When two playoff teams turn out to be evenly matched on the field, the keys to a win often end up being how the skill on the field balances with scoring opportunities, turnovers, and the odd bounce of the ball. The balance bounced to the #9-ranked Clatskanie Tigers at Corvallis High School on Nov. 9, ending the season for the #6-ranked Santiam Christian Eagles. But it took double-overtime to do it!

Santiam Christian (SC) kicked to Clatskanie to start the game. After gaining about 5 yards on 3 plays from their own 21, the Tigers punted to SC.

Starting from their own 48, SC’s Keith Peterson ran for a 1st down on the Tiger’s 35 on the Eagles first play on offense. Then on 2^nd and 10, Peterson ran for a 1^st and goal on the 9. The Eagles were knocking on the door in just 3 plays. Runs by Peterson and Michael Norlander moved the ball to the 3. The Eagles were flagged for motion to set up 3^rd and goal on the 8. A pass by Demetri Howerton intended for Trevor Herrold was intercepted by Clatskanie’s Conrad Richie and returned to the 9. This was a big red-zone stop by the Tiger defense, and a lost scoring opportunity for the Eagles.

On 3^rd and 8 from their own 11, the Tiger’s KC Taylor passed to Luke Meyer for a gain to mid-field, but the play was moved back on a block-in-the-back call setting up 1^st down on their own 28. Following small gains by Jesse Oblack and Meyer and a holding penalty, the Tiger’s had 3^rd and 17 on their own 21. Taylor passed to Trevor Marioni for a 1^st down on the 38. A short gain by Oblack and a 5-yard face mask on the Eagles gave the Tiger’s a 1^st down on the Eagles’s 46. Marioni and Meyer runs set up 3^rd and 1 on the 37 when Marioni broke free for a 37 yard TD run with 3:13 left in the 1^st quarter. The PAT kick attempt failed making the score Clatskanie-6, Santiam Christian-0.

The Eagles started the next drive on their own 34. A 3^rd and 13 pass from Howerton was intercepted by the Tiger’s Ritchie (his 2^nd of the game), but Ritchie fumbled the ball during the return and SC recovered for an Eagle 1^st down on their own 28. On a subsequent 4^th and 5, the Eagles punted.

On 1^st and 10 from their own 38, the Tiger’s Taylor passed to Meyer who scored a TD, but the Tigers were flagged for illegal motion setting up 1^st and 15 on the 32. Two plays into the 2^nd quarter, the Tigers punted. SC’s Ryan Hansen caught the punt and was tackled immediately.

From their own 33, the Eagles Norlander ran for a 1^st down on their own 46. Three runs by Peterson set up a 4^th and 3 on the Tiger 47. The Eagles Peterson ran for a 1^st down on the Tiger 35. Runs by Korey Alexander, Peterson and Norlander set up 4^th and less than a yard on the 26, and Peterson ran for a 1^st down on the 21. Runs by Peterson and Norlander and a 5-yard face mask penalty on the Tigers set up a 4^th and 1 on the 12. But the Eagles could not convert a third 4^th-down conversion in a row as Peterson was dropped for a loss on the 16. This was the second red-zone stop by the Tiger’s defense, and a second scoring opportunity lost by the Eagles. Some might argue that it adds up to a 14-point turn in favor of the Tigers.

Starting from their own 16, the Tiger’s Taylor Sluder ran for 9 yards, and then for one more for a 1^st down on the 26. Runs by Meyer and Taylor gained a yard, and a 3^rd-down pass fell incomplete, so the Tigers punted.

Starting the next drive from their own 43 with 2:47 left in the half, SC’s Howerton was sacked by the Tiger’s Justin Straw on a 3^rd and 9 pass attempt. The Eagles punted on 4^th and 22. The punt rolled untouched to the 14 of Clatskanie.

On 4^th and 10 on their own 14, the Tigers punted. The Eagle punt returner (I think it was Hansen) fumbled the reception and the Tiger’s Eli Pesio recovered it for a Tiger 1^st down on the Eagle 38 with 1:04 left in the half. On 4^th and 10 with 0:45 left, Taylor scrambled for a 1^st down on the 24. On 3^rd and 16 with 0:02 left, a Taylor pass fell incomplete to end the half with the score Clatskanie-6, Santiam Christian-0.

The Eagle’s Hansen returned the opening 2^nd half kickoff from the 15 to the Eagle 45. A pass completion to Herrold and a run by Norlander were followed by a holding call to set up 3^rd and 24. A Howerton pass deep in Tiger territory was intercepted by the Tiger’s Ritchie (his 3^rd of the game) and returned to the Tiger 34. A suggestion to the next team to play the Tigers…don’t pass to anybody covered by Ritchie.

