Homecoming

At a Glance:

What: Condon-Wheeler Homecoming game vs Dufur Rangers
Where: Condon, Oregon
When: Friday, Oct. 24th at 7:30 pm
Halftime: Crowning of the Homecoming Queen
Playoff Implications: Knights need win to stay in playoff race
Admission: Students Free / $3 Children / $5 Adults




Condon-Wheeler Knights take a beating on the football field.

With the first win of their season coming last week against a good team in Maupin the Knights hoped to earn their second win and keep their state playoff hopes alive on Homecoming night against the perenial conference leaders, the Dufur Rangers.

The game started well for the home team Condon-Wheeler Knights with the scoreboard showing an early 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Things soon went south for the Knights though. As the Rangers showed why they are consistantly at the top of the conference by exerting their strength and handling the Knights the rest of the night.

The Rangers began the second quarter by opening up their playbook on the first play with Daniel Williams taking a wide reciever reverse for 60 yards and a touchdown. They did fail to convert the 2 point play after the score though and still trailed the Knights.

"I thought that was a good statement play." said Knights Quarterback, Cole Macinnes.

With the Knights holding onto an 8-6 lead with 10:20 left in the first half the Rangers felt it was time to make their own statement play and went for the onside kick, succesfully recovering the ball on the 50 yard line.

Once again the Rangers needed just one play to find their way into the endzone, only this time they converted the 2 point play after the touchdown. Down 14-8 now, the home team Knights lost much of their poise and confidence.

The game continued to go in the Rangers favor, as the clock ran out in the second quarter the scoreboard showed the Rangers leading the Knights by a score of 26-8.

"We had no answer for the speed of their offense tonight." said Condon-Wheeler Coach Gibb Wilkins.

The second half began with a sliver of hope for the Knights as running back Austin Fennern bounced outside on a 2nd down run and broke it for 46 yards and the touchdown. The score looking much better at 26-16 in favor of the Rangers, you could see the Knights had new hope.

This new hope did not last long though as the Knights gave up yet another wide reciever reverse for a touchdown on the Rangers second play of the half. Now leading the Knights 34-16, the Rangers never looked back and continued to expand on their lead throughout the rest of the game.

The score at the end of this Homecoming night showed the home team on the wrong end of a lopsided game losing 48-16. So on a night that is supposed to be all fun and games for the home team. This one ended in heartbreak as the Knights left the field with still just one win on the season and no hope of making it to the state playoffs.

"Tonight was very disappointing, I thought they still had a chance at state if they won tonight." said long time fan Josh Barnett.

Not everyone was as negative after the game though.

"We are going to try and build on the positives from this game and get a win next week." said Wilkins.

The crowd gave a loud round of applause as the Knights left the field Friday night, showing that even when the team is down, they are still in full support of their hometown boys.