Imbler Earns First State Football Championship

11/30/2008 - photos care of Kelly Hartley and article by Oregon SportsNet Staff, quotes via the Oregonian

OSAA 1A State Football
Imbler defeats Joseph 48-36

HILLSBORO -- As the Imbler Panthers posed for a team photo after winning their first state football championship Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium, they made it clear who they wanted to hold the trophy.

That honor went to junior quarterback Bryan Mills.

Mills, who broke his leg in the semifinals, symbolized the adversity the Panthers overcame this season on their way to beating Old Oregon League rival Joseph 48-36 for the OSAA Class 1A eight-man title.

"Our main guy goes down in the semifinals, and we responded the way we did; it's safe to say we played this game for that guy over there," said senior running back Nick West, motioning toward Mills.

"To make it this far and him not being there, it was kind of bittersweet. But we played it for him, and we did a pretty darn good job of representing him. That was the goal right there, to get him to hold that trophy."

It was hard enough for Imbler that it lost 10 seniors from last year's state runner-up. But for the first half of the season, the Panthers were missing players because of injury and disciplinary action.

Mills was out for four games after having knee surgery, and West missed two games after taking a hit that resulted in air being trapped around his heart.

It was fitting that the championship game would be a struggle, too. Imbler (11-1) beat Joseph 36-12 in a league game Oct. 3, but the Eagles looked much different Saturday in racing to a 22-6 lead after one quarter. Joseph led 36-28 at half behind a big performance from senior running back Grant Marcum.

"I told them not to get down because it's a long game," Mills said. "I told them to play with their hearts, and that's exactly what they did."

Imbler's defense held Joseph on two key fourth-down plays in the third quarter, and the offense scored on a 26-yard touchdown catch by sophomore Zach Phillips and a one-yard run by junior Jace Eisiminger for a 42-36 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Joseph (11-2) came back and had a first down at the Imbler 6-yard line, but the Panthers turned them away on a sack by Eisiminger and an interception by McDaniel with 4:01 left. West sealed the win with a 64-yard touchdown run with 1:06 remaining.

Imbler coach Lee Lowe, in his 30th season with the team, celebrated his first state title.

"Going down the stretch, the last game-and-a-half, without our starting quarterback and one of our big leaders, they stepped up and did what they had to do," Lowe said. "That's kind of the way it's gone for us. They've had to buck the odds. I can't tell you enough about these kids and the heart they showed."

McDaniel, a converted tight end, filled in for Mills and completed 15 of 20 for 254 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 80 yards. Phillips had seven catches for 152 yards, and West rushed for 86 yards and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score.

Marcum rushed for 178 yards on 24 carries and returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown for the Eagles, who failed to score in the second half.

"We came out hot, but we just let up in the second quarter," Joseph senior quarterback Erik Steen said. "We got ourselves into a bad funk and we couldn't get out of it."