Another poor second half dooms Spartans against Rebels

By STEVE GRESS
Gazette-Times reporter

For the past several weeks, Corvallis High football coach Chris McGowan has made the same talk at halftime.

The first-year Spartan coach has told his players the team that makes the fewest mistakes in the final two periods will more than likely come out on top.

The Spartans dodged a bullet three weeks ago when they rallied for a one-point victory against North Salem with a last-play, 65-yard touchdown and extra-point despite being outplayed in the second half.

Last week, the Spartans were dominated in the last 24 minutes of a 29-0 loss at McKay, after playing an equal first 24 minutes and trailing just 7-0.

On Thursday, the Spartans and visiting South Albany Rebels were deadlocked at 7-7 at the half. Once again, the Spartans played a poor second half, turning the ball over three times, in dropping a 28-13 Valley League decision to the previously winless Rebels on Homecoming.

"They deserved to win because they made fewer mistakes," McGowan said. "Our halftime message for several weeks (has been) we are in a close game at halftime and we have got to step up our play and we have a hard time turning the corner.

"That is a mental thing as much as anything else. It is something we are not used to doing. We keep trying to turn the corner and finish and that is the difference in the game, they did and we didn't."

The three turnovers — an interception and two fumbles, including one on the second-half kickoff, led to all three South Albany touchdowns in the second half. The Spartans (2-4) turned the ball over five times with four leading to scores.

"That is really frustrating," CHS senior linebacker Jon Strowbridge said. "We are (six) weeks into our season and we shouldn't be making those mistakes. We had a lot of breakdowns and that is something we need to get fixed."

The fumble to open the second half was a turning point. The Rebels were able to make the Spartans pay with a 33-yard scoring drive that was aided by a deflected completion to Jesse Jones on third down that went for a first down.

"After that, we haven't gotten breaks like that all year, but when we got that, we got fired up and got momentum going our way and felt good about it the rest of the way," said South Albany's Bryan Stone, who capped off the drive with a 1-yard plunge.

Stone's running, along with that of fullback Andrew Peterson, kept the Rebels in control most of the second half. Stone finished with 155 yards on 33 carries while Peterson had 62 yards on 12 carries.

"They established the running game and did a good job of controlling the clock," McGowan said. "Again, they played well enough to win. We have to figure out a way to make that step."

Strowbridge had 17 tackles and seven assists for the Spartans, but even he couldn't stop the Rebels' running game.

"They changed it up a lot I think," he said. "They didn't really show us anything obvious like the fullback off set too much. They kept it up the middle a lot of times."

South Albany took a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter on Stone's second touchdown run before the Spartans cut the deficit to 21-13 on a 5-yard run by Nick Emmons early in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans stopped South Albany and forced a punt with 8:13 to play, but Jason Tacchini's second interception turned the ball back over to the Rebels with 5:51 left. South Albany went 45 yards in 10 plays with Stone capping the drive from 18 yards out for a 28-13 lead with 1:17 left.

The Spartans hit the road the next two weeks against South Salem and defending state champion McNary before closing out the season at home against Crescent Valley.

"It is so late in the season it is going to be a tough loss, but we have to come out next week and play our hardest against South Salem because we think that is a beatable team, at least I think it is," Strowbridge said. "I am going to tell my team that we should beat this team."

South Albany 28, Corvallis 13

SOUTH ALBANY 0 7 14 7 — 28

CORVALLIS 0 7 0 6 — 13

Second quarter

SA — Swan 1 run (P

ritt kick), 9:59

CHS — Strowbridge 2 run (Dickson kick), 3:21

Third quarter

SA — Stone 1 run (Pritt kick), 9:09

SA — Stone 3 run (Pritt kick), 2:43

Fourth quarter

CHS — Emmons 5 run (kick failed), 11:24

SA — Stone 18 run (Pritt kick), 1:17

Rushing: SA — Stone 33-155, Peterson 12-62, Stanfield 2-20, Pool 3-(miuns 14), Grady 1-2, Johnson 1-0, Swan 1-1. CHS — Emmons 9-27, Manning 1-(minus 1), Strowbridge 3-28, Roy 2-(minus 16), Tacchini 4-10

Passing: SA — Pool 6-14-0 65, Stone 0-1-0 0. CHS — Tacchini 14-32-2 258

Receiving: SA — Jones 1-22, Stone 2-18, Peterson 1-7, Price 2-18. CHS — Clontz 6-73, Emmons 1-18, Strowbridge 2-35, Dickson 4-119, McKimmy 1-6