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GP comes out on top against Lakeridge By KRIS HENRY GRANTS PASS -- In a game of inches, 10th-ranked Grants Pass came out a mile ahead Friday night at Mel Ingram Field. Be it Kory Mahr outreaching a Lakeridge defender, Tom Martin finding just enough room to run or Speedy Ortiz forcing an option pitch a half-second too soon, Grants Pass made the plays when it counted most to top the Pacers, 31-27, in the first round of the state playoffs. "They did a really good job of capitalizing on the big plays," said Lakeridge coach Mike Coulson, "and we had no answer for that." With the game hanging in the balance, Lakeridge (6-4) had the look of a team ready to lock things up with a 27-24 lead, 11:13 to play and the ball hugging the Grants Pass 47. Realizing the need to force the issue, Grants Pass (8-2) turned linebacker Speedy Ortiz loose on a second-down play. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior found a seam in the Pacer backfield, met up with quarterback Danny Tarlow a hair earlier than Tarlow would have hoped and forced a wild pitch that bounded off tailback Joel Spiegel and back into the hungry hands of Ortiz. "They took a gamble and it paid off," Coulson said of the key turnover. "We just couldn't capitalize when they did that. It was probably a make-or-break play and they made it work when we didn't execute the play right. "You have to give them credit. They felt like they had to create something, and they did." Given the opportunity to reclaim a lead lost early in the second quarter, the Grants Pass offense didn't disappoint. Martin took a pitch from quarterback Tom Cohen, dashed right toward the sideline and found daylight thanks to a crushing block by Derrick Draper. Thirty-eight yards later, Martin put Grants Pass up for good at 31-27 with about nine minutes to play. "It was Cohen all the way on that pitch," said Martin, who finished with 125 yards on 33 carries. "That was just perfect timing and there was a great block on the outside that opened it all up for me." Although stellar in the first half, Martin found little room to roam in the second half leading up to his game-winning scamper - gaining only 10 yards on nine carries to that point. "Their defensive coordinator definitely did something to make it harder for me in the second half," said Martin, "but I still wanted the ball. Our offense is just so potent sometimes I knew we could push it in if we got the chance." Friday's game was all about the Cavemen taking advantage of their opportunities, first and foremost the one to even be in the playoffs. Had a coin flip not gone their way, the Cavemen could have easily been left out in the cold - providing even more inspiration against Lakeridge. "This is a huge turnaround for us," said Martin. "Going to the second round of the playoffs from maybe not even being in the playoffs, it's just incredible. I'll tell you what, I'm glad we're playing football right now, that's for sure." Grants Pass will travel to face Marshfield in the second round. The Pirates downed Tualatin, 14-7, on Friday. "Representing the SOC is huge for us," said Grants Pass coach Jeff Weiss. "We're just trying to take a little bit of the league with us going into the second round." The Cavemen will also be taking to Coos Bay an outstanding 1-2 aerial assault in Cohen and Mahr. Cohen passed for 267 yards Friday, thanks mainly to the outstanding efforts of Mahr, who caught five passes with defenders draped all over him and turned those into 128 yards receiving. Time and again the 6-foot-5 junior outreached Lakeridge defenders for clutch plays. "He has made catches like that all year long," said Weiss. "He's got great hands and is just unbelievable." Grants Pass took a 3-0 lead on the game-opening drive as Bruce Voges drilled a 39-yard field goal, only to have Lakeridge answer with a Ryan Force 16-yard run to paydirt. Tyler York provided the first glimpse of destiny when he snatched away a potential interception by Force on a crossing pattern and turned that into a 48-yard gain to set up Martin's first score, a 9-yarder early in the second quarter. York came up big once again on the ensuing series, intercepting Lakeridge quarterback David McCormack on an ill-advised throw and running the ball down to the Pacers' 3. Once again, Martin followed with a touchdown run to put Grants Pass up 17-7 with 7:39 to play in the first half. Undaunted, the Pacers rallied behind Tarlow and Spiegel as they marched 73 yards on six plays, capping the drive with an 18-yard TD jaunt by Tarlow. After forcing a Grants Pass punt, Lakeridge managed its first lead 30 seconds before halftime as Tarlow scored on a 1-yard plunge. The Pacers then marched 65 yards in 13 plays to open the second half, ending the drive when Force raced into the end zone untouched on a fourth-and-two play. A missed extra point left Lakeridge's lead at 27-17. That's when the true Caveman spirit took over. "It was really a gutty effort led by our entire senior class in the second half," said Weiss, who also celebrated his 42nd birthday on Friday. "We have 21 guys who don't know the word 'quit.'" And thanks to that, the Cavemen have an entire team with the words "second round" overflowing from their mouths. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.