Wilsonville Sports Blog
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Playoff reaction
With Friday's 16-14 heartbreaking loss to Ashland in the first round of the Class 5A football state playoffs, the fall season came to a close at Wilsonville High School.
There were several tremendous moments during the season, and memories people will remember for a long time.
Looking around the state, here is some of reaction from the other side.
Football: Ashland 16, Wilsonville 14
Ashland continued to show some late-game heroics, hanging on yet again to keep its season alive.
Josh McDermott, Medford Mail Tribune,
Costantino boots Grizzlies into second round:
Mason Costantino had a potential game-tying extra point blocked five minutes earlier, missed a field goal attempt in the first half, and now Ashland coach Charlie Hall had him kicking for the game — for the season — with 23 seconds left.
So can you blame him if his eyes were hidden with the Grizzlies trailing Wilsonville 14-13 before the 27-yard attempt even left the ground?
Obviously, there was never any doubt.
"I've never been that nervous in my life," Costantino said after sending the kick straight through the uprights to make the Grizzlies 16-14 winners in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
"You always see those kickers on TV in that situation, and feel bad for them after they miss a big one," Costantino added. "I never thought I would be the one in that situation, but I definitely didn't want to be the guy everyone felt sorry for."
Boys soccer: Corvallis 4, Wilsonville 0
Corvallis was just that much more talented, faster, quicker and stronger all game long in its first-round matchup with the Wildcats.
Wilsonville looked up to the challenge in taking down the No. 3 Spartans, but a late first-half goal shifted momentum into Corvallis' favor.
Steve Gress, Corvallis-Times Gazette,
Corvallis High boys soccer team moves on in playoffs:
"I tell you what is big is that momentum shifter at the end of the half where we get a goal," CHS coach John Callahan said. "The whole game shifted after we got a goal."
The goal, and playing a half on turf, settled down the players. The Spartans are used to playing on the grass and narrower dimensions of Taylor Field and it took a while to adjust, they said.
"At halftime we discussed that we need to step it up and be calm and play our game and we scored three goals in the second half," Sanchez said.
~ posted by Alex Tam at 12:57 PM
