Game of the night in Oregon? Banks rallies past Cascade Christian in 3A final rematch

Junior quarterback Lane Gilbert had two touchdowns in the final 2:08 to help Banks avenge 2023 championship game loss

Under head coach Cole Linehan, Banks is one win from a return trip to the 3A title game. / Photo by Rene Ferran

BANKS — All week before Friday’s rematch of last year’s 3A state championship game, Banks junior quarterback Lane Gilbert said the team tried to downplay getting the chance to avenge its 34-20 loss to Cascade Christian.

“No one wanted to make it a big deal,” he said. “But we knew.”

And when the two-time defending champions took a 20-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter of their quarterfinal showdown, Gilbert remembered the feeling he had 12 months ago.

“It just brought that extra edge that we needed,” he said. “That extra confidence.”

Gilbert scored twice from a yard out in the final 2:08, with the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left to lift the No. 2 seeds to a 27-20 victory at Kelly Field.

“This is a special group, to say the least,” said Gilbert, who threw for 221 yards and a touchdown and ran for 100 yards.

Banks (10-0) gave up the go-ahead score on a fourth-and-3 play from the 18, with tight end Alex Fiannaca leaking behind the defense to haul in a wide-open pass from Deryk Farmer.

Banks junior Jarrett Martin, who transferred up the road from Gaston in the offseason, simply thought, “I hope we get our ball to our playmakers.”

Any worries? 

“Slight,” he said. “It hit my mind, but I trusted my guys.”

Martin, who earlier caught a 72-yard touchdown pass, made the critical play on the tying drive, leaping high to haul in a 31-yard pass over the cornerback at the Cascade Christian 20. Five plays later, Gilbert followed left tackle Luke Bigsby and guard Cole Wilson to the end zone.

On the following possession, the Challengers (7-4) got two first downs, but faced with fourth-and-1 at their 45, a couple of sophomores — defensive lineman Cade Wilson and linebacker Wyatt Jackson — combined to stuff Farmer at the Challengers 45-yard line.

“We read it like a book,” Jackson said. “All that film Coach (Cole) Linehan had us watch, we recognized the formation and filled our gaps.”

Martin made another big catch to put Banks in field goal range at the Challengers 7. Gilbert then found Max Walker at the goal line to set up another burst to the end zone behind Bigsby and Cole Wilson.

“It’s been a miracle,” Martin said. “I didn’t think we’d make it this far, and here we are, just go on. We’re going to go get that ring.”

Banks 27, Cascae Christian 20

Cascade Christian - 6 - 0 - 6 - 8 – 20

Banks - 0 - 7 - 6 - 14 – 27

First quarter

CC — Bryson Walker 17 run (kick failed), 0:46

Second quarter

B — Jarrett Martin 9 run (Teagan Henderson kick), 0:42

Third quarter

CC — Deryk Farmer 3 run (pass failed), 8:30

B — Martin 72 pass from Lane Gilbert (pass failed), 3:51

Fourth quarter

CC — Alex Fiannaca 18 pass from Farmer (Farmer run), 6:17

B — Gilbert 1 run (Henderson kick), 2:08

B — Gilbert 1 run (Henderson kick), 0:13

STATISTICS

Rushing—Cascade Christian: Farmer 27-112, Walker 8-16. Total 35-128. Banks: Gilbert 19-100, Martin 10-66. Total 35-180.

Passing—Cascade Christian: Farmer 19-28-1-236. Banks: Gilbert 10-15-0-221.

Receiving—Cascade Christian: Bryley Richardson 8-102, Walker 5-30, Caleb Scaglione 3-71. Banks: Max Walker 5-57, Martin 3-121, Brayden Exline 2-43.

Defense—Cascade Christian: Walker 7 tackles, 2 for loss; Richardson 2 tackles, 2 pass breakups. Banks: Luke Bigsby 4 tackles, 3 for loss, sack; Cole Wilson 4 tackles, 2 for loss; Exline 5 tackles, interception; Martin 5 tackles; Gilbert 5 tackles; Diesel Schoegje 5 tackles.

First downs—Cascade Christian 18, Banks 14. Fumbles-lost—Cascade Christian 0-0, Banks 3-0. Penalties-yards—Cascade Christian 4-25, Banks 6-40.

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