Photos by DEBBIE RANEY

 Eli Maley and Brady Otley blocking on the offensive line.

With the rain coming down and temperatures in the high 30s, the Crane Mustang football team staved-off a second-half Myrtle Point Bobcat surge for a 26-22 win and a date with the Lost River Raiders in the state championship game.

On Saturday, Nov. 18, at Caldera High School in Bend, the Mustangs struck first, as quarterback Josh Zander hit Trenton Potter for a 1-yard pass. The Mustangs failed the extra point, putting them up 6-0.

In the middle of the second quarter, Zander found Cody Siegner for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Failing the extra point, the Mustangs were up 12-0. Myrtle Point struck a minute and a half later when Logan Backman ran it in from 12 yards out. With the two-point conversion successful, the Bobcats trailed 12-8 with five minutes left in the first half.

Crane then extended their lead after a 2-yard touchdown run by Keegan Sallee to put the Mustangs up 18-8 after an unsuccessful extra point, to take both teams into halftime.

In the second half, with four minutes left in the third quarter, Potter scooped up a fumble and ran it back for a 67-yard touchdown. Sallee ran in the two-point conversion for a 26-8 lead.
Late in the third, the Bobcats started their comeback, as Backman hit Evin Warner for a 20-yard pass. With the two-point conversion successful, the Bobcats pulled within ten, 26-16.

Myrtle Point added another touchdown early in the fourth to get within four, 26-22. The Mustang defense held tight for the remainder of the game, to pick up their 10th win and a match-up against Lost River in the 2023 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 1A Football State Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 25, at Caldera High School in Bend.

The Mustang offense picked up 344 yards of total offense, as Josh Zander completed 10 of 18 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Carter Nichols led the Mustang rushing attack, picking up 230 yards on 39 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards a carry. Keegan Salle had one rush for 2 yards and a touchdown.

Nichols led the receiving corps as well, as he caught 3 passes for 66 yards. Trenton Potter had four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. Cody Siegner caught 3 passes for 24 yards and a touchdown.

The Mustang defense forced four turnovers during the night, picking up 3 fumbles and 1 interception.

Carter Nichols was named the Moda Health Player of the Game for Crane. Nichols was responsible for 296 of team’s 344 yards of total offense.

The No. 1 ranked Lost River Raiders come into the state championship game at 10-0, having beaten Myrtle Point earlier in the season, 48-28. Both teams come in at 10-0, with Crane racking up 437 points during the season and allowing 130. The Raiders have scored 422 points and have allowed 140.