Steve Gress: More than worth the long trip Comments
Kyle Gardner was a little surprised when his dad knocked on his bedroom door Thursday night.
Gardner’s dad told him they had an early Christmas present for him and wanted him to head to the family room to get it.
When Gardner entered the room he was presented with his Crescent Valley letterman’s jacket.
Gardner thought that was pretty sweet and was about to head back to his room when he was asked to hang out for a while.
“They weren’t watching TV or anything, just sitting on the couch,” Gardner said. “I was like, What’s going on?”
Suddenly two people in Halloween masks appeared. One took of their mask and Gardner got the real surprise.
His sister, Courtney, had flown from Boston where she attends Boston University to watch Kyle play against crosstown rival Corvallis on Friday night.
“I was like, Oh my God,” Kyle said. “My sister and I are so tight and I didn’t even know if I would see her at Christmas.
“It’s just awesome that she came to watch. I love it.”
Gardner and the Raiders made the 3,000-mile trip well worth Courtney’s time as they rolled to a 49-13 win over the Spartans at the Field of Dreams.
“It was an amazing game,” Courtney said. “I can’t even tell you. Yesterday, after an entire day of traveling, it had better be good. And it was.”
Gardner had several key blocks, and rushed for 51 yards on three carries, including a 2-yard TD in the third quarter.
“I’ve never been so pumped up for a game in my life,” Kyle said. “I wanted it so bad after last year’s loss.”
So what made Courtney decide to make the trip?
“Because I’ve heard week after week about the amazing things this football team has done and I wanted to see for myself, especially for my brother who seems like he’s had an amazing year.”
The Raiders clinched a bye in the first round of the 5A playoffs with Friday’s win. They will play West Albany next Friday at home for the Mid-Willamette Conference title.
Courtney got to see a dominating performance on Friday and some big plays.
Here are some highlights and fun moments:
• Andre Oglesby rushed for 201 yards and three TDs. He was looking for one more for his first-ever four TD game but it didn’t happen.
• Seth Coleman picked off a Ross Orman pass and returned it 46 yards in the second quarter. CV coach Scott Sanders was tickled with Coleman’s play because he rarely plays.
• Earlier this week, I asked Orman how it would feel if good friend Colton Kelsey hit him. Orman said it wouldn’t happen because Kelsey couldn’t catch him. Well he did and sacked him early in the game.
• Eric Aust went up high to make a catch for a 13-yard TD in the second quarter. Unfortunately Aust was injured late in the half and was in a boot on the sidelines for the second half.
• CHS’s Dominic Wooten may have found rushing yards hard to come by, but he gave the Spartans a spark with an 88-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
• After Chase Cochran scored on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter, he went down with a cramp and had to be helped off. I gave him a hard time as he had his calf stretched by the CV training staff. I told him it would make the blog when he told me not to write about it.
• CV junior Dakota Schlunt had a 57-yard run to the 1 in the fourth quarter.
• Gardner had a 45-yard run late in the fourth quarter in front of his sister.
• Linemen Brodie Taylor (two yards) and Taylor Dix (seven yards) had one carry each in the closing seconds for the Raiders.
• Mark Geniza kicked six extra points for the Raiders. Significant because I have been calling him Matt all season. He reminded me of that on my Facebook page. My apologies Mark!
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