EASY COME, EASY GO. WARRIORS COLLAPSE AT RAINIER
Warrenton head football coach John Mattila has walked the sidelines for a long time. He's never been a part of something like this.
The Warrenton Warriors walked off Rainier's Chris Corl Field at halftime with what appeard to be a commanding 30-0 lead. They walked onto the bus on the losing end of a 32-30 score that sealed their playoff fate and set up a highly anticipated showdown between longtime rivals for the inaugural Lewis & Clark League title.
"This is the biggest turnaround I've ever been involved in in either direction," said Mattila. "At haltime we certainly didn't expect to be in that situation. We were thinking, 'Holy Cow', we might just steal first place if Rainier beats Clatskanie."
Now, if Rainier beats its downriver rivals next Friday night, the Columbians will clinch their first football league title in almost 15 years, while Warrenton must win its final regular season game against Riverdale to earn the right to play top-ranked Regis in the first round of the playoffs.
You can bet the Tigers will get a heavy whiff of "Diesel" fumes next week.
After quarterback Bobby Harding had most of Rainier's meager offensive production in the first half with 59 yards rushing, the Columbians' 4th-year head coach Thor Ware decided to ride him hard and put him away wet by switching to what he calls the "Diesel Package". With Harding taking shotgun snaps and running behind two blocking backs, the Columbians overpowered Warrenton's defenisve line in the second half as Harding rushed for 301 yards and two touchdowns. The senior QB finished the night with 360 yards rushing on a whopping 40 carries, adding a pair of two-point conversion runs and a touchdown pass.
The Rainier turnaround was not limited to the offense. After Harding's counterpart, Warrenton quarterback Eric Gantenbein, carved up the Columbians defense with 185 yards passing and three touchdowns in the first two quarters, the Columbians defense brought the Warrior attack to a dead stop in the second half, holding the Warriors to seven yards of offense and no first downs. Gantenbein completed two passes in nine attempts after halftime for a total of five yards.
Warrenton's running game was also non-existent. Gantenbein, not known for his running, led the Warriors with 46 yards, despite losing 22 yards on an errant shotgun snap that went for a sack. Leading rusher Michael O'Casey was held to 34 yards on 14 carries.
"We did not move the ball in the second half," said Mattila. "Even a couple of first downs would have at least allowed us to run the clock a little."
"They came out in the first half and did not move the ball at all. They used I and option and then switched to their "Diesel" in the second half and Harding continued to carry the ball time after time. We didn't get him stopped. We don't have the bodies to step up and stop a running game. We're fine against finesse teams."
Rainier rushed for 407 yards, while holding Warrenton to 81 yards on the ground.
Clatskanie stayed unbeaten in Lewis & Clark League play with a 41-6 victory at Vernonia. The two longtime rivals are reunited in the same league for the first time since Clatskanie dropped from the 3A Cowapa League to the 2A Northwest League four years ago.
WARRENTON 22 8 0 0--30
RAINIER 0 0 16 16--32
1stQ-WAR: Dan Wolfe 8 pass from Gantenbein (Michael O'Casey run)
1stQ-WAR: Gantenbein 1 run (kick failed)
1stQ-WAR: Brandon Garcia 24 pass from Gantenbein (Gantenbein to O'Casey)
2ndQ-WAR: O'Casey 2 pass from Gantenbein (
3rdQ-RAI: Harding 51 run (Austin McGlone run)
3rdQ-RAI: Billy Zimmerman 24 pass from Harding (McGlone run)
4thQ-RAI: McGlone 23 run (Harding run)
4thQ-RAI: Harding 49 run (Harding run)
RUSHING-WAR: 81 (Gantenbein 9-46), RAI: 407 (Harding 40-360-2td)
PASSING-WAR: Gantenbein 10-22-190-3td, RAI: Harding 4-8-56-td
RECEIVING-WAR: O'Casey 3-62, RAI: Zimmerman 3-52-td
TURNOVERS-WAR: 0, RAI: 1
PENALTIES-WAR: 2-10, RAI: 6-40
The Warrenton Warriors walked off Rainier's Chris Corl Field at halftime with what appeard to be a commanding 30-0 lead. They walked onto the bus on the losing end of a 32-30 score that sealed their playoff fate and set up a highly anticipated showdown between longtime rivals for the inaugural Lewis & Clark League title.
