GRANTS PASS — Friday night at Mel Ingram Field, it seemed as if eight years of frustrations against the Grants Pass Cavemen came bursting out of the Roseburg Indians football team.
Although this year’s players were all still in elementary school the last time Roseburg took down Grants Pass in 2012, the 2021 Indians wiped away years of disappointment in a dominating 56-14 Southwest Conference opening victory.
Roseburg (5-0; 1-0 SWC) pummeled the Cavemen with four touchdowns and a safety in the first quarter, jumping out to a 30-0 lead. Grants Pass (1-4; 0-1) was puzzled on how to slow down senior quarterback Colton Marsters.
Marsters capped off Roseburg’s opening drive with a 5-yard run up the middle for the first of his four rushing touchdowns. The senior signal-caller added scoring runs of 69, 82 and 53 yards before halftime.
Marsters also connected with Landon Dupper on a pair of touchdown passes to account for six TDs total. The first scoring pass came in the first quarter from 39-yards out. The second — a 16-yard catch and run — finished off Roseburg’s scoring in the third quarter.
The second half of the game lacked much excitement as the Indians forced a running clock for a third time this season.
Marsters finished the night with six carries for 221 yards (36.8 yards per carry) and four scores. He was also 3-for-7 through the air for 69 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Roseburg running back Cayden Eckel also rushed for over 100 yards for a fifth consecutive game and the sophomore found the end zone for a ninth time this year.
Defense and special teams also came up big for Roseburg in the victory.
Logan Klopfenstein tackled the G.P. punter in the end zone for a safety after a bad snap got away on a punt attempt in the first quarter. Klopfenstein also returned the opening kickoff in the second half for a 92-yard score that put Roseburg up 49-14.
Defensively, the Indians had two takeaways. Klopfenstein picked off a pass in the end zone in the first half and Braden Steinacher forced a fumble that was recovered by Tiger Black in the third quarter.
The Roseburg defensive unit surrendered over 200 passing yards to Cavemen quarterback Jace Blanchard, but Grants Pass only managed 66 yards on the ground. It was the fourth time in five games that the Indians held their opponent under 100 yards rushing.
Blanchard was 22-for-37 passing for 216 yards, two scores and one interception. The junior found Josh Hart for a 9-yard score in the final minute of the first half and connected with Jackson Tunick for a 36-yard on the final play before halftime.
Roseburg has now won five straight games to begin the season for the first time since 2013. The Indians will try to make it six straight when they host North Medford Friday at Finlay Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Roseburg;30;13;13;0;—;56
Grants Pass;0;14;0;0;—;14
First quarter
R — Marsters 5 run (Bartlett kick)
R — Marsters 69 run (Bartlett kick)
R — Safety
R — Eckel 14 run (Bartlett kick)
R — Dupper 39 pass from Marsters (Bartlett kick)
Second quarter
R — Marsters 82 run (Kick fail)
G — Hart 9 pass from Blanchard (Anderson kick)
R — Marsters 53 run (Bartlett kick)
G — Tunick 36 pass from Blanchard (Anderson kick)
Third quarter
R — Klopfenstein 92 kickoff return (Kick blocked)
R — Dupper 16 pass from Martsters (Bartlett kick)
