OT1

The Bulldogs go first, and this time, we go to the west end.  West has 4 TOs, Corvallis 2.

Haberly fumbles, but recovers, and the Bulldog drive stays alive. But not for long. Bulldogs 4 & done. Any Spartan score ends it.

But after a loss, and a throw away, the Spartans need to think this over.

Kelly straight ahead reaches the 20, and a 37 yd. FG attempt by Penner is coming after the Bulldog timeout.

Its wide right! Second OT!

OT2

The Spartans go first, and go wild when interference is not called. And when its also not called on the replay, they REALLY erupt.

3rd. down, TO Bulldogs!

Hubel overthrows Fred open by a mile. That strong, but wild arm!

Of course, when he hits Fred in the hands on 4th. down, he drops it!

Bulldogs in control now! But they fumble it away, and we go to the third OT.

OT3

Now we start from the 10 instead of the 25. Bulldog ball.

Fade for Prince fades into the corner. Haberly then slips down back at the 11+. The quick hitter to Mikhail Edwards gets only to the 5; TO Bulldogs. Pass right is tipped on 4th. down, and Corvallis almost goes the other way.

Spartan ball. Curtis Dodson to the 7, but Grant Decker decks Hubel at the 14. Kelly to the 12, and this time Penner is dead on! The 29 yd. FG wins it for the Spartans!

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The Spartans, on the verge of being buried late in regulation, stage a couragous comeback for the 5A Championship. Penner the kicker is named Spartan Player of the game, though Fred's 142 yds. receiving, and the spectacular 75 yd. TD, where he avoided being tripped up, is a solid second bet. Kelly led the Spartans on the ground with 92.

West Albany still has no state championships, while the Spartans add a fifth. The attempt to put the game away instead of trying for the first down is the decision of the game, and the outcome makes the West Albany TD that was nullified by the inadvertant whistle a play that will be talked about at Bulldog-Spartan games for ever more.

But if there was ever a day that proves that players should never quit fighting, today's 2 OT battles is it. The first 3 OT game in Oregon Championship History manages to top the days first game.

Haberly ran for 104 yds. & threw for 102, and is the Bulldog player of the game. Stearns added 122.

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The replay of the Mid-Willamette (Valley) League Championship game. The #1 Bulldogs (13-0) vs. their aincient rivals, the Spartans (11-1), in a neighorhood brawl that goes back to, and before, the days of the Big 6, never mind the Valley league (which these teams might have finished 1 & 2 in without redistricting).

All everything QB Jake Haberly leads a strong supporting cast from West that is the #1 offense and #1 defense against the Spartans, who look to the multiple offensive threats that QB Drew Hubel, WR Jordan Fred, & RB Matt Kelly represent to outgun the Dawgs.

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1st. qtr. 

The Bulldogs kick off to the Spartans on the east end, and Daryl Watkins brings it out to the 32, and after a mad scramble after the 4A OT game, we are underway. But after an initial first down, the Spartans stall, and punt.

And its the Wayne Stearns show, rushing multiple times to the 34. And then disaster strikes! Jake Haberly scrambles up the middle to the 2, but fumbles thru the end zone for a touchback, and is shook up on the play. Haberly walks off, but was down for quite a while. Will there be lingering effects?

The Spartans can rush with some effectiveness, but short passes are working better, at least until Drew Hubel drops one over the top of Jordan Fred's head at the 12 on the right sideline, and he keeps the feet in bounds. First Sportcenter play of the game.

After a fade is overthrown all the way to the "DUCKS" sign in the corner, Wade Penner's 26 yd. FG attempt is wide left, and there is only 2:35 left in the first qtr. Both teams are eating clock with deliberate play calling.

Haberly returns at QB. It was his right shoulder that he was favoring, and after one good completion, he overthrows a couple, and the Bulldogs punt. Spartan ball at their 18.

Wild play of the day ensues. A Spartan pass deflects off the foot of Stearns, and Scott Foss picked the carom out of the air, and takes it into the endzone. The officials are confused, and declare there was an inadvertant whistle, and give the ball back to the Spartans. 1 play later, the first quarter ends. Will this be the call of the game?

2nd. qtr.

The Spartans drive to midfield, but again can't sustain. Stearns makes a risky catch at the 22, but it saved 10+ yds.

TV will show a lot of fairly basic offense, but Haberly is now "off script", and is making a lot of reads of the defense. And creating offense. 

But after a pass to Colby Prince creates a first down, a fumble recovered by Tyson Owens creates another Spartan possession at their 36.

(Too) much like the first game, mistakes are the story of the game. 

An overthrown would have been TD and a hurried screen pass don't look good, but a great crossing out to Shane Durando redeems Hubel.

The Bulldogs are flowing upfield rather than laterally, and doing a good job against the rush. Except when they miss tackles.

