Clatskanie stays undefeated with close win

Clatskanie's varsity football team had to rely on the defensive hands of senior Quinten Combs in order to hold off Harrisburg last Friday. Breaking up a couple of pass attempts by opposing quarterback Owen Hay, Combs preserved the Tigers' 20-14 late to move the team to 6-0 on the season. With neither team scoring in the first quarter, Clatskanie took the lead in the second with a 53-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Will Van Voorst to senior wide receiver Daylon Gutierrez. The failed two-point conversion would have the score remaining 6-0 entering halftime.

Harrisburg would both take and extend the lead in the third quarter thanks to a 70-yard rushing touchdown run and a 57-yard passing touchdown. Van Voorst would connect with Gutierrez on yet another long touchdown pass - this one for 59 yards - to bring the Tigers within two. A successful two-point conversion later, the score was tied at 14 apiece going into the game's final quarter.

Clatskanie would take the lead for good on a one-yard touchdown run by senior Lucas Andreasen. The two-point conversion proving unsuccessful, the Tigers were in danger of yielding the lead to a surging Harrisburg squad to close out a game Coach Sean Gorley described as "ugly" for Clatskanie. "[There were] untimely turnovers and penalties for us, especially in the heavy rain of the first half, but our kids responded to adversity well," said Gorley.

Clatskanie was led by Van Voorst's 150 yards passing, Andreasen's 75 yards rushing, and Gutierrez's 122 yards receiving. Senior Russ Carver led the team with eight tackles and had two tackles for a loss and a sack. Carver also had the team's lone interception of the game. Senior Ayden Blackshire led the team with two sacks and five tackles for a loss, and junior Michael Simpson recovered the lone fumble for the Tigers.

Clatskanie (6-0) travels to Rockaway Beach Friday to take on Neah-Kah-Nie at 7 p.m. and returns home Thursday, Oct. 23 to face Knappa at 7 p.m.