In what Bend High coach Matt Craven described as “a game of really big, wild plays,” the Lava Bears secured their third straight victory Friday night, outlasting Hood River Valley 34-16 in a Class 5A Special District 1 football game at Punk Hunnell Stadium.
Bend never trailed, but not until Haakon Kjellesvik ran 10 yards for a touchdown with just over three minutes to play did the Bears breathe easy against an Eagles team that came into the game unbeaten with two lopsided wins.
“We played a very good team tonight,” said Craven. “They’re very well-coached.”
Craven noted that Hood River Valley (1-1 SD1, 2-1 overall) had a lot to do with Bend’s four turnovers, including three lost fumbles.
“That’ll happen when you play a good team,” said Craven. “We can really help ourselves by working on ball security. That will be job No. 1 for the Lava Bears this week.”
Bend (2-0, 3-1) took an early 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Marshall Davis, but later in the first quarter the Eagles stung the Bears with a fake punt that resulted in a 71-yard touchdown run by Patrick Estes and a 7-7 tie.
Davis scored from 19 yards out two minutes into the second period, and a failed conversion run left Bend’s lead at 13-7. Inside of five minutes left in the half, HRV tied the score with a short touchdown pass. The Lava Bears blocked the point-after kick, then Bend regained the momentum when Kjellesvik returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.
Another of those “big, wild plays,” and it gave the Bears a 20-13 lead at halftime.
“He did a good job reading the blocks,” Craven said of Kjellesvik’s kick return. “Then he just outran everyone the last 40 yards.”
The Eagles cut into Bend’s narrow lead with a field goal late in the third period to make it 20-16. Daniel Winters made it a two-possession game when he carried 15 yards on a draw play for a TD that pushed the Bears’ lead to 27-16 with 12 minutes left in the game.
Kjellesvik’s touchdown run — his third TD of the night — with 3:11 remaining put it away for the Lava Bears, who take their winning streak to Redmond next Friday to face Ridgeview.
-Bulletin Staff Report