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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 11, 2003 South Medford running back Andy Narus (2) scrambles away from Grants Pass� Jack Doman in Friday�s game at Spiegelberg Stadium. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Panthers pounce back with big win One week after getting humilated by North, South Medford knocks off Grants Pass in overtime By DON HUNT Mail Tribune One week after its most humiliating loss in school history, the South Medford High football team took on a new personality Friday night at Spiegelberg Stadium. Out went the timid and tentative play of the previous Friday, when the Panthers were demolished 60-17 by cross-town rival North Medford. In came a defensive toughness not seen at South in several years. In came some clutch plays on offense that were so prevalent last season when the Panthers won the Southern Oregon Conference championship. Advertisement And in came a gut-wrenching 13-6 overtime victory over Grants Pass that is sure to contain playoff implications. Senior placekicker Corey O’Neill booted a 35-yard field goal with 4.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 3-3, and senior tailback Andy Narus darted 8 yards for a touchdown in overtime to boost the Panthers to the win. Each team moved to 2-1 in the SOC and 3-3 overall with the outcome. "We talked about this game being a crossroads for us and we found the resolve to win it," South Medford coach Bill Singler said. "There were times when it would have been easy for us to pack it in, but we didn’t. The kids kept fighting and eventually got rewarded." For most of the contest, it looked as though O’Neill’s 47-yard field goal midway through the first quarter that hit the crossbar and bounced through might stand up for a 3-0 South Medford victory as both defenses reigned supreme. The Panthers had a chance to put the game out of reach when they drove from their own 15 to the Grants Pass 11 in the final minutes of regulation, but Narus fumbled the ball away and the Cavemen had new life. Grants Pass quarterback Nolan Morgan then drove his team 89 yards in seven plays, with tailback Pat Allen getting the touchdown on a 23-yard scamper around right end with 1:44 remaining in the fourth. Allen’s score gave the Cavemen a 6-3 lead, but South Medford’s Ben Koziol denied them the extra point when he rushed in to block Josh Lindquist’s PAT kick — a play that would prove crucial. South Medford still needed a big play, however, and Kyle Singler provided it. The 6-foot-6 freshman galloped past the Grants Pass secondary, gathered in a pass from Jon Weaver and turned it into a 56-yard gain. The long gainer came on a third-and-15 play and moved the ball from the Panther 29 to the Grants Pass 15. "I got flushed from the pocket but I saw Kyle get behind the safety and I threw the ball just before I got hit," said Weaver, the Panthers’ junior quarterback. "Kyle’s a big target and you can forget he’s a freshman because you know he’s going to make that catch." Weaver then spiked the ball to stop the clock, but GP’s Ryan Hoefer sacked him for an 8-yard loss on the following play and Weaver’s pass to Singler in the end zone on third down fell incomplete. Now the onus was on O’Neill to tie the game and send it to overtime, but his 40-yard attempt sailed wide of the uprights. However, the Cavemen were called for roughing O’Neill, and, given another chance, he drilled a 35-yarder that sent the game to OT. "I hit the side of the ball the first time ... I was so relieved to have another chance," O’Neill said. "Everyone talks about the pressure, but I really didn’t feel any." The Panthers had the ball first in the extra session, where each team gets an opportunity from the opponent’s 25. Narus put South Medford halfway to the end zone by taking a screen pass 12 yards, then burst untouched to pay dirt on a counter play. O’Neill added the PAT to give the Panthers a 13-6 lead. "If I didn’t score on that play my linemen would have fired me," Narus said. "And after that fumble, I wanted to redeem myself. My dad said I went from the outhouse to the penthouse, and I guess that sums it up." Grants Pass still had its chance in overtime, but the Cavemen failed to gain a single yard in four plays. On the final play of the game, Morgan threw to Jake Dastrup, who had the ball momentarily in the end zone only to see it roll out of his arms as he hit the ground. "We thought he (Dastrup) had the ball long enough to be ruled a touchdown," Grants Pass coach Jeff Weiss said. "And then we were going to try to win it with a two-point conversion. "That’s a tough call, but we had opportunities to win before that." Until the Cavemen drove the field late in regulation, South Medford had held them to just 174 yards of total offense. As it was, Grants Pass finished with 263 yards, compared to 219 by the Panthers. Narus led all rushers with 90 yards on 22 attempts. "We wanted to prove to our fans that we were a lot better than what we showed last Friday," South Medford linebacker Justin Meyer said. "We worked all week in practice on getting off blocks, staying low, moving our feet and making tackles. "I think our defense came of age tonight." Added Weaver: "Tonight was the start of a new season for us." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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