The Hermiston Bulldogs have left town, headed for Hillsboro to take on the Churchill Lancers for the state title – but not before getting a big sendoff from the community.
Fans lined up early at Kennison Field this morning to show their support for the Bulldogs in their effort to capture their second 5A football title in four years. The players were greeted by cheers as they came out on the field and exchanged high fives with the fans before boarding the bus for the trip to Hillsboro.
The game will pit the 10-2 Bulldogs against the 12-0 Lancers at Hillsboro Stadium.
Churchill’s offense this season scored 562 points while surrendering just 208. Hermiston scored 437 points while its defense gave up 248 points. It’s a matchup of contrasting styles as Hermiston likes to pound the ball on the ground, averaging 267 rushing yards a game while the Lancers have averaged 183 yards on the ground. Churchill averages 230 passing yards per game compared to Hermiston’s 184 yards through the air.
Hermiston had the edge in overall yards per game with 451 yards to Churchill’s 414.
The two teams have two common opponents this year. Hermiston lost to Mountain View early in the year, 28-7, while Churchill beat Mountain View last week in the 5A semifinal, 25-28. Hermiston and Churchill both dominated Pendleton late in the year by the same score, 42-15.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
