By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
HARRISBURG, Ore.– Oakland, in the early going in the second half of Saturday’s season-opener, were faced with a 28-6 deficit a minute into the third quarter against St. Paul.
The Buckaroos had controlled the first half and just saw Bricen Britten go 77-yards on a swing pass to give St. Paul the 22-point lead with the momentum in their favor.
For the Oakers, it wasn’t adjustments that they needed to swing in their favor. It was heart. Their coaches challenged them, being Oakland, to come out with heart.
And they did.
A Ryan Fullerton to Andrew McCurdy connection brought the Oakers back to within two scores of the Bucks going into the fourth quarter.
It was 28-14 at this point. And they weren’t done yet. By the 10:12 mark of the final frame, it was 28-20 after McCurdy took a fly sweep in for a 23-yard score.
“There was no adjustment. We knew we came out sloppy and didn’t play Oaker Football. We talked about it in the locker room and all we had to change was our heart,” “In that first half they wanted it more and in the second half we wanted it more and it came down to them making a few great stops and sometimes that stuff happens.
“All the adjustment was our heart, and nothing was too out of reach.”
The pressure was on St. Paul to now stop the newly found momentum of Oakland as their offense was once again stopped by the Oakers, and their defense had to clutch up if they wanted to come out with the victory.
“It was a wake-up call for us as a team to keep working and keep grinding,” said Britten.
Oakland began marching down the field at the mid-point of the fourth quarter and got into the red zone with three minutes to play. Getting down to the one-yard-line before the Buckaroos got a goalline stand to keep Oakland off the board.
Unfortunately, on the next play, they bobble a pitch on a running play that resulted in a safety.
Now it was 28-22 St. Paul with 2:12 remaining in the game.
Oakland once more mounted a drive with a win possible if they scored and get the point after. They got down to inside the Bucks 20-yard-line with St. Paul forced a fourth down on their own 16-yard line.
It was fourth and six when the Buckaroo defensive line got some pressure on Oakland Quarterback Fullerton, who couldn’t get his footing down on a pass to McCurdy to convert as they turned it over on downs.
“They were huge,” Britten said of the defensive stands. “We definitely would like to thank our lineman. They definitely held the line and stopped them from running. Pretty much our whole defense came together to make plays. It’s special. “
Both teams each combined for over 300 yards total offense. Oakland with 305 to St. Paul’s 412.
Britten rushed for 94 yards on 11 carries and had 95 receiving yards on three receptions as St. Paul will head to play Heppner at Dufur High School on Friday.
McCurdy rushed for 46 yards on six receptions and had 84 yards receiving on nine receptions as Oakland will host Lowell on Friday.
“It’s going to be a huge turning point and it’s going to show us that we believe that there isn’t a team that went can’t beat in the State and I think it’s a show of heart really,” said McCurdy. “This will motivate us to push harder this next week.”
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
