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ENLARGE
Roseburg defensive end Lucas Corder (46) takes down South Eugene quarterback Dustin Haines as Indians Jesse Archambault (72) and Josh Weaver (32) close in at Finlay Field Friday night. Corder led the Indians with eight tackles and two sacks, and ran for two touchdowns on offense.
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ENLARGE
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Roseburg’s Gabe Miles (9) dodges a tackle by a South Eugene defender as he scores a touchdown in the second quarter at Finlay Field Friday night. The Indians won, 42-34.
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ENLARGE
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Roseburg kicker Lucas Walker (3) celebrates with Thaddeus Davis after kicking a 42-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter Friday.
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The civilization of prosperity that the Roseburg High football team had built was caving in, its pillars of stability crashing down in the cold and its order acquiescing to chaos at Finlay Field.
The Indians owned a 28-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter — that is, before the South Eugene Axemen scored 28 points of their own and manufactured 14 of the game’s last 16 points with onside kicks that Roseburg failed to recover.
As elation turned to panic on the Roseburg sideline, junior running back Josh Weaver wondered how something as joyous as football on a Friday night and as comforting as a rout could turn so sour, so fragile, so fast.
“Worst nightmare during a game,” Weaver said. “It was terrible. You couldn’t imagine it happening, but it was.”
What began as a blowout for Roseburg ended in something like a nightmare that, somehow, the Indians awoke from still intact.
Through it all, perhaps the biggest cheer came when Mitch Huff dove and caught South Eugene’s third onside kick. Later, Matt Thomson and Weaver helped end the terror and give the Indians (2-5 overall, 1-1 SWC) their first Southwest Conference win of the year by tackling Gus Craig for a safety on a pass play.
The final score — 42-34, Roseburg — was 40-12 until a few minutes into the fourth quarter, when a few strategically placed onside kicks by South Eugene transformed a romp into a molar grinder for the home fans.
The Indians, who did not allow the Axemen to gain a first down in the first quarter, showcased a strong kicking game and high-powered offense in the first half. But any confidence Roseburg earned during its successful start rapidly evolved into disappointment.
South Eugene kicker Colton Hubler’s first onside kick was recovered by teammate Troy Bolivar with 5:37 left in the game.
South Eugene quarterback Dustin Haines threw three incomplete passes before Spencer Coleman, who caught two TD passes, drew a pass interference penalty on Thomson on third-and-10. Two plays later, Haines connected with a sprinting Coleman in the right corner of the end zone and again on a two-point conversion attempt that cut the Indians’ advantage to 40-28.
“We got caught off guard,” said senior tight end Dakota Cavens, who caught a 12-yard TD pass from quarterback Thaddeus Davis in the fourth quarter. “We weren’t ready for it.”
Tame Latu recovered the ball first on the Axemen’s second onside attempt, emerging from a pile of bodies brandishing the pigskin around the South Eugene 49. RHS junior Lucas Corder, who rushed for two touchdowns, sacked Haines on third-and-10 before Haines hit Craig for a 53-yard touchdown pass, bringing South Eugene within six points after a failed kick.
“We couldn’t cover up the ball and it just totally screwed up everything,” said Weaver, who contributed to Roseburg’s big rushing-yard advantage with 19 carries for 71 yards.
The Indians starred down the barrel of another onside kick with minutes to spare.
Hubler kicked the ball, which Thomson dove for and caught with visible determination.
“Onside kicks are things you practice — which we do — and, who knows, you may never use them in a year, then all of a sudden the entire game hinges on fielding an onside kick," Roseburg coach Thurman Bell said. “Credit South Eugene.”
“I think if we would have played the game like those last few minutes we would have maybe won the game," South Eugene coach Travis Johnson said.
The Indians owned a 28-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter — that is, before the South Eugene Axemen scored 28 points of their own and manufactured 14 of the game’s last 16 points with onside kicks that Roseburg failed to recover.
As elation turned to panic on the Roseburg sideline, junior running back Josh Weaver wondered how something as joyous as football on a Friday night and as comforting as a rout could turn so sour, so fragile, so fast.
“Worst nightmare during a game,” Weaver said. “It was terrible. You couldn’t imagine it happening, but it was.”
What began as a blowout for Roseburg ended in something like a nightmare that, somehow, the Indians awoke from still intact.
Through it all, perhaps the biggest cheer came when Mitch Huff dove and caught South Eugene’s third onside kick. Later, Matt Thomson and Weaver helped end the terror and give the Indians (2-5 overall, 1-1 SWC) their first Southwest Conference win of the year by tackling Gus Craig for a safety on a pass play.
