Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Sports at a Glance

All stories by Jean Schurman

Blaze playoff hopes doused Victor Senior-Faculty Game

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Playoff hopes for the Bitterroot Blaze football team came to an end on Saturday night in Corvallis when the local team fell to the Bears of Cache Valley, Utah. After moving up from Division AA to the AAA division, the Blaze have had some struggles this year. The players are quicker and stronger, with many coming from Division I schools.

Cache Valley outscored the Blaze, 41-7, in Saturday night’s game with Norvel Young scoring three touchdowns, all on passes from Ryan Harris. The Bears also scored when Tuitagaloa had a 99-yard fumble return. Harris hit Hess from 60 yards out for another TD. Their final touchdown was a 15-yard pass to Moa.

The Blaze fanned the flame a bit at the end of the second quarter when Bucky Brawley hit Josh Wood from 50 yards out on a crossing pattern to score. Erik Peterson kicked the extra point.

The momentum seemed to be going the Blaze’s way as the half wound down. With the Blaze on the one foot line, it seemed as if Justin Nixon had powered his way into the end zone but the play was called dead before the touchdown was signaled and time ran out in the half.

“We’ve been close in every AAA game this season,” said head coach Tad Sheridan. “It’s tough to say whether we should stay (in the Triple A division) or stay in AA. We’ve had our chances to win in every game.”

The Blaze will take on archrival Missoula Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Corvallis Special Events Center. The Blaze knocked the Phoenix out of playoff contention last year to make the rivalry even more bitter.

“It’s all emotion,” said Sheridan of the Missoula game. “These guys will heal up because we want to beat them.”

Sheridan ended by saying that after next week’s game, they would wish the Missoula Phoenix well because they are a Montana team.

The Victor seniors will take to the basketball floor one last time on Wednesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. The Victor seniors will play the faculty in the annual game which will feature dunk contests, three point contest and half time entertainment. Cost is $3. No passes will be honored. This is a sugar free, fat free, physically demanding fundraiser for the Victor freshman class.