Season ends for Oregon with 46-20 loss to North Boone

By Andy Colbert

For Shaw Media

The season came to an end for the Oregon football team with a 46-20 loss at home to North Boone on Oct. 21. In the Big Northern, the Hawks (2-7) finished in eighth place, while North Boone (3-6) was seventh.

Chandler Alderman, North Boone’s all-everything quarterback led his team to a 7-0 lead only five plays into the game on a 30-yard touchdown pass. After the N.B. defense stopped Oregon on a fourth down, it was Chandler finding Chris Doetch, the leading receiver in the conference, on a 42-yard scoring strike to make it 14-0 midway through the first quarter.

Oregon got on the board on the next possession after getting the ball on midfield on a short kick off. It was Gabe Eckerd going in from a yard out to cut the lead to 14-6 on the 53-yard drive.

Josh Crandall sacked Alderman and a Viking penalty eventually forced a punt. Following a 30-yard return by Noah Reber, the Hawks were set up again with good field position.

Jack Washburn completed a 7-yard pass to Austin Egyed on fourth-and-3 to keep the drive alive. With Eckerd, Reber and Egyed gaining all the yardage on the drive, it was Reber culminating things with a 12-yard touchdown run, aided by an Egyed downfield block. Reber tacked on the extra point to tie the game at 14 apiece.

That’s when Chandler took over again. He passed and ran for nearly all of North Boone’s yardage in a 54-yard scoring drive to up the lead to 21-14. For the game, he accounted for 412 of N.B.’s 450 total yards.

Oregon got the ball after halftime, but penalties forced a third-and-30 situation and they had to punt. Jonathan Alaniz and Eckerd sacked Alderman, but the 6-4, 210-pound QB immediately responded with a 20-yard pass completion. Six plays later, he had his team in the end zone for a 27-14 advantage.

The Hawks were able to drive from their own 39-yard line to N.B.’s 7-yard line, but could not convert on fourth-and-1. Reber did score late in the game for the Hawks.

Both Eckard and Reber went over 100 yards rushing, as Oregon totaled 282 yards on offense.

With several juniors and sophomores getting substantial varsity playing time, the future looks bright for Oregon. Other than Chandler, the bulk of North Boone’s team also returns. In fact, several BNC teams, including league co-champ Byron have young players returning.

Besides the nice weather Friday at Landers-Loomis Field, the evening was enhanced by an outstanding halftime performance by the band and a routine by the OHS cheerleaders and their parents.

Byron, Stillman Valley, Forreston, and Rochelle football teams begin IHSA state playoffs this week and Polo also begins 8-man playoffs on Saturday.