Bears take care of business, Renegades

Drew Jenkins, right, led Kitsap County's defense past Nate Ellis and Southern Oregon's offense Sturday night.

Photos by Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com.

With offensive star EJ Ash held to just seven plays, the Kitsap County Bears used a stellar defensive effort to claim the Pacific Football League title with a 28-14 win over Southern Oregon Saturday at Silverdale Stadium in Bremerton, Wash.

The Bears stuffed the Southern Oregon running game, chased Southern Oregon quarterback Nate Ellis across the field and won the league's inaugural title.

Kitsap, which nabbed three interceptions, finished 12-1 on the season. Southern Oregon finished 11-2.

Both teams played in the North American Football League's Northwest Division last season. The PFL formed this season with teams from five different leagues, including seven from the Oregon Football League.

Kitsap got a big lift from Ken Jackson, who entered at quarterback in the second quarter and threw three touchdown passes, the second closing out a 7-play, 42-yard drive for a 14-7 lead. The scoring drive came after a momentum-swinging 50-yard punt return from Drew Jenkins after the Renegades had tied the score at 14.

Southern Oregon scored on a 32-yard interception return by John James.

Both teams expected Ash, the league's offensive MVP, to be out due to family duties - his daughters attending an elite track meet.

But he returned, for seven plays, before being injured on a run.

PRE GAME

Kitsap County will play host to Southern Oregon at 7 p.m. at Silverdale Stadium in Bremerton, Wash., but will likely be missing its top running back and receiver.

EJ Ash, who coaches voted the league's Offensive Player of the Year, will likely not be at the game, coach Joe Disney has reported, and Mike Bush will likely miss the game as well.

"Looks like no EJ or Mike Bush," Disney communicated Wednsday. "Things have taken a turn for the worse for us."

Both will likely be at family events.

Southern Oregon reported Thursday it expects most if not all of its roster to make the 8 hour drive to Bremerton, especially after raising funds during a car wash Wednesday.

"Everyone is gonna make it," fullback Alvin Thornton reported.

It'll be the first meeting of the year between the teams, but third in the past two seasons as they played twice last year within the NAFL.

The game will be webcast live on this page by oregonsports.com, beginning at 6:50 p.m.

The teams split those games from a year ago, each of them winning at home and they both finished 6-4 in the league behind unbeaten Bellingham, which went on to play for a national title in South Carolina.

Kitsap County figures to have the edge playing at home and with a stellar defense that's allowed just 7 points in two playoff games, but its offense helped keep its defense off the field. In a semifinals win over rival South King County, Ash helped the Bears roll up 239 yards on the ground in a 28-7 win.

The Bears enter the game at 11-1, having lost only at South King in their final regular season game.

Now, the edge in the game might be with Southern Oregon, which is highly familiar with close contests, having won nine of its 11 games by two scores or less, including three times by just a field goal.

Southern Oregon needed late scores to win its two playoff games on its home field, and scored 18 of its 21 points by or almost directly from its defense in Saturday's 21-6 win over Springfield. Quarterback Nate Ellis accounted for 177 yards through the air and on the ground to lead the team's offense.

The Renegades also enter the game at 11-1, having lost only to the Southern Division champion Portland Monarchs 13-10 midway through the seaon - before Ellis joined the team.

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