Field is wet and cold, and its raining and windy. No Snow as once forecast.

Vale is wearing all white with white helmets and black highlights. Gold Beach is in all black with white numbers and gold highlights on the helmets.

Vale arrives in the Championship game following a 37-6 win over Clatskanie in the semi-finals last week. Gold Beach beat Rainier 39-18 last week. Two good defensive teams arrive in the title game...with 4 quarters left to decide a State Champion.

For Vale, keep an eye on seniors Pirrie (QB) and Skerjanec, and a third eye on soph. Jeff Williams. For Gold Beach, QB Knox will hand-off, throw or pitch to Smith, Wolford, Moore and many others.

Will it be another defensive battle?

Captains are Wolford, Martin, Moore and McDonald for Gold Beach. Vale has Moreno, Robertson, Skerjanec, Pirrie and Anthony.

Gold Beach wins the toss and defers. Vale will receive at the north end of the field.

1st Quarter

Its pouring rain now, very cold and windy!

GB starts after Bonotto runs the kickoff back from the 10 to the 32 of Vale. Moore runs for a First Down on the 11. Moore runs for 3. Moore to the 1/2 yard line and a First Down (and goal). Moore scores the TD with 10:32 on the clock. 2 point try fails.

Vale starts its first drive on its own 29. Skerjanec runs for 2. Williams for 3. Pass knocked down by GB's Burdett for fourth and 5. Punt.

GB starts its second drive from its own 37. Pass INC. Moore runs for 2. Knox keeps it for a First Down on the 22 of Vale (about 39 yards). Moore runs for 1. Moore runs to the 9 for First and Goal. Moore runs left for the TD with 7:06 left. Herbie Smith scores the 2-point PAT. GB-14, Vale-0.

Vale starts from their own 29 again. Robertson runs for 4. TJ Moore sacks Pirrie to set up third and 11. Nathan Moore intercepts a tipped pass and returns it to the 25.

GB on the 25 of Vale. Moore runs for 3 with flags on the field. Chop block sets up First and 25. Smith runs for 4. Smith runs to set up third and 11. Smith sweeps right for a First Down on the 9. Moore for 2. Smith gets the left post for another TD with 3:10 on the clock. The 2-point try fails. GB-20, Vale-0.

Anthony returns the kickoff to the Vale 42. Time Out, Vale. Williams runs for 4. Skerjanec runs for 3. Williams runs for a First Down on the 41 of Gold Beach. Williams runs for 4. Williams runs right for 1. Screen pass to Erickson for fourth and 2. End of quarter. GB-20, Vale-0.

2nd Quarter

Skerjanec up the middle for a First Down on the 26 of GB. Williams runs for nothing. Skerjanec for 5. Pirrie sacks for a short loss to set up fourth and 9.

First quarter stats were mostly GB. 135 yards for GB to 31 for Vale. Pirrie scrambles but comes up short. GB ball on downs.

GB ball on their own 19. Moore runs for 7. Knox runs for a First Down on the 30. Moore runs for 7. Moore for 3 for a First Down on the 40. Knox runs for 3. Moore runs for 2. Smith for 2, with flags on the field. Holding, declined. Fourth and 5. Punt. Vale's Darrin Johnson blocks it and covers it on the 21 of Gold Beach.

Anthony runs for 4. Pirrie right sweep for a First Down on the 11. Williams runs for 4. TV timeout with 4:54 left in the half.

Anthony runs for 3 to set up third and 4 on the 5. Skerjanec to the 2 for fourth and 1. Pirrie sneaks it to the 1 for a measurement. Short by an inch.

GB ball inside their own 1 yard line. Time Out Vale.

Knox runs to the 5. Knox to the 9. Moore runs to the 48 of Vale for a First Down (about a 40 yard gain). Smith sweep right for 4. Moore runs for 5. Bonotto runs a reverse for a First Down on the 15 of Vale (24 yard gain). Moore up the middle to the 9. Time Out GB with 0:31 left in the half. Moore up the middle for First and Goal on the 3. Moore up the middle for the TD with 0:16 left on the clock. Martin's PAT kick was good. GB-27, Vale-0. A 99 yard drive to end the half for GB's offense.

Vale starts from its own 19 with 0:11 left. Skerjanec up the middle for 6 to end the half. GB-27, Vale-0.

Some halftime Stats

GB had 259 yards of offense (all on the ground) compared to Vale's 72. GB's offensive line is simply getting a good push on every play. Time of Possession is essentially equal so far, with 11:40 for Vale and 12:20 for GB.

Vale's Pirrie was 1 for 3 for 3 yards and one INT. Vale's Skerjanec had 26 yards on 6 carries, and Williams had 26 yards on 7 carries.

GB's Knox attempted only one pass, and it was incomplete. Knox ran for 54 yards on 5 carries. Smith had 41 yards on 6 carries. But the offense for GB came from Travis Moore with 140 yards on 18 carries and 3 TDs. Player of the Game so far. But I would ask Travis to thank his offensive line for making it look so easy. Vale must find a way to hold the defensive line or the game will continue to the end in the same fashion. The Red Zone stop by GB's defense followed by the 99 yard drive for another score at the end of the half must have been heart-crushing for the Vale player. The Vikings will have to dig deep and battle back now.

