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Best game sends Beaverton into bigger one

The Beavers execute on both sides of the ball to reach the semifinals after Friday's 38-20 quarterfinal win at Tualatin

By Bill Wilson

The Beaverton Valley Times, Nov 26, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Beaverton senior wide receiver Brad Noonan (25) celebrates his touchdown with lineman AB McElfish in the Beavers' 38-20 Class 6A state quarterfinal win Friday.

JAIME VALDEZ / The Beaverton Valley Times

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TUALATIN — There are good times to put together your best game of the season.

And then there is what Beaverton did on Friday night.

Class 6A state quarterfinals. Facing a Tualatin team that rallied to beat them earlier this season. On the Timberwolves’ home turf.

Yeah, the Beavers picked the perfect time to execute in all phases, beating Tualatin 38-20 to advance to the state semifinals. Beaverton will face Metro League rival Southridge at 5 p.m. next Friday at PGE Park in Portland.

“Last time, we were up 12-0 and they came back and beat us,” said Beaverton wide receiver Brad Noonan, referencing a 15-12 loss to Tualatin in its final non-conference game. “There’s nothing like beating the team you lost to, and in the playoffs. This feels absolutely amazing.”

Despite rainy and windy conditions, a Beaver offense built around the pass didn’t miss a beat. Quarterback Michael DeHaan threw for four touchdowns (two to Noonan) and 291 yards on 19-of-32 passing, finding six different receivers — led by senior Jake Krichevsky’s five catches for 105 yards.

“That was our first game where the offense and the defense did well at the same time,” said DeHaan, who also ran for a touchdown and led Beaverton with 48 rushing yards. “We all meshed together. That game right there is a great sendoff into the semifinals.”

The Beaver defense was also up to the task in the effort to get them there, bottling up Tualatin’s power running attack, while also forcing four turnovers.

Click here for more photos from the game.

The Wolves ran for 174 of their 230 total yards with senior running back John Grill gaining 109 yards on 24 carries and senior fullback Alek Poti 60 yards on just five attempts.

Pacific Conference co-champion Tualatin, the 6A runner-up in 2007, was close through halftime, trailing 17-13, but couldn’t keep pace with the Beavers and finished its season at 6-5.

“When you come off last year, you expect nothing less than to get to that point again,” said Wolf senior quarterback Levi Levasa, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another. “It’s a tough way to end it. But we left it all out there.”

Beaverton left them behind in the second half, driving 75 yards on the opening possession to take a 24-13 lead on an 18-yard DeHaan to Noonan touchdown pass.

The teams traded interceptions before the Beavers forced a Tualatin incompletion on fourth-and-5 near midfield. A personal foul penalty put Beaverton on the Wolf 40 and the Beavers wasted no time taking advantage.

With good protection, DeHaan rolled left then fired a downfield strike to junior Jamal Keuter, who ran along the Beaverton sideline for a 40-yard TD to make it 31-13.

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