The final score — 42-34, Roseburg — was 40-12 until a few minutes into the fourth quarter, when a few strategically placed onside kicks by South Eugene transformed a romp into a molar grinder for the home fans.
The Indians, who did not allow the Axemen to gain a first down in the first quarter, showcased a strong kicking game and high-powered offense in the first half. But any confidence Roseburg earned during its successful start rapidly evolved into disappointment.
South Eugene kicker Colton Hubler’s first onside kick was recovered by teammate Troy Bolivar with 5:37 left in the game.
South Eugene quarterback Dustin Haines threw three incomplete passes before Spencer Coleman, who caught two TD passes, drew a pass interference penalty on Thomson on third-and-10. Two plays later, Haines connected with a sprinting Coleman in the right corner of the end zone and again on a two-point conversion attempt that cut the Indians’ advantage to 40-28.
“We got caught off guard,” said senior tight end Dakota Cavens, who caught a 12-yard TD pass from quarterback Thaddeus Davis in the fourth quarter. “We weren’t ready for it.”
Tame Latu recovered the ball first on the Axemen’s second onside attempt, emerging from a pile of bodies brandishing the pigskin around the South Eugene 49. RHS junior Lucas Corder, who rushed for two touchdowns, sacked Haines on third-and-10 before Haines hit Craig for a 53-yard touchdown pass, bringing South Eugene within six points after a failed kick.
“We couldn’t cover up the ball and it just totally screwed up everything,” said Weaver, who contributed to Roseburg’s big rushing-yard advantage with 19 carries for 71 yards.
The Indians starred down the barrel of another onside kick with minutes to spare.
Hubler kicked the ball, which Thomson dove for and caught with visible determination.
“Onside kicks are things you practice — which we do — and, who knows, you may never use them in a year, then all of a sudden the entire game hinges on fielding an onside kick," Roseburg coach Thurman Bell said. “Credit South Eugene.”
“I think if we would have played the game like those last few minutes we would have maybe won the game," South Eugene coach Travis Johnson said.
The setup to Roseburg’s safety began with a perfect punt by Cavens, which was downed inside South Eugene’s 1-yard line.
Craig caught a short pass and found himself running horizontally.
“He started hooking back further, so it was easier to catch him and I just dove for his legs,” Weaver said. “I was just like ‘get him down, get him down.’”
Aaron Moville pulled down a 38-yard screen pass and ran it to paydirt with about six minutes to go. Moville also bolted 22 yards to score after dropping the ball and recovering it in the fourth quarter.
In the first half, Derek Priestley made several big returns that gave Roseburg a short field. Thaddeus Davis ran for a 21-yard touchdown, Gabe Miles recorded a 9-yard rushing TD and Corder scored the first of two short scores in the first.
“We had them pinned in and we played very good defense early and made some big plays and they dropped some balls,” Bell said. “And we were able to have great field position.”
Craig caught a short pass and found himself running horizontally.
“He started hooking back further, so it was easier to catch him and I just dove for his legs,” Weaver said. “I was just like ‘get him down, get him down.’”
Aaron Moville pulled down a 38-yard screen pass and ran it to paydirt with about six minutes to go. Moville also bolted 22 yards to score after dropping the ball and recovering it in the fourth quarter.
In the first half, Derek Priestley made several big returns that gave Roseburg a short field. Thaddeus Davis ran for a 21-yard touchdown, Gabe Miles recorded a 9-yard rushing TD and Corder scored the first of two short scores in the first.
“We had them pinned in and we played very good defense early and made some big plays and they dropped some balls,” Bell said. “And we were able to have great field position.”
Davis finished 9-for-14 for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Haines went 16-for-37 for 247 yards with a pick and four scores. Roseburg kicker Lucas Walker was Roseburg’s other stabilizer, connecting on 38 and 42-yard field goals and converting all his extra-point attempts. Cavens caught five receptions for 75 yards.
Corder led the defense with eight tackles and two sacks.
When it was all said and done, “a win’s a win” was a phrase repeated more than once in Roseburg’s locker room.
“But it wasn’t very pretty on our part,” Cavens said.
NOTE: Bell said senior guard Seth Melvin, Roseburg’s best offensive lineman, was “fine” after spraining an ankle in the first half.
Corder led the defense with eight tackles and two sacks.
When it was all said and done, “a win’s a win” was a phrase repeated more than once in Roseburg’s locker room.
“But it wasn’t very pretty on our part,” Cavens said.
NOTE: Bell said senior guard Seth Melvin, Roseburg’s best offensive lineman, was “fine” after spraining an ankle in the first half.
