Knowing they faced a Wilsonville team who already beat them by 16 points at Wilsonville earlier this season, Mountain View High School appeared to display a fearless group for their upset win tonight at Randall Stadium.
The (7-4) Cougars defeated the Wildcats 21-14 in the OSAA US Bank/Les Schwab Tires 5A First Round playoff game.
The story was defense, as MVHS Defensive Coordinator Neil Elshire’s team held the Wildcats scoreless for the first 41 minutes.
The game was tightly contested early on, as neither team scored in the first quarter. The Wildcats started with the ball and each team punted twice.
The defending state champs then broke through with a superb play on defense. Starting sophomore CB Anthony Rushton intercepted Wilsonville senior QB Nick Highberger on their third drive of the game.
That put Mt.View, the defending 5A State Champions, on its own 40.
It only took six plays and 1:35 for the Cougs to capitalize on the only Wilsonville turnover of the game.
Senior RB Kyler Ayers scored from seven yards out, leading to a 7-0 score. Ayers finished the night with 27 carries for 156 yards, despite only having 23 yards in the first half.
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Ayers did fumble the ball, however, for the only Mt.View turnover in the game, with about 20 seconds left in the first half.
The Wildcats managed to get the ball nine yards from the endzone with 0.2 seconds left, but Mt.View ended the half with a sack to keep the Cats out of the endzone to secure a 7-0 Halftime lead.
The Cougars collected seven sacks in the first half, finishing the night with eight, a season high. Sacking the quarterback was something they did not do in the regular season game against Wilsonville losing, 49-33.
The third quarter was pretty uneventful offensively, asMountain Viewhad 14 plays and turned the ball over on downs twice.
On the other side, Wilsonville punted and collected most of their ten penalties on the night. Two huge plays of 40 yards or more were called back due to penalty for the Cats.
In the final quarter, the offenses heated up.
Mountain View’s first drive of the quarter went for 52 yards and another Ayers touchdown run, this time from six yards out. 14-0 Cougs.
Wilsonville responded with their first touchdown.
The Wildcats capped a 69-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from senior RB Tanner Shipley to senior TE Gunner Pollman. 14-7.
Team captain Shipley finished the night 3 for 8, 57 yards and one TD pass, plus 52 yards receiving, and 98 yards rushing on 16 carries.
With 3:22 left in the game, Mountain View stopped Wilsonville on downs at the Cougar 28. They gave the ball to Ayers a few times, the last of which, he broke free for a 53-yard touchdown. That made it 21-7 Mt.View.
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Wilsonville did not give up, going 51 yards in 52 seconds to score another touchdown. It was Highberger to Pollman on a 4th and goal pass from the 18. Mt. View’s lead was just 21-14.
With 22 seconds left, the Cats tried an onside kick, but Mt.View junior Nick Hjelm covered the ball up, securing the victory for the undeterred Cougs.
Cougar senior QB Tony Webb went 12 for 17, with 161 yards passing, and his favorite target was senior WR John Carroll, who had seven grabs for 103 yards, all by halftime.
Solid quarterback protection from players like senior OL Chad Bach resulted in no sacks tonight on Webb. Webb has also now gone six straight games without throwing an interception.
On defense, Bach was one of seven Cougars with a sack on Highberger, who finished the night 10 for 13 for 224 yards, and one touchdown. Senior LB Kyle Shaver was the only Coug with two sacks.
Wilsonville’s Pollman finished with 114 yards receiving, two touchdowns on five catches.
With the victory, Mt.View improves to 7-4 and takes their seventh straight trip to the state quarterfinals, where they will play the Marist Spartans (9-1), the school they defeated in the state semifinals last year, 31-14, en route to their first State Title ever.
Wilsonville’s season comes to an end as the Wildcats finish 7-3, and have now lost four first round playoff games in the last six years.
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Some lifetime memories and friendships built between some very competitve young athletes who when it’s all said and done show mutual respect for each other.
From left to right: John Carroll, Tanner Shipley, Chad Bach, Johnny Ragin
OTHER 5A PLAYOFF SCORES:
REDMOND 40 CHURCHILL 15
CRESCENT VALLEY 14 WILSON 7
MARIST 68 HERMISTON 22
SILVERTON 49 PUTNAM 0
WEST ALBANY 42 ASHLAND 7
SPRINGFIELD 44 ROOSEVELT 22
SHERWOOD 64 LEBANON 8
(Photos Mike Roberts-Tim Bach)
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