Salem Academy hosts Blanchet for their football game on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in Salem, Ore.
Cascade quarterback John Schirmer rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown against Stayton.
Cascade High’s football team showed a new wrinkle Friday night.
Senior quarterback John Schirmer has been a pocket passer throughout his years, but he showed a different dimension in Friday’s 31-7 win against Stayton.
The 6-foot-4, 157-pound Schirmer showed he can run the ball, too.
He rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on five carries to go along with his 8 of 11 for two touchdowns and 89 yard passing performance.
“He has so many responsibilities in the huddle, at the line of scrimmage, getting guys in the right spot, making checks,” Cascade coach Steve Turner said. “That’s what you expect out of a second-year starter, but he played JV’s as a freshman.
“He has a tremendous amount of experience. We have a lot of faith in John. We used his legs (Friday night), and he showed that he’s an all-around quarterback, not just a guy that throws or hands off.”
In Cascade’s run-heavy game, Schirmer does a number of play-action passes, but he’s never been known as an option quarterback.
Schirmer’s running ability adds in a new dimension for the Cougars, and one opponents will have to prepare for.
“If he separates his shoulder, we don’t have anybody to go to,” Turner said. “You got to be careful.”
Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu becoming a ball hawk
Mid-Willamette
While South Albany (5-2, 4-1) leads the conference with two games left and has the inside line on winning the league championship, the race for second place is much more complicated.
Central, Crescent Valley, Corvallis and Lebanon are all tied for second place in the conference at 3-2, while Silverton and Dallas are tied for sixth at 2-3.
Four teams from the conference qualify for the state playoffs, meaning it will be a tight race in the final weeks of the regular season.
4A postseason
Friday’s games are the final of the regular season for team in Class 4A.
League champions automatically qualify for the Nov. 6 state playoff round as does the next highest ranking No. 2 team.
As of now that team would be Cascade (6-1, 3-1 Oregon West), which is No. 3 in the power rankings.
If Stayton (6-1, 3-1 Oregon West) upsets Philomath (6-1, 4-0 Oregon West) it could change, but if Stayton doesn’t win, the Eagles would be in line to play in the Oct. 30 play-in round.
Willamette Valley Christian wins OSAA sportsmanship
Scio
With senior running back Anthony Johnson, Scio’s football team has been prolific in running the football this season.
Without him the team is impressive in another way.
Johnson missed Friday’s 72-0 win against Gervais due to an injury, but the Loggers (7-0, 4-0 PacWest Conference) showed they have depth at the position.
Senior Logan Gray rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, sophomore Dru Cook rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns on four carries and Henry Smith, Tristan Haines, Nathan Yoder, Reise Medez and Dillon Robison rushed for touchdowns in the win.
Santiam
Santiam’s 37-28 win at St. Paul on Friday night accomplished multiple tasks.
For one, the Wolverines (4-3, 1-2 Tri-River) ended a three-game losing streak after late-game heroics in the form of a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Peyton White.
What’s more important is that if the season were to end today, Santiam would make the state playoffs by virtue of a No. 8 position in the OSAA’s power rankings that would put the team in line for one of the state’s four at-large postseason berths.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler