Varsity 541

GP shocks Sheldon in OT thriller

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GRANTS PASS — Grants Pass accomplished what 57 others could not — taking down the mighty Sheldon Irish.

Grants Pass senior running back Criss Bowen capped a remarkable performance by scoring the game-winning two-point conversion in the third overtime as the Cavemen ended Sheldon's 57-game conference winning streak with a thrilling 42-41 victory on Friday at Mel Ingram Field.

"It was a sheet of blue," Grants Pass coach John Musser said of the scene after Bowen's score. "The stands just cleared out, the kids were throwing their helmets, and I got mugged by the coaches. It was unbelievable."

Grants Pass (5-1, 1-1 SWC), coming off a 28-7 loss a week earlier to South Medford, pounded Sheldon (3-3, 1-1 SWC) with its running game by rushing 68 times for 453 yards.

Bowen gained 202 yards on 26 carries and scored five touchdowns, including all three of Grants Pass' scores in overtime.

Quarterback Jordy Romick carried 28 times for 178 yards for the Cavemen, who passed only twice in the game for 7 yards.

Grants Pass held Sheldon to minus-18 yards rushing, forcing the Irish to rely on their passing game and trickery to move the ball. Quarterback Jordan Johnson finished 15-of-29 passing for 182 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for one touchdown.

Grants Pass took a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter on Bowen's 2-yard run, but Sheldon tied the game with Johnson's 1-yard run and ensuing two-point conversion with 2:39 to play.

The Cavemen had an opportunity to win the game in the first overtime with an extra point after Sheldon's kick failed following its score, but the Irish blocked Jamey Keefe's kick to send the game to a second overtime.

Both teams scored in that overtime and had successful extra-point kicks. In the third overtime, Sheldon scored when Johnson hit White for a 5-yard touchdown and John Campbell kicked the extra point.

Bowen then scored from 1-yard out and Musser elected to go for two and the win.

"I had my mind made up after they scored," Musser said of the decision. "We have a two-point play sketched out."

Not surprisingly, Bowen took the handoff on the two-point try, cut to the inside for a dive, but he bounced to the outside and to the end zone after Sheldon clogged the middle.

"The kids were so dejected after that South Medford game, they felt like they let the town down, let the team down, because there were parts of the game we didn't perform," Musser said. "They just really had a workmanlike performance all week.

"What I told the kids is I put a No. 1 up on the board and said, 'this is our streak.'"

Sheldon 0 13 0 8 6 7 7—41

Grants Pass 7 0 7 7 6 7 8—42

GP — Romick 2 run (Keefe kick)

S — Yakovich 20 pass from Johnson (Campbell kick)

S — Abeene 2 run (kick failed)

GP — Bowen 1 run (Keefe kick)

GP — Bowen 2 run (Keefe kick)

S — Johnson 1 run (White pass from Johnson)

S — White 18 pass from Johnson (kick failed)

GP — Bowen 22 run (kick blocked)

GP — Bowen 25 run (Keefe kick)

S — Hyde 25 pass from Johnson (Campbell kick)

S — White 5 pass from Johnson (Campbell kick)

GP — Bowen 1 run (Bowen run)

ROSEBURG 42, SOUTH EUGENE 34 — At Roseburg, Roseburg led 34-6 before South Eugene stormed back with 28 fourth-quarter points at Finlay Field.

Roseburg gained 179 yards on the ground, with Josh Weaver rushing for a team-high 87 yards.

South Eugene 0 6 0 28 —34

Roseburg 10 17 7 8 —42

R — Davis 21 run (Walker kick)

R — FG Walker 38

R — Miles 9 run (Walker kick)

R — Corder 2 run (Walker kick)

SE — Coleman 5 pass from Dustin Haines (kick blocked)

R — FG Walker 42

R — Corder 1 run (Walker kick)

SE — Aaron Moville 22 run (pass failed)

R — Cavens 12 pass from Davis (pass failed)

SE — Moville 38 pass from Haines (Lapite pass from Haines)

SE — Coleman 15 pass from Haines (Coleman pass from Haines)

R — Safety, Craig tackled in end zone

Southern Sky

EAGLE POINT 35, MAZAMA 22 — At Klamath Falls, Garrett Davis scored in almost every way for Eagle Point, which took control late in the second quarter to capture its first Southern Sky Conference win.

Davis had two interceptions, including a key pick that he returned 49 yards for a touchdown just before halftime to put the Eagles (3-4, 1-1 SSC) up 27-14.

Davis also ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and passed for another.

His shovel pass to quarterback Austin Marlia for a TD in the fourth quarter put the contest out of reach.

Davis had nine receptions for 93 yards and ran 11 times for 67 yards.

Marlia was 14-for-25 passing for 132 yards and a touchdown and added 50 yards on the ground while Anthony Jose led the Eagles in rushing, gaining 77 yards on 18 carries.

KLAMATH UNION 41, MADRAS 6 — At Klamath Falls, Klamath Union scored all its points in the first half, paced by Luke Porter's three touchdowns.

Madras 6 0 0 0 —6

Klamath Union 21 20 0 0 —41

KU — Porter 1 run (Chadderdon kick)

M — Pugh 59 pass from Say (kick failed)

KU — Chavarria 10 run (Chadderdon kick)

KU — Porter 1 pass from Amos (Chadderdon kick)

KU — White 10 run (Chadderdon kick)

KU — Porter 7 run (kick failed)

KU — Sweet 2 run (Chadderdon kick)