"This is the biggest turnaround I've ever been involved in in either direction," said Mattila. "At haltime we certainly didn't expect to be in that situation. We were thinking, 'Holy Cow', we might just steal first place if Rainier beats Clatskanie."
Now, if Rainier beats its downriver rivals next Friday night, the Columbians will clinch their first football league title in almost 15 years, while Warrenton must win its final regular season game against Riverdale to earn the right to play top-ranked Regis in the first round of the playoffs.
You can bet the Tigers will get a heavy whiff of "Diesel" fumes next week.
After quarterback Bobby Harding had most of Rainier's meager offensive production in the first half with 59 yards rushing, the Columbians' 4th-year head coach Thor Ware decided to ride him hard and put him away wet by switching to what he calls the "Diesel Package". With Harding taking shotgun snaps and running behind two blocking backs, the Columbians overpowered Warrenton's defenisve line in the second half as Harding rushed for 301 yards and two touchdowns. The senior QB finished the night with 360 yards rushing on a whopping 40 carries, adding a pair of two-point conversion runs and a touchdown pass.
The Rainier turnaround was not limited to the offense. After Harding's counterpart, Warrenton quarterback Eric Gantenbein, carved up the Columbians defense with 185 yards passing and three touchdowns in the first two quarters, the Columbians defense brought the Warrior attack to a dead stop in the second half, holding the Warriors to seven yards of offense and no first downs. Gantenbein completed two passes in nine attempts after halftime for a total of five yards.
Warrenton's running game was also non-existent. Gantenbein, not known for his running, led the Warriors with 46 yards, despite losing 22 yards on an errant shotgun snap that went for a sack. Leading rusher Michael O'Casey was held to 34 yards on 14 carries.
"We did not move the ball in the second half," said Mattila. "Even a couple of first downs would have at least allowed us to run the clock a little."
"They came out in the first half and did not move the ball at all. They used I and option and then switched to their "Diesel" in the second half and Harding continued to carry the ball time after time. We didn't get him stopped. We don't have the bodies to step up and stop a running game. We're fine against finesse teams."
Rainier rushed for 407 yards, while holding Warrenton to 81 yards on the ground.
Clatskanie stayed unbeaten in Lewis & Clark League play with a 41-6 victory at Vernonia. The two longtime rivals are reunited in the same league for the first time since Clatskanie dropped from the 3A Cowapa League to the 2A Northwest League four years ago.
WARRENTON 22 8 0 0--30
RAINIER 0 0 16 16--32
1stQ-WAR: Dan Wolfe 8 pass from Gantenbein (Michael O'Casey run)
1stQ-WAR: Gantenbein 1 run (kick failed)
1stQ-WAR: Brandon Garcia 24 pass from Gantenbein (Gantenbein to O'Casey)
2ndQ-WAR: O'Casey 2 pass from Gantenbein (
3rdQ-RAI: Harding 51 run (Austin McGlone run)
3rdQ-RAI: Billy Zimmerman 24 pass from Harding (McGlone run)
4thQ-RAI: McGlone 23 run (Harding run)
4thQ-RAI: Harding 49 run (Harding run)
RUSHING-WAR: 81 (Gantenbein 9-46), RAI: 407 (Harding 40-360-2td)
PASSING-WAR: Gantenbein 10-22-190-3td, RAI: Harding 4-8-56-td
RECEIVING-WAR: O'Casey 3-62, RAI: Zimmerman 3-52-td
TURNOVERS-WAR: 0, RAI: 1
PENALTIES-WAR: 2-10, RAI: 6-40
posted by Matt Richert at 8:33 PM
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