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. "I think we played a very well-coached football team tonight and we knew they would be," St. Mary's head coach Jamie Young said. "I'm proud of our kids. I thought we fought. We were a little too inconsistent to be in the ballgame at the end. But I'm proud of my kids. They prepared well all week and, and to beat a good football team, the details matter. We'll have to pay attention to some of the smaller details." Christian Scaglione recorded three catches for 57 yards and Ben Dunn three catches for 45 yards, each with a touchdown reception, for the Challengers. Caleb Jordan recorded 10 tackles and Jacob Crowl, Ben Dunn and Matt Miller had interceptions for Cascade Christian, which hasn’t lost to St. Mary’s since 2003. "(St. Mary's) is a good physical team, but we got in a groove offensively that we haven't been able to do all year," Cascade Christian head coach Jon Gettman said. "Haiden was able to run the ball and move around in the pocket (and) kids were going up and grabbing the ball. It's a good effort offensively. We've got a ways to go defensively." Schaan's hard working is paying off, Gettman added. "He really is trying to learn the game," Gettman said. "He worked his tail off in the offseason as far as getting stronger and getting faster. To be able to use him in the run game, it's pretty dynamic. Having a quarterback that can do that changes the game." Ryan Trask added four catches for 54 yards for the Crusaders, who finished with 450 yards of total offense. Kuitert and Bramscher helped to keep things interesting in the third quarter. The two connected on their 14-yard TD with 7:55 left in the quarter on fourth-and-12, and then hooked up again for the 46-yard air strike with 4:18 remaining. But on the Crusaders' next drive, Miller picked off Kuitert to set up Fralich's touchdown run. The Challengers play at Illinois Valley next Friday. "I think it just gives us a little bit of confidence," Schaan said of the victory. "We'll take what we can get from that." St. Mary's;0;7;13;13;—;33 Cascade Christian;6;24;13;14;—;57 CC — Dunn 15 pass from Schaan (kick blocked) CC — Schaan 1 run (Dunn kick) CC — Scaglione 41 pass from Schaan (Dunn kick) SM — Bramscher 60 pass from Prulhiere (Rajagopal kick) CC — Cochran 2 pass from Schaan (Dunn kick) CC — FG 44 Hoffman CC — Toombs 9 run (kicked failed) SM — Bramscher 14 pass from Kuitert (kick failed) SM — Bramscher 46 pass from Kuitert (Rajagopal kick) CC — Fralich 3 run (Hoffman kick) SM — Rajagopal 3 run (kick failed) CC — Schaan 18 run (Hoffman kick) SM — Bramscher 44 pass from Kuitert (Rajagopal kick) CC — Schaan 30 run (Hoffman kick) Reach reporter Dan Jones at 541-776-4499, or email [email protected]. Find him online at twitter.com/danjonesmt