ROSEBURG – The Roseburg football team finally put all the pieces together and played a full 48 minutes to come away with its first win of the season, snapping a 13-game losing streak that dated back to the middle of last year.

The Indians used a third quarter surge to pull away from North Salem for a 39-6 victory in the final game of the year for both teams.

Roseburg found the end zone three times in the final two minutes of the third quarter to stretch a 7-0 lead to 26-0 heading to the fourth. The Indians sealed the win by scoring twice in the final 12 minutes. It was the best second half performance of the season for Roseburg.

“I thought they played with great energy,” said coach Dave Heuberger. “It’s amazing how great energy and great passion for the game of football makes up for some X’s and O’s. It was great to see them play with that energy.”

Roseburg was dealing with limited depth at the running back position, but got a career night from junior Brendan Ibarra. The Indians utilized his speed and agility to work the ball off the edges and towards the sidelines for big gains. Ibarra finished the night with 26 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

His first score came on the opening drive of the game. Ibarra carried the ball four times and drove the Indians 68 yards down the field for a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

That was the only score in the first half, although Roseburg had multiple chances to take more than a 7-0 lead into the break. Ibarra lost a hold of the ball at the one yard-line on a drive in the second quarter and the fumble went into the end zone and was recovered by North Salem for a touchback. Roseburg also attempted a 42-yard field goal, but the kick from senior Tanner Hunt was blocked as the first half came to a close.

The Indians broke the game open with their finish to the third quarter. Junior Terrell Jacks scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run with 1:50 left to go in the third. He followed that with an interception of North Salem quarterback Hunter Sullivan on the ensuing Vikings possession.

The pick gave the Roseburg offense a short field and Ibarra struck on the very first play, running the ball in from 15 yards out for his second score of the night, putting Roseburg ahead 19-0. On the following drive for North Salem, Sullivan tried to dump a screen pass over the top of the Roseburg defensive line, but senior Austin Harris made a spectacular play by tipping the ball in the air, catching it, and returning the pick for a touchdown.

Roseburg stretched the lead to 32-0 early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Kyle Rackley. The senior played limited minutes due to concerns about an illness that had been plaguing him throughout the week. Despite his reduced time on the field, Rackley finished with 85 rushing yards on seven carries.

The Indians dominated the game on the ground. Roseburg rushed the ball 55 times for 373 yards and only threw on four occasions.

North Salem struggled to find a rhythm with its ground attack. The Vikings had 68 yards rushing, 47 of which came on Junior Sandoval’s touchdown run that erased Roseburg’s chances of a shutout. Hunter Sullivan finished the night with 76 yards on 8-of-16 passing with one interception.

The win was the first of head coach Dave Heuberger’s career at Roseburg. The victory also means the 2016 Indians avoided becoming only the second Roseburg football team to go winless for the year. The Indians went 0-5-1 in 1939 for the only winless season in school history.

SCORES BY QUARTER
N 0; 0; 0; 6 – 6
R 7; 0; 19; 13 – 39

SCORING PLAYS:
1st Quarter –
R – Ibarra 2 yard run (Hunt kick good)
3rd Quarter –
R – Ter. Jacks 1 yard run (Kick fail)
R – Ibarra 15 yard run (2pt attempt fail)
R – Harris 20 yard interception return (Hunt kick good)
4th Quarter –
R – Rackley 1 yard run (2pt attempt fail)
R – Beck 1 yard run (Hunt kick good)
N – Sandoval 47 yard run (2pt attempt fail)