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Cougars Celebrate Homecoming With Big Plays
 Turner – Cascade celebrated homecoming with 14 big plays of 10 yards or more, and a 31-6 win over La Salle. The biggest plays included a 50 yard Nick Lamonica play action pass to Robbie Federico for a second quarter touchdown, and a 60 yard completion by Lamonica to Zach Rouse that set up another Federico touchdown, and gave the Cougars a 21-6 halftime lead over the Falcons.
“None of us had ever beaten Gladstone or La Salle,” Federico explained. “This year, we finally beat both of them.” The win, the Cougars’ third straight, also pulled Cascade back into third place, and in the thick of the Capital Conference race.
Federico was the game’s leading rusher, with 128 yards on 13 carries, and Dillon Davidson added 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Cascade, while Lamonica finished with 142 yards passing.
1st. qtr.
Cascade got the first big break of the game when Michael Swain couldn’t handle a punt, and Collin Goettsch covered the ball at the La Salle 39. The Cougars couldn’t get closer than the Falcon 23, but Rouse’s punt pinned La Salle at their six yard line, and after the Falcons punted, the Cougars took over again in La Salle territory.
Davidson’s 23 yard run set up his two yard follow-up carry for the game’s first points, as Cascade went up 6-0.
Cascade's Dillon Davidson (23) turns the corner against La Salle.
La Salle launched a 15 play drive that covered 53 yards in response. The drive lasted 4:20, carrying into the second quarter.
2nd. qtr.
Ethan Kath broke up consecutive passes as Cascade’s defense made a red-zone stand, forcing an Austin Thul 27 yard field goal that sailed wide left.
The Cougars answered with an 80 yard drive of their own, capped by Lamonica’s play action pass to Federico for a 50 yard touchdown. Coupled with Lamonica’s two point conversion completion to Tyrell Williams, it gave Cascade a 14-0 lead 3:20 into the period.
“We’ve had that play in, but hadn’t used it,” Federico said. “It was a perfect pass by Nick.”
“It was a wheel route,” Cascade Coach Karl Elliott explained. “We noticed from game tapes that they tend to man coverage, and we saw they were double or triple teaming Tyrell (Williams). So we sent him inside, and sent our tight end outside (on the other side). Either it would be wide open, or they would have had to release coverage (on Williams) over the middle.”
La Salle and Cascade then exchanged possessions before the Falcons mounted their only scoring drive of the night. Kieran McDonagh found Toi Jones on the right flank for a 59 yard completion that put the Falcons on the Cougar 17, and three plays later, a 14 yard screen pass to Alex Larez had La Salle knocking on the door.
Larez capped the 76 yard march on the next play, but Cascade blocked Thul’s extra point kick to keep their lead at 14-6.
Lamonica wasted no time in negating the Falcon’s big play and score, driving Cascade 80 yards in just four plays. The game-breaker was a 60 yard completion to tight end Rouse, which featured nearly 40 yards after the catch, as Rouse drug a defender much of the way.
“Zach looked like the Heisman pose with that run going down field,” Lamonica said. “And then to just overpower their guy!”
Lamonica’s passing success was a bounce-back performance, after not completing any passes last week. “The line was giving us time tonight,” Lamonica said. “We’re getting the basics down, and now we are building, adding some of these things.”
Federico capped the drive with a 10 yard touchdown run that also cost the Falcons Michael Swain, who went down with a left ankle problem.
The Cascade Homecoming Queen Courtney Jackson (c) and Princesses Ashley Grucza (l) and Shelby Hammer (r), and their escorts.
3rd. qtr.
After the halftime fireworks, Cascade took the opening kickoff of the second half, and promptly provided more fireworks. Davidson followed up an 18 yard kick return with a 34 yard run, and Federico followed with a 39 yard sweep to set Cascade up at the Falcon 8 yard line. Davidson capped the 81 yard drive with a one yard run for a 28-6 lead.
A McDonagh fumble foiled the Falcons’ next drive, but one of two sacks on the night on Lamonica forced the Cougars to punt the ball back. But the Cascade defense forced a three and punt, setting up another short field.
An 18 yard sweep by Shawn Towrey, and a 15 yard Lamonica completion to Williams gave the Cougars a first and goal at the one, but the Falcon defense staged a penalty aided goal line stand, and the second sack of Lamonica forced Cascade to settle for a 23 yard Dyllan Mongenel field goal.
