Roseburg takes control against Crater in 34-8 SD4 victory
CENTRAL POINT — It was a dominant four quarters of football for the Roseburg Indians in a 34-8 Special District 4 win against the Crater Comets on Friday at Dutch Meyer Stadium.
Roseburg (2-1, 1-1 SD4) marched up and down the field and dominated time of possession to win its first league game of the season and knock the Comets from the ranks of the undefeated.
The Indians showed a complete turn-around from a week earlier when the team lost its conference opener to Churchill, 30-6.
“They worked hard. They responded,” Roseburg coach Matt Watson said. “It was the best week of practice I’ve seen these guys have. They were just hungry and trying to get after it. It was great. It was encouraging to see our boys respond that way. They really took control of that game.”
Roseburg utilized multiple options on the ground to rack up 445 rushing yards. Quarterback Corey Kimball and running back Carson Yraguen led the way with 127 rushing yards each.
“Everyone just worked their tails off and we all wanted to win this game. All 11 of us on both sides of the ball,” Yraguen said.
The senior busted loose for a 66-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter that put Roseburg ahead 28-0 and practically iced the game.
“I was just running for my life honestly, but it was pretty fun,” Yraguen said about his breakaway score. He gave credit to the offensive line, which gave him a running lane “a mile wide.”
“I don’t think they could have blocked any better. It was perfect,” Yraguen added.
The Indians moved the ball at will against Crater (3-1, 2-1) and they switched into slow-down mode. They left the Comets with no shot at a comeback thanks to second half drives that took up 6 minutes and 45 seconds and the final 8:23.
“Without a question, they were better in all three phases tonight than we were,” Crater coach Seth Womack said.
Kimball punched in two first half scores to help lead the Indians to a 21-0 lead at the break. He tacked on one more in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Seniors Kaden Austin and Cruz Dirksen and junior Drea Burwell all had over 50 yards on the ground for Roseburg. Burwell scored his first touchdown on a 7-yard fourth down run in the second quarter.
Crater struggled to consistently move the ball just one week after totaling 616 yards of offense in a 45-37 win over Springfield.
Valentin Rodriguez carried the ball 23 times for 121 yards, but failed to find the end zone and fell well below his average of 234 yards per game. The senior also turned the ball over on a fumble in the first half.
Quarterback Ben Higginson scored the Comets’ only touchdown of the night on a 15-yard scramble in the third quarter.
“That defensive line was great. The linebackers were filling like crazy. The DB’s being able to cover anything over the top,” Watson said. “Those kids played really great.”
Roseburg will next host No. 3 Thurston in a SD4 game next Friday. The Colts improved to 4-0 on the year with a 39-7 win over Springfield. Thurston hasn’t lost a league game since 2017.
Roseburg 7 14 7 6 — 34
Crater 0 0 8 0 — 8
First Quarter
R — Kimball 1 run (Michael kick)
Second Quarter
R — Kimball 7 run (Michael kick)
R — Burwell 7 run (Michael kick)
Third Quarter
R — Yraguen 66 run (Michael kick)
C — Higginson 15 run (V. Rodriguez run)
Fourth Quarter
R — Kimball 14 run (kick failed)
