Document text
North Medford prepares for a big test from Jesuit photo by Chris Pietsch By Greg Stiles EUGENE � Two weeks, two escapes. And now, No. 3 North Medford finds itself in the Class 4A state football championship game against co-No. 1 Jesuit on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon at Autzen Stadium. North Medford fans, who missed a few heartbeats and had to massage their white knuckles after last week�s 29-28 semifinal thriller against Churchill, can expect more of the same. The Black Tornado (13-0) faces its sternest test against the Crusaders (13-0), who have dispatched three league champions, including two previously unbeaten teams, the past three weeks. "Our kids have their greatest challenge and opportunity as high school football players right ahead of them," says North Medford coach Rod Rumrey, whose Tornado last won a state championship in 1993. "Our biggest problem," Rumrey says, "is that Jesuit has a lot of weapons." The same could be said of the Tornado, despite close calls last week and against Newberg in the quarterfinals. Both finalists so dominated their league opponents that it was hard to find a starter that didn�t appear on the all-conference list. They are two teams that steamrolled nearly everyone in sight: Jesuit outscored opponents 642-176 (49.4-13.5) per game. North Medford pounded foes 532-130 (40.9-10). North hadn�t trailed in a game until two weeks ago, and Jesuit, seeking its first crown since 1968, hadn�t been behind before last week. While North Medford displayed a touch of Houdini in its come-from-behind victory over Churchill, Jesuit found itself behind for the first time this season before putting away Tualatin, 39-20. When Jesuit fell behind the Timberwolves, 22-18, early in the fourth quarter, coach Ken Potter wasn�t fazed. The Crusaders rewarded his confidence by closing out Tualatin with 21 straight points. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn�t really worried," Potter says. The Crusaders face their third straight unbeaten team. Co-No. 1 Central Catholic threw the ball well but couldn�t pass the Crusader test as Metro League defensive player of the year Mike Hass caught five touchdown passes and returned two interceptions to paydirt in a 55-20 rout. Tualatin ran for more than 250 yards, but the Timberwolves eventually ran out of steam because they couldn�t throw. Because the Tornado runs and throws effectively, Potter expects a challenge. "They�re quicker and more aggressive on offense and defense than any team we�ve played," Potter says. "There�s no doubt, North Medford is the best team we�ve played. We can�t have interceptions, fumbles or mistakes. If we do, they�ll take advantage and we won�t be in the game." But the Crusaders rarely shoot themselves in the foot. Jesuit quarterbacks have thrown four interceptions, while the Crusaders have picked off 31 passes. Jesuit has also returned nine interceptions for TDs. Jesuit has recovered 19 fumbles and lost just eight. All together, that�s a plus-38 turnover ratio for the Crusaders. "One of the things people talk about," Potter says, "is our prolific offense. It�s not so much that our offense puts up a lot of points, but our defense putting us in the position to score a lot of points with turnovers and field position." Rumrey, whose team has also benefited from big defensive plays, is well aware that the Crusaders have piled up lots of points on both sides of the ball. "You take a look at their scores, and not too many people have held them to under four touchdowns," Rumrey says. "That�s a concern. Our offense has to pick it up a notch from what it�s been the last four weeks. "A real key is if our offense can control the ball and keep their potent offense off the field. They�ve scored a lot of their defensive touchdowns when people had to throw. You can see they�ve been very opportunistic." Thus, Rumrey reasons, if North can move the ball on the ground, Jesuit�s interception quotient won�t become part of Saturday�s equation. "Their defensive front has been very tough to run against," Rumrey says. "Until last week, when Tualatin established the run, no one had done it. But Tualatin didn�t have the play-action capability. That�s why it�s so important to get our running game going and hopefully our play-action passing will be effective." Granted, North�s running game was almost non-existent against Churchill. But Rumrey says that has as much to do with bungles on the Tornado�s part as Lancers. "The first four plays, we lined up in the wrong formation," Rumrey says. "Jesuit probably looked at the film and wondered why in the world you would run a speed option with no tailback. "We end up only running the ball 17 times. Our big concern in games of this caliber is that we�ve got to give ourselves a chance by eliminating penalties and turnovers. But we�ve done a pretty good job of eliminating mistakes this season." The mistake the Tornado can�t afford is to allow Hass to roam unfettered in the secondary. Hass has caught 69 passes for 1,549 yards and 21 touchdowns. "He has very good speed � maybe not according to Pac-10 schools � but he has very good speed," Rumrey says. "Where he stands out is getting into the seams and getting open and he�s even beaten double coverage. "If he gets his hands on the ball, he catches it." Hass didn�t even make it into the offensive lineup a year ago and spent his time on defense. "He made the most of his opportunity this year," Potter says. "I guess I�m not a very smart coach." Quarterback Mike McGrain was a first-team Metro League all-star despite missing the final three regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs because of a broken collarbone. McGrain has completed 95 of 154 passes for 1,942 yards and 29 touchdowns with four interceptions. McGrain, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, was the starting point guard two years ago when the Crusaders won the state basketball title. He has signed a letter of intent to continue his hoop career for the University of San Diego. "He was at all the (basketball) summer camps and traveling all over the country with AAU teams," Potter says. "We had him for two days during the summer to play catch with us. But he�s a fine athlete and makes good decisions." The backup quarterback is slotback Kyle Faulk, who has 20 catches for 366 yards and five TDs. He�s also returned a punt for a touchdown. Rumrey won�t hesitate to bring in an extra defensive back � Kevin Foreman � to help short circuit the Crusaders� electrifying offense. "Kevin is one of our best defenders, without a doubt," Rumrey says. "I think he had three critical break-ups last week. We�ve known all along that in important situations, he was probably going to be on the field." Rumrey promises defensive coordinator John Beck is ready to throw the kitchen sink at McGrain and Co. "Our blitzes have created a lot of opportunities," Rumrey says. "And coach Beck has a lot of them. If there is a blitz, he�s got it in or is looking at it." Jesuit junior tailback Derry Jackson has rushed for 1,306 yards on 156 carries and 16 touchdowns. He also has eight catches for 170 yards and three TDs. In four playoff games, he�s rushed for 678 yards and scored eight TDs. North has its weapons: tailback Phil Ouellette, who rushed for 1,035 yards in 11 games; Mike Olson, with 36 catches for 763 yards and 13 TDs; and Foreman, who has thrown for 1,546 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 648 yards and 18 touchdowns. Potter says Olson has similar qualities to Hass. "That young man from North Medford is courageous and really flies around," Potter says. If the Tornado flies around like it has most of the season, North just might add title No. 9 since the Oregon School Activities Association began crowning champions in 1940. "Quite often," says Rumrey, "we tell the kids they�re playing in one of the greatest football towns there is. The tradition of Medford football is tremendous. Right now, our players are starting to see how much pride there is in the Black Tornado." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.