Sherwood can't be stopped in win over Crater

The Bowmen advance to the Class 5A semifinals with their 51-14 victory

By Dan Brood

The Times, Nov 27, 2009, Updated Nov 30, 2009

DAN BROOD / The Times

SPEEDY STEVEN — Sherwood sophomore Steven Long (11) sprints past the Crater defense, including senior Chad Johnson, during Friday's Class 5A state quarterfinal playoff game. Long rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in the Bowmen's 51-14 victory.

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SHERWOOD — They got the monkey off their backs.

They finally got over the hump.

Whatever you want to say, the Bowmen did it — and they did it in very impression fashion.

The Sherwood High School advanced to the semifinal round of the Class 5A state playoffs for the first time since moving up to the Class 5A level by scoring a 51-14 win over Crater in a quarterfinal game played Friday at Sherwood High School.

“The quarterfinals have always seemed to be our stumbling point,” said Sherwood junior tight defensive end Tanner Balderee, who had three quarterback sacks in the victory over the Comets. “We got the monkey off our backs. It feels real good.”

“This was awesome,” said Sherwood senior guard/linebacker Josh Wagg, who had both an interception and a sack on defense. “We really wanted to end our streak of losing in the quarterfinals. Our motto has been ‘Destination December,’ and we did it.”

Crater, the Southern Sky Conference champion, finished its season with a final record of 9-2. Sherwood, the Northwest Oregon Conference runner-up, improved to 11-1 on the season with the victory. The Bowmen, who lost in the quarterfinals in 2006 and 2008, while also losing in the second round in 2007, also advance to play in the state semifinals for the first time at the Class 5A level.

Sherwood will face Jefferson Saturday in a Class 5A semifinal starting at 3 p.m. at Portland's PGE Park.

“We’re finally over the hump and it feels great,” said Sherwood junior fullback Michael Balfour, who rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Crater. “We were definitely fired up. It was a high-emotion game.”

It didn’t take long for Sherwood to show just how fired up it was. In the Bowmen’s first offensive possession of the game, they marched 80 yards in 12 plays, all runs, capping off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown blast by Balfour, giving the home team a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes and 37 seconds left in the first quarter.

“We made a statement with that first drive,” Sherwood coach Greg Lawrence said.

Crater tried to answer back, moving the ball into Sherwood territory in its initial possession of the game. But Wagg ended the threat with a leaping interception at the Bowmen 11-yard line.

“I read the quarterback and he locked in on a receiver,” Wagg said of his second interception the season. “I went and got it. That felt pretty good.”

Following the turnover, Sherwood put together another scoring drive behind the running of Balfour and sophomore halfback Steven Long. Balfour again capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run that pushed the margin to 14-0 with 11:06 left in the second quarter.

The Bowmen put together yet another long scoring drive in its next possession. The drive, which included a 28-yard run by junior Justin Davis and passes of 20 and 24 yards from junior quarterback Jordan Ramp to Long, resulted in a 29-yard field goal by junior Chad Pollock, which upped the margin to 17-0 with 1:03 left before halftime.

Sherwood wasn’t done there. Bowmen junior Chris Organiz recovered a loose ball after a pooch kick by senior Julien Ehrlich on the ensuing kickoff, giving Sherwood possession at the Crater 29-yard line.

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