I'm beginning to think the young men might be feeling a touch of pressure today! 

And the pass on 4th. & 4 with 1:02 left at the 20 is a flutter-dud, and the Bulldogs take over. But after 1 first down, the Bulldogs stall out (and out of bounds), and the Spartans get the last shot with :20 left, from their own 29. Or, after the penalty, their 24.  And the long pass left on the sideline route is underthrown, and picked of by Prince. Haberly throws into a crowd, 2 Dawgs, 4 Spartans, and that's nearly picked off. With 1 sec. left, an exciting run up the middle ends the half, 0-0. No one called this one ahead of time!

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The Spartans are the more hard hitting team. The Bulldogs are the slightly sounder team. Like the 4A game, the first team to clean up their act will win.

Matt Kelly has rushed for 60 yds. for the Spartans; Haberly 50 for the Bulldogs. Hubel has thrown for 105, and Haberly only 68. And none of these yards are coming when it really counts. The Spartans are + 5 1/2 min. on time of possession, but it doesn't mean much, at least until the wear and tear starts to mount. That could be the telling advantage from the first half.

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3rd. qtr.

The Spartan kickoff is deep in the east endzone, as dusk settles, and the Bulldogs start at their 20. The Bulldogs and their band come back from halftime with a lot of energy, and it translates into a 4th. down conversion in their own territory. Can it be sustained?

Stearns is getting the bulk of the carries, while Matt McHenry is almost blocking only today. FB quick hit could be a winner.

Turns out it can be sustained. Big time.

On the 17 th. play of the drive, its 4th. & 4, and the Bulldogs line up for a 32 yd. FG, with Haberly to kick. And its a fake! Haberly gets the first down at the 11, and 2 plays later, Haberly caps a 19 play, 6:17 drive with a 7 yd. run. And Stearns makes the PAT. Haberly as the kicker should have been a tip off.

Another Hubel overthrown deep ball and a Bulldog blitz are the features of the Spartan drive, and @ 4:25, the Bulldogs are at their 39, and looking for seperation.

Haberly's keepers, especially the TD, shouldn't be the surprise they apparently are to the Spartans. Also, the Spartan time of possession edge in the first half might have paid dividends in wearing down the Bulldogs. But the Bulldog offense has turned the table, keeping their defense off the field for all but 1 1/2 min. of the first 11 min. of the third. A Stearns stretch left for 14 yds. to the 3 highlights the wearing down of the Spartans. Haberly then powers in, and its 14-0 Bulldogs, @ 1:12. And the Spartans get their second possession of the quarter!

The Spartans really need a first down. And they get it, as Hubel finds Fred on a deep out at the Spartan 45, and the third qtr. ends with the Spartans at the Bulldog 47. This drive has to produce, or the Spartans are in real trouble. 

4th. qtr. 

Time to see if there will be an exciting finish, or a Bulldog party. West went west all the third qtr., but now its the Spartan turn, and a dual possession catch goes to Shane Durando at the 20. 2 plays later, a 16 yd. fade to the right corner cuts the margin in half @ 10:55.

Stearns brings the kickoff out to midfield, but the Spartans stiffen. A Stearns HB pass is an interesting call. And also an incompletion.

However, the punt puts the Spartans at their 8, with about 8 minutes to go.

Hubel has a rifle for an arm, but the Spartans have about used up their allotment of flyers. The Spartans have to punt with 6 min. left, and the Bulldogs can put it away with the next drive.

And McHenry appears, as the Bulldogs attempt to eat clock. However, Stearns is shaken up, but a 15 yd. spinning run right by McHenry makes up for that, and we are under 4 min. left, with the Bulldogs at the Spartan 30.

Tick, tick, tick.

The Spartans force 4th. & 4 with 2:44 left, and use their first time out.

Haberly's roll out left pass to the end zone for Will Murphy isn't an attempt at a first down, its a try for the knockout. Bad choice, its incomplete, and the next play is a 75 yd. seam route to Fred for the tieing TD! 

A moment of greed went from ending the game to looking at our second OT game!

The kickoff is a touchback, and Stearns is back. Coach found out it ain't over! And when Haberly throws 2 incompletions instead of running it, the Spartans will get a chance to win it in regulation, with the ball at their 30, and :24 & 2 TOs to work with.

The Spartans have to use one of those time outs with the clock stopped!

After 1 shot for Fred flies wide, the Spartans decide to take it into OT.

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3rd. qtr.

West Albany - Jake Haberly 7 yd. run (Wayne Stearns kick) 5:43 

WA - Haberly 3 yd. run (Stearns kick) 1:12

4th. qtr.

Corvallis - Shane Durando 1 yard pass from Drew Hubel (Wade Penner kick) 10:55

C - Jordan Fred 75 yd. pass from Hubel (Penner kick) 2:25

OT3

C - Penner 29 yd. FG

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