Document text
Lions tame error-prone Grizz Ashland stumbles in playoff opener By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN WEST LINN -- Ashland High's defending Class 4A state football champions got stuck in the mud. And buried. Three Rivers League champion West Linn frolicked in the rain and mud, flaunting its size advantage and making big plays in the slick and slimy conditions on the way to a 28-6 first round state playoff win Friday night. "We're a little more used to this than (the Grizzlies) are," said West Linn quarterback Jason Beaudoin, who completed 5 of 11 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns to pace the fifth-ranked Lions to their ninth win against one loss. "Our field has been muddy for about three weeks," said Beaudoin. "Actually, we thought it looked pretty good tonight." While the stunned Grizzlies refused to blame the loss on field conditions, playing in a sea of mud between the 20s is clearly not their forte. The only true bright spot for Ashland came on the last play of the game when sophomore quarterback Cameron Voget connected with senior Kris Pavilionis for a 19-yard touchdown. It was a nightmare of a final prep game for Ashland senior quarterback Zach Hassell, one of the heroes in the Grizzlies' drive to the state championship last year. Hassell completed just 5 of 21 passes for 68 yards and threw five interceptions. Sophomore backup quarterback Michael Allen threw two more interceptions and did not complete a pass in four attempts, giving the Grizzlies a startling and uncharacteristic total of seven interceptions. Ashland also lost two fumbles for a total of nine turnovers. "I'm not going to blame the field conditions or the mud," said Hassell. "I just didn't execute. The ball was a little slippery, but it was the same for the other team." Ashland finished its season with a 5-5 record. "After winning the state championship last year, this is tough to take,' said Hassell. "Last year's team played well together and we came together at the end of the season when we needed to. "We didn't have a lot of talent on that team, but a lot of character. This West Linn team probably has better talent than we had." The Lions struck for two touchdowns in the opening six minutes to take a 14-0 lead. Tailback Joey McCollum ran 54 yards for the first touchdown of the game. A 25-yard pass from Beaudoin to Brett Gillespie sent the Lions to a 14-0 lead. The touchdown was set up by Hassell's first interception. It was grabbed by West Linn linebacker Rob Mamula, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior. West Linn took a 21-0 halftime lead when Ray Kauffman intercepted a Hassell pass and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown with 2:27 left in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions went in front 28-0 when Kauffman ran a post pattern from the right side of the field and caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Beaudoin. Beaudoin put his head down and walked backward after faking a handoff to a running back, drawing the Ashland secondary forward just enough to hit Kauffman over the top. West Linn had a 242-215 edge in total yards. The difference was the Lions made big offensive plays to score. "We only made about one play on offense all night," said Ashland coach Jim Nagel. "We made a lot of plays on defense, but not very many on offense. "Zach (Hassell) didn't play real well on offense," said Nagel. "I think he would admit that. But he played a great game on defense (linebacker) along with several other kids. "West Linn has a lot of good athletes," said Nagel. "They put a lot of their best ones on our best ones in one-on-one situations. They got the better of several of those matchups." McCollum slithered through the mud for 98 rushing yards on 12 carries for the Lions. Halfback Kris Pavilionis led Ashland with 64 yards on 14 carries. "I think it really helped us to jump on them early," said West Linn coach Ron Chappell. "That forced them to play more one-dimensional and throw the ball more." The Lions played tight against Ashland's receivers, which allowed them to be in position to make their seven interceptions. "We jumped their receivers and played a lot of two-deep cover stuff," said Chappell. "We also got some good pressure on the quarterback with our linebackers and defensive linemen." Voget led a 68-yard touchdown drive with three completions for 39 yards before hitting Pavilionis with Ashland's lone score on the final play of the game. "Voget did a good job," said Nagel. "He showed his strong arm. I think he's going to be involved in a three-player battle for the quarterback job next year. "It should be interesting." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.