Grants Pass Cavemen VS Caldara
In this article, Dante talks about the Caldera football game on Sept 9, 2022.
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Caveman Football Game
Caveman Football Game
By Dante Pierce
By Dante Pierce
On Friday, Sept 9, 2022, the Grants Pass Cavemen faced Caldera, a new school out of Bend, in a varsity football game. The Cavemen were coming into this game fresh off of a win down in Shasta the week beforehand and had all the momentum going into their first home game in front of their home crowd in Grants Pass.
Coming into this game, Caldera were clear underdogs– not only due to the fact that they are a new school, but also coming off of a 27-0 loss to 4A school the Pendleton Buckaroos. With a young team and not much experience under their belt, they tried their hardest to contain the Cavemen and their talent, but they were no match from the start.
image by: gp_caveman_football on instagram
At the start of the game, the Cavemen were off to a slow start, going three and out on their first drive. The Cavemen defense absolutely shut out the run game for Caldera, going -34 rushing yards. Nothing was given on the run game. It was not until late in the first quarter that the Cavemen scored their first touchdown pass after a missed field goal in a previous drive. Later in the first quarter, the Cavemen struck again on a touchdown pass.
image by;c.d.g_06 on instagram
In the second quarter, the Cavemen were looking unstoppable. The defense was suffocating the Caldera offense, giving them nowhere to go and no room to breathe. Leading this effort was linebacker Bruxton Leair, finishing the game with nine tackles, and defensive end JT Davis, with two sacks and an astonishing nine quarterback hurries. The Cavemen were deflecting passes, getting to the quarterback, not allowing any yards in the air. The Cavemen defense held the Caldera offense to less than 50 yards passing. Troy Osborne also got an interception, and a fumble recovery after a strip sack by Parker Jarvis.
The Cavemen look to continue to take care of business as the season continues, under new leadership by coach Brad Paige, a Grants Pass alumni coming back and looking to restore Grants Pass to their glory days. Also, a whole new coaching staff and media team follows behind coach Paige. Only a handful of coaches are returning from last season. In just two weeks, the Cavemen have already won more games than they had all last season. All eyes are on the Cavemen football team as the season flies by rapidly.
The second half of the Cavemen offense was not the same as the first half, with the Cavemen only scoring one touchdown in the second half. However, the defense was still performing a shutout. Nothing was working for Caldera on offense. Their defense was doing their part in the second half as the Cavemen struggled to find the end-zone. They got pegged with penalties, totaling 125 yards for the game.
On the other side of the ball, the Cavemen offense was moving the ball at will. Running back Trevor Reeves had 99 yards rushing, along with a rushing touchdown, and Gage Blay got in with a rushing touchdown, as well. Quarterback Jace Blanchard had over 200 yards passing and three touchdowns-- to receivers Aiden Deitz with two, and Jackson Tunick with one.
JT Davis felt good about the game. He said, “I enjoyed it. We won and killed them. Our chemistry was very good and we played well. We were all in, as Brad Paige would say.” However, Caveman football fan Kim Davis recognizes that the team has also faced adversity this year: “We have lost many starters due to injuries and our team grows and continues to fight, with the players trusting the coaches more than ever, making decisions that are carrying the team to a winning record.”
Sources:
Sources:
JT Davis: Interview
Kim Davis: Interview
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