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ENLARGE
Douglas quarterback Paul Polamalu throws a pass as Derek Watson provides protection during Friday’s Class 4A second-round playoff game against Estacada. The seventh-ranked Rangers won, 32-13.
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ENLARGE
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Douglas linebacker Michael Ruppert brings down an Estacada ballcarrier during Friday’s playoff game.
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ESTACADA — The relentless, reliable short gains were bad enough for the Douglas High football team while trying to defend Estacada in their first round playoff game Friday night.
When the Trojans defied logic to make the game close, the seventh-ranked Rangers simply used big plays to seal a 32-13 win and advance to the Class 4A quarterfinals.
The Rangers (9-2) ground out 434 yards on the ground as Jake Hyde ran for 260 yards and Alex Pursel added 170 yards and three touchdowns. Given those numbers, and Douglas’ 2.6 yard per carry average, it would seem unlikely that Estacada would need fourth quarter heroics to win.
“We didn’t celebrate until the clock was at zero,” said Pursel, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound battering ram of a back. “We felt we were controlling the line of scrimmage, but with the way they could score so fast, we couldn't really relax until the end.”
The Trojans (5-6) pulled within six before halftime and five before the fourth quarter. But that’s when Hyde scored both of his touchdowns and unable to answer, Douglas saw its best season in five years come to an end.
“We had some things go our way in the end,” Estacada coach Brigham Baker said. “If not for that it might have been a different outcome. We’re glad to sneak one out and move on.”
Estacada held Douglas to three-and-outs on its first two possessions and each time responded with Pursel TDs, making the game look like a blowout early.
The turning point for Douglas came just before halftime, when David Guthrie intercepted Hyde trying to throw a halfback pass with under 2:00 to play.
Guthrie turned right around and caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Paul Polamalu, who two plays later hit Tim Bellando for a big gain to the Estacada 2-yard line with 26 seconds left. Sky Woods then ran it in to cut the lead to 12-6 before a stunned home crowd.
After Pursel’s third TD, Guthrie sparked the Trojans’ second score, catching a 33-yard halfback pass from Byrson Norton. After the Rangers were called for hitting Norton late, Polamalu hit David Froude for a 20-yard TD pass on the final play of the third quarter to make it 18-13.
In both his reception and interception, Guthrie had to wrestle the ball from the arms of Rangers around him.
“As the play was happening I decided that I was going to be stronger than him and just pulled it in,” Guthrie said. “It’s all those stairs they have us run to make us stronger and jump higher.”
But then the reality of a quarter mile of rushing yards set in, and Estacada’s ability to produce them. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Hyde ran off tackle to the strong side, shook three tackles and ran up the sideline for an 85-yard TD run and two-score lead.
When the Trojans defied logic to make the game close, the seventh-ranked Rangers simply used big plays to seal a 32-13 win and advance to the Class 4A quarterfinals.
The Rangers (9-2) ground out 434 yards on the ground as Jake Hyde ran for 260 yards and Alex Pursel added 170 yards and three touchdowns. Given those numbers, and Douglas’ 2.6 yard per carry average, it would seem unlikely that Estacada would need fourth quarter heroics to win.
“We didn’t celebrate until the clock was at zero,” said Pursel, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound battering ram of a back. “We felt we were controlling the line of scrimmage, but with the way they could score so fast, we couldn't really relax until the end.”
The Trojans (5-6) pulled within six before halftime and five before the fourth quarter. But that’s when Hyde scored both of his touchdowns and unable to answer, Douglas saw its best season in five years come to an end.
“We had some things go our way in the end,” Estacada coach Brigham Baker said. “If not for that it might have been a different outcome. We’re glad to sneak one out and move on.”
Estacada held Douglas to three-and-outs on its first two possessions and each time responded with Pursel TDs, making the game look like a blowout early.
The turning point for Douglas came just before halftime, when David Guthrie intercepted Hyde trying to throw a halfback pass with under 2:00 to play.
Guthrie turned right around and caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Paul Polamalu, who two plays later hit Tim Bellando for a big gain to the Estacada 2-yard line with 26 seconds left. Sky Woods then ran it in to cut the lead to 12-6 before a stunned home crowd.
After Pursel’s third TD, Guthrie sparked the Trojans’ second score, catching a 33-yard halfback pass from Byrson Norton. After the Rangers were called for hitting Norton late, Polamalu hit David Froude for a 20-yard TD pass on the final play of the third quarter to make it 18-13.
In both his reception and interception, Guthrie had to wrestle the ball from the arms of Rangers around him.
“As the play was happening I decided that I was going to be stronger than him and just pulled it in,” Guthrie said. “It’s all those stairs they have us run to make us stronger and jump higher.”
But then the reality of a quarter mile of rushing yards set in, and Estacada’s ability to produce them. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Hyde ran off tackle to the strong side, shook three tackles and ran up the sideline for an 85-yard TD run and two-score lead.
Douglas twice drove into Ranger territory, but each time misfired on fourth down conversion attempts. The latter of which, the Trojans didn’t get a pass interference call they were looking for and turned the ball over on downs at the 42. Estacada drove 57 yards in nine plays, capped by Hyde’s 23-yard run with 51 seconds left to seal the game.
“As long as they win state we’ll know we played a good team,” Guthrie said. “(Hyde) was tough to take down and their line was big. We tried to win it for our seniors because we love them to death.”
The Trojans had one of their better passing games of the season. Polamalu completed 6 of 16 passes for 116 yards and a TD while getting intercepted on a hail mary in the game's closing seconds. Norton completed two halfback passes for 41 more yards.
Estacada showed some similarities to the Trojans, if not a year ahead of schedule. The Rangers hadn’t won a game in two years before Baker orchestrated a turnaround in his first season in 2007, which ended in a second-round playoff loss.
Douglas went from a one-win season and dead last in the Far West League to tying for the title this year. The Trojans will graduate only 10 seniors off and can bring in players from a 9-1 junior varsity team.
“Having that playoff experience last season was huge for us and may have even won the game for us,” Baker said. “Douglas has a great program in the making, I can tell. The people in Winston will enjoy having Joe Polamalu running their program."
“As long as they win state we’ll know we played a good team,” Guthrie said. “(Hyde) was tough to take down and their line was big. We tried to win it for our seniors because we love them to death.”
The Trojans had one of their better passing games of the season. Polamalu completed 6 of 16 passes for 116 yards and a TD while getting intercepted on a hail mary in the game's closing seconds. Norton completed two halfback passes for 41 more yards.
Estacada showed some similarities to the Trojans, if not a year ahead of schedule. The Rangers hadn’t won a game in two years before Baker orchestrated a turnaround in his first season in 2007, which ended in a second-round playoff loss.
Douglas went from a one-win season and dead last in the Far West League to tying for the title this year. The Trojans will graduate only 10 seniors off and can bring in players from a 9-1 junior varsity team.
“Having that playoff experience last season was huge for us and may have even won the game for us,” Baker said. “Douglas has a great program in the making, I can tell. The people in Winston will enjoy having Joe Polamalu running their program."
