The Hermiston Bulldogs scored early and often Friday night in Sandy, routing the Pioneers, 56-7.
The Bulldogs were all over the Pioneers right from the start when Trey Neal recovered a fumble deep in Sandy’s own territory and ran it in from 8 yards out to give Hermiston a 7-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game.
It never got any better for Sandy. After forcing the Pioneers to punt on their next possession, Hermiston scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by Luis Medina, filling in at running back for Sam Colbray, who sat out after suffering a concussion a week ago against Coeur d’Alene.
The Bulldogs (5-1) dominated every phase of the game, including special teams. Jesse Simon blocked a Sandy punt and senior linebacker Jesse Rodelo recovered it for Hermiston at the Pioneers’ 26 yard line. On the next play, Hermiston’s Chase Knutz found Carson Morter on a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 21-0 lead.
Sandy cut the Hermiston lead to 21-3 on a 39-yard field goal by Kaden Walker. On their next possession, the Bulldogs relied heavily on the running legs of Cory Adam, who routinely ate up first-down yardage before scoring on an 8-yard run early in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a 28-3 lead.
Hermiston had excellent field position all night, typically getting the ball near midfield, while Sandy was consistently pinned back deep in their own territory. Hermiston increased its lead to 35-3 halfway through the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Knutz to Cole Smith.
The Bulldogs proved throughout the night that they could eat up the clock on long drives, as well as score quickly, as they did on their next possession when Knutz hit Keegan Crafton on a 56-yard touchdown pass to up the lead to 42-3.
Hermiston took advantage of excellent field position on its next possession, getting the ball at Sandy’s 24 yard line after a short punt. Just like the prior drive, Hermiston scored on its first play when Knutz connected with Crafton, once again, to wrap up the first-half scoring, 49-3.
With a 46-point lead, the clock ran throughout the second half as Hermiston increased its lead to 56-3 when Knutz hit Morter on a 54-yard scoring pass. Sandy (3-4) managed to find the end zone a couple of times in the third quarter, but it was too little too late.
Knutz enjoyed a spectacular night passing, connecting on 11 of 15 passes for 228 yards and 5 touchdowns. Crafton lead all receives with 5 catches for 106 yards and two scores, while Morter had 3 receptions for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Adams had 79 yards on 10 carries.
The Bulldogs will open Columbia River Conference play next Friday at home when they host The Dalles (0-6) at Kennison Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
