Warriors win playoff debut over Benson

Aloha racks up a 42-14 halftime lead and wins its playoff debut 45-32

The Beaverton Valley Times, Nov 19, 2009, Updated Nov 19, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

PICKED OFF – Aloha’s Jon-Jon Moore races upfield after one of his two interceptions on Friday.

LE BASKOW / For the Times

ADVERTISEMENTS

PORTLAND — Say this at least about the Aloha football team – the Warriors are getting a lot out of their first playoff season in 21 years.

The Warriors, matched up against Benson at Cleveland High School in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs, blasted out to a 42-14 halftime lead against the Techmen, came up with seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries, then held off a spirited Benson rally to win 45-32.

And now, Aloha (7-3) – the third seed from the Metro League — will get to host a state playoff game – set for 7 p.m. Friday night – when the Warriors welcome top-ranked and unbeaten Sheldon to town. For more on that game, see the story on Page A15.

“It’s great to be in the playoffs and it’s great to get a win,” said Aloha coach Chris Casey. “The community is really excited about it and so is the school.”

Friday night’s game was pretty exciting too. The Warriors dropped three touchdowns on the Techmen (5-5) – the third-place team from the Portland Interscholastic League – in the first quarter to lead 21-6. They got an 8-yard run from John Shaffer (33 carries for 187 yards), a 63-yard interception return from Troy Cardona and a 57-yard scoring burst from Shaffer while Benson answered with a 98-yard Carlos Johnson kickoff return.

Aloha pushed across three more scores in the second period, this time getting a 90-yard Caylen Clardy interception return, a 65-yard run from Cole

Rise (13 carries for 101 yards) and a 1-yard TD from Tanner Krahel. Benson added a 1-yard Freddy Jackson TD run but fell behind 42-14 at the half.

But the Warriors’ offense was mostly a no-show in the second half, creating only a 42-yard field goal from Meekisho Lenana. Conversely, the Techmen picked up their own pace, getting a 6-yard Jackson TD run in the third, then a 15-yard pass from Zac Fuentes to Wesley Gray and a 72-yarder from Fuentes to Gray in the fourth.

“Benson didn’t quit,” Casey said. “They played well in the second half and we gave up some big plays.”

This day, however, belonged to Aloha. The team finished with 320 yards rushing and got a great all-around day from Krahel, a lineman on both sides of the ball. In addition to his touchdown run, Krahel blocked a kick, recorded a sack, batted down a pass, made an interception and had a tackle for a loss.

Cardona and Jon-Jon Moore had two interceptions each in the victory.