Championship game a special event even in defeat

By Brooks Hatch

Corvallis Gazette-Times

They were the end of the long line of powerful teams that established a tradition of football excellence at Corvallis High in the 1970s and 1980s.

The 1986 Spartans — the last CHS squad to play in a state championship game prior to the 2006 team — had a special bond that carried them to a Valley League championship and through four rounds of the state playoffs on a wild ride that ended with a 17-7 loss to Glencoe in the 4A (then AAA) championship game at Portland’s Civic Stadium.

“We were a really tight-knit group,” said Nick Todorovich, a standout cornerback who intercepted a school-record 12 passes that season to earn the Valley League’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

“The nucleus of that team played three sports growing up, were on all-star teams together, and played a lot of weekend 3-on-3 hoops together,” he recalled. “Even outside of practice we were playing a sport all the time.

“Jason Phillips, Greg Panknin, Derek Mouw, Matt Younger, Eric Dimmick, Dan Blus ... if we were bored we’d make a quick round of phone calls and an hour later we’d meet at an elementary school and be playing dunk hoops,” on the 9-foot baskets at Harding or Adams schools.

“That group definitely had good chemistry.”

Former CHS coach Gary Beck said that team reminded him of the 1969 and 1970 CHS teams he played on under predecessor Chuck Solberg.

“They had a good time off the field, hanging out together, doing the things I remembered doing as a high school kid,” Beck said. “They’d come to the practices together and leave together. That’s always a good sign.

“When I see those guys, I think good thoughts, they were fun guys. It certainly was a good group and we had a lot of fun playing. They had that ability to go play sandlot stuff, which I always thought was kind of neat for high school kids.”

CHS augmented that chemistry with considerable talent, not unusual for a program that won four state championships (1970, 1978, 1979, 1983), placed second twice (1969, 1974) and made the playoffs virtually every season from 1969 through 1986 under Solberg (1969-78) and Beck (1979-2001).

“They played great defense,” Beck said, and shut out Cleveland, Canby and Tigard in the first three rounds of the playoffs before edging Lakeridge 28-21 in the semifinals in a classic game at Civic Stadium. “We were balanced offensively, and we didn’t turn it over.

CHS compiled a plus-43 turnover margin, with 66 takeaways and only 23 giveaways.

“Nick Todorovich had 12 interceptions, which is remarkable because teams didn’t throw that much in high school in those days. I think it’s still a school record,” Beck said.

Todorovich shares the record with Terry Mitchell from the 1979 state champions.

CHS started 6-0, then had its record 29-game Valley League winning streak snapped with a 17-14 loss to Lebanon. It clinched the Valley League title by defeating McNary and Crescent Valley, and then won four playoff games to earn the shot at unbeaten Glencoe.

CHS trailed 14-0 against Lakeridge, coached at that time by Oregon legend Tom Smythe. It rallied, however, and a sack by Marcus Woods and an interception by Judd Boehme preserved the win in the final seconds after the Pacers drove inside the CHS 10-yard line.

“It was close, back-and-forth, just an exciting game,” Beck said. “It felt very good to come back on Lakeridge, because they were very solid, talented and well-coached. For our kids to respond to getting behind, I was really proud of that.”

Glencoe, which defeated Benson in the other semifinal, featured standout running backs Brett Collins and Kyle Kozak, who later played at Washington and Oregon, respectively, and in the National Football League. Linebacker Todd Sahlfeld and defensive lineman Chad de Sully would later play at Oregon State.

Five first-half turnovers helped keep CHS close. It was 7-7 at halftime; Glencoe went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter but CHS was driving in the fourth quarter when a penalty erased a Dimmick-to-Todorovich completion for a first down inside the Glencoe 20.

“Then we got sacked, had to punt and kind of lost our momentum,” Todorovich said. “But we ran into a buzz saw. They were undefeated for a reason.

“We played a superior team, but we thought we could beat them and we almost did.”

Beck — who, coincidentally, later worked with Glencoe coach Craig Ruecker at Redmond High in 2004 and 2005 — said CHS realized Glencoe’s talent and wasn’t emotionally crushed afterward.

“Our kids were realistic,” he said. “They enjoyed playing, said it was fun to be there and were glad they got to play as many games as they possibly could that year.”

Todorovich said the team’s core group met for a weekend at his family’s house at Black Butte Ranch for several years after their 1987 graduation, but they’ve drifted apart somewhat because of family obligations and distance.

“But we have each other’s cell numbers, we see each other from time-to-time at Beaver games, and I’m trying to get more of them to come down to Ribs and Helmets,” CHS’s annual fund-raising banquet, he said.

Todorovich has assisted at CHS for several years under Beck and current coach Chris McGowan. He’s thrilled these Spartans will get the same opportunity he and his teammates did in 1986.

“It’s something no one can ever take away from you,” he said. “You can always say, ‘I played in the high school state championship game.’ Not many athletes can say that.

“It’s fun (the current Spartans) will have experienced what we experienced 20 years prior. Plus it’s a lot more fun to be playing in November and December.

“There’s more of a buzz around the community.”

1986 CHS Spartans

CHS 46, South Albany 6

CHS 35, Sprague 14

CHS 6, McKay 0

CHS 34, North Salem 15

CHS 16, South Salem 0

CHS 20, West Albany 13

Lebanon 17, CHS 14 (OT)

CHS 23, McNary 16

CHS 28, Crescent Valley 14

CHS 21, Cleveland 0

CHS 21, Canby 0

CHS 3, Tigard 0

CHS 28, Lakeridge 21

Glencoe 17, CHS 7