3rd Quarter

*Pouring a cold rain still, with some snow mixed in it. An unsportsmanlike call on GB gives them a kickoff from the 25.

Vale starts from their own 40 to start the third. Skerjanec runs for 2. Skerjanec for a First Down on the 50. Skerjanec runs for one yard. Skerjanec for 3. Pass INC to set up fourth and 6. Punt. Rolls to the 11.

GB starts the third on its own 11. Knox for 8 yards. Moore for a First Down on the 32. Knox keeps for 1, tackled by Eric Coy who is having a good defensive game. Moore runs left to the 41 of Vale for a First Down (about a 30 yard gain). Moore runs up the middle for 4. Pitch right to Smith for a First Down on the 27 of Vale. Moore runs in the TD from the 27 with 6:40 left in the third quarter. The PAT kick by Martin was good. GB-34, Vale-0.

*Vale starts the next drive on their own 20 after the kickoff goes through the back of the endzone. Pirrie runs for no gain and gets up gimpy after the run...injury time out. Johnson is the QB. Skerjanec up the middle for 1. Johnson's pass INC. PUNT formation.

GB starts on its own 45 with 5:19 left in the third. Moore works very hard for 1 yard. Moore for no gain. Knox scrambles for 7 to set up fourth and 3. Punt formation. Bonotto fakes it and runs just enough to get the First Down on the 44 of Vale. Knox runs for 1. Flag on next play for Holding, sets up second and 19. Vale's Eric Coy recovers the fumbled snap. Coy IS having a good game.

Vale on the GB 46. Reverse to Robertson for 2 yards. Skerjanec runs for 5. Pitch to Skerjanec to set up fourth and 4. Pass Pirrie to Seals but just short of the first down. Moore for 2 yards. End of 3rd Quarter.

4th Quarter

GB ball on the 37. Moore runs for 3, then for 2. Flags to start the fourth quarter. Defensive Encroachment. Third and very short. Moore runs for a First Down on the 42 of Vale. On 2nd and 7, Knox passes to Travis Moore for a First Down on the 29. Pitch left to Smith for a loss of 2. Eric Coy on the stop. Moore runs for 3 to set up third and 9. Smith runs to the 3 yard line for First and Goal. Robertson barely stopped the TD for Vale. Moore to the one-inch line. Moore scores up the middle with 8:38 left in the game. The PAT kick was faked, and Martin ran in the 2 points. GB-42, Vale-0.

*Vale starts from its own 31. Williams runs for 2. Pass INC. Pitch left to Anthony loses 1 yard for fourth and 9. Punt.

Bonotto returns from his own 40 to the Vale 45. TV time-out. Moore runs for 3 up the middle. GB starts substitutions. Wolford runs for 2 to set up thrid and 6. Pass INC. Punt formation. Faked again. Bonotto pass to Wolford is short of a first down.

Vale starts on their own 46. Long pass INC. Flag of pass interference give Vale a First Down on the 39 GB. Pass INC. Skerjanec runs for 6. Deep pass INC for fourth and 6 with 4:30 left to play in the game. Skerjanec gets 2. GB ball on downs.

GB starts on their own 33. Knox for 2, but flags down. Holding. First and 23. Knox for one yard. Tim Smith for about 14. Knox for 3 to set up fourth and 5. Punt formation.

Vale starts from their own 37. Skerjanec fumbles but Erickson recovers. Gain of 4. Skerjanec for 2. Williams for a First Down on the 47 of GB. Only 0:31 left. Williams for a First Down on the 32. Williams for 2 yards with 0:02 left. Vale calls a time Out. Pirrie sacked to end the game.

Gold Beach-42, Vale-0

Post Game

Gold Beach had 435 yards of offense compared to 131 for Vale. Strong defensive effort by the Panther's defense, including a red-zone stop inside the one yard line.

Vale's Pirrie was 1 for 7 passing for 3 yards, while Johnson was 1 for 2 for 2 yards. Pirrie ran for 6 yards on 7 carries. Anthony had 6 yards on 3 carries. Williams had 55 yards on 11 carries. and Skerjanec had 58 yards on 17 carries. I'd give Eric Coy the Viking defensive game ball for fumble recoveries, sacks, and key tackles when needed. The Quest Player of the Game for Vale was Luke Skerjanec. Vale was penalized only once for 4 yards according to the official statistics. That is nice clean play and excellent sportsmanship.

For Gold Beach, Knox was 1 for 3 passing for 10 yards. Bonotto was 1 for 1 passing for minus 6 yards. Knox had 76 yards rushing on 13 carries. Herbie Smith had 73 yards on 9 carries. Bonotto had 27 yards on 2 carries. And the clear Quest Player of the Game was Travis Moore with 240 yards on 31 carries. Awesome Championship Game for Travis Moore. And as I said before, Moore owes a HUGE thank you to the Panther's offensive line. Panthers were penalized 5 times for 68 yards.

Both teams lost one fumble, and Gold Beach also had an Interception.

Congratulations to the Gold Beach Panthers on the 42-0 State Championship Win.