Two runs by Sluder set up 3^rd and 5 on their own 39 when Oblack broke free for a 43-yard run to the Eagles 18. Runs by Meyer and Marioni set up 4^th and 2 on the 10, and Sluder broke the line for a 1^st and goal on the 7. Meyer ran the ball to the 2, and then Oblack scored the 2-yard TD with 6:22 left in the 3^rd quarter. A successful run on the 2-point PAT try was good to make the score Clatskanie-14, Santiam Christian-0. Those two missed scoring opportunities by the Eagles are looking huge at this point in the game.

SC started their next drive on their own 45 following another good kickoff return by Hansen. Runs by Peterson, a bad snap recovered by Howerton, and a screen pass to Korey Alexander set up 3^rd and 2 on the Tiger 47. Peterson then ran for a 1^st down on the Tiger 44. Howerton hit Alexander with another pass for a 1^st down on the 26. On 2^nd and 11, Alexander lined-up at QB, and hit Howerton for on a 20-yard pass and subsequent run for a TD with 3:08 left in the 3^rd quarter. A 2-point PAT pass attempt was intercepted (guess who…that’s right…).

Clatskanie started their next possession on their own 27, and punted on 4^th and 3.

Starting from their own 43, the Eagles’ Howerton completed a 2^nd and 10 pass to Peterson for a 1^st down on the Tiger 45. Howerton then completed another 2^nd and 10 pass to Peterson for a 1^st down on the Tiger 22. As the game moved into the 4^th quarter, runs by Peterson and Alexander set up 4^th and 1 on the 13. Following a measurement, Peterson had gained the yard for 1^st down on the Tiger 12. On 3^rd and 4, Howerton hit Peterson in the end zone for a TD with 9:16 left in the game. Howerton then hit Herrold in the end zone for a 2-point PAT to tie the score at 14. Now how huge are the two red-zone stops by the Tiger defense?

On their next possession from their own 23, the Tigers punted on 4^th and 5. That is 2 straight 4 and out stops by the Eagle defense. The Eagles’ Hansen returned the punt from his own 45 to the Tiger 40.

A block-in-the-back flag on a Peterson run set up 1^st and 19. A pass completed to Hansen lost 2 yards, and then Howerton was sacked to lose 2 more. On 3^rd and 23, Howerton completed a pass to Norlander to set up 4^th and 15 on the Tiger 45. The Eagles Howerton the passed to Drew Richardson for a 1^st down on the Tiger 28. Runs by Norlander and Peterson set up a 1^st down on the Tiger 16 with 4:02 left in the game. The Tiger’s called their last time-out. Runs by Peterson set up 3^rd and 6 on the 12. Howerton was sacked by the Tiger’s Sluder, but a 5-yard face mask moved the ball forward for 3^rd and 7. Peterson was stopped for a 1-yard loss to set up a 4^th and 8 field goal try by the Eagles. The kick was on-target but fell short of the cross-bar and rolled out of the back of the end zone. This was the third red-zone stop by the Tiger defense, and the third lost scoring opportunity by the Eagles.

Starting from their own 20, the Tigers Sluder used 2 runs to get a 1^st down on the 33 with 1:32 left. Meyer then ran for a 1^st down on the 44 with 1:21 left. Runs by Meyer and Oblack gained 9 more yards, but time ran out in the game.

And the Kansas Plan for OT begins.

1^st OT.

Starting on the 25 yard line going in on the west end of the Corvallis High School field, the Eagles had a penalty and the Tiger’s stuffed a couple of Peterson running attempts to set up 4^th and 14 on the 29. On a scramble, Howerton passed to Erik Hellesto for a 1^st down on the 7 (a pass interference call was declined by the Eagles). Three runs by Peterson set up 4^th and goal on the 4. Some Eagle fans were hoping for another field goal attempt, but the Eagles decided to go for the TD. The Howerton pass was intercepted by the Tiger’s Jacob Drabandt to end the series.

The Tigers then took their turn from the 25 going in. Runs by Sluder, Marioni and Oblack set up 4^th and 7 on the 22. A field goal attempt was long-enough, but wide right to set up the 2^nd OT.

2^nd OT

Clatskanie started again from the 25. Meyer was stuffed deep behind the line to set up 2^nd and 17. The Eagles were called for pass interference on pass by Taylor to a receiver hidden among four Eagle defenders to set up a 1^st down on the 18. Sluder then broke free for an 18-yard TD run, and the PAT kick was good to make the score Clatskanie-21, Santiam Christian-14.

SC then started their turn from the 25. A Peterson run got a 1^st down and goal on the 8. Following three more runs by Peterson, the Eagles faced a 4^th and goal from the 9 yard line and called time out. On the subsequent play, Howerton passed to Peterson in the left corner of the end zone. The pass bounced off of Peterson’s finger tips, and the game was over. A 4^th red zone stop by the Tiger’s defense.

Credit the Clatskanie Tiger defense for 4 red zone stops and 5 interceptions on the night for keeping the win obtainable.

The Tigers (10-1, 4-1) will next face the winner of the Coquille at Dayton game. The Eagles end their season with an 8-3 overall, and 5-1 conference, mark.