West nips East in first overtime game in Shrine history

Aug. 8—The 69th version of the East-West Shrine All-Star football game ended like none of the 68 games before it.

With an overtime period.

In a dramatic conclusion on a balmy Saturday night, Aug. 6 at Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium in Baker City, the West squad won 17-14 on a 25-yard field goal by Woodburn's Santi Roque Manzo.

Previous Shrine games that were tied after four quarters ended that way.

But this year, game organizers added an overtime period, with each team getting four downs starting at the opponent's 10-yard line.

The West won the coin toss prior to overtime and chose to go on defense first.

On the East's first play of overtime, Adrian quarterback Conley Martin's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Kenney Tripp of Rainier.

With the West needing either a touchdown or field goal to win, the East defense tightened, holding the West to just 2 yards on three plays to set up Roque Manzo's game-winning field goal on fourth down.

Although unlike previous extra points, when the defense was not allowed to try to block the kick, the East defense did mount a rush on the game's final play.

But the East defenders couldn't get a hand on Roque Manzo's kick, which sailed through the uprights at the north end of the stadium.

The 69th version of the game, an annual fundraiser for the Shriners Children's Hospital in Portland, was largely a defensive struggle.

Defensive tackle Alex Ritter — one of two Baker Bulldogs on the East squad along with Gauge Bloomer, who played linebacker and running back — ended an early West drive by sacking Luke McNabb of Scappoose.

The two teams exchanged "punts" — there were no actual kicks, but each team, on fourth down, had the option of moving the ball 30 yards before turning it over to the opponent.

Late in the first quarter the West got its offense going.

McNabb ran for a first down then connected with Tripp for a first-down completion to the West 20 yard line.

Stone Ware of Rainier ran to the West 8, and McNabb then hit Tanner Jackson of Knappa for the game's first touchdown.

On the ensuing possession, Powder Valley's Reece Dixon, who alternated between quarterback and receiver, scrambled to avoid the rush and heaved a 42-yard pass to Pendleton's Gabe Browning on the final play of the first quarter.

But the West thwarted the scoring threat when Isaac Schnepp of Cascade sacked Dixon and forced a fumble that the West recovered.

Later in the second quarter, Junction City quarterback Colby Evans found Theo White of Weston McEwen open in the flat and White ran the ball to the West 14.

But the East's best scoring chance ended with Evans' incomplete pass to the end zone on fourth down.

The East forced another punt, though, and Browning made a diving catch of a Martin pass at the West 22 with 1:38 left in the first half.

Two plays later, Martin's 27-yard pass to the end zone deflected off Waldport's Zak Holsey and landed in Browning's arms as he fell to the ground in the back of the end zone.

The first half ended in a 7-7 tie.

Defense continued to dominate in the second half, but late in the third quarter McNabb hit Tripp in stride for a 45-yard gain to the East 2.

Jacob Preston of Yamhill-Carlton ran it in on the next play to give the West a 14-7 lead.

On the ensuing short kickoff, Bloomer ran the ball out to the East 41.

Martin ran for 8 yards on a quarterback keeper, and then Browning took a handoff on a sweep and beat the West defense to the edge, taking the ball to the West 34.

Martin then faked a handoff and went up the middle before breaking loose to the right for a 34-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

The East mounted a drive thanks to Dixon's 23-yard gain on a swing pass with 6:30 left. But an incomplete pass on fourth and 7 from the West 39 ended the scoring threat.

The West had one last chance on fourth and 7 with 13.7 seconds left, but McNabb's pass was incomplete.