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Estacada Rangers find right recipe against Scappoose, run their way to 4A state final: ‘We aren’t happy just to be there’

“This is what we’ve been talking about all year. These kids are making history.”
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By Dave Ball | Photos by Dan Brood  

HILLSBORO — Saying that Estacada’s football team was committed to the run Saturday night is like saying that Romeo had a crush on Juliet.

The Rangers didn’t attempt to hide their affection for the ground game — they just kept handing the ball off time and time again. Out of its 63 plays from scrimmage, Estacada threw the ball once. 

It proved to be a recipe for success, as the Rangers knocked off Scappoose 14-7 in Saturday’s 4A state semifinal game at Hillsboro Stadium, holding Scappoose to its lowest output of the season.

“Our game plan was to keep the ball out of their hands — we did not want to get into a track meet with them,” Estacada coach Andy Mott said. “We felt good about the way we were moving the ball — we just needed to get one drive to stick, and we did.”

The Rangers stuck with the ground game despite playing from behind late in the third quarter.

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Facing third-and-5, Estacada quarterback Cory James moved under center with three backs loaded up behind him. James took the snap and darted around the left side, snaking his way through tacklers for a 41-yard pickup — the longest gain of the night.

“We talked about passing it a few times, but every time it came up, we felt we were still in a convertible distance on the ground,” Mott said.

Estacada’s Payton Matney lunged just ahead of the chains on third-and-4 later in the drive. Several plays later, James took a keeper to his right, pin-balled off two tackles and went into the end zone for the winning score late in the third quarter.

“We weren’t feeling any pressure. We knew if we held onto the ball, we would get into the end zone,” James said. “We figured if we can get three or four yards every run, we would take it and just grind it out.”

Scappoose looked to answer as D’Angelo Macedo-Becker broke off a 19-yard run and quarterback Max Nowlin found Ben Rintoul for 14 yards over the middle to convert fourth-and-long.

Scappoose tried the Nowlin-to-Rintoul connection one more time, but Estacada senior Aron Meraz saw it coming a mile away.

“I locked eyes with the QB, saw where he was throwing and he led me right into the gap,” he said.

Meraz made a clean interception and raced 30 yards the other way, returning the interception across midfield.

The Rangers would creep close enough to attempt a field goal that had the distance but sailed wide left.

Scappoose still had a chance.

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The Nowlin-to-Rintoul connection moved the chains on third-and-11, but Scappoose couldn’t come up with magic a second time.

Scappoose punted with 6:56 to play.

Its offense would not have the ball again.

Scappoose forced a fourth-and-1, but Estacada had no intentions of kicking the ball back.

The Rangers lined up with their familiar loaded backfield and handed the ball off to the first man through — the 220-pound senior Waylon Riedel. He took a powerful stride forward and then launched himself in the air, spilling forward for a 3-yard gain to keep possession.

“He had that fumble early and was a little out of sorts, but at the end of the game, that was typical ‘Tank,’ dragging bodies and moving the chains,” Mott said.

Matney picked up nine yards on the next carry, and Scappoose used its final timeout.

When play resumed, James Durand toted the ball eight yards for the first down. With Scappoose powerless to stop the clock, Estacada was able to take the clock to triple zeroes and celebrate its win.

Estacada (11-1) advances to face Tillamook (10-2) for the 4A championship at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium.

“Only one other team in school history has made it this far,” James said. “We are looking to go get the win — we aren’t happy just to be there.”

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Estacada’s only other trip to the final came in 1953.

“This is what we’ve been talking about all year,” Mott said. “These kids are making history.”

Riedel was named Estacada’s Outstanding Player of the Game, leading the ground attack with 115 yards and a visit to the end zone in the first quarter. He also made six tackles, two for loss, on defense.

James finished with 15 carries for 110 yards.

Estacada’s five-headed rushing attack piled up 366 yards and gave the Rangers a 17-minute edge in time of possession.

Macedo-Baker was named Most Outstanding Player for Scappoose with 21 carries for 83 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown that gave his team the lead late in the first quarter.

“We were executing our run plays well, and my linemen were blocking hard,” he said. “We were up heading into halftime and got a little ahead of ourselves. We needed to keep the intensity and play a little harder.”

Estacada 14, Scappoose 7

Scappoose — 7 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 7

Estacada — 6 — 0 — 8 — 0 — 14

First quarter

EST — Waylon Riedel 1 run (run fails), 3:35

SCP — D’Angelo Macedo-Becker 13 run (Aimar Cancinos kick), 2:09

Third quarter

EST — Cory James 4 run (James Durand run), 2:27

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