Still, the lead was extended to 31-6, making the game a four possession proposition if the Falcons were to mount a comeback. Which they weren’t able to even begin to do.
4th. qtr.
Cascade’s defense forced two fumbles to stall two of three La Salle drives in the fourth period, one in the Cougar red zone, and close out the win.
“Both the defense and the offense worked well together, we got great punt and kickoff coverage, and good returns,” Elliott observed. “The kids are playing with a lot of confidence now; they feel good about themselves.”
“The big plays gets momentum swinging,” Federico noted. “Momentum is huge; it gets you going, or it can get you down.”
McDonagh threw for 115 yards and carried for 51 more to lead La Salle. The Falcons also got 86 yards and their only score form Larez on 16 carries.
The big plays helped Cascade (5-2, 3-2) to 416 yards of total offense. “It’s an old offense we run,” Elliott explained, “but you pound away, and then Bingo! It sets up these kind of big plays.”
“There’s a reason it’s been around so long,” Cascade defensive coordinator Mark Stevens added.
Cascade will finish their Capital Conference season with a visit to league leading North Marion (7-1, 4-0). The Huskies kept sole possession of first place in the league race tonight with a 28-14 win in Estacada (3-4, 2-2), who fell one half game behind Cascade, and into fourth place in the standings.
Even with a win over North Marion, Cascade could be edged out of the playoffs, however, as both Stayton and Estacada hold tie-breakers over Cascade. “If we don’t make the playoffs, it will be a disappointment,” Federico observed, “but like Tyrell (Williams) said, this season is still a complete turnaround, after winning only two games last year. If we can get to the playoffs, I think we can shock some people, though.”
Stayton (6-2, 4-1) stayed in second place with a 20-12 win over Gladstone (2-5, 1-3), in a game that made the KATU channel 2 High School Football Blitz show. La Salle (2-5, 1-3) finishes their home season next week, hosting Molalla (1-6, 0-4). The Indians had a bye this week.
La Salle 0 6 0 0 - 6
Cascade 6 15 10 0 - 31
1st. qtr.
Cascade – Dillon Davidson 2 yard run (kick wide left) 3:25
Key plays: A punt that pinned the Falcons at their own 6 yard line the series before, and a 23 yard run by Davidson.
2nd. qtr.
Cascade – Robbie Federico 50 yard pass from Nick Lamonica (Tyrell Williams pass from Lamonica) 8:40
Key to play: Play Action to Davidson
La Salle – Alex Larenz 1 yard run (kick blocked) 2:17
Key play: 59 yard reception by Toi Joines
Cascade – Federico 10 yard run (Dyllan Mongenel kick) 1:15
Key play: 60 yard reception by Zach Rouse
3rd. qtr.
Cascade – Davidson 1 yard run (Mongenel kick) 9:38
Key plays: Consecutive carries for 34 & 39 yards by Davidson and Federico
Cascade – Mongenel 23 yard field goal 2:01
Key play: 18 yard rush by Shawn Towrey
Passing
La Salle – Kieran McDonagh 9-21, 0 TDs, 0 Int., 115 yards; Chet Line 0-1, 0 TDs, 0 Int., 0 yards.
Cascade – Lamonica 5-11, 1 TD, 0 Int., 142 yards.
Rushing
La Salle - 37-182, 1 TD; Larenz 16-86, 1 TD; McDonagh 10-51; JJ Fisher 7-39; Line 4-6.
Cascade – 46-274, 3 TDs; Federico 13-128, 1 TD; Davidson 15-94, 2 TDs; Shawn Towrey 4-30; Brandon Gonzalez 6-9; Williams 1-4; Lamonica 3-2; Dakota Kittelson 2-4; Konagher Hampton 2-3.
Receiving
La Salle – Toi Jones 2-62; Vince Matteson 5-34; Larenz 2-19.
Cascade – Zach Rouse 1-60; Federico 1-50, 1 TD; Towrey 1-15; Williams 2-17.
Returns
La Salle – Michael Swain 2-35, Jeremy Minsker 2-16; Jones 2-9.
Cascade – Williams 2-23; Davidson 1-18; Bo Pinkerton 1-9.
Punts
La Salle – Austin Thul 5-166 yards.
Cascade – Rouse 4-124 yards.
First downs
La Salle – 15.
Cascade – 12.
Fumbles-Lost
La Salle – 4-3.
Cascade – 1-1.
Penalties
La Salle – 3-10 yards.
Cascade – 5-47 yards.
CC
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