Oregon finds its rhythm, runs for more than 500 yards in road win at Rock Falls

ROCK FALLS – Once Oregon got rolling on the ground, there wasn’t much Rock Falls could do to slow it down.

The Hawks rushed for 533 yards on 49 carries – an average of 10.9 yards per carry – and scored touchdowns on seven straight possessions to break open a one-point game and turn it into a 55-19 victory over the Rockets in a Big Northern Conference game Friday night at Hinders Field.

“If you can run the ball for 8, 9, 10 yards a pop, it’s going to make the game super easy,” senior fullback Logan Weems said. “It’s nice to know we can rely on our line; they block really well. Even if it’s not the designed hole, you know there’s always going to be one to run through, and there’s never going to be people in your face in the backfield.”

[ Photos from Oregon at Rock Falls football ]

Four Oregon rushers amassed more than 80 yards each. Weems led the way with 161 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Keaton Salsbury added 102 yards and two TDs on seven rushes. His final run was a 52-yard sprint for a score, and the Hawks (4-3 overall and BNC) pulled their starters after that, leaving Hunter Bartel with 99 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries; he never got another carry to make it three Oregon backs in triple-figures.

Cooper Johnson ran for 81 yards, including a 57-yard scoring sprint, and Jayden Berry added a 51-yard run for the Hawks. Jakobi Donegan added a 27-yard TD run to cap the Hawks’ scoring.

“All of our running backs are good. We’ve got a good rotation, and we have depth; everyone can fill in for each other, keep each other fresh, and just make big plays,” Bartel said. “Running the ball drains the clock, and we can be physical and hit them hard – and when they get hit hard, they don’t want to get back up.”

Although Oregon didn’t attempt a pass (other than an incompletion on a 2-point conversion try), Rock Falls (1-6 overall and BNC) found success through the air. Sophomore Trail Stonitsch was 14-for-21 passing for 194 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions; he also led the Rockets with 26 yards on seven rushes.

His two scoring strikes were both long passes down the middle of the field. His 59-yarder to Logan Thome answered Oregon’s first touchdown from Salsbury and cut the deficit to 7-6 less than halfway through the first quarter; his 36-yarder to Easton Canales came early in the fourth quarter.

“Our receivers have some speed out there, and they know how to get open – and I know that. We just flow as a team,” Stonitsch said. “My line gave me a lot of time back there. We’ve got a lot of guys that play both offense and defense, so they’re tougher players because they’ve got a lot of time on the field on both sides no matter what, so they’ve got to be prepared for anything.

“Our confidence has to stay up no matter what, and the whole team was picking each other up out there.”

The Rockets’ final score was a 67-yard kickoff return TD by Austin Castaneda in the final three minutes of the game. The kick bounced off the pads of one of his fellow Rock Falls returners and bounced forward about 10 yards before Castaneda scooped it up and outran the coverage team down the home sideline.

After each team scored on its opening possession, the defenses took control for the next 13 minutes. Ajay Kobbeman recovered a fumble and Rock Falls also forced a punt on the next two series.

“I think the biggest change was going for our normal 4-4 with three DBs to a 5-2 this week. We sent a couple of blitzes up the middle and that was helpful, and we had some guys flying around and making plays,” Kobbeman said. “Our D-line, the coaches say their job is to hold the gaps and make sure that no one gets through their gap, because we’ve got our gaps down [as linebackers]. As long as we all hold down our gaps, then we’ll be pretty good.”

But the Hawks found their groove soon after, as Bartel, Johnson and Weems scored on the final three first-half drives, then Bartel, Cole, Salsbury and Donegan scored on the first four possessions of the second half; Oregon ran out the clock with its fifth drive.

“The line does a phenomenal job. The hole opens up really wide, and we’ve just got to follow it,” Salsbury said. “And with all the subs, everybody can stay fresh, stay fast, and break a lot of tackles.

“Now all we need is one more win – we’re shooting for two more – but one more puts us in the playoffs. That’s big for us.”