By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

GERVAIS, Ore.—For the first quarter of Friday Night’s PacWest Game, it looked like the Cougars could be in for a possible upset over Salem Academy by holding the Crusaders to a Kyle Haslebacher score in the first quarter.

In that first quarter, Gervais’ River Moss converted on two massive fourth and short opportunities before the Cougars had to punt later on in the drive.

For Salem Academy however, once they got into a groove, the upstart Gervais squad struggled to find an answer as they did in that first quarter as they built a 31-0 lead by halftime en route to a 51-0 win Friday night on the road.

“We knew they were a lot better than last year’s team, so we had to come out strong and mentally prepare ourselves for a good game which it turned out to be for us anyways,” said Crusaders Hunter BeDoya.

The game was frustrating nonetheless for the Cougars as back-to-back weeks they saw opportunities to compete versus Williamina and versus Salem Academy go on the way side as they prepare for Jefferson on a short week.

“It’s very frustrating. Like I said, we shot ourselves in the foot,” said Gervais Head Coach Josh Crawford.  “Every time we get some momentum, we shoot ourselves in the foot by a fumble or a bad snap or a miss connection on a handoff or a receiver ran a wrong route, so it’s very frustrating.

“I think they’re sick of that feeling,” Crawford added pointing to the scoreboard.  “Two weeks in a row, with a loss on the board.  Jefferson is not Salem Academy, so it’s a very winnable game for us and it’s a must-win if we want to have a change to get into the playoffs.”

The Crusaders too have a short week themselves as they host Sheridan Thursday, the Spartans lost to Dayton 61-8 and are riding a five-game losing streak since squeaking out a 31-28 win over the Cougars to start the season.

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Photos By Jeremy McDonald