The Rangers rushing advantage, 345-151, more than offset the Bucs' passing advantage of 102-55. The Ranger size advantage, built on early Buc mistakes, turned an apparent fight to the finish, that was 20-20 in the middle of the second qtr., into a mismatch, as the Rangers' 32 unanswered points pounded the previously unbeaten Bucs. Ranger patience with their running game, and an important defensive adjustment to widen their splits to keep St. Paul contained, turned the tide, as the Bucs were controlling the early going.  

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Starting with the #4 Dufur Rangers (9-2) & the #2 St. Paul Buckaroos (11-0) at noon, and continuing at 4:00 when the #6 Perrydale Pirates (9-2) take on the #1 Mohawk Indians (11-0), a sunny Saturday greets the fastest game on turf, 8-man football.

Its a rematch for the Rangers and Bucaroos. When they met on opening weekend, in the Dufur 8-man classic, it produced one of the best games of the year at any level, before St. Paul pulled out a 28-26 win in triple overtime. It should be just as tight, as the Bucaroos have the #2 offense, with 3 points more than the #3 Rangers offense on the season. However, Dufur's defense is 4 points better than the Bucs.

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If they don't decide to play all night this time, 2 of the top 4 defenses will try to slow down each others' powerful offenses when the Pirates and Indians meet. The Indians feature 1A's top offense, while the Pirates are #4.

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The Dufur band is warming up the teams, and majority of the communities are settling in for the perfect finish to a Thanksgiving weekend, playoff football.

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1st. quarter

St. Paul receives the opening kickoff, and has to take a time out beore runing the first play. Nervous?! 

7 rushes and 4 passs, 3 incomp., eat 4:29, but the Bucs turn it over on downs at the Dufur 42. A Derek Wolf sack of Jason Reed keys a 3 & punt defensive stand, but the punt is fumbled, and Tyler Tibbets recovers for the Rangers at the Buc 32. Reed's ability to scramble to avoid the Buc rush, which is beating the Ranger line, sets up a 2 yd. Matthew Hammel TD run @ 4:24. The pass is overthrown, but Dufur has drawn first blood.

Ryan Pierson answers for the Bucs by taking the kickoff 81 yds. for the TD. A failed run leaves it 6-6 @ 4:12.

A face mask penalty added to another Reed scramble gets the ball in Buc country, but Will Donaldson's sack throws the Rangers back to their own side. A punt pins the Bucs at their 5 with 1:34 left in the first qtr.  When another fumble happens, CJ Forrest recovers at the 10 @ :47, and Hammel makes the Bucs pay again. The Bucs dump the conversion rush, but the Rangers are up 12-6 @ :42.

After a short kick out of bounds, the Bucs are at the Ranger 45 when the quarter ends.

The Bucs are quicker, but turnovers and poor tackling by leaving their feet early has hurt. The Rangers are making the Bucs pay for mistakes.

2nd. quarter 

The Bucs march relentlessly, and Jeff Annen's 13 yd. run ties it, and his conversion pass to Ruben Rivera puts the Bucs up 14-12 @ 9:53.

The Rangers' Jason Reed responds with a winding, weaving 76 yd. kickoff return for a TD to put the Rangers back up, and Hammel's conversion run pushes the Rangers ahead 20-14 @ 9:38.

Annen fires back, firing a 33 yd. pass to Cody Kirk to spark the response drive. Kirk also carried 10 yds. to cap the 9 play drive @ 5:32. Dufur stops the conversion to keep it 20-20.

Reed's ability to ramble puts the Rangers in the red zone. Elliot Ramos gets a sack to slow things down, but after Reed rambles to the 1, with :15 sec. left, St. Paul takes time out. And stops Reed on the sneak! Timeout Dufur @ :08. Hammel pounds it in on 4th. down with 4 sec. left to push Dufur up 26-20 (Reed fumbled on the conversion run.)  at the half.

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Reed leads the Rangers with 83 yds. on 15 carries at the half, and the Bucs' Matt Anderson has 62 yds. on 11 carries, and Annen has completed 3 of 7 for 45 yds. Quickness doesn't erase errors.  

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3rd. quarter

Dufur starts the second half with Reed's first completion, a 55 yd TD bomb down the right side to Tibbets, a pass the Bucs mis-read and undercut the coverage too shallow. Another conversion is stopped, but its Rangers 32-20 51 sec. into the third qtr.

The Bucs can't afford to loose contact, and a 9 yd. sack by Forrest forces the first Buc punt of the game. Annen's punt pins the Rangers at their 3.

Hammel's 34 yd. run bouncing off a tackler pushes to the Rangers to the Buc 45. On the next play, a fumble gives it to the Bucs, but ont the first play, an Annen pass, Reed picks it off, weaves to the right side line, and turns ail to the TD. Hammel adds 2, and @ 3:56, its Dufur 40-20.

Another Buc mistake more than negates the Ranger miscue.

NG Schon Hybertsen's sack & tackle for a loss of Kirk forces a punt, and with :15 left in the third, Dufur is at their 35, and looking for the knockout punch.

The fast 3rd. qtr. featured the Rangers taking control. The quick, but smaller Bucs are wearing down at the pounding of the Rangers.

4th. quarter

Reed's 31 yd. TD run at 9:14 caps a 65 yd. drive. Despite the conversion pas being intercepted, the Rangers have the Bucs down 46-20.

Already in desperation time, Annen completes passes to Anderson and Rivera, but incompletions into the endzone and crowds eventually lead to an interception at the 1 by Mike Highfield with 7:40 left.

After fiddling around for a minute, Reed rips off the 95 yd. knockout punch run. The conversion pass is completed, but out the back of the endzone. Dufur 52-20 @ 5:56. Reed has 235 yds.rushing, leading the Rangers to 32 unanswered points since the middle of the 2nd. qtr.

A personal foul on an illegal block brings up first and 33; this leads to a turnover on downs at midfield @ 2:34. Time to wind out the clock. The Rangers drive to the 5, then take a knee. Rangers to Autzen!

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1st. qtr.

Dufur - Matthew Hammel 2 yd. run (pass failed) 4:24

St. Paul Ryan Pierson 81 yd. kickoff return (run failed) 4:12

D - Hammel 10 yd. run (run failed) :47

2nd. qtr.

S - Jeff Annen 13 yd. run (Ruben Rivera pass from Annen) 9:53

D - Jason Reed 76 yd. kickoff return (Hammel run) 9:38 

S - Kirk 10 yd. run (run failed) 5:32 

D - Hammel 1 yd. run (run failed) :04 

3rd. qtr.

D - Tyler Tibbets 55 yd. pass from Reed (run failed) 11:09

D - Reed 46 yd. interception return (Hammel run) 3:56

4th. qtr.

D - Reed 31 yd. run (pass failed) 9:14

D - Reed 95 yd. run (pass failed) 5:56

                   

 

 

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