The Baker football team traveled to Turner, near Salem, on Friday, Sept. 27, to take on top-ranked and unbeaten Cascade.

Baker scored first, but the Bulldogs, much like in a 48-19 loss at Vale on Sept. 20, struggled to slow the Cascade running game.

The Cougars’ Bryce Kuenzi had six rushing touchdowns as Cascade ran for 444 yards and scored 48 straight points to win 48-6 and improve to 4-0.

Baker dropped to 1-3.

In girls soccer, Baker traveled to Payette, Idaho, and beat the Pirates, 3-1. Baker improved to 3-3-1 on the season.

First half

Cascade, unlike Vale last week, didn’t kick off deep to Baker’s Rasean Jones, who ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns and nearly had a third.

A short onside-style kickoff gave Baker the ball at the Cascade 49 to start the game.

On the first play, Baker quarterback Jake McClaughry completed a short pass to Jones, who broke a tackle and ran 24 yards to the Cascade 25. McClaughry found Jones open again for a pass to the Cascade 4, for first and goal.

A fumbled snap moved the ball back to the Cascade 9. Two incomplete passes gave Baker a fourth and goal from the 9. Jones ran a slant pattern and McClaughry zipped a pass to him in the end zone. The extra point was blocked, and Baker led 6-0 with 10:12 left in the first quarter.

On its first possession, Cascade tried to same strategy that was so effective for Vale last week — testing Baker’s run defense. The Cougars needed just four plays, all runs, to score the tying touchdown, on Kuenzi’s 37-yard run. The two-point conversion gave the Cougars an 8-6 lead with 8:43 left in the first quarter.

Vale ran for 480 yards in the Sept. 20 game.

After the touchdown, Cascade again kicked short to avoid giving Jones a runback. Baker started at its own 46 and lost four yards on a running play. McClaughry then completed a pass for 27 yards to Logan Crawford, who made a catch in traffic across the middle.

McClaughry lofted a pass to Jones, who outjumped the Cascade defender for a gain of 12 to the Cascade 19. But on third down Cascade’s Hunter Anundi intercepted a pass near the goal line and ran the ball back to the Cougar 39.

The Cougars took immediate advantage, as Kuenzi ran twice, the second time for a 48-yard touchdown that boosted the lead to 14-6 with 4:21 left in the first quarter. The two-point conversion made it 16-6 Cascade.

Another interception, this one by Morrisen Craig, gave Cascade the ball at the Baker 40 with 2:39 left in the first quarter.

But the Bulldogs fumbled a snap and Baker’s Dylan Conklin fell on the ball at the Baker 34. But the Cascade defense held, forcing a Baker punt with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. Cascade blocked the punt and recovered at the Baker 26.

Cascade capitalized with a 73-yard touchdown pass on the first play from Cade Coreson to Anundi, and the Cougars led 22-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Cascade forced another Baker punt, and another Kuenzi touchdown run, from five yards, and the extra point boosted the Cougars’ lead to 29-6 with 8:51 left in the second quarter.

After another Baker punt, Kuenzi had 41-yard touchdown run, and the Cougars led 35-6 with 6:50 left in the second quarter.

Baker then had its best drive since the opening possession, advancing to the Cascade 4 with 2:25 left in the first half. Baker lost yardage on its next two plays, back to the Cascade 13, and an incomplete pass on third down made it fourth and goal. McClaughry’s pass on fourth down was incomplete, and Cascade took over with 36 seconds left in the half.

Kuenzi went 87 yards for the touchdown on the next play. The extra point was no good, but the Cougars led 41-6 at halftime.

Second half

Cascade had possession to open the half, and the Cougars marched methodically downfield, capping the drive with another Kuenzi touchdown run, from 10 yards. The extra point gave Cascade a 48-6 lead with 6:02 left in the third quarter.

McClaughry finished 14 of 29 passing for 129 yards and the touchdown to Jones.

Jones had nine catches for 80 yards. Hayden Churchfield had two receptions for 21 yards. Quin Wellman was Baker’s leading rusher, with 25 yards on six carries.

Baker struggled on third down, converting only one of 11 chances. The Bulldogs were more successful on fourth down, gaining first downs on two of the four plays.

Up next

Baker returns home for the first time in almost a month to open Greater Oregon League play against Pendleton/Nixyaawii on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was rescheduled to Thursday.