First Quarter Summary:
LaMonica Leads Cougars past Warriors
Sophomore QB Nick LaMonica is adjusting to the job of gunslinger. LaMonica, whose's job is to replace 3 year starter Tommy Coleman, demonstrated the resiliency usually associated with more experienced players. When the aggressive Philomath defense forced 3 consecutive incompletions, LaMonica responded with a 34 yard swing pass to Casey Johnson for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, LaMonica completed 8 straight passes, which loosened up the Warrior defense enough for R.J. Williams and Paul Federico rushing touchdowns. And in the second half, despite suffering 3 of the 6 sacks the Warriors recorded, LaMonica found Federico and Johnson for 2 more touchdown passes, as the Cougars built a 32 point lead before Philomath finally cracked the scoreboard against the Cascade defensive reserves. Only 3:05 was left when Warrior QB John Koeppe connected with Heath Honeycutt for a 25 yard scoring pass, which allowed the Philomath High School Drag Ra
Second Quarter Summary:
2nd. qtr.
Hill sacked LaMonica on a blitz at the end of the first quarter, but LaMonica responded with 4 of his 8 consecutive second quarter completions, and led a 10 play, 4 minute and 22 second drive that Williams capped with a 4 yard slant to the right corner for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion attempt failed.
The Cougar defense stopped the Warriors cold on the next possession, then, aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Warriors, the Cougars marched 59 yards on 6 plays for another score. A 9 yard stretch run to the left by Williams, and an 11 yard LaMonica completion to Kyle Coots on a left to right crossing route at the Warrior 15, set up Federico's romp around the right side for the score. Kicker Jason Clarke, also a member of the Cross Country team, who was added to the roster this week, hit his first career PAT kick to make it Cascade 19-0 4:11 before the half.
Philomath punted it back to the Cougars after another 3 & out. But after an 8 ya
Third Quarter Summary:
3rd. qtr.
Hill lost 2 yards on the first play of the second half, then the Cougars forced a fumble, and Olheiser recovered it at the Warrior 6. Williams pounded ahead to the 3, but Warrior blitzes then stopped Cascade. Koeppe drug down Williams on the left side for a 1 yard loss, then James Zook and Travis Spencer, who was celebrating his 18th. birthday, sacked LaMonica for a 6 yard loss.
After a Cougar timeout, Cascade turned it over on downs when LaMonica's pass sailed over Williams in the end zone. Williams protested contact from the Warriors to the Corvallis Assn. officials, but the ball was uncatchable.
Williams and Johnson responded defensively, forcing yet another Warrior 3 & punt possession. Spencer Beeson brought Kory Stueve's punt back to the Philomath 27, then Williams softened up the Warrior blitzes with a couple short gains over the right side, which is the left-handed LaMonica's back side.
LaMonica then hit Federico on the left side, and Federico rompe
Fourth Quarter Summary:
4th. qtr.
Beeson ended consecutive Warrior drives with interceptions. The first came after the Warriors advanced to the Cougar 24. Beeson snagged Koeppe's pass at the 4, and brought it back out to the 35. The second interception was at the Cougar 47, and Beeson angled to the left sideline to the Warrior 29.
LaMonica completed a middle screen to Williams to reach the 15, and a post slant from the right side to Johnson to finish the Warriors hopes, putting the Cougars up 32-0 with 4:49 left.
Koeppe hit Derek Davis in stride at the 45 on a fly route down the right sideline, and Davis wasn't dragged down until he reached the Cougar 26. The touchdown completion to Honeycutt followed, but it was much too late. A final threat failed when an open Davis missed Koeppe's pass on the final drive, possibly due to the darkness of the dimly lit field, as he never appeared to find the ball.
Postgame
Cascade Coach Terry Graham acknowledged that Philomath, under first year c