MILWAUKIE – Milwaukie's football team forced its doubters to take notice Friday night.
The unranked Mustangs, who won their first four games for the first time in 40 years, pushed their record to 5-0, this time against unbeaten and ninth-ranked Hood River Valley with first place in the 5A Northwest Oregon Conference on the line.
Behind a sparkling performance from 6-foot-4 sophomore quarterback Jayden Locke, host Milwaukie came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat the Eagles 28-25. Locke completed 23 of 28 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.
“Unbelievable,” Mustangs coach Jonathan Simpson said of Locke. “If you didn't know the kid, you wouldn't know that he's a sophomore. He keeps his composure very well. He's a true leader. You can't say enough good things about this kid.”
Locke was the catalyst for a 15-play, 87-yard drive that took 8:24 off the clock in the fourth quarter and culminated with a go-ahead 13-yard touchdown pass to senior Jay Brandon with 3:23 remaining.
“That drive was something else,” Locke said. “We knew what we had to do, and we handled business. Before the game, I was like, 'I've got to be a leader, this is going to be a hard game. Fight through adversity.'”
With the win, Milwaukie (5-0, 4-0) takes sole possession of first place over Hood River Valley (5-1, 3-1). It's a remarkable rise for a program that spent the last five seasons playing down in 4A, going 3-6 in each of the last two years.
The Mustangs were hungry to show that their impressive start wasn't a fluke.
“They've been doubting us all year,” Locke said. “Getting that win, I hope that puts some respect on our name.”
Simpson marveled at how his players rose to the occasion.
“We came into this game knowing that we were an underdog,” Simpson said. “People were telling us all the time that we haven't played nobody special, we haven't accomplished nothing. Look at what these kids did. I think the sky's the limit."
Milwaukie led 21-12 at half in a game that started an hour late because of a lightning delay. But Hood River Valley took control in the third quarter, getting a 31-yard touchdown pass from senior Bodie Stuben to senior Cooper Wells and a 22-yard scoring run from senior Bam Leyna to lead 25-21.
The Mustangs took the ball at their own 13-yard line early in the fourth quarter and embarked on the deciding drive. Locke completed 8 of 9 passes for 101 yards on the march, overcoming three sacks and a penalty.
Facing fourth-and-26 at the Hood River Valley 32, Locke connected with senior Joey Brock for 31 yards to the one-yard line. After a penalty and a sack, Locke hit Brandon in the middle of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown, giving Milwaukie the lead with 3:23 left.
“Fourth-and-26,” said Simpson, recalling the unlikely conversion. “That's the type of trust we have in our quarterback. He's amazing.”
Locke said of the fourth-down play: “That was a great catch by my receiver right there. That was all him. I couldn't do that without him or my line. They played amazing all night.”
On the ensuring series, Milwaukie sophomore Raymond Perez intercepted a deep ball, his second pick of the night. The Mustangs ran out the final 2:26, thanks to a 24-yard pass from Locke to Brock on third-and-10.
Brock finished with four catches for 113 yards, including a 39-yard score in the second quarter.
“Joey is our captain for a reason,” Simpson said. 'Him and Jayden, they run routes together for fun outside of practice. Their chemistry is untouchable.”
Milwaukie's winning touchdown drive was interrupted for 17 minutes when the lights went out at 10 o'clock due to a city ordinance. The school was able to restore the lighting to finish the game.
Despite the lighting delay, heavy showers and the light delay, the Mustangs kept their heads in the game and produced the program's biggest win in years.
“Perseverance,” Simpson said. “This community has gone through so much trauma, so much adversity, everything. These kids deserve it. We preached at halftime to stick with it, and they did.”
Said Perez: “Milwaukie's always been the underdog in every single aspect, any sport, especially in football. Forty years, we haven't won anything. It feels wonderful, especially getting the game-sealing pick.
“Milwaukie needs respect. … I love Milwaukie, I love the community, and they need this.”
The Mustangs had a 307-288 edge in total yards. Their other scores came on an 89-yard kickoff return by sophomore JD Harper to start the game, a four-yard touchdown pass from Locke to sophomore Blake Wheat and a 23-yard field goal by sophomore Eric Gudino.
Leyna had 18 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns to lead Hood River Valley. Stuben completed 7 of 19 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns – 63 yards to senior Talon-Quinn Britt and 31 yards to Wells.
Milwaukie intercepted Stuben three times, two by Perez and one by senior Chance Brown.
jerryu@osaa.org
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