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ONTARIO – As years pass, the football matchup between the Vale Vikings and Ontario Tigers slowly became less rivalry-like. Ontario made the jump to 4A and Vale was cruising in the 3A. A few student athletes would transfer from one of the schools to the other, but the crowds began to thin in recent matchups.
All that changed on Friday, Sept. 30 in Ontario. The Vikings and Tigers were back in the same league. The night was Ontario’s homecoming game. The stands were full and parking for the game overflowed onto the streets surrounding Ontario High School. For the first time in years, both teams even had a full contingent of cheerleaders yelling and pushing their respective teams on. For the old timers, the Vale/Ontario game had zipped backwards 20 years with the exception of the taunts on SnapChat leading up to kickoff.
The game featured the usual-a passing game with outstanding catches versus a pounding ground game-hits drawing “ahs” from the crowd-busy athletic trainers taking care of the walking wounded-and two large contingent of students at the end of the game walking towards each other, daring each other to make the first move.
The new scoreboard in Ontario read 35-25 for a Vale win. The Special District 4 victory pushed the Vikings into the top 10 in the OSAA rankings with a bye week coming.
Fans at the game may wish to file the game into the memory books as the two teams could soon part ways again in terms of league play. If the Tigers win out, make the playoffs and win a single game, Ontario is on the way back to the 4A Greater Oregon League. Even if the Tigers fail to make the 3A playoffs, winning out the remainder of the season will also force Ontario back to the 4A ranks. But for the fans that were sitting on the aluminum seats, what could happen is of little consequence as the Vale/Ontario rivalry was back.
The Tigers took the honor of placing the first points on their new scoreboard. With just over three minutes off the clock, sophomore quarterback Diego Rodriguez connected with Matthew Bell on an eight-yard pass play to place Ontario up, 6-0. Vale answered with junior quarterback Colten Stepleton taking off for an 80-yard jaunt and with the extra point, Vale held a 7-6 margin at the 8:33 mark in the first quarter.
The Tigers regained the lead with the clock ticking off the first quarter. With 35 seconds left, Rodriguez left the pocket for a 24-yard run into the endzone. The Vikings were not done with their first quarter scoring though as Eli Aldred took the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a Vale score and a 13-12 first quarter lead.
The Viks extended the lead to 20-12 with 5:28 left in the half when Stepleton dove in from the one on a quarterback keeper.
Vale picked up the first score of the second half as Aldred found room on the left side on a four-yard run. Early in the fourth quarter, Rodriguez again went to the air, this time to Ethan Hendrickson for an 18-yard scoring play. Vale again responded on the ground, this time using Kase Schaffeld on a 36-yard run. With just over four minutes left in the game, the Tigers placed up the final score, a 25-yard strike again to Hendrickson.
“Our defense kept Ontario honest tonight and shut down their run game,” said Vale coach Jeff Aldred. “We controlled the clock and with the exception of some amazing catches on their part, controlled the game.”
The Vale rushing game was punishing, accounting for 288 yards of the Viking total 331 yards on the night. Stepleton, including his 80-yard scamper, finished with 136 yards running while Schaffeld picked up 98 yards rushing. Aldred, removed from the game due to injury, finished with 53 yards on nine carries.
Stepleton threw little, going five-for-six with a lone interception. Owen Crane had a lone catch for 18 yards.
“We had a good game plan and moved better tonight that we have in the past games,” said Crane. “I thought we were dominant in stopping their run game and worked hard the entire game.”
The Ontario offense went the opposite way, putting up 479 total yards with 420 yards through the air. Rodriguez had a busy arm, ending 25-for-34 passing for the entire 420 yards with two interceptions. Bell led the charge with six catches for 130 yards. Rushing, Hendrickson had two scores on short runs, ending with 35 yards on 11 carries.
“We knew we would not be handed anything when we came down to the 3A level,” said Ontario coach Greg Simmons. “We talked about the importance of every game, but Vale was hungry tonight.”
Simmons said the momentum of the Ontario squad continued to diminish due to untimely penalties, killing drives.
“We have a young team that is learning each and every game,” he said of a Tiger team with only six seniors. “We make mistakes, we learn from them and we go forward.”
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