OREGON — Midway through the second quarter of its 3A playoff game with Peru St. Bede (6-4), Oregon (10-0) only had one first down and trailed 7-0. Then, a friendly ghost came to the rescue for the Hawks.

Nick McKeown hobgoblined free for 47 and 55-yard runs before the half ended, setting up the first two touchdowns in a Oregon 34-7 win.

“I think on Halloween, he’s a ghost the way he hid behind his line,” St. Bede coach John Bellino said.

“We couldn’t find him.”

“The first time, three guys tackled (Nick) Snyder,” McKeown said. “I was just following my line and found an opening.”

The second touchdown came off a 99-yard drive, with Carson Andrew going in from two yards out. It was the second time the Hawks started a first-half drive from the 1-yard line, as Bruin punter Ryne Denis had 50-yard spirals each time.

Oregon didn’t take control of the game until the opening drive of the third quarter, going 94 yards (after another Denis punt) in nine plays to make it 20-7. Snyder went 17 yards on a sweep pitch for the score.

“We got them a little angry,” Bellino said. “They stepped up and we couldn’t answer the call.”

“Whether it’s the NFL of high school, playoffs are a different animal,” Oregon coach John Bothe said. “An underdog in the first round plays with desperation.”

Ryan McWethy and favorite receiver Drew Smith hooked up for a 15-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter.

McWethy, Smith and Ethan Gale did even more damage from the secondary, helping shut down St. Bede’s passing game, including nine passes batted down by Gale.

Danny Gale (Ethan’s cousin) and Ben Bruns sacked Denis, also the quarterback, for a huge loss late in the fourth quarter. Six plays later, Carson 7-yard touchdown made it 34-7.

- Andy Colbert, rrstar.com