First Quarter Summary:
Fourth ranked Cascade played a near perfect game on offense, as all plays were completions or rushes for positive yardage. For the second week in a row, the Cougar defense held an opponent to negative yards rushing, -25 yards on 22 carries. Dakota Brown returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the second week in a row also, this one for 90 yards.
Sophomore QB Nick LaMonica led the Cougars, completing 7 of 7 passes for a touchdown, and 173 yds. passing, and ran for 48 more yards and an additional touchdown. RJ Williams added 92 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 carries.
Pleasant Hill Freshman QB Derek Smith completed 17 of 30 passes for 232 yds., and ran for the Billies' only touchdown.
Cascade built a 3 touchdown lead in the first quarter, and extended it to 27-0 before Smith got Pleasant Hill on the scoreboard.
1st. qtr.
Under clear skies and 70+ degree temperatures, the Billies' Scott Daletas took the opening kickoff at the 11, and brought it out to the 33. Smith h
Second Quarter Summary:
2nd. qtr.
Smith hit a wide open Daletas over the middle for 15 more, but consecutive incompletions and a holding penalty pushed the Billies back to the 48. More incompletions followed, and Pleasant Hill had to punt.
Cascade started at their 18, and went on a 2:58, 82 yard scoring drive, overcoming a holding penalty along the way. LaMonica completed consecutive passes to Spencer Beeson, then Williams took a pitch around the right side to the 1. However, his straight arm collected a defender's face mask, pushing the Cougars back to the 31. Williams got 7 back on the right side before DT Lewis Laney dropped him.
Cascade called time with 7:58 left in the half, and then ran a stretch play to the right, which was well enough blocked for Williams to take it all the way. Mongenel's kick made it 27-0 Cascade.
The Billies answered with their best drive of the night, going 65 yards in 12 plays. Smith's 28 yard completion to Derek Ball on the left side that reached the Cougar 1
Third Quarter Summary:
3rd. qtr.
Leading 34-6 at the half, Cascade quickly ended any chance for a comeback as Dakota Brown took the second half kickoff back for a touchdown. Three plays later, the Cougar defense forced a fumble that DT Byron Anderson covered, and on the next play Dillon Davidson took it in from 13 yards out for a 48-6 lead only 1:12 into the third quarter.
The Billies did try anyway, and Smith hit Daletas for 45 yards down the right sideline to the 15, victimizing reserve CB Tyrell Williams. The Cougars had a mix of starters and reserves in on defense, and they stiffened, forcing incompletions that brought up a 4th. down. Smith found Zach Nelson for a first down, but on the next play, T. Williams redeemed himself with an interception at the 1, and went down the Billlies' right sideline to the Cougar 30.
Davidson picked up 22 yards on 3 rushes, then Shawn Towrey bounced left for 5 more. After a Josh Schlabach short gain, Cascade called time out with 5:02 left in the quarter. B
Fourth Quarter Summary:
4th. qtr.
Despite an offsides penalty, the Cougars stopped Pleasant Hill, forcing a turnover on downs with 7:06 left. With the running clock not stopping for first downs, Cascade ran out the clock with a 7 play drive.
Postgame
"What can you say?" Cascade Coach Terry Graham asked. "You wonder if you can duplicate an effort like we had last week. But the offensive and defensive lines played excellent, and that allowed everything to work." Graham also acknowledged LB Sean Coleman's effort.
Looking ahead to the showdown next week with third ranked LaSalle, who defeated Molalla 34-7 tonight, Graham observed "We have to just keep working. It's about to get a lot tougher!"
Many of the key players on both teams were there last year when LaSalle won 36-22, including Falcon RB Chris Nagel, a second team all-state selection last season, who rushed 40 times for 237 yds. & 3 touchdowns in the win over Cascade.
Next week, Cascade (4-0) takes on LaSalle (3-0, 1-0) at Alder C