Former National Football League coach Vince Lombardi was once quoted as saying, “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time…”
Such was the case for the Crane Mustangs in the 1A state championship football game against Dufur on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Hermiston High School.
The game featured a number of lead changes, but, when the final gun sounded, it was the Rangers holding the championship trophy with a 36-32 victory.
Bailey Keever was the star for the Rangers, rushing for 151 yards and one touchdown, throwing for three more scores, and returning a kickoff 78 yards for what turned out to be the winning TD in the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs answered every challenge throughout the game, and just came up a bit short on the scoreboard. David Steeves led the Crane rushing attack, picking up 122 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown.
Crane’s Jack Bentz completed nine of 12 passes for 96 yards, and added 81 yards and two scores running the ball.
Dufur took a 6-0 lead on the game’s opening possession, going 66 yards on 12 plays, and scoring on a 10-yard pass from Keever to Kolbe Bales.
It was then Crane’s turn to put a score on the board, and they did just that, marching 71 yards down the field in 11 plays, and getting the score on a 4-yard run by Steeves.
Matt Witzel caught the two-point conversion pass from Bentz, and Crane led 8-6 with 2:42 left in the first quarter.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Keever picked up the ensuing kickoff at the 22 and didn’t stop running until he found the end zone, giving Dufur a 12-8 advantage.
After the teams traded punts, Crane began their next scoring drive at their own 31. Bentz capped off the 11-play drive with a 1-yard run, and Dustin Ramge added the two-point conversion to put the Mustangs up by four.
Dufur went back on top on their next possession, as Keever connected with Bales on a 22-yard touchdown pass, and Keever’s two-point run gave Dufur a 20-16 lead.
With just over two minutes left in the first half, the Mustangs began their next drive at their own 20. After picking up a first down, the Mustangs lost the ball on a fumble, and the Rangers took over at the Crane 47.
The Crane defense rose to the occasion, keeping Dufur out of the end zone, and the teams went to the locker rooms with Dufur up by four.
The Mustangs received the second half kickoff, and started their drive at midfield after a 19-yard return by Bentz. The Mustangs went the distance in 13 plays, taking a 24-20 lead on a 1-yard run by Bentz and the two-point conversion run by Steeves.
The Rangers regained the lead once again on their next possession, scoring on a 14-yard pass from Keever to Curtis Crawford. Keever ran in the two-point conversion for a 28-24 advantage.
Starting at their own 15 on their next possession, the Mustangs moved the ball into Dufur territory, but a fumble brought the drive to a halt, and the Rangers took over at their own 42.
Keever capitalized on the turnover, breaking free for a 58-yard TD run, and then adding the two points on a pass to Bales for a 36-24 lead.
Undaunted, the Mustangs once again drove down the field, going 58 yards in seven plays, and cut the lead to 36-32 on a 14-yard run by Ramge with 3:21 left to play.
The Rangers recovered the onside kick, and were then able to run out the clock to preserve the victory.
The Moda Health Players of the Game were Steeves and Keever.
Both teams finished the year with an 11-2 record.
Dufur       12     8     8     8     36
Crane        8     8     8     8     32
First quarter
Duf — Kolbe Bales 10 yd pass from Bailey Keever (Keever rush failed)  7:52
Cra — David Steeves 4 yd run (Matt Witzel pass from Jack Bentz) 2:42
Duf — Keever 78 yd kickoff return (Keever pass failed)
Second quarter
Cra — Bentz 1 yd run (Dustin Ramge rush) 5:50
Duf — Bales 22 yd pass from Keever (Keever rush) 2:21
Third quarter
Cra — Bentz 1 yd run (Steeves rush) 4:47
Duf — Curtis Crawford 14 yd pass from Keever (Keever rush) 0:44
Fourth quarter
Duf — Keever 58 yd run (Bales pass from Keever) 5:53
Cra — Ramge 14 yd run (Bentz rush)  3:21
Individual statistics
Rushing — Crane, Steeves 15-122, Ramge 14-57, Bentz 14-81, Valentine 7-22. Dufur, Keever 24-159, Pence 12-75, Cleveland 2-3.
Passing — Crane, Bentz 9-12-0 96. Dufur, Keever 6-9-0 73, Pence 0-1-0 0
Receiving — Crane, Witzel 3-44, Steeves 6-52. Dufur, Crawford 4-41, Bales 2-32.

Photos by Hannah Maupin

Bryce Otley of Crane sacks Dufur’s Bailey Keever for a loss.