The Newberg Graphic Online

Newberg outdistances North Salem to go to 2-0 on the season

Tigers start out slow, then build to a 33-14 win

• Published: 9/12/2009 9:46:02 AM
• Last Updated: 9/12/2009 10:21:13 AM

Offense
Senior runningback Joey Chandler drove the Tigers' rushing offense Friday night in a 33-14 road win over North Salem.

By Frank Graham, Newberg Graphic sports editor

SALEM — NHS overcame a fired-up and opportunistic North Salem High School football team Friday to earn its second victory of the season, 33-14.
The game got away from the Tigers in the first quarter after a muffed punt and numerous penalties, including one call for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty moved the ball to the Tigers 13 yard line and the Vikings’ scored soon after on an off-tackle run.
The Tigers caught up with the Vikings thanks to the hard running of runningback Joey Chandler. The senior gained tough yards to advance the Tigers deep into Vikings territory. Quarterback Matt Dufour tied the game at 7-7 with a quarterback keeper run up the middle.
The Vikings scored again on a kickoff return in the second quarter to go up 14-7.
 The Newberg offense dug in with a hard running, five-minute drive that resulted in another score to bring the tally to 14-14.
The Tigers defense rose to the occasion then, recovering a fumble on the next kickoff. It took seven plays and more than four minutes, but the Tigers were able to jam the ball into the end zone on a fourth and one to put the score at 21-14 Newberg.
After stopping the Vikings once again and on their fifth possession of the half, the Tigers’ Cody Hunter-Brown and Aaron Boggs combined to move the ball with three catches for a combined 50 yards. That drive was capped off with an 18-yard Dufour touchdown pass to Connor Hazenberg. After a mixed extra point, the Tigers led the Vikings 27-14 at halftime.
The second half was dominated by the Tigers’ aggressive defense, which swarmed to the ball stopping drive after drive for the Vikings. When the Tigers weren’t tackling they were stealing the ball from the Vikings offense. The second half featured a forced fumble recovery in the third quarter and three interceptions by the Tiger defense in the fourth quarter; Hunter-Brown pulled down two interceptions and Wyatt Mahoney snagged another.
The Vikings were shut out in the second half. The Tigers scored again in the fourth on a left sweep by Mahoney.
Tigers head coach Eric Carlson said the team appeared unfocused during the first quarter. “We could have had better practices,” Carlson said. “I think they thought it would be easy.”
Carlson said North Salem was “fired up for their home opener” and “jumped on us quick.” He added that he saw his team “come alive” in the second quarter and was proud that they overcame the adversity of the bad start.
Carlson said the Vikings resorted to passing in the third quarter trying to catch up and that was “not really what they do. It’s not their strong suit.
The Tigers will refocus this week and prepare for the Sept. 18 game against South Salem High School, which beat Newberg handily last season. “They have a good quarterback and they are a good team,” Carlson said.

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