By Alex Tam | For The Oregonian/OregonLive
Photos by Chase Allgood, for The Oregonian/OregonLive
HILLSBORO — Central Catholic couldn’t have asked for a better start against a national powerhouse program.
Unfortunately for the Rams, the good times didn’t last long. Eastside Catholic, ranked No. 18 in the country by USA Today, was too talented, too deep and just flat-out too good in rolling to a 44-21 victory over Central Catholic on Friday night at Hillsboro Stadium.
But for the opening four minutes, it was all Rams.
“We were pumped,” Central Catholic senior running back Elijah Elliott said.
Rams senior Miles Jackson was the star early, returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown 14 seconds into the game.
After Central Catholic’s defense forced a three-and-out, Jackson’s dynamic playmaking was on display again when he rattled off a 36-yard touchdown run. The Rams were up 14-0 with 8:08 left in the first quarter, and suddenly, a major stunner was potentially brewing.
“I was feeling good, but that’s something we expected to do, though,” Jackson said of the start. “I know every time I get back there, I’m looking to return the kick, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary for me. I was just making sure our team was hyped up, be energized and carry that energy on.”
The Crusaders then demonstrated why they were the Class 3A champions in Washington last season. Eastside Catholic boasts at least 10 players with Division I offers and is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.
Senior wide receiver Gee Scott Jr. was unstoppable. The 6-foot-3 Ohio State commit, ranked the No. 63 recruit in the nation by 247Sports, totaled five catches for 147 yards and three scores.
His touchdown receptions of 34, 62 and 19 yards were part of the Crusaders’ 44 consecutive points through three quarters to help them pull away. His 62-yard score gave Eastside Catholic a 37-14 lead at halftime.
The Rams’ special teams didn’t help, either, after Eastside Catholic forced a safety in the first quarter. The Crusaders also blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to begin the second.
Elliott said he feels his Central Catholic teammates got a little too high after the great start.
“I think we got too pumped,” Elliott said. “I think we should’ve just controlled (our emotions) and still continue to play, but that’s learning.”
Rams coach Steve Pyne said he told one of his assistant coaches that he hoped they “didn’t poke the bear too hard.”
“Apparently, we did a little bit,” Pyne said. “Then, we had some critical mistakes in the second quarter. Some of it is on us, some of it their doing, for sure.
“Like I told the kids, I will be hard-pressed if we see a team that loaded the rest of the year.”
As good as their offense is, the Crusaders might be even better on defense. Their defensive line is anchored by 6-foot-5, 270-pounder J.T. Tuimoloau, who’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 junior in the country.
Elliott, who rushed for 193 yards last week in a season-opening win over West Linn, was limited to 23 yards on eight carries.
Central Catholic also lost Jackson midway through the second quarter to an ankle injury. Jackson said another player rolled up on his leg on the sideline while he was on defense. It was a big blow to the Rams, losing one of their biggest two-way threats.
“That affected us big-time,” Elliott said of Jackson’s injury. “He’s one of our best players, so that hurt us right there.”
Said Pyne: “It never helps when you lose one of your best players. But that’s why it’s a team sport. You’ve got to have guys who can step in and do it. That’s a positive out of tonight. Some of our guys got a lot of playing time. We got them on film and we can coach them up on game-time stuff, and we’ll get better.”
Central Catholic senior quarterback Cade Knighton struggled to get time to throw and find open receivers. He was held to 7-of-18 passing for 116 yards and an interception. Senior Silas Starr led the Rams’ receiving corps with two catches for 74 yards.
The Crusaders won their second in a row against Central Catholic after taking last season’s meeting, 49-26, in Seattle. Scott Jr. said he was impressed with the Rams’ talent and competitiveness.
“Those guys definitely came out with a different swag than last year,” Scott Jr. said. “I love the fire they came out with. … They just have really good players with Elijah Elliott and Silas Starr. I’m really impressed by their performances. They usually show up and they did that this week.”
Eastside Catholic coach Dominic Daste also had big compliments for his opponent.
“Central Catholic has a really good program,” Daste said. “Coach Pyne is a really good coach and he has his guys well-prepared. … They have a bunch of really good players and we’re well-aware of who they are.”
Eastside Catholic received big performances from senior running back Gio Ursino (116 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and junior quarterback Kobe Muasau (21 of 26 for 298 yards and three touchdowns).
Central Catholic got a late score with junior Will Koenig’s 14-yard catch from sophomore quarterback Luke Johnson in the fourth.
The Rams (1-1) return to Hillsboro Stadium next Friday to play host to Sprague. While Pyne was happy with his team’s competitive spirit, he acknowledged they’re nowhere close to where they need to be in terms of being a state title contender.
“We’re a long way from being in that conservation,” Pyne said. “There’s seven weeks left of the regular season. You’ve got to be peaking at the right time, and that’s what we’re focused on — is getting better.”
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Eastside Catholic - 16 - 21 - 7 - 0 - 44
Central Catholic - 14 - 0 - 0- 7 - 21
First quarter
11:46 CC - Miles Jackson 99 kickoff return (Chris Schuver PAT)
8:08 CC - Miles Jackson 36 run (Schuver PAT)
4:54 EC - Gee Scott Jr. 34 pass from Kobe Musau (Gabe Uribe PAT)
3:42 EC - Gio Ursino 6 run (Uribe PAT)
3:34 EC - Safety
Second quarter
11:52 EC - Punt block recovered for TD (Uribe PAT)
7:48 EC - Ursino 71 run (Uribe PAT)
3:55 EC - Scott Jr. 62 pass from Musau (Uribe PAT)
Third quarter
8:29 EC - Scott Jr. 19 pass from Musau (Uribe PAT)
Fourth quarter
:39 CC - Will Koenig 14 pass from Luke Johnson (Schuver PAT)
Statistics
Passing: Eastside Catholic - Kobe Muasau 21-26, 298, 3 TDs, Gee Scott Jr. 0-1, Sheehan O’Connor 0-1; Central Catholic - Cade Knighton 7-18, 116, INT, Luke Johnson 3-4, 27, TD
Rushing: Eastside Catholic - Gio Ursino 10-116, 2 TDs, Sam Adams 6-39, Masen Uribe 5-14, O’Connor 1-10; Central Catholic - Miles Jackson 2-45, Zach Grisham 6-40, Elijah Elliott 8-23, Knighton 9-7, Ethan Flynn 1-6
Receiving: Eastside Catholic - Scott Jr. 5-147, 3 TDs, DJ Rogers 8-74, TaVarus George 4-67, Adams 2-8, Zion Scott 1-7; Central Catholic - Silas Starr 2-74, Flynn 2-14, Will Koenig 1-14, Raef Anderson 1-13, Jackson 1-11, Elliott 2-11
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2019-09-14 11:16:53Z
https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/g66l-2019/09/d8da6959274051/in-big-test-against-national-power-central-catholic-receives-an-a-early-then-reality-hits.html
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