In their first game of the preseason, the Bruins started slowly, giving up the first six points of the game on a run play by the Cascade Christian Challengers. The Bruins’ Tyler Lueckfeld blocked the point after attempt to limit the Challengers to six instead of seven. 

The Bruins came back with a touchdown run by Lueckfeld and an extra point completion by Chandler Gotfried.

Following the touchdown, the Bruins turned the ball over twice and gave up 25 straight points, to head into the locker room down 7-31.

Senior Bruin running back Dubby McKinney outruns a defender on his way to the end zone during Friday night’s loss to Cascade Christian High School. Dubby had a 90-yard touchdown in the game to keep the Bruins within shouting distance of a victory. The Pilot/Jef Hatch

The Bruins kicked off to start the second half and, with the halftime adjustments instituted by Bruin Head Coach Joe Morin, the defense promptly forced Cascade Christian to turn over the ball on downs.

“That’s what Morin is really good at,” assistant coach Ted Burdett said. “Making halftime adjustments. He made some good adjustments.” 

Senior Dubby McKinney opened up the field with a huge run to set Lueckfeld up for his second touchdown of the night. A missed point after left the Bruins down by 18 points.

The Bruin defense overpowered the Challenger offense for the second time in the third quarter, causing a fumble which was recovered by senior Jr. Helme who ran the ball to the two yard line before being forced out of bounds.

Lueckfeld was given the green light on the next play and carried the ball two yards to pick up his third touchdown of the night.

A highly controversial pass interference call against the Bruins put Cascade Christian within scoring distance after a Bruin defensive stand, and the Challengers were able to score with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.

The ensuing kick off sailed out the back of the end zone, giving the Bruins the ball on the 20-yard line. 

Following a Bruin penalty that moved the ball back to the 10-yard mark, McKinney broke open a 90-yard run to bring the Bruins within 12. A two-point conversion run by Lueckfeld brought the score to within 10, 28-38.

“I thought I was going to get caught,” McKinney said of his run. “I knew I wanted it more though, and I made it. 

“Of course there was no way that I could have gotten even five yards without my offensive line.”

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Gotfried kicked a 43-yard field goal to bring the Bruins within seven, and give them hope of tying the game. 

With the ball in the hands of the Challengers the defense made a solid stand and forced a fourth-down situation. The Bruins were called for encroachment after the Challengers used a hard count to make the Bruin line jump offsides for a first down conversion.

Cascade Christian got one more first down conversion from their running back before taking a knee to run out the clock and end the game 38-31.

“They played a lot better in the second half,” Cascade Christian Head Coach Jon Gettman said of the Bruins’ intensity in the second half. “We couldn’t get to the second level because they came out and played with a lot more energy after the half.”

Morin was quick to praise the offensive line following the game as well, crediting them with picking up the edges on pass plays and having fun.

Senior Will Du Four credited the linemen’s increased intensity to the pep talk they had in the locker room at the half and the team choosing to get pumped up.

“We talked to each other and pointed out what we were doing wrong and what we were doing right,” he said. “Coach changed a couple of plays, but he told us we were doing a great job and we came out ready to play.”

Assistant coach and defensive specialist Dave Freeman claimed that the first half was a breaking in period, and that the way the team played in the second half is an indication of the way the Bruins will play in the future.

The Bruins’ next game will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10 in Bandon.