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Pels are all alone in first in the SSC
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| Photo courtesy of Kelly Caleb Turning the corner: KU’s Eric Chadderdon extends a run to the outside of the defense Friday against Ashland. |
Feel-good win: Drubbing of Ashland puts KU at 3-0 in league with one game to play
By Steve Matthies
H&N Sports Writer
Jon Amos had an almost perfect night.
The Klamath Union senior completed 14-of-15 passes for 232 yards and a career high five touchdowns, was crowned homecoming king and helped the Pelicans clinch a share of the Southern Sky Conference football championship.
“I thought it was going to come down to the wire, because they’re good,” Amos said after KU stopped eighth-rated Ashland, 49-26, Friday night at Modoc Field.
The win allowed the Pelicans to gain a share of their first league title since KU tied Grants Pass for the old Southern Oregon Conference crown both in 1975 and 1976.
Ironically, KU still has not locked up a state playoff berth.
The Pelicans must win at Crater next week, or have Eagle Point stun Ashland to assure KU of one of the league’s two Class 5A state playoff berths. Should Crater and Ashland win next week, there would be a three-way tie for the league title and a coin toss to determine which would not play in the postseason.
“We just want to enjoy this right now,” KU coach Wayne Amos, the quarterback’s father, said. “Not many teams can say they have beaten Ashland three of the last four years, and that’s exciting.”
KU set the tone for Friday’s win early.
The Pelicans took the opening kickoff and went 59 yards in six plays, with Josh Gibson capping the drive with a 15-yard touchdown reception less than four minutes into the game.
Seconds later, Gibson scored again.
He picked off a Talon Haggard pass and ran it into the end zone as KU took a 14-0 lead.
“That play was gigantic,” Amos, the coach, said.
“I just dropped back in our coverage and saw the ball tipped and tried to make a play,” Gibson said.
He later had a sack that all but sealed the victory, and then scored on the last of Amos’ five touchdown passes as KU won for the sixth straight time and now is 6-3 this season.
“I don’t play offense very much, so this was a good game for me,” Gibson said. He had just the two catches.
“My favorite play, we won,” Gibson said with a grin.
The key, the quarterback said, was making big plays.
“We made play after play,” Amos said. “I was just kind of freaking out there the whole game. Every time we messed up I was upset. I got mad at myself. I knew the game wasn’t over because they can score quickly.”
Ashland had one scoring drive of four plays, and tacked on a touchdown on a 60-yard run, but fell to 6-3 this season and will take a 2-1 SSC record into its game next Friday against Eagle Point.
“I thought our defense contained the quarterback (Haggard) and made him make some plays he didn’t want to,” Amos, the coach, said. “Our offense moved the ball and Jon played well.”
While quarterback Amos was stellar, Haggard, who scored three times in the game and now has 32 touchdowns this season, finished the game 11-for-31 for 141 yards and the one crucial interception.
For more high school football action, see Saturday's print edition of the Herald and News.
The Klamath Union senior completed 14-of-15 passes for 232 yards and a career high five touchdowns, was crowned homecoming king and helped the Pelicans clinch a share of the Southern Sky Conference football championship.
“I thought it was going to come down to the wire, because they’re good,” Amos said after KU stopped eighth-rated Ashland, 49-26, Friday night at Modoc Field.
The win allowed the Pelicans to gain a share of their first league title since KU tied Grants Pass for the old Southern Oregon Conference crown both in 1975 and 1976.
Ironically, KU still has not locked up a state playoff berth.
The Pelicans must win at Crater next week, or have Eagle Point stun Ashland to assure KU of one of the league’s two Class 5A state playoff berths. Should Crater and Ashland win next week, there would be a three-way tie for the league title and a coin toss to determine which would not play in the postseason.
“We just want to enjoy this right now,” KU coach Wayne Amos, the quarterback’s father, said. “Not many teams can say they have beaten Ashland three of the last four years, and that’s exciting.”
KU set the tone for Friday’s win early.
The Pelicans took the opening kickoff and went 59 yards in six plays, with Josh Gibson capping the drive with a 15-yard touchdown reception less than four minutes into the game.
Seconds later, Gibson scored again.
He picked off a Talon Haggard pass and ran it into the end zone as KU took a 14-0 lead.
“That play was gigantic,” Amos, the coach, said.
“I just dropped back in our coverage and saw the ball tipped and tried to make a play,” Gibson said.
He later had a sack that all but sealed the victory, and then scored on the last of Amos’ five touchdown passes as KU won for the sixth straight time and now is 6-3 this season.
“I don’t play offense very much, so this was a good game for me,” Gibson said. He had just the two catches.
“My favorite play, we won,” Gibson said with a grin.
The key, the quarterback said, was making big plays.
“We made play after play,” Amos said. “I was just kind of freaking out there the whole game. Every time we messed up I was upset. I got mad at myself. I knew the game wasn’t over because they can score quickly.”
Ashland had one scoring drive of four plays, and tacked on a touchdown on a 60-yard run, but fell to 6-3 this season and will take a 2-1 SSC record into its game next Friday against Eagle Point.
“I thought our defense contained the quarterback (Haggard) and made him make some plays he didn’t want to,” Amos, the coach, said. “Our offense moved the ball and Jon played well.”
While quarterback Amos was stellar, Haggard, who scored three times in the game and now has 32 touchdowns this season, finished the game 11-for-31 for 141 yards and the one crucial interception.
For more high school football action, see Saturday's print edition of the Herald and News.
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Mike Bennett wrote on Oct 25, 2008 6:31 AM: