By Jeremy McDonald
jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.—The 50-burgers were flying around like reindeer on Christmas Eve Sunday afternoon at Dominguez Park in North Salem.
It was the 11th-annual IBC Turkey Bowl in the park off of D Street and 25th, seeing all three of their games go to extra’s on the seven-on-seven and the ‘Coaches/Adult’ team extending their winning streak against the ‘High School’ team to 11 games. Winning 50-48 in double overtime to close out the Bowl games.
Leading into the game, the undercard game with the two ‘Middle School’ teams saw Silverton seventh-grader Sawyer Teeney black-shirt squad tie it up with Chase Dominguez’ white-shirt team at 42. The Teeney squad stepped up defensively to keep the Salem-area seventh-grader in Dominguez from leading a game-winning drive to force overtime.
“It was intense,” Teeny said. “It started lightening up when we came back and stuff. That two-point conversion (in Overtime) was scary.”
Overtime rules were similar to High School and college 7-on-7 by starting on the 25 and having four plays to score. Dominguez’ squad took a 49-42 lead after their first position before Teeney set-up his team for the win, scoring before rolling to his right on the two-point conversion. Hitting his target in the back-pylon for the dub for the first of two 50-burger games.
“It was really scary, (but) I was very relieved. It was really good,” Teeney said of the 50-49 win.
McNary Senior Jack McCarty had his High School squad up 21-6 early in the second half against the ‘Coaches/Adult’ team, taking advantage of the miscues by North Salem-grad and Carroll College quarterback Zac Sullivan to build the lead.
“It was crazy. Especially with the size differences, they have a lot of big dudes,” said McCarty. “I’ve never done this before, this is my first Turkey Bowl with (IBC) so I thought it was really fun. It was crazy.”
The High School squad had to account for Sullivan when he lining up at receiver down the stretch as well as South Salem-grads in Treyden Harris and Diego Fuimaono. The two receivers towered over six-feet alone. Sullivan added some more height at around five-eleven or so. Kyley McCrae also made his presence known on both sides of the rock to give the ‘Coaches’-squad numerous options offensively.
Harris admitted after the game that he was sore and not in good of shape as he might’ve been, but was the sparking force at receiver as game was tied entering the overtime period.
“It was intense because we’ve won it 11 years-in-a-row. The adults have won it 11 years-in-a-row. The kids were coming out, they wanted this the dub,” said Harris. “They worked their asses off at the beginning of the game. It has to do with grit and who wanted it more.”
Harris had a one-handed catch to hand the ‘Coach’ team the brief lead. McCarty led an answering drive. 42-all to force double overtime.
McCarty helped the ‘High School’-squad to the lead once more, but couldn’t get the two-point conversion to add more pressure on their elders. McCrae pulls the old guys even before Harris catches the game-winning two-point conversion to push the ‘Coaches’-crew over the top for the 50-48 victory.
At the end of the day. With the 50-burgers, titles and all the smack talk. It’s all fun and for a good time.
“This is my family, I love these guys,” said Harris.
“It was so fun,” smiled and laugh McCarty. “I’m doing it again next year.”
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
JMcDonaldMedia 