MERLIN, ORE. – Sutherlin put a halt to its 17-game losing streak Friday night with a 39-32 win over North Valley.

It was a game that was supposed to be the home opener for the Bulldogs, but smokey conditions caused the contest to be switched to North Valley High School in Merlin – which was smokey too – but they were able to get the game played on the originally scheduled date.

Cade Meisner threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns, completing 20-of-34 passes. He added 41 yards on the ground and rushed for a touchdown.

Sutherlin (1-2) scored the first time they had the ball on a 95-yard drive on four plays, including a 71-yard pass from Meisner to Bryce Anderson to lead 6-0.

North Valley (1-2) came back with a pair of touchdowns to take the lead 13-6, but with 2:33 left in the half Meisner hit Korbyn Jones with a 14-yard pass and Meisner ran for the two-point conversion to give the ‘Dogs the lead back at 14-13.

A minute later, after an interception returned to the North Valley 21 yard line, it took Sutherlin only one play to strike pay dirt again. Meisner hit Jones with a 21-yard scoring pass to put the Bulldogs back on top 20-13.

The Knights countered again and scored as time ran out in the second quarter. Toren Tuttle found Christian Wychterly with a 25-yard toss and Tuttle ran for the 2-points to get the lead back at 21-20 at the half.

In the third quarter, the see-saw continued as Conner Grauf powered in from the one to give the Bulldogs the advantage 26-21.

But once again, the Knights stormed back just over a minute into the fourth quarter, when Tuttle scrambled eight yards for a score. The two-point conversion gave them a 29-26 lead.

Yet, unlike games in the past, this time Sutherlin would not die and a minute later Meisner hit Anderson from 8-yards out for his second touchdown pass of the game, and the Bulldogs went back on top 32-29.

North Valley tied it with a field goal, before Meisner capped off what proved to be the game winning drive with an 8-yard run for a score and Grauf’s PAT made it 39-32.

The Knights quickly drove into Sutherlin territory with time running down, but Zach Yarbrough picked off a pass and the Bulldogs ran the clock out to secure Sutherlin’s first victory since they defeated Oakland two seasons ago.

It was a sweet victory for the Bulldogs, who had so many close games get away in the past five years.

Sutherlin will try to break a long league losing streak of 18 games next Friday when it hosts the Junction City Tigers in the opener of the Sky-Em League season.