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Raiders lose Yates in victory Photo by Drew Fleming Southern Oregon linebacker J.D. Callicoatt (57), a Grants Pass product, barrels in for a sack against Simon Fraser quarterback Terry Kleinsmith. All-American sets mark before injury in 49-19 rout of Clan By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Suddenly, Southern Oregon's players, coaches and fans were in shock. No. 22 SOU's NAIA All-American tailback, their superman in Raider black was hurt. Tailback Griff Yates left Southern Oregon's football game with Simon Fraser Saturday with a dislocated wrist in the second quarter after breaking the Northwest small-college record for touchdowns in a career (57) on a 14-yard run. But with that touchdown run, Yates paid a physical price that ended his day and perhaps the rest of his season. Yates was finished for the day, but his teammates weren't. They banded together with an emotional and physical display to rumble past Simon Fraser, 49-19, in SOU's homecoming game at Raider Stadium. SOU, an NAIA independent, moved its record to 5-1, while Simon Fraser fell to 3-3. "Nobody could believe Griff was hurt," said SOU fullback Aaron Rudishauser, who moved to Yates' tailback position and rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. "Griff had been hurt before but he always came back. This time, we knew he wasn't coming back." Yates was taken to Ashland Community Hospital, where X-rays confirmed the injury and his wrist was put back in place. "When the swelling goes down, they will cast it," SOU coach Jeff Olson said. "When he might play again will depend on how much pain he can take after the bones reset in there." The Raiders, who have a bye next Saturday, travel to Azusa, Calif., to meet defending NAIA national champion Azusa Pacific on Oct. 29. Rudishauser, a senior from Wilson High of Portland, was one of many SOU players who took on new and expanded roles with Yates knocked out of the game. Junior receiver Toby Taylor, a former Eagle Point High player, was one of the biggest SOU heroes. He caught touchdown passes of 6 and 15 yards from quarterback Dan Walters and added a 93-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter to give the Raiders a 42-19 lead. "This is the most fun I've had in a game," said Taylor. "Our guys were determined to win for Griff and to prove we can win without him." Former North Medford High player Nate Williams made two pass interceptions for the Raiders and played solid as a cornerback. "Our defense played great," said Williams. "We beat them up physically and wore them down in the end." "We weren't going to give up because Griff got hurt. It actually made us pull together more and play harder." Saturday marked the first time in three years that Yates has not been SOU's leading rusher. He finished with 60 yards on 11 carries before the injury. "I've been waiting for four years to get out there and run the ball like that," said Rudishauser. "It's a great feeling to do it. "I love blocking for Griff, but it's even better to run the ball. Who wouldn't want to do that?" Safety Jenner Yriarte was another Raider who stepped to the forefront. Yriarte scooped up a Simon Fraser fumble and returned it 6 yards for a touchdown as the Raiders took a 35-13 lead with 4:31 left in the third quarter. Walters completed 15-of-26 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns in winds gusting to 25 mph. "He threw the ball so well," said Taylor. "He was right on the money with most of his passes despite the wind." Simon Fraser quarterback Terry Kleinsmith completed 18-of-34 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Scott Robinson caught 11 passes for 154 yards and one score. "He's the best receiver I've ever seen," said Williams. "He runs great routes, and he catches everything. He and that quarterback work real well together." Simon Fraser took a 7-0 lead when Kleinsmith hit Marchi Gabriele with a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. The Raiders answered with Yates' record-setting touchdown run of 14 yards with 5:23 left in the first half and continued on to tie the score at 7-7 on Jason McGregor's first of seven straight conversion kicks, which tied a school single-game record. Taylor's two touchdown catches helped the Raiders take a 21-10 lead at halftime. Yates also broke the Northwest small-college record for points in a career with his touchdown run. He has 342 points. Whether he has a chance to add to that total may decide the ultimate fate of the Raiders as they move closer to an NAIA national playoffs berth. "Every game's our biggest game as we go along," said Olson. "We're in pretty good shape right now. But we need to stay focused. Hopefully, we can get Griff back and keep winning." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.