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Bandon hosts Brookings in Cranberry Bowl
The Class 3A Bandon Tigers will host the 4A Brookings-Harbor Bruins at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Tiger Field in the annual Cranberry Bowl football game.
Bandon defeated 2A Yoncalla 52-0 in last year's bowl game, the first for head coach Motts Thomas, a retired educator who brings an extensive coaching background to the Tigers' pigskin helm.
Brookings-Harbor had a down season on the gridiron last year, so Thomas thinks the Bruins could be œpretty well jazzed" to begin this year's campaign.
œBrookings plays in a higher division than we do, so I'm expecting them to have some depth ” which concerns us ” and I think their guys may have the attitude that they're playing 'down,' which could help us," Thomas said. œIt's a big game for us, and we hope injuries and a lack of depth don't hurt us before then."
The Bruins play a pro-style offense and have some quality players in the running back and receiver positions, the coach added.
œOur team speed may be comparable or a little better than theirs, but depth is a concern for us," Thomas said. œWe'll, basically, be scouting them in the first quarter, then working to exploit whatever we can after that.
œOur intent is to compete and win. We hope, offensively, to dictate their coverages, then to take advantage when we get them in a mismatch. Our guys are going to have to be patient and play to the best of their abilities."
The Tigers plan to wear their commemorative columbia blue and gold jerseys for the contest.
